A/N: Woo political and spiritual talk?
Enjoy~
King Gerald and Queen Sheila both stood quietly with their hands folded, soft smiles over their faces as they watched their esteemed guest make his way towards them at the foot of their palace. They glanced at each other for the briefest of moments, a mutual understanding of planning being met in such a short glimpse, one would never notice were they not scrutinizing the royal couple.
The Wizard King came before them at the front of the door, taking a knee and bowing theatrically. "Your Majesties," he began, "Thank you for allowing me the chance to come to your lovely kingdom to discuss business with you."
"Please, My King, that's not necessary," Sheila smiled, looking at Liane's son with a fondness falling over her green stare as he raised back onto his feet politely waiting for their go aheads. He looked just like his mother, the soft chestnut hair, those glowing amber eyes, and that relaxed demeanor all over him. She sighed to herself, wondering vaguely if people looked at her eldest son and thought the same. "We were rather surprised to get your letter, Eric," she said. "We weren't expecting such an offer."
He clasped his hands in front of him and shrugged, "My mother...She wished for our lands to be united against the prospective enemies of our great land, as you yourself have dreamed, Your Majesty."
Sheila nodded sadly, folding her fingers into her hand. "Come along, then. Let's discuss within the conference room."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," he murmured, turning and jerking his head for Butters and Garrison to follow, leaving a grumpy Craig standing at the carriage with crossed arms. The thief's grey eyes flashed a warning: 'Hurry back'. Cartman huffed out a small laugh, turning from him and walking inside, eyes glancing around the elven palace disinterestedly. He'd seen it only once before, finding it far too 'naturey' for his tastes. Some things apparently never changed.
As the small group passed, a pair of blue and green eyes watched them cautiously from the shadows. Kyle licked his lips, stepping from behind a large pillar and beginning to make way towards them as they turned a corner of the main hallway before a gentle hand holding his shoulder stopped him. "What are you doing?" he hissed.
Stan smirked crookedly, "I know that look, My Prince. You cannot attack a king without just cause."
He huffed, taking his shoulder back and crossing his arms. "I wasn't going to attack him, I was merely going to ask questions," he said blandly.
"Questions like 'how well do you take a punch'?" another voice perked. They looked to the side to see Prince Ike approaching them with a small chuckle. "Ky, you look like you're about to set someone on fire."
"Well, with his mass, it'd keep our people warm for eons," he scoffed.
Ike snorted, stepping next to and elbowing his older brother. "So, any idea what they're here for?"
"'Peace treaty'," he air-quoted. "Though I really don't think that's it," he added.
The twelve year old smacked his lips and shrugged, "And if it is?"
"Then I must be as Canadian as yourself to be so foolish," he smirked, stepping off towards the throne room with the other two in tow and missing his brother's pout. Ike sighed, taking in his brother's straight, authoritative posture and trying to mimic it, flipping off Stan as he stared at him funnily.
The ranger chuckled, "Where is Filmore, Ike?"
"I sent him on break," he muttered, glancing at Kyle's hands and trying to figure out how his slender fingers linked together in front of him so flawlessly while his own looked as though they were trying to strangle one another.
Kyle looked at him and raised his brow, "You can send your guard on break?" He scoffed, looking back at the tall boy trailing him. "When do I get that option?" he teased.
"When I'm dead in the ground, Your Highness," he smiled sweetly, laughing as Kyle shook his head and turned his attention back forward.
They made their way to the conference room, attempting to head past the guards before a hand stopped Kyle by the chest. The guard looked at him with a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but we've been instructed to keep you out here."
Kyle blinked before narrowing his eyes. "Excuse me?" he demanded. "Keep me out? Why?! Is there some sort of conspiracy against me transpiring in there?!" he pointed towards the door angrily.
"I'm not sure what is being discussed, Prince Kyle," he shrugged. "But Her Majesty told us to keep you, and any potential spies for you," he added with a glance towards the two noirettes on either side of the prince, "out here and out of earshot."
Kyle's jaw dropped, looking at his brother and best friend for answers, both of them staring back cluelessly. "I don't believe this," he muttered, turning from the guard and storming down the hall back where they came from. "I don't believe this!" he repeated in a shout, voice echoing angrily along the tall ceilings. "Keep me out?! This has Cartman's shitty handwriting all over it," he spat, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Mom and Dad have never barred me from a diplomatic meeting before, they encourage me to attend them!" he gritted his teeth.
"Maybe it's because of your bias?" Ike shrugged with a wince. "I mean...you do hate King Fatass."
"And with good reason," he wagged his bony finger as they continued their way down the hall towards the inner sanctuary. "He knows that I can see right through his little suck up attitude. He remembers me ratting him out all those years ago," he huffed. He'd never forget the purely murderous expression on the brunette's face when he'd managed to easily unravel his lie with a tiny discrepancy he'd noticed from the story of 'the chicken took the danish'. He'd stood there smugly while Liane lectured the nine year old for lying, especially in front of fellow diplomats. Cartman had flipped Kyle off behind his back, the redhead calling him out on that as well and watching with a wide smile as the glutton was escorted to his room as punishment. He knew just how to see through a lying sack of shit, and he knew that there was no better deserver of such a title than Eric fucking Cartman.
Stan sighed, "My Prince, please. You promised to try."
"And I did," he replied sharply, pushing open the double doors of the sanctuary and leading them inside. "I was going to be fair," he mocked. "But then he bars me from a treaty discussion? He's the one not willing to put in the effort, Stanley."
The ranger and Ike sighed, shaking their heads at the fuming prince. Kyle stopped in the middle of the sanctuary's aisle, looking through the glass walls and ceiling surrounding them to stare off into the sky. His eyes slid back down to the angel oak at the forefront of the haven, bursting through the tops of the glass. Heavy branches cascaded down, touching the floor like God's hands themselves. Kyle sighed through his nose, slowly making way up towards the sacred wood and kneeling down beside a large branch, putting his hands on the bark and letting the power of the mighty plant seep into the marrow of his bones. A cleansing breath washed through him, his shoulders rolling back and his posture slackening in the slightest. Stan and Ike watched in awe, wondering just what it was he was feeling. Being humans themselves, they'd never understood why or how elves would come and touch the tree, clearing their minds and spirits alike.
Kyle felt the ridges of the bark under his palm coming to life, feeling every breath the tree took in unison with him and smiling to himself. This tree was his home, it was his past and his future. It held him down within the present, assuring him time and again that no matter what the storm, no matter how horrid the winds, rings would continue to form, buds would continue to sprout. He was the moss to this mighty giant, relishing in the shade, feeling the roots continuing to spread beneath him as he hung tightly and basked in its presence. His thumbs ran lovingly over the wood, face spreading into a contented smile as his energy was renewed, his magic at its peak once more.
He took another long breath, pulling his hands from the wood, not wishing to burden the tree any longer with his needs. He folded his fingers atop his lap, staring up at the twisted turns of the branches jutting to and fro against the sky, lips mumbling a silent prayer for the tree's strength and wisdom to guide him through what seemed to be such a dilemma within him. Letting his trust get the best of him was a fear he'd always held, one that he knew was validated just by the amount of backstabbing ways he'd heard of in his short lifetime. "Please," he whispered, his voice whisking through and around leaves, holding them with the warmth of an embrace. "Let my fears be wrong, let their judgement be right..." he reopened his spring green eyes, jaw shaking with anxiety.
"Prince Kyle? Are you all right?" a voice popped from the far side of the sanctuary. The group looked over to see Token and Clyde watching the redhead in concern. Token stepped towards him, deep brown eyes glimmering with worry. "Does something trouble you, Your Highness?"
Kyle looked from the cleric back up towards the tree, tucking stray curls behind his ear. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. "I feel as though something has the potential to go horridly wrong with Kupa Keep's presence. But...no one else seems to agree," he looked back at Stan and Ike shadily who sighed together again.
Kyle looked to see Token's hand held down, blinking and grasping it to allow him to pull him back up onto his feet. The boy stared at him with a sad smile, "You worry too much, Your Highness."
"Yes. So I've been told," he shot another look at an amused Stan. He glanced back at the cleric, "Token, what do you think will come of this treaty?"
"With any hope, if I do say so, My Prince, peace," he replied quietly.
The redhead shrugged, "I don't see any issue with how we've been. Quiet disharmony seems to be working rather well in either favor."
"Except trade is impossible, tensions are high, and we live in constant fear of one another," Clyde inputted before clearing his throat embarrassedly. "My apologies, Your Highness, I didn't mean to speak out-"
He stopped as Kyle waved the apology off with a sigh. "You know I trust your judgement, Clyde," he addressed the warrior. "I trust all of you," he looked at the four surrounding him. "However, your confidence in the King of Sustenance in there is...baffling," he narrowed his eyes.
Token cleared his throat, "My Prince, it's not so much confidence as it is...hope," he replied softly, gently placing a hand on Kyle's shoulder and turning him back to face the Sacred Tree. "Like this tree, that gives you elves hope and strength, so does the promise of a better tomorrow for Zaron to all of us," he said.
"This tree brings results," Kyle said firmly. "A possible treaty does not."
"You say this tree brings results," Token repeated. "But...the four of us are human," he gestured to those surrounding the elven prince. "We can only trust what you say this tree can do. We have to rely on pure faith in you to believe that it holds the magical properties that it does. Just as you must have faith that these negotiations could very well be a key to something wonderful."
Kyle looked at the man and sighed tiredly, putting a hand on the one resting atop his shoulder. "Thank you, Token," he murmured. "But..." he stopped, looking through the glass and up to the topmost branch spiraling into the sky. "Until I know just what it is that king wants to fall onto my people, I'm afraid I just can't go on blind faith. Our future is too important to be left to mere dreams."
Sheila and Gerald stared at the three across from them, tapping their fingers atop the table and glancing at each other impatiently as they waited for their final guest. The group looked over as the door flew open, Lord Mackey coming into the room and clearing his throat. "My apologies, Your Majesties," he bowed. "There was some trouble within the kitchen m'kay?"
"That's fine, have a seat, Lord Mackey," Gerald nodded. The man sat to the other side of the queen, both sets of three looking at each other firmly. "Now, Eric," Gerald began. "We would like for you to explain exactly what you're wanting to offer."
The brunette smiled, "I'm sure Your Majesties are aware of the beautiful Princess Kendra of my land?"
Sheila brightened at the name, "Yes. Lovely girl. So helpful and kind to your subjects. Very charitable. Liane would praise her for hours," she smiled.
Cartman nodded curtly, "Yes. Well, she turned of courting age on the first day of spring. And we are aware that Prince Kyle turned of age just a few weeks ago, correct?"
Gerald nodded slowly, "That's right. We've yet to announce his season, we've been preparing to throw a banquet for him to meet eligible prospective partners."
Eric grinned, "What if Princess Kendra were to be that partner?"
Sheila blinked, "The princess? The human princess?"
He shrugged, "Your Majesty, I beg you to consider the possibilities: Our kingdoms joined by the force of these two leaders-to-be. Human and elf, unionized through the sanctity of marriage. The kindness of my princess matched with the morality of your son that you've so graciously instilled in him," he gestured to them, kicking Garrison under the table as the duke rolled his eyes. "I believe these two could be the driving force to bringing our kingdoms together, each of them recognizing the true goodness of the other species and coming to the unanimous consensus of peace and prosperity between us."
Gerald and Sheila looked at each other, the king nodding for his wife to take the reins. She cleared her throat, "King Eric...elves and humans have never married one another," she said slowly. "Kyle was to be presented to the eligible elven partners from across the different Drow factions."
"I'm well aware," he assured her. "Lady McCormick was to be put through the same with humans. However, I think that breaking this tradition could be beneficial."
"Not so much breakin' tradition," Butters hurriedly intervened at the sight of Sheila's brow crinkling at the phrase. "Think of it as, startin' a new one," he insisted. "One that your son would be at the helm of, showin' people all over the land just how good the rule of an elf can be for 'em." Cartman nodded subtly in approval at the paladin as the queen calmed. This was exactly why he brought him in, Butters knew just how to dispel any mismatched phrases that Eric could possibly overlook to suit the Drow's tastes.
Sheila sighed, putting her finger to her chin. "There is another problem."
"Yes?" Eric encouraged.
She looked up at him with those recognizable emerald eyes and Cartman took a deep breath to control himself from the rage he could feel in his chest. "Kyle is our only pureblood son, as you know," she started quietly.
"Yes, young Prince Ike hails from Canada, does he not?" Garrison questioned.
She smiled and nodded, "He was abandoned in our sacred forest," she flickered her eyes quickly to Eric and he winced a bit before she turned her attention back to the duke. "We love him all the same as we do Kyle...But Kyle is a young elf who has not yet found love."
"And we hope he can find it in our prin-" Eric started before Sheila held up her hand.
The queen heaved a deep breath. "Love is not the same for elves as it is for humans," she explained. "At an elf's eligibility banquet, it's not so much a meet and greet as it is a...love at first sight," she winced. Eric cocked his brow confusedly and she continued. "We are blessed with the gift of knowing our soulmate right off the bat," she explained. "All elves are attuned with one another to know when they meet whom they'll spend the rest of their lives with," she reached over and grasped Gerald's hand, their fingers linking together lovingly. "Should Kyle marry your princess, and then happen to meet the one that he was meant to be with...it'll destroy him," she said softly.
"Destroy?" Garrison raised his brow. "What? He can't just drink 'em off his mind?" He hissed as Eric kicked him again, staring at the queen intensively.
"Go on, My Queen," he waved her along.
"Without the one you're destined to be with, an elf's life loses meaning," she said sadly. "It's a beautiful, but fatal flaw in our ways. Kyle would wither into nothingness, have to be cared for before it..." she looked down and bit her lip.
Cartman nodded in understanding, "It'd kill him. Literally."
"Yes," she whispered, wishing she could spare her son from such a cruel fate in the end of his life. It was the ultimate irony of their race: How parents longed for their children to live long and happy lives, but for them to die first within their families to spare them the utter destruction of their inner selves, more often than not their death becoming more prolonged and painful than that of their lover. "So, you can understand our concerns in such a matter."
Eric bit his cheek. Leave it to the elves to make even fucking love something deadly. He sighed, "I still believe that the union is for the best. Kyle would stay within your lands, ruling your kingdom. That way the elves are not intimidated by a human as their 'first in command'," he air-quoted, "But they could learn to understand and tolerate us as word of their succession as a monarchy spreads within Kupa Keep and opens up to the possibility of diversity among us." He looked at their skeptical faces and cleared his throat, folding his hands on the table before him. "With...all due respect, Your Majesties...Your son is the key to our union. Missing such a ripe opportunity could take lifetimes to readjust to match potential royalty to the proper age bracket should we forgo this and regret it in the future. The three of us missing out on this could potentially lead to yet another great war, which none of us want to happen," he emphasized. "The question is, what's more risky: Your son finding his true love that could be stationed in the Drow faction of Canada and will never meet for all you know? Or the lives of all our people being cut down because we couldn't take that chance?"
Gerald sighed, putting his hand over his mouth and looking at the table concernedly. "This would be the first arranged marriage of an elf," he said quietly. "Kyle wouldn't take this easily, especially with all the stories of what happiness his soulmate will bring him that we've told him."
"It's been a very long time since I've seen your son," Cartman shrugged listlessly. "But, if he's the same as he was then, he cares for the progression of your people. He wishes to see them happy. Does that still remain a truth?"
Sheila smiled and nodded, "Yes. He's shaping up to be a kind and generous king. He will make Larnion a prosperous land without a doubt."
"Then he'll understand," he assured them. "A good ruler is prepared to sacrifice it all for his people, and I doubt Prince Kyle is any different."
The man and woman looked at each other worriedly, turning to the Lordship to their right. "Lord Mackey? Opinion?" Gerald questioned.
The man gulped, "M'kay...I have to agree with King Eric on this one," he winced. "He's right, if the prince never meets his soulmate, then there's no harm done to him. Opening up possibilities with Kupa Keep is almost too amazing of an opportunity to pass up, m'kay?"
Sheila nodded softly, letting out a soft sigh through her painted lips. This was worth the risk...She closed her eyes, hoping that Kyle would view it in the same light. "Very well," she said quietly. "Let's draw up the terms of the contract, King Eric." She paused and cleared her throat, "Just when will Kyle and the princess meet?"
Eric smiled, amber eyes glittering excitedly in the sunlight beaming through the open windows. "She's just outside in the carriage," he purred. "So let's get the details ironed out, and then we can go right ahead and introduce our two lovebirds."
A/N: Cartman you smooth talking fucker u.
Thanks for R&Ring!