Kirianna opened the leatherbound book, the spine tied with worn cloth, and the cover, with no words. She had found it under her bed, gathering dust, and spiderwebs. It seemed to have some type of luminescent glow, and a melancholy quality, though she didn't know why. As she ran her fingers under the cover try to open the book, she saw petals fall down, onto the hard wood floor, sending their scent wafting up to ticke her nose, and like the smell flew around, so did an adventure, and a story like no other...
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The story of Knight, and King Roald isn't one most people know of. It isn't one which the social circles of Tortall spend their waking hours on, but it's the one which Doi women speak of late in the night, what lovers dream of, and it starts like this...
The dirt didn't affect Roald's raven colored hair, it may have made it a bit duller, and perhaps took away the shine, but it definetely didn't affect the resemblance he had to his father. He radiated, in that royal kind of way, Kel called it the "Monarch Shine", he called it sweat. She had hit him for that.
Speaking of Kel...
Her hair was in a braid, loose, and unraveling. It seemed as if she was back in her first year as a page, fighting off the so called "bullys", except for the fact that these were big, buff men, with very big swords as a matter of fact.
"You disgrace us and our kingdom lowlifes!"She yelled at the top of her lungs, over the pouring rain.
"Ye call us lowlifes ye wohmahn, Then I'll Show ye what this 'ere lowlife can do!" He rushed at her w/ a sword, aimed straight for her chest, which ended up nicking her in the arm instead. Owen and Cleon rushed at the others from the "lowlife's" troop. Until a baritone voice cut through,
"STOP, ALL of you HALT! In the name of King Jonathan, and Fief commander and head Roald i command you to Stop!" Merric bellowed.
"Only when your life is gone, and the last breath has echoed through the chimneys of Corus will i stop!" proclaimed Gregory, who was the man Kel had called a lowlife.
From then it was an all out battle, sword to sword, life against life, even with Merric trying to stop it all. It had been this way since King Jonathan and Queen Thayet had left part of a neighboring city to Roald. for him to rule, to get used to it. No one knew how it started really, this revolt of the servants, and they wouldn't speak of it, just act. But there were massacres through the countryside, and it was the main reason so many of his close knight friends were stationed right there with him.
Roald came in on Valience, his pure-bred stallion, white as a dove, making his darkened features glow against her. "What is this? I would think that you would be better than to fight in these street battles Sir Kel, Owen, and Cleon. I am ashamed! and YOU! Gregory, off with you, or your head will be off! This is the 8th time!" With the ruler's presence amidst, and all his guards with him, Gregory, and his own knights withdrew, as the young Prince buried his face in his hands.
"Only 4 months, and already there are massacres everywhere, and bloodshed on the marketplace streets! What am I to do?" He was mainly talking to himself, but someone answered.
"You're supposed to be you Roald. You havn't been acting like yourself, and you havn't been ruling like you would've. Your father is an excellent King, and you mother a Queen, but it has taken them YEARS to get where they were, and it's only been a couple of months."
Roald looked up at his old friend, her hair dirty, just like his. "It's not only that Kel..."
"Then what is it?" she asked, turning to look at him. She saw a sparkle, one in his eyes, one she had barely ever seen before."or should i say WHO is it?"
"It's that stupid marriage. That Goddammed marriage. I mean why Julianne? of all the people, why her? she already has been in my quarters for ages...and i only wish it wasn't forever."
"What you need to do is have some fun! Get out! do something! And i know just the thing... The servants hall. They have the best get-togethers. And i know, right now they're our greatest enemies...but we'll kill two birds with one stone. I can investigate these revolts, while you take a load off your chest. They're great fun, and always costumed...Merric and me go all the time. Just make up a name, any name, and don't have your Monarch Shine on you..."
He had to laugh at that..."It's just sweat Kel! And Mithros! I can't go traipsing into a servants party! It's like returning to the scene of the kill..."
"Ah...but there you're wrong. When you're not their enemy, all is well, and all is merry! Come, we can get you into your mask!"
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Kel was right, the party was loud, and merry, and everything he had expected. But it couldn't cure his worries, and his fear. This was like enemy territory, and thank Mithros he wasn't at all the brawls that a lot of them couldn't recognize him without his mask. But even so, he stayed in a corner. Where it was dark, and shadowed.
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"Is that not the Prince who swore he would kill us?" Gregory sneered.
"It is...get him while he's vunerable Greg..now!"said another male voice.
"Hush up all of you, you'll just make a mess out of the new floor. And if you do end up doing it, not tonight, at another time please"
"Ah Roz...always being my sensible lady." Gregory said, as he pulled the woman in for a kiss which she clearly didn't want...but she eventually gave in. Gregory could get very possesive...and very, very violent.
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Roald sipped his ale carefully, he didn't know if one of the servants could've slipped something in it, if they knew who he really was. That's how he had been the whole night, standing in a corner, anxious, and now, very ready to leave. Where was Kel? He had to go find her.
Slowly, he stepped out of his corner, mug in hand, heading towards the bobbing head of Kel, who didn't look like she was doing any "investigating" at all...to him it looked more like dancing. Just as he was a couple of feet from her, someone pulled him into a dance step which he didn't quite know, and his feet were fumbling and flailing. The plump woman didn't seem to mind, and kept swirling him around the dance floor. He looked around for help, for Kel, for anyone to get him out of this!
And that's when he saw Her...her eyes were silver and blue, mixed in a beautiful swirl. The corners of her mouth turned up, and her black hair loose, and flowing.
"So the stories are true," he whispered, "Love at First glance does still exsist..."
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TO BE CONTINUED...
__________________
The story of Knight, and King Roald isn't one most people know of. It isn't one which the social circles of Tortall spend their waking hours on, but it's the one which Doi women speak of late in the night, what lovers dream of, and it starts like this...
The dirt didn't affect Roald's raven colored hair, it may have made it a bit duller, and perhaps took away the shine, but it definetely didn't affect the resemblance he had to his father. He radiated, in that royal kind of way, Kel called it the "Monarch Shine", he called it sweat. She had hit him for that.
Speaking of Kel...
Her hair was in a braid, loose, and unraveling. It seemed as if she was back in her first year as a page, fighting off the so called "bullys", except for the fact that these were big, buff men, with very big swords as a matter of fact.
"You disgrace us and our kingdom lowlifes!"She yelled at the top of her lungs, over the pouring rain.
"Ye call us lowlifes ye wohmahn, Then I'll Show ye what this 'ere lowlife can do!" He rushed at her w/ a sword, aimed straight for her chest, which ended up nicking her in the arm instead. Owen and Cleon rushed at the others from the "lowlife's" troop. Until a baritone voice cut through,
"STOP, ALL of you HALT! In the name of King Jonathan, and Fief commander and head Roald i command you to Stop!" Merric bellowed.
"Only when your life is gone, and the last breath has echoed through the chimneys of Corus will i stop!" proclaimed Gregory, who was the man Kel had called a lowlife.
From then it was an all out battle, sword to sword, life against life, even with Merric trying to stop it all. It had been this way since King Jonathan and Queen Thayet had left part of a neighboring city to Roald. for him to rule, to get used to it. No one knew how it started really, this revolt of the servants, and they wouldn't speak of it, just act. But there were massacres through the countryside, and it was the main reason so many of his close knight friends were stationed right there with him.
Roald came in on Valience, his pure-bred stallion, white as a dove, making his darkened features glow against her. "What is this? I would think that you would be better than to fight in these street battles Sir Kel, Owen, and Cleon. I am ashamed! and YOU! Gregory, off with you, or your head will be off! This is the 8th time!" With the ruler's presence amidst, and all his guards with him, Gregory, and his own knights withdrew, as the young Prince buried his face in his hands.
"Only 4 months, and already there are massacres everywhere, and bloodshed on the marketplace streets! What am I to do?" He was mainly talking to himself, but someone answered.
"You're supposed to be you Roald. You havn't been acting like yourself, and you havn't been ruling like you would've. Your father is an excellent King, and you mother a Queen, but it has taken them YEARS to get where they were, and it's only been a couple of months."
Roald looked up at his old friend, her hair dirty, just like his. "It's not only that Kel..."
"Then what is it?" she asked, turning to look at him. She saw a sparkle, one in his eyes, one she had barely ever seen before."or should i say WHO is it?"
"It's that stupid marriage. That Goddammed marriage. I mean why Julianne? of all the people, why her? she already has been in my quarters for ages...and i only wish it wasn't forever."
"What you need to do is have some fun! Get out! do something! And i know just the thing... The servants hall. They have the best get-togethers. And i know, right now they're our greatest enemies...but we'll kill two birds with one stone. I can investigate these revolts, while you take a load off your chest. They're great fun, and always costumed...Merric and me go all the time. Just make up a name, any name, and don't have your Monarch Shine on you..."
He had to laugh at that..."It's just sweat Kel! And Mithros! I can't go traipsing into a servants party! It's like returning to the scene of the kill..."
"Ah...but there you're wrong. When you're not their enemy, all is well, and all is merry! Come, we can get you into your mask!"
_____________________
Kel was right, the party was loud, and merry, and everything he had expected. But it couldn't cure his worries, and his fear. This was like enemy territory, and thank Mithros he wasn't at all the brawls that a lot of them couldn't recognize him without his mask. But even so, he stayed in a corner. Where it was dark, and shadowed.
_____________________
"Is that not the Prince who swore he would kill us?" Gregory sneered.
"It is...get him while he's vunerable Greg..now!"said another male voice.
"Hush up all of you, you'll just make a mess out of the new floor. And if you do end up doing it, not tonight, at another time please"
"Ah Roz...always being my sensible lady." Gregory said, as he pulled the woman in for a kiss which she clearly didn't want...but she eventually gave in. Gregory could get very possesive...and very, very violent.
_____________________
Roald sipped his ale carefully, he didn't know if one of the servants could've slipped something in it, if they knew who he really was. That's how he had been the whole night, standing in a corner, anxious, and now, very ready to leave. Where was Kel? He had to go find her.
Slowly, he stepped out of his corner, mug in hand, heading towards the bobbing head of Kel, who didn't look like she was doing any "investigating" at all...to him it looked more like dancing. Just as he was a couple of feet from her, someone pulled him into a dance step which he didn't quite know, and his feet were fumbling and flailing. The plump woman didn't seem to mind, and kept swirling him around the dance floor. He looked around for help, for Kel, for anyone to get him out of this!
And that's when he saw Her...her eyes were silver and blue, mixed in a beautiful swirl. The corners of her mouth turned up, and her black hair loose, and flowing.
"So the stories are true," he whispered, "Love at First glance does still exsist..."
____________________
TO BE CONTINUED...