Chapter 1: The Royal Sisters of Asturia
Queen Eries of Asturia gently caressed the face of her son as she finished adjusting the little outfit that she'd just dressed him in. The Royal Nanny would always tell her that she, as a Queen, didn't need to do such things with a nanny on staff. However, motherhood taught her that some things are more important than keeping up appearances. She always found the proof of this in her little boy's cooing smile. As she bundled him up to take him to his father, of whom he was the spitting image, she couldn't help but muse at the circumstances which made her both a wife, mother, and queen.
It was two weeks after that strange girl from the Mystic Moon who was King Van's traveling partner during that horrible war, what was her name, went back home. She couldn't stop thinking about him. He was so much more than what people saw. She'd remembered all the hushed talk behind Prime Minister Midin's back about his son. "How could the richest man of his generation in maybe all of Gaia dress like a vagabond hermit?" They didn't know the man that she'd come to know when that Mystic Moon girl tricked Millerna into marrying Dryden.
-The man who'd spent 5 years profits to save the life of one man, regardless whether or not he was a king, when just about everyone she knew in the Austrian Royal court would've let young Van die than spend a penny to save him, much less 50 million Gidaru.
-The man who made a name for himself as a man of noble heart by his benevolence and his philanthropy, rather than shedding blood in the name of "honor" and "chivalry" for the sake of their titles.
-The man who'd rather prove himself to Millerna, by his actions, as a man worth being her husband rather than forcing her to stay in a loveless marriage.
Eries Aston was in love with Dryden Fassa, and she couldn't care less what those around her thought of him. Those fools in the Royal court thought that she wouldn't get married because of some sort of unrequited love for that irresponsible playboy ex-bandit who impregnated her older sister in a night of mindless passion, Allen Schezar of all people. She simply wouldn't get married because she promised herself that she would marry for love, not titles. When she made that perfectly clear to her Father, she was "punished" by having the line of succession go to her younger sister rather than to her. How little they thought of her to think that it would break her spirits. At that point, she decided to watch over her immature younger sister, Millerna as the mother she hadn't had since their mother had died. When Allen had re-entered their lives, she was there, keeping a close eye on him. Much later, she learned that Allen's reputation was ill earned, and that he really and truly loved Marlene as much as her older sister loved him. She even went as far as offering to keep an eye on his long lost sister Celena, (only to have the girl turn into to homicidal, pyromaniac psychotic, Dilandau in front of her). He wasn't a bad man, Eries decided, she just wished he'd been more cautious of Marlene's future.
She couldn't stand it any more. Dryden was just the kind of man she'd been waiting for her whole lonely life. Smart, kind, giving, handsome, he was more of a noble than the nobles she'd been forced to spend her life associating with, (how in the name of the Sea Dragon Goddess he could be the son of that pervert Prime Minister of her Father's is anyone's guess). It was time to act before Dryden began to pine away too much for Millerna. Let the silly little girl have her longhaired swordsman. SHE was going after a truly noble man.
After finally intercepting Dryden's convoy, she invited herself on- board to "find out more about those countries that Asuria traded with from a trader's point of view." While she learned, she courted Dryden relentlessly. Dryden in turn admired her drive. She was a woman who went after what she wanted when she found out what it was. Over the time, admiration turned into friendship, and later friendship into love. After six months, each had thought they had hooked the other to ask for their hand in marriage. She was relieved that her plans and efforts had finally borne fruit. There was only one problem, Eries's father, King Aston.
It wasn't that Eries hated her Father, but she had little reason to trust him, may the Great Sea Dragon forgive her. She knew that everything her Father did was just another step in his continued, lifelong efforts to keep himself on the throne, regardless how much unhappiness was left in his wake. Keeping this in mind, the one thing on her side was the fact that he had approved of Dryden marring Millerna, so he shouldn't have a problem with her doing the same.
The results were better than she expected. King Aston was overjoyed by this announcement! He had never fully recovered from the stroke that had put him in a wheelchair during Dryden and Millerna's wedding and was concerned that he would pass on from this world without knowing that Asturia was in good hands. To make matters worse, at least in his eyes, was that Millerna, next in line to the throne since Eries announced that she wouldn't marry anyone she didn't love, was secretly dating Allen Schezar. He also knew that doing anything to him, especially assassination would only cause Millerina to act against him at a time when he needed allies, not enemies within his Royal Court, especially amongst his own blood. On the other hand, the idea of Sir Allen becoming KING Allen was something that made killing him off, one way or another, VERY palatable to the sick and aging monarch.
Eries and Dryden's announcement solved all of his problems at once. As a wedding gift, he announced that the day after the ceremony, the line of succession would be restored to Eries and she and Dryden would become King and Queen upon his death. Millerna was, at first, a little put off by this sudden turn of her fortune, but decided that it was a blessing in disguise. Now, she was free to love whomever she wanted and continue her medical studies without her training to become a future Queen getting in the way for the immediate future. Two months after the announcement, they were married in a ceremony almost identical to the one that Millerna and Dryden had 8 1/2 months earlier, the biggest difference being the bride in question. They left for their month- long honeymoon and the next day. A week after their return, as if right on cue, King Aston died in his sleep, clutching the ring that was the symbol of his reign and smiling as if he was having a wonderful dream. In the end the old man got everything he wanted.
The good news was that so did everyone else. Eries had ordered 12 months of mourning in which there would be only religious observances and no public celebrations. One month after the one-year anniversary of her father's death, Millerna announced her own engagement to Allen Schezar with the wedding taking place 6 weeks later. It was also around this time that Eries gave birth to her son, the crown prince of Asturia. That was a little over a year ago.
As she smoothed out the little boy's dark hair which framed his bright blue eyes, she could only wonder how her sister was doing, she like Eries, had wasted now time getting pregnant after she got married. In fact, if her calculations were correct, Millerna would be in her sixth month. "I wonder what your aunt is up to now", she quietly said aloud to the baby in her arms.
'This is all YOUR fault!' Millerna thought to herself as she looked at her wedding showdowgraph and glared at the image of her husband. She then rolled over to her other side and thought to herself, '.and you had nothing to do with it of course.' It wasn't that she hated Allen; she just hated being pregnant. The first three months were a sheer curse of morning sickness and exhaustion. The vomiting subsided by her fourth month and she enjoyed the sensation of feeling the little life in her moving and kicking, only to have the little one do summersaults inside her by the fifth month. Now in her sixth month, she felt as big as a house and was always moody and uncomfortable. As a trained physician, she knew what to expect when her suspicion that she was pregnant was confirmed. She was learning firsthand, however, that there is a big difference between knowing and experiencing.
'That does it!' Millerna thought. 'I've been lying in bed so long, I will be getting bedsores soon enough!' Having just gotten out of bed, she was still somewhat unsteady, but recovered with the skill and grace of the princess that she was. It was a beautiful day, and she wanted to sit in the garden. Allen, being over protective of the women in his life as he was, wouldn't have liked to see her out of bed without the assistance of at least two ladies-in-waiting, much less, get dressed, leave their bedroom, and stroll out to one of the lush fields of the Schezar estates. However, while his doting nature was just as charming as he always was, being a new father and all, sometimes it was downright annoying! 'I am the same person that I was when I left Asturia to join the Crusade and her crew in their efforts to stop Zaibach from destroying Freid whether my father, may the Sea Dragon rest his soul, and sister liked it or not, and I most certainly, DIDN'T marry Allen only to have him take father's place in dictating my life!' At this point Millerna realized that she was getting worked up over nothing, so much so that her ladies-in-waiting had finished dressing her without her even knowing.
At his she just sighed and left room with her entourage in tow.
Queen Eries of Asturia gently caressed the face of her son as she finished adjusting the little outfit that she'd just dressed him in. The Royal Nanny would always tell her that she, as a Queen, didn't need to do such things with a nanny on staff. However, motherhood taught her that some things are more important than keeping up appearances. She always found the proof of this in her little boy's cooing smile. As she bundled him up to take him to his father, of whom he was the spitting image, she couldn't help but muse at the circumstances which made her both a wife, mother, and queen.
It was two weeks after that strange girl from the Mystic Moon who was King Van's traveling partner during that horrible war, what was her name, went back home. She couldn't stop thinking about him. He was so much more than what people saw. She'd remembered all the hushed talk behind Prime Minister Midin's back about his son. "How could the richest man of his generation in maybe all of Gaia dress like a vagabond hermit?" They didn't know the man that she'd come to know when that Mystic Moon girl tricked Millerna into marrying Dryden.
-The man who'd spent 5 years profits to save the life of one man, regardless whether or not he was a king, when just about everyone she knew in the Austrian Royal court would've let young Van die than spend a penny to save him, much less 50 million Gidaru.
-The man who made a name for himself as a man of noble heart by his benevolence and his philanthropy, rather than shedding blood in the name of "honor" and "chivalry" for the sake of their titles.
-The man who'd rather prove himself to Millerna, by his actions, as a man worth being her husband rather than forcing her to stay in a loveless marriage.
Eries Aston was in love with Dryden Fassa, and she couldn't care less what those around her thought of him. Those fools in the Royal court thought that she wouldn't get married because of some sort of unrequited love for that irresponsible playboy ex-bandit who impregnated her older sister in a night of mindless passion, Allen Schezar of all people. She simply wouldn't get married because she promised herself that she would marry for love, not titles. When she made that perfectly clear to her Father, she was "punished" by having the line of succession go to her younger sister rather than to her. How little they thought of her to think that it would break her spirits. At that point, she decided to watch over her immature younger sister, Millerna as the mother she hadn't had since their mother had died. When Allen had re-entered their lives, she was there, keeping a close eye on him. Much later, she learned that Allen's reputation was ill earned, and that he really and truly loved Marlene as much as her older sister loved him. She even went as far as offering to keep an eye on his long lost sister Celena, (only to have the girl turn into to homicidal, pyromaniac psychotic, Dilandau in front of her). He wasn't a bad man, Eries decided, she just wished he'd been more cautious of Marlene's future.
She couldn't stand it any more. Dryden was just the kind of man she'd been waiting for her whole lonely life. Smart, kind, giving, handsome, he was more of a noble than the nobles she'd been forced to spend her life associating with, (how in the name of the Sea Dragon Goddess he could be the son of that pervert Prime Minister of her Father's is anyone's guess). It was time to act before Dryden began to pine away too much for Millerna. Let the silly little girl have her longhaired swordsman. SHE was going after a truly noble man.
After finally intercepting Dryden's convoy, she invited herself on- board to "find out more about those countries that Asuria traded with from a trader's point of view." While she learned, she courted Dryden relentlessly. Dryden in turn admired her drive. She was a woman who went after what she wanted when she found out what it was. Over the time, admiration turned into friendship, and later friendship into love. After six months, each had thought they had hooked the other to ask for their hand in marriage. She was relieved that her plans and efforts had finally borne fruit. There was only one problem, Eries's father, King Aston.
It wasn't that Eries hated her Father, but she had little reason to trust him, may the Great Sea Dragon forgive her. She knew that everything her Father did was just another step in his continued, lifelong efforts to keep himself on the throne, regardless how much unhappiness was left in his wake. Keeping this in mind, the one thing on her side was the fact that he had approved of Dryden marring Millerna, so he shouldn't have a problem with her doing the same.
The results were better than she expected. King Aston was overjoyed by this announcement! He had never fully recovered from the stroke that had put him in a wheelchair during Dryden and Millerna's wedding and was concerned that he would pass on from this world without knowing that Asturia was in good hands. To make matters worse, at least in his eyes, was that Millerna, next in line to the throne since Eries announced that she wouldn't marry anyone she didn't love, was secretly dating Allen Schezar. He also knew that doing anything to him, especially assassination would only cause Millerina to act against him at a time when he needed allies, not enemies within his Royal Court, especially amongst his own blood. On the other hand, the idea of Sir Allen becoming KING Allen was something that made killing him off, one way or another, VERY palatable to the sick and aging monarch.
Eries and Dryden's announcement solved all of his problems at once. As a wedding gift, he announced that the day after the ceremony, the line of succession would be restored to Eries and she and Dryden would become King and Queen upon his death. Millerna was, at first, a little put off by this sudden turn of her fortune, but decided that it was a blessing in disguise. Now, she was free to love whomever she wanted and continue her medical studies without her training to become a future Queen getting in the way for the immediate future. Two months after the announcement, they were married in a ceremony almost identical to the one that Millerna and Dryden had 8 1/2 months earlier, the biggest difference being the bride in question. They left for their month- long honeymoon and the next day. A week after their return, as if right on cue, King Aston died in his sleep, clutching the ring that was the symbol of his reign and smiling as if he was having a wonderful dream. In the end the old man got everything he wanted.
The good news was that so did everyone else. Eries had ordered 12 months of mourning in which there would be only religious observances and no public celebrations. One month after the one-year anniversary of her father's death, Millerna announced her own engagement to Allen Schezar with the wedding taking place 6 weeks later. It was also around this time that Eries gave birth to her son, the crown prince of Asturia. That was a little over a year ago.
As she smoothed out the little boy's dark hair which framed his bright blue eyes, she could only wonder how her sister was doing, she like Eries, had wasted now time getting pregnant after she got married. In fact, if her calculations were correct, Millerna would be in her sixth month. "I wonder what your aunt is up to now", she quietly said aloud to the baby in her arms.
'This is all YOUR fault!' Millerna thought to herself as she looked at her wedding showdowgraph and glared at the image of her husband. She then rolled over to her other side and thought to herself, '.and you had nothing to do with it of course.' It wasn't that she hated Allen; she just hated being pregnant. The first three months were a sheer curse of morning sickness and exhaustion. The vomiting subsided by her fourth month and she enjoyed the sensation of feeling the little life in her moving and kicking, only to have the little one do summersaults inside her by the fifth month. Now in her sixth month, she felt as big as a house and was always moody and uncomfortable. As a trained physician, she knew what to expect when her suspicion that she was pregnant was confirmed. She was learning firsthand, however, that there is a big difference between knowing and experiencing.
'That does it!' Millerna thought. 'I've been lying in bed so long, I will be getting bedsores soon enough!' Having just gotten out of bed, she was still somewhat unsteady, but recovered with the skill and grace of the princess that she was. It was a beautiful day, and she wanted to sit in the garden. Allen, being over protective of the women in his life as he was, wouldn't have liked to see her out of bed without the assistance of at least two ladies-in-waiting, much less, get dressed, leave their bedroom, and stroll out to one of the lush fields of the Schezar estates. However, while his doting nature was just as charming as he always was, being a new father and all, sometimes it was downright annoying! 'I am the same person that I was when I left Asturia to join the Crusade and her crew in their efforts to stop Zaibach from destroying Freid whether my father, may the Sea Dragon rest his soul, and sister liked it or not, and I most certainly, DIDN'T marry Allen only to have him take father's place in dictating my life!' At this point Millerna realized that she was getting worked up over nothing, so much so that her ladies-in-waiting had finished dressing her without her even knowing.
At his she just sighed and left room with her entourage in tow.