It was a lovely day in Emberhold, it truly was. Clouds were limited in the sapphire-themed sky, the bright sun blessed the city with its warmth, and the city welcomed it. A gentle breeze flowed through the city streets, calm and relaxing. It truly was the perfect day.
It was still morning, the Ember Tower's clock had just introduced eleven in this world. Yet the streets were loud; kids ran, shouted, and laughed. Men in the Ashen market could be heard arguing their usual tales, merchants selling their "exotic goods" fighting to draw attention to their stands, street performers putting on the show of their lives, the crowd cheering them on. It was abnormally loud in the capital. But it was to be expected; it was the day of a wedding, a royal wedding.
The princess of Astreavon, Princess Ilyra Pyralis, was promised to another man. and was but hours away from fulfilling that promise. It was a day to be celebrated, for this ceremony signified more than a marriage; it marked the end of a war that had lasted longer than necessary. Astraevon had been at war with the neighbouring nation, Kythera, for years, defending its lands. To put an end to this war, the rulers of both countries agreed that a marriage between families wasn't just ideal but necessary, and that they would destroy each other or prosper together.
The prince and heir to the throne of Kythera, Prince Riven Veylor, was to meet his promised for the first time today at his wedding. Yes, things were rushed, but nations were at war, and the opinions of the two married off were unnecessary to some.
Pyrestone Castle stood strong and fierce, its banners flying high and proud. From the outside, the castle looked impregnable. On the inside, however, storms were brewing; everything had to be perfect, maids were cleaning every corner of the castle, cooks were preparing a grand feast, and the servants were escorting everyone to the main hall.
A few floors over all this commotion, "tap, tap, tap" a young boy, resting his head on his fist, aimlessly staring out a window, staring at the Ember Tower, "tap, tap, tap" it was the tallest building in Emberhold, and behind it, "TAP!, TAP!, TAP!" the young boy gazed at the peal sea, how it met the horizon and blended with the sky, in the distance.
"For the love of all the gods, I know you can hear me, young master", a voice echoed in the empty classroom. "You finally quit tapping your blackboard, gramps", the young boy answered while slowly looking back into the room he was in.
An empty room with one singular desk in the centre of it, where the boy sat. Black messy hair that rejected light approaching it, green eyes that demanded attention and sparkled when the sun met them. The boy was young, ten years to him.
"I suggest you start paying attention during your classes, or the King would be hearing about this again. You remember what happened last time? And what do you mean, gramps! That is no way the future king of Astraevon should be addressing his tutor! and I am only fifty-five!" The man standing at the front of the room responded in a measured, dignified voice, though the slight twitch in his brow betrayed his annoyance. This clearly wasn't his first time giving out to the prince. The man stood tall, his defined body highlighted by strong features. His presence was felt all through the room, a feat only a true knight could conquer. He had long brown hair that reached behind his ears, with stray white strands along his hair and beard. He had subtle wrinkles on his face, revealing age. A scar started at his forehead and diagonally split his thick eyebrow, just about missing his eye and diminishing below his ear.
A glimpse of this Knight would advise a wise man to mind his words. But not our prince "rough looking fifty", he said under his breath loud enough so his mentor could just about hear him.
"What was tha-!"
"My prince," a young maid could be seen at the door in her black and white uniform "The queen asks for you to be dressed for the wedding. If you would please allow me to escort you to your room... Do excuse us, Sir Aldric Vaunt", she finished speaking and glanced at Sir Aldric for approval.
"Take him! *sigh* I was just about finished anyway" Aldric approved, covering his eyes with his hand for a second before continuing to rub off what was written on his blackboard. The boy took this chance to stand up from his chair and drag his feet to the door where the maid awaited him. he had his hands in his pockets.
"Oh, and Prince Kaelen, you would do well to remember your manners at your sister's wedding, you don't want to embarrass the Pyralis house, is that understood!" Sir Aldric pointed out without turning from the board as he spoke. "Yeah, yeah, don't worry, Gramps", Prince Kaelen responded calmly, continuing his stroll. "Snap!", a chalk in the background was heard.
Kaelen passed by the maid and strolled to the nearest window he could find in the massive corridor. As he waited for the maid to follow him, he looked out the window.
The maid approached Sir Aldric, peeking behind her to assure the prince could not hear. "The prince looks up to you, Sir Aldric", she exclaimed. "I'd much rather prefer if he listened to me", Sir Aldric scuffed. "he will in due time. The poor prince has seen you more than his own father. After all, you were appointed as his knight before he was even born," The maid reasoned. "He needs to experience the world more, he is caged in this castle. I understand the king's reasoning for wanting to keep his family safe during times of war. The boy has more potential than I ever did, and as the future of this nation, he needs to reach it." Aldric calmly argued with a soft voice.
"How are his other classes going? Sir Aldric," the maid wondered. The queen often looked for her to see how Kaelen was coming along in his studies. "He really enjoys training in the corps along with the soldiers, he hears all sorts of stories that fascinate him from them, he couldn't care less about his history classes, he at least shows some interest in strategy. But sword training is really all the prince cares about," He stated, still playing around with his blackboard and chalks.
"You ever tell him about your stories?" the maid looked up, expecting an answer from the tall knight. Aldric stopped twiddling with his chalk "In due time," he muttered. "Right, sorry", the maid walked to the door and saw the prince had moved from his window. She panicked and looked both ways down the corridor when she saw him walking alone toward his room.
"Prince Kaelen! Wait for me!" she rushed towards Kaelen until she caught up to him. She took a small break to catch her breath, holding her knees. While Kaelen watched her from above, "Alright, alright. Let's go"
Sir Aldric watched as they walked together along the long red velvet carpet with gold stitching on the sides, through the endless corridor. He watched the sun peering in through the window, meeting the walls, creating a cosy feel to the castle. His eyes met the back of the young prince. "I fear for the future of this nation", Aldric sighed "If there was only a way to light a fire under him",. he closed the door behind him "Well, I ought to get ready myself then".