Chapter 5: The other one
"To think, you'll find your kismet, by sneaking into a library" a very handsome man laughed, grey eyes resting on olive skin, mauve hair flowing elegantly "Mother will be devastated. You know, she was organizing a gathering of electable fey ladies for you to 'casually' meet, hoping for your kismet to happen, and it did to the first Loirian lady you ran into who likes to read, oh, cousin you are so fucked up" the fey man, kept laughing.
"Tell me about it" Aedrik, was sitting in front of the fey, he was caressing what looked like a copper ring on his finger, looking at it with longing. He had always feared the rings he carried with him, an in a second, everything changed. He missed his mother now more than he ever had.
"How did the talk with the King went" the fey, calmed down as he looked at the prince.
"Lord Damian was right, when the King saw I had arrived with the Lunebleaus, he was pale. I told how my proposition had been accepted, and every condition he had asked for our alliance had been fulfilled. He asked the Lunebleaus under a truth stone if there was anything else in motion, and he did it with me present" the fey eyes went wide open at that remark "Afterwards he dare not delay, we signed the alliance"
"Do you think, the King could turn into a problem?" the fey man asked more serious.
"I am not sure, I think he will honor the alliance, Loire nobles have great power, and they were all convinced the alliance is in the best interest for everyone" Aedrik was worried, he kept touching the ring on his left hand.
"House Lunebleau, will raise in power" the fey man added "Lord Damian Lunebleau and his son looked like capable men"
"They are, after we have talked with the King, lord Damian and I had some words"
"OH, and how was it, did he had the guts to threaten you?, You hurt my baby girl, and I will gut you like the fairy whelp you are or something of the sorts?" the fey man made a poor impression of lord Damian "If he did, he has my respect, not many would dare, not with your reputation dear cousin, I mean it is not like Nika's, but you have built some" Aedrik sighed at his cousin last remark.
"First, keep in mind he could take you on, he is not that old, and lord Lunebleau has quite a reputation as a duelist, from what I heard his swordplay is no joke" Aedrik admonished his cousin "He was very straight forward, and is aware of me. His son, however, he might be thinking about it, but no, we discussed the consequences in power, and settle on talking lengthy tomorrow, at their state"
"The son is very tall, but do you think he will really dare to threaten you? he is an arcane archer right" the fey asked delighted.
"Please cousin we are not 10 anymore, we don't go comparing people and telling them 'I bet, I can take you' every time you talk about something" Aedrik told him annoyed.
"You would, if you knew my cousins" the fey replied offended.
"You are talking about my brothers and sisters, Pan" Aedrik said raising one eyebrow.
"Fine, I'll limit my 'Who's got more testicles' between you and the other cousins" Pan the fey smiled at Aedrik showing him his upper fangs "Are we good?".
Aedrik gave a long sigh and smiled at his cousin "Yes, Pan, we are good. Thank you for posing as my decoy, I hate to do that to you"
"I know, and as much as I care for you, I don't like posing as you, I can't copy your smile or eyes, and those are the only two saving graces your ugly mug has" the fey jumped out of Aedrik's reach, who tried to seize him. They both knew Aedrik could have done it if he meant it.
"Well, we have a ball to attend to, there is virgin maiden blood to be had, and you have already selected your victim. One more thing dear cousin, is that is really what you are going to wear? I am certain the more dramatic young ladies, would expect for you to dress in black or something more sinister" before Aedrik could respond Pan had run out of his room.
'I knew it was that fucker, who started the rumor', Aedrik sighed loudly. He touched the ring on his hand once more, a gentle feeling returned, a warm calming beat. His world had turned upside down in a day, in a moment. After he met Frey, he was not himself, his mother had once talked briefly with him about it, but they never had another chance.
The Fey Danan delegation, was residing in the west wing of the Royal Castle of Loire, Château du Loire. He was in the main room, which traditionally had been giving, to visiting royalty or ambassadors. He went to a small black leather bag he had on the end of the room, his own bag of holding.
From it he took a small triangular mirror. He tapped it twice gently and waited. The surface of the mirror, began to move, as waves formed on a lake surface when a rock is thrown inside, his reflection was lost, and the background began to change.
The face of a girl, a pair of amethyst and feline eyes, and a catty smile suddenly appeared. She had short red hair, like burning embers. Aedrik smiled at the face on the mirror.
"Well, well, well, brother, after you called me yesterday, you had me waiting all day, tell me have you managed to calm down" Aedrik smiled at that sassy tone, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Hi Lucy, and yes, I figured out what was happening, everything is good now"
"Well....." she rolled her eyes "tell me, what was it?"
"We knew the King would ask for a marriage to seal our alliance if things worked out, that is why I volunteered to spare Vania from it"
"We know, she is feeling really guilty about it, but she does not know how to say it or what she should do"
"Tell her she has no reason to feel guilty about it. You see, after we held a conference, the King and I got together to discuss the main terms of our alliance, and as expected he brought the subject of an union between Loire high nobility and the Fey Danan imperial family, as a bond seal the alliance" the face on the other side turned into and 'O' at that moment, a little more serious "I knew what the King was going to say, and at that moment I understood when I began to feel unwell" Lucy's feline features were focused on Aedrik's eyes.
"I told you, I met a young lady yesterday at the Ciel Rouge library whom I enjoyed talking too, right"
"The one who asked to your face about what had happened with Faerun, I remember"
"When the King began talking about his demand for the alliance, I understood that I began feeling unwell, ever since I met that young lady. The King offered his daughter hand in marriage to fulfill Loire commitment to the alliance, but my heart was going wild, I told him, I had met someone who could fulfill what he asked" Lucy's eyebrows were almost touching each other by that moment "I would ask this lady, if you would marry me, and as soon as I said that my heart was calm"
"WHAAAAAAAAT? Oh, sweet Oberon, don't tell me you went for that lady bluemoon or whatever" the girl face had transformed, she was panicking.
"I did, and it is Lunebleau" Aedrik cut in.
"I understand you liked this lady Aedrik, but you've just met her, and you said the princess was smart… wait a moment, you, you, you found your kismet..." the girl on the other side suddenly calmed down and was looking straight into his brother complicated eyes.
"She was not, well, not until I asked her to marry me"
"And?"
"You need to come to Loire, for the Burning Silver Star, dressed for a wedding that is"
"Did you tell her? What it means"
"I did"
"And?"
"She was angry, she felt like any answer she would give me, would be either a result of knowing, or a result of the pressure of the situation, she asked for a truth stone before she gave me an answer"
"You know, I am looking forward to meeting your lady Lunebleau"
"Frey, that is her name"
"Have you told anyone else?"
"No, you are the first"
"Can I tell, everyone?"
"You can tell Luna and Vania, I'll tell father, and the rest in the morning, and now if you excuse me, I have a ball to attend to with my fiancée"
"I am so happy for you, Aedrik, mother would have gone mad wit this, you know"
"Thank you, I'll call you tomorrow, once I have told everyone"
"You kiss her, for me"
Aedrik tapped the mirror, and the waves took his sister reflection away. Leaving only his reflection on it. A tear fell on the mirror and Aedrik put it away.
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"I can't believe you seriously came to the ball, with that ugly outfit" Pan said near Aedrik's ear. Château du Loire was a grand palace. It was not built for defense but to look grand. The capital city of Loire, Meury, had magnificent walls and watch towers. It had seldom seen any conflict, mainly because, the city was made to take advantage of the landscape, and its sturdy walls have not once been breached.
Hence why Château du Loire had been made to look good, it had a massive great hall, the chandeliers were enchanted, floating on the ceiling. Grand tables were set on the sides of the hall, leaving the middle of the hall as a dance floor. The largest and most elegant table was on a raised platform at the end of the hall, at the center was a throne chair. The main table was reserved for the king and the most important guest for tonight's ball.
The great hall had a main entrance coming from the courtyard, and two side doors. Every newcomer was announced as they passed from the main door, they would be shown to where their sitting was. The entire nobility of Loire, it's most distinguished knights, traders and other officials had been invited for this ball.
The Fey Danan delegation was spread among the tables, the ones who would sit on the main table were the prince, one of his companions, the man who would become the ambassador of the empire on Loire, lord Finean, he was one of the first nobles from the former kingdom of Faerun who had supported the empire when it took over the region.
The Feydans were mingling and talking with the nobles whom they had met during the conference. The conference had lasted for most of the day, allowing for those who attended to get to know their counterparts, this permitted a smooth ambiance for the evening, as they Feydans and Loirians were chatting in a much familiar environment, and eager about the results of the first day of conference.
The exception being the Feydan prince and his fey companion. The prince identity had been revealed when he was announced on his entrance to the great hall. There were clearly some upset nobles about the prince using a decoy, who was in fact the prince cousin, Pan le Fay, a fey of the Londen Woods.
"These clothes are considered ceremonial in the north" Aedrik replied to Pan "The embroidery on my shirt, was designed especially for me" his shirt had a simple but curious pattern.
"Yeah, the Nord Stern, famous stitches" Pan said as he sighed "Well, I must be honest when no one else is cousin, they look plain and are in no way refined. I know, fey embroidery can be overwhelming, but look at the Loirians, they are not looking bad, and you, a prince, look like a silk trader" Pan gave another look at Aedrik "I correct myself a silk trader guard, that's it, it had to be said, I pity poor lady Lunebleau". At that last remark, Aedrik eyes turned murderous towards Pan.
"I have never expected when you found your kismet, it would turn my teasing into something that really bothered you. You had always managed to dismiss me but look at you now" the fey was all smiles. Many young ladies were looking at the pair talking. They were curious about the fey and the prince. Pan would from time to time, smile at them and they would blush.
Those who had arrived after the prince entrance, still believed the prince was Pan, dressed in a beautiful houppelande, made in a vivid emerald color with black trousers, making his mauve hair look spectacular. The prince on the other hand, had a simple shirt, with rich embroidery on the neck, and sleeves. The shirt was white, and the embroidery a bright silver, he had black trousers as well. Just by their looks alone, whenever someone saw the pair, everybody believed Pan was the prince, prompting people to correct them 'No, the other one'.
"Pan, I care deeply for aunt Alba, and I would not like to see her sad" Aedrik turned towards his cousin, who stopped smiling "But I swear, I will pull every fang in your mouth if you don't drop the subject" Pan mouth shot at that, after a moment Aedrik sighed.
"I am sorry Pan, I cannot express what I am feeling, just please, for tonight. Let me get used to it" Aedrik and Pan eyes met, and Pan saw his cousin troubled. Aedrik had always been easy going and quick witted, more importantly he did not mind Pan's snarky remarks, he even liked them. Pan had seen his cousin calm, even when fighting orcs, but now, he was a mess. He looked at his cousin eyes, his fey legacy, eyes like Pan´s mother, and Aedrik's.
"Fine, but the moment they enter the hall, you will let me know, who is your kismet" Pan said nodding "Did you tell Lucy about it?"
"I did, she should have already told Luna and Vania about it" Aedrik replied smiling as he recalled his sister reaction. He touched the ring on his hand, he could feel Frey was almost here "They will be here shortly" both men turned to watch the entrance of the hall.
The great hall was almost full, the Royal Family would be the last one to enter, they were waiting for the hall to be filled. Pan was expectant at the entrance of house Lunebleau, but he kept looking at his cousin eyes. After a minute of waiting, he saw them as they lit up, Pan turned to look at the entrance.
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"Lord Damian Lunebleau, his wife lady Margaux Beaumont, his son lord Luka and his wife lady René Delacroix" the master of the hall presented everyone as they entered the hall "His daughters, lady Noelle and Frey. Accompanying them Sir Remy Dumont and his daughter lady Anne, as well as Sir Lois Martin and his daughter lady Lea" many people around the great hall turned to watch the newcomers.
Lord Damian and his wife entered the great hall as they were being announced, the lord of house Lunebleau, had a certain somber air about him, yet in a complete contrast to his side came lady Lunebleau as radiant and elegant as ever. Behind them Luka and René marched in, they had become a very popular couple, always drawing attention whenever they went, the stunning René and the tall Luka with his blue hair, part of the future promises of the Kingdom. Many people inside the great hall were looking at the newcomers.
Noelle and Frey entered last, they were already known to the nobility, Noelle was one of the most sought-after ladies in the court, many lords and knights were already eyeing her as she entered the hall. Frey had already been to events like tonight's ball, but she had never worn a dress as daring as to the one she had, she could not help but blush as they were announced and entered through the main doors.
She looked around the great hall, but it did not take much for her to find what she was looking for. She was touching the ring on her hand, she could feel Aedrik's heartbeat raising on her ring. When she saw him, she felt his eyes were set on her, an enchanting smile already resting on his lips, she could feel her ears turning red.
"Lord Percy Beaumont with his sister lady Danielle, as well as lady Liliane Beaumont with her daughters, lady Cecile and Ide Rouge" the master of the hall announced, as Frey passed by him.
"How did Frey manage to attract the prince, look at him Percy, so dreamy with his mauve hair and impeccable style... WHAT? the prince is the other one?" Danielle's voice could be heard behind Frey and Noelle. Frey was quickly turning a deeper shade of pink; she noticed the incredibly handsome man standing next to Aedrik. He was saying something to him, but Aedrik was lost on her.
"Calm down Frey, it is a long way until we reach your fiancé, whom you just met yesterday, and it turned out to be a prince from the neighbor country, you know the usual" Noelle said to Frey on the ear, Frey turned towards her sisters and they both laughed, that calmed her. She took some air, exhaled, straighten up, and let all her magnificent assets to show. Aedrik had eyes for no one else, they were far away, but she could bet they had changed color, the ring on her hand let her know his heart was accelerating, just like her own.
As they passed the entrance, some nobles and knights came to greet lord Damian and his Wife. Likewise, Luka and René's friends came to greet them as well. There were also those who wished to become Noelle's suitors, they eyed at the Lunebleaus timidly.
"Your wife is looking amazing as always, Damian" a plump man said as he saluted the lord and his wife. The lord was an old friend of the family.
"Thank you Feris, it is a shame lady Belle, did not come tonight" Lady Lunebleau said to the plump man.
"She has not been well, my daughter Juliette stayed at home with her, they both send their regards to you, and to Noelle, and Frey as well" lord Feris said as he saluted the young ladies.
Luka and René had been surrounded by other young lords and ladies, many of them were the first-born sons and daughters of the nobility, the promising future of Loire. Frey was anxious, she knew she had to greet the family friends, but Aedrik was just there staring at her, probably wondering if he should come and take her, but he was a prince, his status was higher.
"Where will you be sitting, I noticed you were not assigned to our table, don't tell you have social duty with the Feydans?" the amicable lord Feris wondered.
"That would be an understatement" Frey choked on her spit, and his father blinked quickly at Noelle's comment. Making lord Feris confused.
"Sort of Feris, you will see soon enough" lord Damian managed to answer.
"Well, keep your secrets then, I'll be seeing you later on, we have some planning to do Damian, this is a great opportunity" Feris went to mingle with other lords on a table to the right.
"We cannot go directly to the main table, that would just be strange, we should mingle with some of our friends and slowly walk towards the main table, as if we would sit on one of the tables designed for the Fey Danan delegation" lord Damian, consulted with his wife. House Lunebleau was advancing slowly, greeting friends and other lords, Noelle and Frey with them, Luka and René had been taken by their friends.
Frey was distracted, having eyes only for Aedrik, who apparently had no other thing to do, than watch her, the fey man standing next to her, was trying to have Aedrik look less, inconspicuous with his intense stare, but failing miserably. No one dared to go near the pair, and some people were already noticing the foreign prince had not leaved his eyes from house Lunebleau since they arrived.
"You are correct, dear, but I believe is a bit cruel on your part, and at the pace we are going, our son in law will ruin your plan of being discreet, and who can blame him, just look at our daughters" they both stopped to look at them, both Noelle and Frey blushed.
"Mom, stop" Noelle said embarrassed.
"What do you suggest then, him coming for Frey would be scandalous, he is a foreign prince, the one arriving last must greet those who arrived before, unless you are royalty of course, and he happens to have both as an advantage" lord Damian was nervous, Frey had been so focused on Aedrik, she had not noticed, her father was anxious. Lady Lunebleau turned to Frey.
"You chose this my dear, and from this moment on, you have to walk the path you decided" Frey worried at her mother's words "We all need to calm down, this is going to happen anyway. Now you look at that man in the eyes, and gave him a small nod, that should get him moving" Frey looked at her mother with a mix of awe and respect.
Frey took a deep breath, straighten up as elegantly as she could, turned to Aedrik, and gave him a small nod. Like an arrow being loose from a bow, Aedrik sprang into motion startling the fey man next to him. Many people noticed the Feydan prince sudden and direct movement.
He was walking straight towards house Lunebleau, a direct line for Frey. For all his clothes were loose and simple, they could not hide the well-built frame beneath them, his eyes were burning with determination, his enchanting smile growing wider as he advanced on Frey. He was dashing through the great hall, fast and determined, power in motion.
Anyone who had been paying attention to the prince were startled by his sudden sprint, some nobles and even Feydans were already wondering what was going on. Many people were moving away from the path the Feydan prince had set.
Anyone who had been really paying attention to this situation, had already figured out, who was the focus of the prince gaze. The youngest lady from house Lunebleau, dressed in an elegant and simple white dress. Her silvery blue hair to her shoulders, the rosy cheeks from blushing over an incredible white skin. The lady was short for all she had straighten up, lifting and impressive vanguard that somehow was contained by the dress she wore.
Next to the young lady form house Lunebleau, her sister was startled by the fast-approaching prince, by now only those who were really paying attention noticed something incredible on the young lady. For all the young lady was blushing, she had not once turned her eyes away from the prince. As he advanced on her, with his turquoise eyes, with and amethyst start ring burning on them.
As the foreign prince was near the young lady, the entire great hall had stopped. Everyone had already noticed something was happening, some were even pointing, in the way of the prince or the young lady. The great hall was waiting, expectantly, looking at the determined prince and the unwavering lady, waiting for him.
Frey's heart was vibrating, yet she smiled, she touched her hand, and she could feel another heartbeat from her ring, and it was beating as fast as her. Both moving faster as they grow closer.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone