If and Only If [Ceaden][Closed]

[Achesia]

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Of Shrines, Palaces, and Towers

Timeline:

1st of März, 2 Ceaden: King Lennard Deavus sends Lord James Avondale south to fight for the southern men in their quest to gain land. His paranoia of James' power and favor with the court leads him to this decision.
8th of März, 2 Ceaden: Prince Oisín Daevus comes to court during a time of struggle in along the northern boarders. With the cry for help from his subjects and his uncles advice the King sends his armies north to capture yet another part of the wild lands.

Characters Thus Far:

Princess Cathleen Koud
Lord James Avondale
King Lennard Daevus
Queen Marienn Koud-Daevus
Prince Oisín Daevus

[Achesia]

Chapter 1: Of Shrines and Palaces and Towers

Lo! Death has reared himself a throne
In a strange city lying alone
Far down within the dim West,
Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best
Have gone to their eternal rest.
There shrines and palaces and towers
(Time-eaten towers that tremble not!)
Resemble nothing that is ours.
Around, by lifting winds forgot,
Resignedly beneath the sky
The melancholy waters lie.

1st of März, 2 Ceaden:

It was warm on the skin of her neck, his kisses softly and wetly making their way around her smooth porcelain skin. She trembled as he held her and as he continued to sooth her passionately as goose bumps rose on the back of her neck, partially from his loving and also from the sea breeze moving through her auburn hair. She turned her head away to let him move his lips to a patch of unloved flesh. Her gasps and moans begged him to continue on as she kept begging for more in her mind.

She jumped however and the sudden sound of footsteps from inside the balcony.

“Relax; it’s just a guard passing by.” The man said as he rubbed her bare arms up and down.

She laid her forehead in his chest as she took a deep breath. She couldn’t bare the suspense of being caught, it worried her every time, but it was all too much worth the risk. She looked up in the man’s deep green eyes and ran her fingers through his hair.

“I just wish we didn’t have to hide.” She spoke softly still keeping her hands in his hair.

“One day my love.” He kissed her on the forehead to reassure her. Tangling his index finger in her Auburn strands of hair.

“One day is not today. Nor is it tomorrow, I fear it will never come.” She grasped his tunic tightly in her little hands as closed her eyes tightly in expression of her anticipation.

“Not with that attitude it won’t milady.” He bent down to her height looking her in the eye. “I swear one day I will ask the King for your hand, but right now I distrust me, he is paranoid of the power I hold that the summer God granted me. I only wish to express my loyalty to him, one day he will see it and then we can marry, my princess.”

The girl moved nose to nose with the boy rubbing hers on his in affection. “I trust you James.” She grabbed him tightly sinking to her knees.
“I know Cathleen, I know.”

“Princess? Princess Cathleen?” A startling voice of a young woman called down the hall.

“My hand maiden, no. I must go love. I will see you in court tomorrow.” She stood up quickly and brushed herself off trying to make it look as if they had not been together. “My thoughts will be only of you.” She peeled off from him, her finger tips lightly touching his before she ran away to quiet her hand maid.

James Avondale sighed and turned to the sea. He watched and listened as the waves crashed on the rocks below them, the city of Fawnnorth all but quiet in the middle of the night. It was torture being at court, not being able to speak of his love for the young Princess Cathleen Koud, sister in law to the King. The King distrusted him so, ever keeping a watchful eye on him, even sending people to follow him from his chambers, through the market and even in court, to listen to his conversations with the other nobles. It was a tiring affair as he had nothing but loyalty to the King. But with his great power and the Achari Cultus at his back, the King feared that James would betray him for the crown, a notion far from truth as all that James wished for was the hand of Cathleen Koud in marriage and life with his wife in the south at his castle in Lancebase.

But for all the rays of sun the Summer God could not grant that. He seemed to just shine down on him every gift imaginable except that which he wanted. It brought to mind the parable James had heard. Those the Gods wish to punish first bring 40 years of good fortune. Maybe they were punishing him, and in due time he would be a washed up body in the sewers of Fawnnorth with a poisoned blade at his back. It mattered not, for tomorrow would worry about itself. It was time for the young lord to retire.

The next day he awoke with a terrible headache, presumably from the stresses attending court could bring. He did not have much time before court was convened so he slipped in his usual tunic which bore his sigil of a white raven and tied his belt and scabbard which held his ceremonial steel sword with gold inlaid. Fixing his hair a moment he then walked out his chamber door into the hall towards the King’s Hall which was where court was held with the many nobles from throughout the land.

The hall was already full when he arrived. It seemed as if there were foreign guests from the south in attendance. The whole of the court was listening to their plea to the King for aid in their conquest of some land to their north. The King was sending them through a loop for words as usual, however James was paying more attention to Cathleen who stood beside her sister the queen some feet behind the King’s throne. She looked as beautiful as ever wearing yellow silks that matched the colors of her house. Her hair was done up in curls and her cheeks were powered. She made a glance his way and quickly turned his gaze from him as she could not keep from smiling when she looked at him. James chuckled under his breath until suddenly he head his name called.

“Lord James Avondale, Marshal of the South will join you with his multitude. He and his retainers will travel with you the Castle Markpath where you will join up with the army that you will be taking.” The King turned his gaze over to his wife and sister in law who were giving him strange looks of skepticism that he did not like in the least. “Lord Avondale, did you hear your King’s bidding?”

“I am ready your grace.” Lord Avondale stated as he tugged his tunic down to straighten it. It happened all so fast that James did not even know what he was getting himself into. His eyes wandered over to Princess Cathleen Koud for a moment for reassurance be she looked as stunned as he felt, she was listening to her sister the queen who was speaking into her head. He then looked back on his King.

“Good, always so willing to carry out your duties. As such I order you and your army south with the southerners to gain them their land, and I do not expect you to return until you have finished so. You will go immediately”

“Yes your grace.” James bowed low. Immediately? He thought, no good bye for his love, he would be marching off to war without so much as a warning.

“Then my southern friend you have your army.” The King stated and the messengers from the south were grateful. James however was stunned and at awe. It was not his intention to leave court, his love, so soon after he thought he was getting grasp on the situation.

Characters Introduced:

Princess Cathleen Koud
Lord James Avondale
King Lennard Daevus

[Achesia]

8th of März, 2 Ceaden:

The King looked high of spirits today. Queen Marienn Koud-Daevus thought to herself as she sat on her throne to the right of the Kings. The king was milling about in the crowd of court members, which had been unlike him for the past several weeks. Previously he had taken to staying glued to his chair and not being social whatsoever, but it seemed since he had rid himself of James Avondale for the moment that his spirits had returned.

This carefree feeling the king seemed to be feeling must have been sapped away from the Queens sister Princess Cathleen Koud as unlike her usual self she decided to not attend court that day, her chair to the right of the queen’s empty and cold. Not coincidently was the reasons for both of their mood changes. As the King was happy to be rid of James Avondale, Cathleen Koud was melancholy about losing James for an indefinite period of time. Marienn has known about their passionate romance since the beginning as her sister often confided in her, she approved, yet her word in comparison to the King did not mean much. The King was still not as warm to her as she wished. Their marriage was to bring a Kingdom together not for love. The awkward aura around them still resided as they shared his bed or made love to each other. Marienn felt as if she was not trusted. With time her hand maid told her, an older women she was, wise in her years Marienn often went to her for advice on her marriage.

“Once your bosom flowers with his child he will grow to love and trust you more.” The women stated. This prospect was both exciting and frightening as Marienn still had a hard time picturing herself with child.

The court grew louder as more and more members poured in for the morning assembly, it would be a busy day full of boring royal business, from taxes, to coffers, to the King’s justice. All dull and full of words that failed to keep Marienn's attention for more than a moment. She prepared herself for the long haul, looking beautiful and supportive of her husband the King’s work. She could tell it bored him just as much as it did her.
Things began to settle down as the King returned to his throne to begin the day’s business. For appearances sake she looked up at her husband and gave him a great big smile to warm his heart before conducting his business. As he settled into his throne he crossed one leg over the other and prepared to speak. But before he could let a word out the doors to the hall swung open and a line of men filed in.

The men were gruff looking, long shaggy beards and dark mail around their bodies. They wore brown cloaks and wore the sigil of a bull’s head. At the head of them was an old man with gray beard, his shoulders broad with a bear pelt around them. At his side he carried a long steel sword inlaid with many jewels. Marienn knew who this man was, and was grieved to see him. It was Prince Oisín Daevus uncle of the King, and Marquis of the South March of Bisonmane. Behind him strode his three knights dressed in the same manner bearing his sigil.

Queen Marienn shifted in her seat and tried to keep on a pleasant face. She disliked this man with a passion. He was bigoted and cruel, hated the Koud clan as he was a fanatic about the Daevus clan, and cruel to his subjects. He often stated to the King with her present his protests about marrying “that Koud whore.” His prejudice ever subtle. So naturally Marienn had grown to hate the man and as he strode into court arrogantly the King displayed the opposite reaction as the Queen. With great joy to see his uncle he stood up from his throne and walked down to greet the man, who he trusted to much in Marienn’s opinion.

“My uncle has come to visit!” The King exclaimed to the court as he embraced the old man.

“It is good to see you your grace. I hope all of this high lifestyle and good living is not going to your gut.” Oisín patted the Kings belly and the two men chuckled.

“What brings you to Fawnnorth?” The King put his hand on Oisín’s shoulder and led him over to a chair on the left of his own, a place of honor in the court.

“Does an uncle need reason to visit his nephew, his King?” The man half coughed chuckled as he sat down in the seat offered him, his knights and guards fell in on a empty table in the back.

“No.” The King chuckled and continued to turn his attention to his uncle. “But you have made it just in time for the start of the day’s business.”
“I call that good timing.” Oisín sat back and prepared to listen.

And so for all the morning hours the King listened to business after business from noblemen of the court, bankers, Lords, ladies, and those who feel that have been treated unjustly. Topics from taxes, to trade, to theft and murder ranged from the court and the hundreds in attendance listened without sign of fatigue. A feeling that Marienn could almost not hold back.

Soon the Steward walked forward, it was his turn to present some business to the King. Count Raphael Monroe was a middle aged man that had served the King’s father before him and has been loyal since then. He now commands the defenses of the capital, and attends the King’s business from time to time.

“Your grace, the next business that is to be discussed is unrest on our northern border with the wild lands.” The Count cleared his throat and waited for the motion to proceed. The King took a sip of wine and waved his hand about to signal the Count to continue. “This is a report from Lord Nudd Goronwy, Marquis of the Verge. He states that wild men have continued their incursions into your land and pillage and plunder the villages near the border. Unrest is rampant in the north as many of your subjects feel as if they are undefended. Many flee for the south around Bivar. Lord Goronwy calls for your permission to lead an army to defend his boarder..”

The King drew silent at this and pondered for a moment his next action. His uncle however looked as if he was holding back a statement, until he resolved himself to say it.

“Your grace, by chance would you take some advice from an old man?” His uncle said with the most fake humility Marienn had ever heard. Yet the King still seemed to buy every word of it.

“Of course my uncle, I would be most glad to hear it.” The King turned in his seat and waited for his uncle to make his suggestion.

“These wild men, they defy you continuously. You take the verge with your armies and force them to bend knee or die, and yet now they still harass your northern border. Your people now are defenseless and, beg on your pardon, don’t have faith you can defend them.” Oisín waited for all of that to sink in a moment before continuing.

“What are you saying.” The King note sure what his uncle was getting at.

“I suggest your grace that you send your armies north again. Teach these wild men a lesson they will not soon forget. Force them all to bend a knee or die. Bennor in the north has begun an annexation of the wild lands, why not take the rest? You will catch them off balance and bring glory and power to our Kingdom!” Oisín raised his fist with the ending exclamation of his statement. A good half of the court applauded his suggestion while the other portion was not sure what to think.

Marienn didn’t like it one bit. He was up to something.

The King thought for a few moments as the court murmured. He raised his hand for silence once he had reached his decision. “They are wise words uncle, and I will heed them. Count Monroe, send word to Lord Goronwy to assemble the North and strike out to take the wild lands, may the Dread Lord be with him.” The King stood up and raised his staff as he finished giving momentum to his order.

The court cheered and applauded at the King’s proclamation, Prince Daevus sat as if he were pondering something devious internally. Queen Marienn however just applauded for looks, while she was grievously worried on the inside.

Characters Introduced:

Queen Marienn Koud-Daevus
Prince Oisín Daevus