Advice to a King

[PRSCB]

Victor


I glanced up. *Say yes and sound amateur, or say no and be condemned to more hours trapped in this study?* As if he knew my indecisiveness, River pawed at my leg, whining to go outside. "Indeed." I stood up again, keeping the book as I started leaving the study to change, not exchanging any sort of 'see you later' with Zalyanna. Pleasantries were always an awkward event for me, and anyhow, being cold paid off in providing an unfriendly image. Some might say I am overly obsessive about being a distant asshole, but being nice didn't do either of my predecessors well, and it gained me more privacy to frolic in the woods on my own- with River, of course.


Reaching my room, all the servants scrambling to escape my unfriendly stare, I changed into clothes similar to the day before, switching out River's leash to the same rugged rope I usually used. His tail thumped happily, eager to escape the confines of the castle. Before leaving, however, I paused by the wall facing my bed. *Just for fun,* my mind cajoled. After a second of deliberation, I decided to bring along a weapon after all. Taking the side of the frame belonging to a painting of a mythical unicorn, as was so popular nowadays, I opened it like a cabinet, revealing a whole host of weapons inside. Every sword, spear, javelin, dagger imaginable was stocked inside. I occupied my time playing with knives, one could say. Picking out a simply Rondel, I sheathed it in my belt and headed out. I stopped my the study before I could leave, though. *Don't do it.* I warned myself. being the idiot I am, however, I did it anyway. Opening the door, I asked Zalyanna stiffly, "Are you coming?"<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_07/57a8c33e67ccc_ScreenShot2015-07-07at9.35.02PM.png.d2125e183b34c6413a4bcde90e21abb2.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="60985" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_07/57a8c33e67ccc_ScreenShot2015-07-07at9.35.02PM.png.d2125e183b34c6413a4bcde90e21abb2.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[Zaryn]

Zalyanna rolled her eyes as he left. The more she was around the King the more she realized the facade he was hiding behind. She shook her head, a small smile remaining on her lips as she continued on with her work. Tossing out some no longer needed papers, she went about reorganizing things by importance. He'd lasted longer today, which was hopefully a good sign for the days to come. Since she didn't expect him to return, she'd taken her hair out of the pinned up court hairstyle and placed the long wooden hair pins in a hidden pocket inside her left bell sleeve. It was lovely to be rid of those bloody pinchy braids. She much preferred her hair in a bun or letting it out down to her waist. The woman perched upon the corner of the desk and continued her previous reading of missives sent to the King from people he'd never meet. As anti-social as he was, it would be hard to avoid such things.


The creaking of the door opening surprised her, causing her head to turn and see who would enter the King's Study without announcement. Her eyes widened when she saw him and heard his question. He wanted her to come with him? Again? She'd thought yesterday was just being polite, but he'd asked her along today as well. A part of her wanted to refuse him, but something about his stiff demeanor in contrast to River at his side, tail happily wagging, that made her think again. She nodded her head and placed the papers down on the desk before joining him at the door.

 

[PRSCB]

Victor


I turned down the same staircase as yesterday. *Should I do the 'chase the dog' excuse? to the footmen, or is that too soon? Oh hell." Once we reached the guards at the door again, I glanced at Zalyanna. "Just try and... keep up," I ordered briskly before fishing in my pocked for a spare treat. I always carried honeyed beef jerky strips in my pocket, not for River, but for other animals. Offering food tended to get them on your side pretty fast. "Just be fast," I told him, before taking a final look at the footmen and throwing the beef jerky across the room. River took off after it, a blur racing across the clearing, as I darted after him. "My dog!" I yelled. "Mom needs the dog, right sister?" My acting sucked, but I made up of it by just shouting louder. In too much of a hurry to really see if she was following the act, I rammed into the door and heard the satisfying click as it gave way under my force, creaking open. River disappeared inside before I followed, and I shut the wall the moment Zalyanna entered. Taking a moment to get my breath back, I mused, "I should seriously start hunting a different way out before these guards start thinking something of this daily dash." I fiddled around in the darkness to try and find the torch and light it.

 

[Zaryn]

Keeping in step with the other, they moved quickly down the varying hallways until it came to the last one. She nodded to his words and immediately dashed three paces behind him as they ran to the hidden door. Hearing his cue, she yelled after him, running hopefully fast enough that the Guards wouldn't recognize her. She threw on an accent just for fun. "Braeden I swear you git the dog or Mum'll 'ave your 'ead!" Slipping through the door, she leaned back against it as soon as it was closed. Catching her breath, she let out a breathy laugh. "Oh that's for sure. You know you could always direct them to do something for you so they leave. You are the King after all." She commented, pushing herself off the wall but still staying close to it. It was a staircase after all, one mis-step would not end well for her. She felt around for River, away from Victor's voice so that she wouldn't accidentally touch him. Zalyanna felt a lick on her hand and she grinned in the darkness. Kneeling down, she gave the dog a few good pets. "And you performed beautifully too River."

 

[PRSCB]

Victor


"Found it," I said, lighting the match before setting it ablaze. I saw River panting happily as he licked Zalyanna's face. Rolling my eyes remembering her lovely performance, I replied with, "I suppose. But then they would know I'm going out, which I don't like in the first place." I started down the stairs quickly, moving lightly as I kept one hand against the wall to steady myself. The steps were worn from my feet, and I started thinking about where we would go today. Maybe by the edge of the first, if those damned kids didn't come throwing sticks and stones at my heels. "Being King comes with advantages, I suppose, but I much preferred being Prince." My voice remained impassive, but there was truth behind those words, though if I was to come totally clean, I would say, *I much prefer not being royal at all.* As we reached the ending, I mounted the torch on the wall and opened the heavy door, relieved as it pushed open- stubbornly as usual, but I've been locked in before. The sky outside what somewhat grey, the air was chilly, and this caused a grin to break through my face. "Second best thing to night, huh, boy?" I told River who bounced happily into the grass.

 

[Zaryn]

"Not neccessarily. They go do something, then assume you're somewhere else. You could always say you'll be in your room for the rest of the day and noone is to bother you except me. I come out here first, distract them, and then you just go in your room. Variants on that of course, but there are always other way my Lord." She didn't mind being his in between when it came to duping the Guards. She found it quite fun actually. Following him down the stairs, she shifted her dress a bit, so that when they went out it wouldn't be ruined like the last one. She actually liked this dress. "Understandable.." Considering the circumstances and the clear unwanted attention, Zalyanna 100% believed him. The woman waited patiently for him to open the door, her eyes slowly acclimating to the change in light as it opened. Following him out, she watched on as the two bounced along outside. Victor really was a different person with his dog and freedom. "Did you have somewhere in mind to go this time?"

 

[PRSCB]

Victor


"Maybe," I said thoughtfully. "I suppose we could go to the edge of the woods. There are some nice trees." By nice trees, I meant freaking the best climbing trees in the world. The trunks and limbs are thicker than all the other trees, since instead pf the dark evergreens, it was edged with oaks and mahoganies. It was safer to throw knives there, since if I missed, they wouldn't go whizzing into the darkness and hit some unsuspecting critter. Following River's eager direction into the trees, I reentered the familiar darkness.


It was quite arguably easier to navigate the woods when there was some light then when there's no light at all, except for the stray moonbeam here or there. At night, I more relied on River and the other animals. It was almost depressing, the lack of animals when Zalyanna accompanied me. it sounds like a storybook but usually I had at least one other animal following, if not five or six.


"To be honest," I said after a good five minutes of silence, "It's best to navigate the forest by getting lost. Maybe I'll send you in on your own one day." I was only half joking.

 

[Zaryn]

Pleased he had at least some view of where he wanted to go, Zalyanna was content to walk along with the King in silence. He wasn't the most talkative thing in the world, which she didn't mind. It was nice to be able to hear yourself think every now and then. Normally her house was too busy and her parents always wanted to talk. Most nights her only escape was to leave the house, which saddened her. Though, she did look forward to moving into the advisors quarters in the next few days. Her things were already being transferred, it would only be official on the 4th day. Why the fourth? She had no clue. Traditions were odd. When he spoke she looked toward him, seeing his outline in the darkness of the forest. She tried her best not to roll her eyes at his suggestion. "Why my lord, it won't be the first time nor the last I've been in such places alone." Knowing her luck she'd enter the forest and find herself directly on the other side of it with no issues, that or mauled to death by bears. It was always a gamble with such things.