For Peace [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

It was early when a knock was heard. The red-headed woman lifted her head from the pillow and glared at the door. “What?”


“Mind your tone,” the voice outside said, and immediately the woman in the bed sat up straight, even if she couldn’t be seen. The man speaking was the Captain of the King’s Guard, her boss. She hadn’t expected him to bother her this early. The sun wasn’t even up yet.


“Sir, apologies, I thought you were Aden.” Another member of the Guard. They all lived closely within the barracks, just outside the castle walls. Aden was something of a drunkard.


“At ease,” he could hear her straight posture from behind the door. “The King has requested you. See to it that you do not keep him waiting. He is in his own chambers.”


‘Me? Why?’ Usually the King asked for his Captain, and his Captain gave the orders to everyone else. “Yes, thank you, sir.”


With that, the red-head left her bed and lit a few more candles in her room so she could see to locate clothing and a hair brush. Off went the long tunic, her sleepwear, and on went the black slacks and blue tunic, emblazoned with the symbol of the kingdom over her right breast. She brushed out her hair and put it up into a high ponytail, so that it only fell to her shoulders and not to the middle of her back as it did when loose.


Out of habit, she attached her sword to her hip as well, though she didn’t imagine it would be necessary when seeing the king. She put her black boots on, and then darted out of her room and walked quickly to the castle doors. No one stopped her all the way to the king’s room, where even the guards stepped aside to allow her to knock. “Sire, it is Ser Aria Hartnell.” All Knights were referred to as ‘Ser’.


“Come in.”


Aria stepped in and cast her blue eyes around, before landing on the king. He was dressed as if he were in public, a rarity, no doubt. “You requested me, Sire?”


“I did,” he acknowledged, “My son is to take a journey today into our neighbors—Wirron.” Aria’s back stiffened, “It is to negotiate continued peace, so I cannot put many of my knights to be his guard. I require your Captain here, but he recommended you for the job of escorting my son.” He explained, and then asked, “Do you believe you can handle this task?”


Saying no was inappropriate. “Of course, Sire. It would be my honor. Your son shall be safe with me.” Ser Aria had not had many interactions with the prince, but she knew how to protect others.


“Very good,” the king seemed relieved, “Then you may want to meet him at the stables, I believe he is gearing up to go, or he will be soon.”


Her blue eyes widened slightly at that. “Yes, Sire!” And she turned away without giving an appropriate farewell to hasten to where the prince was expected to be, so that she wouldn’t miss him in case he thought of going off on his own.

 

[Lucyfer]

Fortunately, the prince had not left early, and Aria came to a stop when his eyes alighted on her. He was well-groomed of course, and deceptively tall. Considering he had not been at his full height when she walked in, she didn't expect him to be as tall as he was when he straightened up. She wondered if he was taller than Aden, the tallest among the Guard.


He did not give off the impression of being reckless up close, which allowed Aria to feel some relief. The last thing she wanted to do was babysit some foolhardy and entitled noble. “I am, Your Grace. Ser Aria Hartnell,” Aria introduced, not expecting she was known to him. He likely knew the Captain and a few others well enough, but she didn’t expect him to know all of the Guard.


She moved a hand over her chest as she gave a bow, “Your father only just asked me to serve as your escort,” she explained and straightened up, noted the armor that was being put on him. She had armor of her own, but it was not presently on. Yet another thing she hadn’t considered when going to the King. She had just donned the customary tunic. Hardly armor at all.


She might need it. “I am not quite prepared yet, Your Grace, I was told that you were in the stables and so I came to make sure I hadn’t missed you. By your leave, I’ll gather my own things and return to join you in departing.” Aria would wait until given that leave, and if given it, she would exit the stables the same way she had arrived, and make her way back to her room.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Aria said, then quickly turned to exit the stables as the prince’s attention returned to the man who was aiding him with his own armor. Once out of sight of the prince, she ran. For some reason, it had seemed improper to run when in his presence.


She made her way back quickly to her own room and found her armor within the drawers, where it always was. She had a few sets, and opted to pack a second, just in case. The armor she did wear was a tightly woven mesh of cloth and metal, thin but powerful. She’d be dead if it weren’t, and just from sparring. The blade of Captain Mathias had yet to puncture any set that she owned.


The metal and cloth rings fell onto the back of her hand. Most covered it with gloves, but Aria disliked the separation that the gloves created between herself and her sword. She liked to feel her sword in her hand.


The armor around the legs was a bit more visible. She didn’t yet have the cloth and metal meshed into pants, so she had to wear actual plate metal over her knees, and she attached plate metal over her boots as well. The belt was thicker than most and hung at her hips, armor of its own sort since the armor under her tunic only went so far. This added another layer.


The sword was the only weapon she had, a blade meant for a son—but her father only had a daughter. She also had a shield, a round, buckle shield that came to rest on her back. It had once been a bright gold, but the years had aged it. Some of the gold was chipped off to show the steel beneath.


With all the armor in place, and the clothing back on properly, Aria headed out of the barracks and walked back to the stables where the prince had remained. “Ah, good,” she saw the horse he had chosen. She had seen it in the stables often, and hadn’t been aware of who it belonged to. Every horse had its owner.


Her own steed was there, and looked eager to go. He was a tall, black horse with a white mark on his head that went by the name Marius. He had been hers ever since she joined the Guard five years ago. “Settle down, we’ll be going. Have you eaten?” The answer was in the half-eaten bucket of oats. Marius was never good at eating all his oats, all at once.


Aria clicked her tongue, “Just give me a moment to tack him, and we’ll be ready,” she said, and she moved across the stable to gather her saddle and the other equipment. She asked, “Have you ever been in Wirron before, Your Grace?”

 

[Lucyfer]

“A couple of times, but not far beyond the border,” Aria answered while she attended to Marius, who was patient throughout the process, used to it. “I have never been to their capital before, though I’ve heard it is quite the sight inside,” lots of marble and gold, or so went the story. They were a luxurious group. Aden mocked them for it. He was one of the few who wanted a war with Wirron, because he didn’t think they knew how to fight.


Aria knew otherwise. Those few times she’d been across the border had always been to deal with either Wirron criminals who had crossed over into her own kingdom, or to deal with Wirron knights who thought to make sport of her own people. To say the tensions were high would be an understatement, and the border areas got the worst of it.


When the tack was in place, Aria took hold of the reins and led Marius out of his stall. She noted that the prince was already done with his tacking, and she gave an approving nod, pleased to see the prince didn’t need everything manual done for him. This was turning out to be quite interesting. She had been told the prince was as competent as their king, but she always worried. Too many histories told of incompetent royalty following good kings.


“If it is fine by you, I at least know the way to the town of Gabres, and there is a main road from there to the capital,” Gabres was a town in Wirron, a major trading post between the two kingdoms. They’d likely be able to rest there and continue on. Aria didn’t know quite how far it was to the capital of Wirron from there, but she didn’t imagine it’d be too bad.

 

[Lucyfer]

Aria smiled, pleased that a route she knew would be followed. She would deal with a strange route if the prince had known, or preferred, one. “It’s a comfortable town,” she reassured him, before lifting herself up into the saddle.


The prince’s mare moved to walk at the side of the steed, rather than follow. Aria glanced at the horse as if it were strange, then down at her own. Most of the Guard preferred female horses, since the males could become difficult to control if a mare were in heat. The mares didn’t seem to get as bothered, even during heat. Fortunately, Marius had learned to deal with many tense situations and never got too bothered by much of anything. The last time she’d been thrown had been four years ago, after all.


The two were not hassled on the way out, despite how the sun was coming up and the town was waking. Aria considered the hour then. She would not be hungry for a couple hours, but she didn’t know about her companion. ‘Not the usual one.’ She knew the Guards pretty well.


“Your Grace, are you wanting to eat on the road, or will you want to breakfast in a town?” She could adapt their route as required to allow him to eat somewhere. She was fine just taking a ration from her bag, but she doubted the prince was used to such things.

 

[Lucyfer]

Aria couldn’t help the chuckle, taking his words as if they had a bit of derision to them. “As you say, as you say. Then, we’ll be eating on the road. I do hope you packed rations,” if not, she could share. She’d just have to remember to purchase more before they left Wirron’s capital. They weren’t the tastiest of things, but they were filling. “That will let us get to Gabres tonight.”


Or in theory, it should. She’d never gone there at an easy pace before, usually when she had to go it was at a gallop. It was strange how close the border was to the capital, considering Wirron’s capital was much further away.


About staying in Gabres, she frowned, thought, “Well, I had to stay once, but it was in a cell alongside Aden.” That had been an interesting night. Mathias had gotten them out, though how, exactly, he’d never explained. That had only been a month ago. “I’ve never gotten to be in Gabres for pleasure before, Your Grace. They don’t like having Guards of other nations there.” Or at least, they didn’t like to have the Guards of their neighboring kingdom there, while war was plotted. “I’ve heard good things from the Lord Hesper before, though.” Hesper was one of the King’s advisors, and so he was seen around the barracks now and then, to converse with the Captain about plans, or even just to catch up.


He was one of those rare lords who didn’t look like he was plotting to poison someone, which was amusing considering his wife kept a stock of medicine and poisons. “Have you ever been out of your own country before, Your Grace?” Now she was curious. They had other neighbors, of course, other nations that were friendlier than Wirron. Perhaps he had been allowed to venture into one of them before.

 

[Lucyfer]

It seemed Aria Hartnell was going to be impressed by the prince the more this journey went on. He had remembered rations. “I will try to get used to competent nobility,” she chuckled, as if it were a rarity. Of course, she came from nobility, but she knew full well that had she not been in the Guard, there were many things she would have forgotten.


Of course, that image of competition was ruined when he told a story of being in Lortel, and getting drunk. Aria tried to stifle a laugh out of respect for his position, but she was unable to. She burst into laughter atop Marius, who was used to this.


The Guard were not always somber, not when they were together. “S-sorry,” she said, lifting one hand from the reins to cover her mouth. “Were you at least successful in your climb?” It seemed his mention of it was right on target, for their path took them into the woods now. It was still a wide path, as it was still a main route. The shade would be nice when the sun got up higher in the day, as the woods went on for a bit.


The woods were usually safe, but they were a home to creatures such as bears and wolves, and of course, there were fantastical stories of other, rarer, and far more dangerous creatures.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Then, congratulations on your success, Your Grace,” Aria said, still unable to wipe the amused smile from her lips as she tried to imagine the prince both drunk and in a tree. “Shame you are a prince. The Guard could use more tree climbers. Too many thieves escape through trees. Well, they try.”


Just because there weren’t many in the Guard who could climb trees, didn’t mean they couldn’t shoot arrows. Many had fallen out of trees with arrows in them.


It was that knowledge, though, which kept Aria from not just looking straight ahead. Beasts disturbed her more than humans did, but it was good to look out for them all the same. Her eyes skimmed both ground and treetops as the horses continued forward.


“If I may, Your Grace, how is it you intend to broker peace between ourselves and Wirron?” She didn’t know the plan. She was just the escort, after all. She had no place in the negotiations. “I admit, I was surprised it was you who was going and not Lord Hesper or your father,” so he must have had some brilliant idea.

 

[Lucyfer]

Aria laughed at the idea that first came from his lips. If His Majesty had wanted war, he would have sent her along with Aden and Mathias, and the rest of his more elite guard, to deal with it, without his prince. That’d put the prince in too much danger. “Tempting as your idea is, violence is not the best route towards peace,” she said and listened to the rest of his words.


Ah, marriage. “What is wrong with the princess?” Aria hadn’t heard anything negative about her. Of course, she hadn’t heard anything positive, either. “Marriage is usually the best route for peaceful negotiations.” The noble families did it plenty to keep the peace between themselves. Daughters and sons could sway the hearts of their parents. “Emotions are often a better way to go about things, than cold logic.”


Though cold logic was why she expected Hesperus to go. Perhaps Mathias could have gone. He could have laid out exactly why it was a bad idea to go to war, from the military standpoint.


Wirron wouldn’t stand a chance. At least, that’s what Aria wanted to believe.

 

[Lucyfer]

Another flaw revealed itself, however endearing it was. Aria was a soldier. She knew quite well what it was to send others to their death. At least the prince was willing to admit he was being selfish in that he’d rather go to war than marry someone for peace. “If there are no other options, Your Grace, will you truly go to war?”


She had to ask.


Aria knew that if marriage was the only way to create peace, then it was going to be a fragile peace anyway. She certainly hoped the prince got his way and he could marry for love. ‘But what are the odds?’ Hadn’t she done something similar? Rather than be a simple noblewoman, married off to some lord, she had run off to join the guard.


Her mother hadn’t been happy with it, but her father had. Sure, she was still expected to marry some day, but it was no longer her father’s greatest concern. His concern was seeing her rise in the ranks, and to see her bring wealth and honor to their name. “Have you ever met the princess?” She added, wondering how he knew the woman would drive him insane.

 

[Lucyfer]

Prince Vaughn was a stubborn one on this matter. Briefly, Aria wondered how many fairytales his Queen Mother had read to him. Very few princes and princesses ended up having a happily ever after when brought together. It was why so many led separate lives, though together. The peasants had better luck here than the nobles did, since their marriages rarely made a difference.


His last words were caught, and she gave a nod, “Well then, Your Grace, I shall hold on to the hope that this need not come down to marriage. It wouldn’t do to have a princess that fits the stereotype of a nagging wife,” a little jest. To her the woman sounded as expected—spoiled, rather what she had first expected of the prince.


Princesses were supposed to be submissive and meek women, if fairytales were true, but such was rarely the case with noblewomen. They were taught instead to be prepared to take over households and run servants, and so many of them did become just as the prince described. Perhaps they grew into the role later in life, but when young, they always just seemed like spoiled little perfectionists. “If the princess did not like you, as well, it may work out to your benefit. They may want other options as well. Better trade negotiations or some such,” she shrugged her shoulders, uncertain.