Private Tales The Broken Crown

[Mariana]

"And you should wash your shirt," nose crinkled, her senses heightened. "And you could use a bath." The mess hall had bowls stacked up and she smelled some sort of stew from a big pot manned by an orc cook. Averey took up a bowl and a spoon and got in the line for some of the stew, grabbing a piece of crusty bread on the way.

"I can always move my hair over my ears but what are we going to do about that big mouth of yours?" A twitch of the priestess' lips at her own joke to the man as she looked back at the king trying to reclaim his kingdom.

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre perked an eyebrow at the comments. "I took a bath half a day before, in front of you."

He reminded her, evoking the image that he had presented in front of you.

"Or are you that eager for a repeat performance?" Alre asked as he told his own 'joke' about the situation that they had encountered in that hotel. "Hair might not be enough."

His voice became a bit more serious. "The Anirians are...fervant, and I'm not going to let you get killed."

That much was for fucking sure.

 

[Mariana]

"And you just killed a bunch of men and are half covered in blood and sweat," she pointed out and sniffed to make a point. She dipped her bread into the bowl of stew and began to chew.

"And don't get your hopes up," though there was a spark of something in her eyes as he spoke of a repeat moon-show. A huff as she took another bite and swallowed.

"Hats, hair. Nothing might be enough," she pointed out, quietly and seriously. "I know. Too much invested in me to let me get killed. Too close to get your kingdom back. Don't worry. I won't let myself get killed. At least not yet." The last sentence was barely audible as she took another bite.

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre glanced down at himself. "Good point."

He conceded.

Over the last few months though he had almost gotten used to being covered in blood. A fact that five years ago would have seemed utterly abhorrent to him and his family. It showed just how quickly someone could actually fall.

"Don't get in a tizzy." Alre rebuked. "We've helped each other."

He reminded her. "I don't want to see you dead, even if you aren't useful."

Surprisingly, he found that he meant that. He would still kill her if he had to...if it was the only way, but he didn't want to.

 

[Mariana]

She nearly choked on her stew with a laugh at his words.

"Wow King. That's a lot coming from you," a twitch of her lips. "There will come a time when even you can't save me. Just know that I've chosen my path." Cryptic. She was being cryptic. But he didn't have to know about the cost of what using this magic would do. The sacrifice she was willing to make.

"In a tizzy?" Auburn brows lazily lofted on her face. "Do I look like I'm in a tizzy?"

 

[Alre Castielle]

"A little bit, yes." He told her. "If you ask me, maybe it's a local dialect thing."

A shrug rolled over Alre's shoulders.

Lips thinned for a brief moment. He might have been arrogant, pushy, but he wasn't a fool. Lips thinned for a brief moment as she spoke, his head shaking for a brief moment as he decided not to push the subject. He'd already slaughtered a dozen men today, he wasn't up for another blow out argument.

Not today. "Let's try and ease up a bit yeah?"

A new tactic.

"I'll be a bit less...grating." The Prince offered.

 

[Mariana]

She paused, making sure he wasn't going to say something else. Something to set her off. Or whether he was joking or being sarcastic. But no. He was being sincere.

She swallowed another bite of stew, noticing he wasn't even eating. Perhaps killing a bunch of men made one lose their appetite.

"I'm not trying to argue with you Alre. I just...can't explain it right now." Perhaps never. "But thank you. For watching out for me since the temple. Even if it was never your ideal."

There, she was trying.

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre watched her for a moment, lips thinning as he peered at her.

There was something else, hell she said as much, but he never quite liked not knowing things. It was one of the reasons that the Kingdom had fallen. He hadn't known his Uncles plans, hand't known where his father stood with things.

It had been foolish. "You're welcome."

The once Prince said with a slow nod.

"We'll make it through this." Alre tried to reassure her. "Once I have my throne back, I'll have an army, and those men won't be following you."

Not anymore.

 

[Mariana]

"Do you think your people will rally back to you so quickly or will they question your right to rule?" It was a question asked gently. She wondered if they'd honor the once-king. She hoped, for his sake, they would. But would it not be until his Uncle died?

"And I trust you," she said slowly. "I'm not worried about those after me. I...," she paused wondering if she should tell him the cost. Her lips pressed closed, unsure.

 

[Alre Castielle]

He considered for a moment. "Some will."

That much Alre was certain.

"My father was popular with the peasantry and the common soldiers." He had been a good King overall. An impassive one, but there had never been much trouble when it came to the common folk. It was the Lords that had been the issue.

His Uncle had always been their favorite. He frowned for a moment. "I will need to know the landscape."

Luckily he knew a few people that would be loyal still.

At least he hoped.

 

[Mariana]

"So we'll have to spread the word somehow. Of your arrival without your Uncle finding out before we're ready." She finished off her stew. She decided not to tell him. Not yet. She promised she would help him and she would. She didn't know if he'd try to stop her if he knew the cost. A part of her didn't think he would.

"Do you have a place we can go when we get there? Someone you can trust to send a letter ahead of time?" She began nibbling on a roll, watching him thoughtfully.

 

[Alre Castielle]

He nodded his head. "There are a few places."

Alre was confident in that at least.

"My father was well liked by the common people, and there are still a few branches of my family who will be glad to see me." His mothers family mostly. They had been loyal even after his fathers death.

He did not know how they fared under his Uncles rule, but given their wealth he doubted that the man had made much of a move on them. "We'll head to Spaler Keep first."

Alre told her.

"It's my mothers ancestral home." They would be safe there, at least for a while.

 

[Mariana]

“Good. We have a plan then.” She nodded to herself. He had a place and contacts in mind. She wondered why he hadn't run to his family when his uncle had first turned on him. But the priestess thought it wise not to ask.

“I’m going to stay above deck for awhile. Maybe you should eat something and take a bath.” A pointed look at his blood crusted clothes as she stood to leave him.

 

[Alre Castielle]

He was about to open his mouth to argue, but then remembered that he wasn't doing that anymore.

Instead he just tilted his head in a nod. "Sure."

Alre thought that wasn't too difficult, then slowly pushed himself up from the table. He had few clothes left over from their journey, but one of the sailors probably had a spare set that he could borrow. A silver or two would do it.

At least he could wash his armor.

"Don't fall overboard." Alre commented as he skulked off of the top deck and headed below.

 

[Mariana]

Don't fall overboard.

A twitch of her lips at his back as he left.

"I'll try my very best."

Running a hand through auburn locks, she cleared her bowl and plate and made her own way up on deck. A few spoke to her as she passed. It had always been easy for strangers to approach her. Talk to her. She just had that way about her. Eventually though, she found her way to a quieter spot near the front of the ship. A spot on the sunny deck where she stretched out.

Hands cradled her head and she lay down, her face tipped toward the sun as she closed her eyes.

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre did as he had said he would do.

Once below deck he caught one of the sailors, trading a few silver coins for new clothes. The ones he'd been wearing were quickly tossed overboard and forgotten about, the blood stained rags better done away with than preserved.

Once he'd done that he proceeded to bathe himself, keeping his sword and pendant nearby as he washed.

As he did so his mind began to run down a list of names. Those whom he could trust, those who they would go to. The keep would be safe, but they would have to cross some dangerous borders to get there first. The Bandit Kings in Shal Forest would be a problem, but he might be able to convince them as well.

As long as he could keep Avereys quiet anyway.

With all that ahead, the Anirians didn't even seem like much of an issue. A hat and bandana would do for them, as well as a few coins placed in the right hands.

At least he thought so.

 

[Mariana]

She ended up falling asleep on the sunlit deck. The air went from warm to cool and it wasn't until the stars were brightly out that she finally stirred. As a night court priestess, she'd always been more awake at night, much to Alre's dismay.

Eyes opened and she frowned, trying to stretch out her stiff limbs.

Why hadn't Alre come looking for her?

Had he fallen asleep after his bath?

Had something happened?

Probably thinking about what they were about to go through.

There were shouts at the mast about approaching the Anirian coast. AS she stood, she could see the flicker of fire from cities.

 

[Alre Castielle]

"Finally awake I see." Alre said as he turned around and leaned on the railing of the ship.

When he'd finished with everything he had decided not to wake Averey, mostly to have some peace and quiet for himself. A breath filled his lungs as he looked down at her, the fires in the distance signalling the mark of the Anirian cities.

"We're nearly there." He said simply. "Perhaps an hour or so now."

Maybe less. "I got you a hat."

Scarf too, though he would wait to introduce that little tidbit.

 

[Mariana]

“I thought for a moment you might've fallen overboard,” she said with a quirk of her mouth. She let her eyes trail over his form. “You look,” a sniff of her nose, “and smell better.”

Her smile widened with no bite behind it.

“Oh. A hat?” She frowned. “Let’s see it then.”

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre smiled at her, deciding to ignore her comments about smells and instead wandering over towards one of the sailors. He whispered a few words into his ears, and then smirked.

The Sailor quickly wandered away. "You'll love it."

The once Prince told her as he waited for the sailor to return. As the time passed the coast began to draw closer and closer, night sky shifting above them. After a minute or two the sailor returned, Alre intercepting him and grabbing the hat.

"Here it is." He said as he presented it to Averey.

It was an ostentatious thing, the brim broad as could be. Clearly meant for a pirate, or something of the sort, with a feather tucked into one side of it.

 

[Mariana]

Averey joined him, not able to take her eyes off the ever-looming coastline. She could spot roads now, woven between the darkened land. Carts on those roads too. People on horseback. Some milling about at the docks as they swung even closer.

Eyes turned away as she looked up to him and what he held.

Lips twitched and there was a subtle shake of her head.

"Absolutely not. Nice try King. It's a good thing I'm not in your court and don't take your orders because you have terrible fashion sense."

 

[Alre Castielle]

"What?" Alre asked as he glanced at the hat with a frown.

"What's wrong with it?" It wasn't like he was trying to humiliate her or anything. It was just if everyone was looking at her hat they wouldn't be looking at her ears. That was more than reasonable. "It'll hide your ears."

He said, gesturing to the curvature of his own.

There wasn't really many other options, aside from the headscarf of course, but he was keeping that in his back pocket. A smile flickered over his features, and then he stepped over towards her.

"Come on." He nudged her. "I bet you might even look cute in it."

She could have a few Anirian men chasing after her.

...In a good way.

 

[Mariana]

"Cute?"

Auburn brows lifted on her face. She couldn't erase that half smile on her lips. The hat was...it was ostentatious. Huge. If anything, it would make everyone's attention go to her. If it didn't engulf her entire head in the first place.

"I'm supposed to go unnoticed, not look more attractive than I already am. See?" Her smile widened and she snatched the hat from his fingers as he came closer and raised it with two hands, placing it over her head. It did nearly engulf her entire head. The rim was only stopped by the curve of her nose. It fell down over her eyes.

Not fitting was an understatement.

Her smile widened even as she lost site of the once king in that dark-inside of the hat.

"Told you so. Hm. Hmmm. Look at how beautiful I am now." Her hips swayed and swaggered for a moment as though she were in a fashion show.

 

[Alre Castielle]

"It works. You'll be the talk of the town." Which was of course exactly what they wanted to avoid.

She was right about that.

The Anirians though we're a special breed of bastard. If they were careful they would make it through. Of course he wouldn't actually insist on her wearing the hat either. A smile touched his lips and then from his back pocket he pulled the scarf

It snapped in the air for a moment. "Here."

The pattern on the scarf was simple, decorated with half a dozen different flowers and clearly well made. Where Alre had gotten it no one could have said, but likely it had been bargained for with one of the Sailors or perhaps the Captain herself

"This ones a bit more subtle." Alre offered.

 

[Mariana]

She had to lift the brim off the top half of her head and then take off the hat entirely to see what he was talking about. It was actually...very beautiful. She pushed the hat back at him and took up the scarf.

"It's nice," she admitted, running her fingers over the soft fabric.

"Don't you think wearing anything at all will be obvious, though?" She had to wonder if there were others that wore scarves like this. If she was on the only one or it wasn't the fashion, then it would look...odd. Out of place.

Ropes were being tossed out now, to tie them to the docks they lined up with. Averey looked around nervously.