A viscous war had been raging on for generations in the once wondrous world of Ladorth. The kingdom of Ellestine and the kingdom of Mavorie have been the two sides of this unyielding fight, both been a part of it so long it has been forgotten exactly why it was the war starting the first place. Maybe it was a sibling quarrel, maybe it was a battle for control of all the lands. No matter how many theories come to be, we may never know what act was the catalyst for spurring the people to draw arms against each other.

However, eager to stop their ancestors mistakes and avoid tearing their two lands apart, both kingdoms decided they needed a marriage to unite them. In order to put this into play, Ellestine sent a prince, and Mayorie sent a princess, (along with a prince to guard her) to a palace on the border, where they hope that they will find an equal ground to tie the knot. The kingdom of Proitence have also sent a prince, in good will, to make sure each royal plays nice and to act as a third party. Yet not everything is as it seem, and hearts cannot always be made to obey

Prince Fitz of Ellestine looked out the window of his carriage drearily. He didn't care much for the 'fantastic' scenery that passed him by. Once you've seen one tree you've seen all them and they just blend into shades of green and brown that just won't seem to disappear no matter where you look. He let out a sigh of disappointment. He understood the importance of this marriage, and the honour of being able to tie two lands together after a lifetime of bloodshed, but he couldn't force his heart to be as happy as his pride and it was eating at him. He didn't even know what the princess of Mayorie looked like let alone what her personality was. His stay at this remote palace could be more of a hell than he could even imagine. He took in a deep breath to steel his thoughts and sighed again. All he would have to endure he decided as the constant green and brown started to thin as they got closer to the palace.

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"Remember, your there as a sign of good will on our part" Prince Tristan's father rambled on through the carriage window. "You need to play nice and help out how ever you can." His father leaned a little closer so that only Tristan could he what he was saying. "And make sure that, nothing unfortunate, happens between them alright?" Tristan nodded only half listening. He had heard this speech 10 times before and wasn't quite sure as to why he needed to hear it again. He was there to represent Proitence's support of this marriage and the stopping of there war, in if not all of Proitence was pleased with this decision. He was leaving later than the other princes and princess in order for the two to get comfortable with each other, and then when he arrived, well, pretty mucn nothing would change but they would probably be less likely to rip each other's throats out. Or at least that's what they hoped. They'd probably to shocked to find that Proitence wouldn't be all that fussed if the couple ripped each other's throats out.

"Understood father, now if you'll excuse me, I believe its time for me to go." The king stood back and waved with the rest of the crowd as the carriage started to leaving, taking a bored prince who didn't even bother to look back.

Princess Yalann of Mavorie smiled recklessly as she spurred her speckled horse on into the woods, her brothers black only half a steed behind her. There was a sorrow within her smile as she accepted this would be the last time in a long time that they would be free to ride without restraints. Her brother would have all the freedom of this woods but she was to act like all Princesses before her within her family’s line. The pale tan lather armor only accentuate her body’s slim frame and hidden muscle tone. Unlike most kingdoms of the land she had been trained side by side with her brother at the arts of war. Her father fearing that an assassin would come from her in the night when none were around to protect her. Maybe this was why she was so much unlike those that had come before her she thought as her hair streamed out behind her. Looking back she smiled at the shadow that her twin had become after he road to war. Soon there would be no shadows of people returning from the war. But would she become the shadow to save her kingdom?

Prince Faelann grinned wolfishly as his sister raced ahead of him into the unknown. Few would think that they were the delegation from Mavorie and that was how he liked it. Their carriage waited at the edge of the woods near the road to the palace. They had sent it along days before they set out with doubles to take any attacks that another kingdom may have set up to destroy this union that the kingdoms wanted. There was a sadness in him that echoed his twins sorrow, never again would she be free of the cage that was being built about her even as they road towards the land they had once called enemy.

Fitz could see the palace now. The palace that would hold the future. A white silhouette against the blue, clouded sky. Architecture never seemed to disappoint Fitz. He loved tall buildings more than he loved tall trees, and he loved the paling colours of their outside walls over the bright, intruding colours of flowers and assorted plants. He loved the privacy of a room instead of the open woods, and from what he could see of the details of the palace from how far away he was, it was living up to his expectations, so while he dreaded what awaited him there, he really wanted to hurry up and reach it to examine its details in detail. He hummed and jiggled his leg impatiently as he started imagining what the princess may look like.

Pulling the reins back as the woods opened upon the fields that feed the palace Princes Yalann dismounted and sighed. There was the first of many gilded cages that would be her prison for the rest of her before her. It was not as dark as she had thought it would be, its white towers seemed to call for those around it to look upon it. Tucking one of the wild strands of her dark brown hair behind her ear she looked back to her brother who had caught up with her and now sat upon his horse looking at the palace. “Not much like fathers palaces is it?” she tried to keep the disappointment of their journey coming to an end out of her voice. He nodded as he to looked out upon the land.

“Well sister of mine, it is time I believe that you dress as befits your station and we find our carriage.” From his saddle bag he pulled forth a dress she had thought to have left behind in their fathers palace. The look she gave him whispered of pain and humiliation to come. “You don’t want him to think that we sent in a man in your place.” His voice was soft with steel hidden below the velvet. “it may be accepted in our kingdom for the princess to merry a princess or a prince to marry a prince but we do not know what his kingdoms laws hold for you. ‘It is better to appear like a soft woman now and then reveal your true steel when needed, then to scare this prince with a Sword in place of a Princess’.” He quoted an old proverb that their nurse had loved to use when Yalann started to act too much like a boy when they were younger. Stepping closer to her he wrapped his arms tightly in a hug. “And this to we shall overcome.” The sounds of their carriage arriving drove any other thoughts from their minds

They had finally reached the palace and Fitz almost tripped over his own feet in an attempt to get out of the carriage after spending so long in it. He yawned and stretched, trying to get as much tension as he could out of his thin frame. He looked around at the empty road. It looks like he was the first one here. Well, that did give him time to admire the outside of the building. He moved closer to the walls to inspect the white and gold paving while servants bustled to grab the belongings he brought with him and take them up to what would be his room. He ran a hand along the rough surface, glad to feel there were hardly any cracks where there shouldn't be. It was really quite an impressive palace, he could hardly wait to see what it looked like inside, however he decided it might be best to wait outside to greet the princess straight away, and they could go in together.

Stepping back into the woods Yalann sighed as she stripped off her top and slipped the dress over her. She did not want to be here or want to have to deal with a price she did not know and did not think she could love. But her brother was right that she should appear as soft and weak as the princesses she had heard of all her life. Setting her sword aside she sighed it would be hard for her to get in time to practice with it if she was hiding that she could do that. As she walked back she looked over her brother wishing that they could trade spaces as they had so many times before. His hair was braided now; she could see the tiny dark spikes of the spiked chain for his war braid. His armor was simple boiled leather fitted to provide him ease of movement yet not loss of protection. “Brother dear one of these days you’re going to take my place so I can ride free for some time.”

Sighing Faelann smiled. “I do not see a problem if you happened to pack the top. A smile made him realize that she had been planning this since before they had even left. He did not find a problem dressing like his sister or her dressing like him, yet a little part of him worried that something would go wrong. Holding out his hand he help his sister into the carriage before he himself climbing back onto his horse. “so you’re not going to ride with me? Trying to keep it known that your my brother are you?” she smiled a knowing smile. “just be careful who you take to bed, it would be bad if your were the reason this marriage when to the dogs.” Tapping the carriage they set out onto the road to palace.

"I've already told you I intend to wait out here for them"
"But my lord, you could just quickly change yourselves and freshen yourself up-"
"Are you questioning me?" Fitz inserted, raising an eyebrow. The servant cowered a little shook her head. "Good. Now I am waiting out here. If I've already been in that gives me the advantage, and since we want this marriage on equal terms I don't exactly want to have that just yet. Besides," Something caught the prince's eye and he looked down the road. There were a small group of soldiers and a carriage. He'd recognise that style of armour and clothes anywhere. "Besides they're already here so it doesn't matter. Get ready to welcome them." He ordered and the servant bowed away. Fitz flattened his shaggy blonder hair and tried to make it as neat as he could as he stepped forward with the rest of servants to welcome his future wife.

As they passed under the finely carved arch Yalann smiled. she had never seen one of Old Ones palaces but she was impressed with how finely it was detailed. Even if this was all she got to see of it, this made the whole trip worth it. now if only the young prince would be just as enjoyable as this arch she thought as she opend the window as the carriage moved into the beautiful courtyard.

"Do not worry lady, he is said to be one of the fineist men in his kingdom." Her double and her ladys maid said as she patted Yalann's knee trying to confort her. Reaching up she pulled off the wig that she wore to hide her light brown hair. "If you need some time to get used to this place I can tell them you are not feeling like yourself because of the trip." Her voice was questioning.

"No I dont need you to tell them a lie, I can deal with..." Her eyes caught the young blonde man dressed in fine clothes as he stepped forward to welcom her. "well at least he is not that bad on the eyes." she looked back at her maid before opening the door to greet the young prince.

Faelann did not notice the details of the stone work, nor the beauty of the work around them. All he saw was how defenceable the palace was. The other guards around him looked to him trying not to seem that he was the one that was commanding thier squadron. He had told them to treat him like only a simple guard but since many had served under him in war, they saw him as their leader. As they turned into the courtyard his eyes widened as he saw the prince.

As the carriage drew closer Fitz got increasingly worried of the fact he hadn't freshened up. Maybe he should've taken the advantage after all. He correct his posture and waited behind the servants eager to see what his princess would look like. He lacked the muscular disposition his father had, as well as his mother's soft eyes, so his angular face and cold blue irises made him seem colder than he was. He was gifted with a thin waist with narrow hips and a skinny chest. He wished his shoulders were a little broader and his hands a little bigger, but he found comfort in his foot size. He didn't pay much attention to the guards, and when the carriage door started to open, he felt his heart beat a little faster in excitement as he met pale violet eyes.

The smile that greeted him was of genuine happiness as she pulled her dress about her and stepped down onto the cobble stones of the court yard. she was slender yet beneath her finely cut dress was muscle that most woman did not have. Her upper body was encased in a green blue embroidered top with finely worked gold threads to enhance her natural curves. her hair which had been wind swept when she got into the carriage now lay in controlled ringlets down the back of her neck to her waist. Holding out her hand she smiled. The hands were the only difference between her and her brother, his having gained damage when he faced down armies of this man before her.

"My lord prince, I had not thought you would come and greet me yourself." In point of fact she had not expected any one there to greet them as they arrived. "Were you so smitten with the idea of seeing a new face that you could not wait for dinner this evening?" Looking out of the corner of her eyes she saw her brother and a smirk danced upon her lips. He was smitten with the looks of this prince and he had not even gotten to know him yet. <brother mine, do you think he would want you over me?> She thought sent to her brother. <If you want you could...>

<Do not think of such things Yalann.> Faelann tried to hide his anger and frustration at his sisters opinions of how quickly he would fall in love with this Beast, this creature that never had seen the monster of war and only now was reaping the long line of men that had fallen before them. In that moment the carvass of the bodies and the price that was payed stood to wide between the two of them. He could not help keep the anger and disgust from his face as he looked upon this unblooded young man that dare to claim his sister as his prize.

<Brother dear, your going to scare the princes bodyguards with that sour look. They may think you a assassin hidden in the ranks of my bodyguards.> Her warning was given in genteelness as she looked over at him then back at the prince. Turning Faelann road with the carriage to deliver it and his horse to the stables were he could see to the care of his and his sisters beast where none would see his anger.

Well that was one box checked off. She certainly wasn’t unappealing to the eye.
“My dear princess, no other greeting would be acceptable. And please, feel free to just call me Fitz.” He took her hand gently, bowed and then kissed the back of her hand softly. He had a passing thought of a question of is she realised this wasn’t a common greeting for him. Usually he would stay in his room while the King and his younger brother greeted the guests, and would only be introduced at dinner time. He wondered if she would have preferred not to see him and avoid him like everyone else did. “It’s not my fault dinner was simply not earlier enough” He chuckled nervously. He realised he didn’t feel comfortable around her. Not because of her, but because she was from Mayorie. It would be hard to relax around anyone from that kingdom after the countless centuries of war. When a portion of guard’s left (an extremely grumpy looking guard included) he felt himself relax a little more.
“I don’t intend to bug you with my presence, I simply wanted to meet you. I only arrived a little earlier than you and so haven’t had a chance to ah, freshen myself up yet. I’m sure you would love to do the same after riding in a cramped carriage for so long. My servants will collect your things and show you to your room.” He gestured to a group of them and they bowed slightly in response. “It would be my privilege to be able to escort you to dinner tonight, other than that I shall leave you to yourself to get used to the palace.”

"How could I call you Fitz? that is not a proper name for a princesses to be calling a young prince whom she has just met." Yalann smiled a light blush on her face for correcting him in manners, she looked down trying to hide the blush. She had not meant to start out with him this way. she had meant to be like all the other princesses she had read about in the books. "I would not say that you are bugging me at all but you need not put your servants out by having them take my stuff up. My servant and my guards can do it, and my maid knows more of where my stuff should go then yours would." Looking up through her eyelashes she smiled.

<What are you doining brother of mine?> she tried not to sound like she was giggling about something.

<if you must know sister of mine I am taking care of our horses, but then you seem not to be thinking about that.> slaming his fist into the wall of the stables he tried to understand where this anger at a prince he did not know was coming form . He had known that he would be here because he was to merry Yalann but something made him want to wrap her up and send her away from this young johnny pop up.

The horses shied away from him as he tried to fight down his anger. Grabbing a curry comb he tried to brush his horse. He had always found it relaxing yet now the thought of that skinny, unblooded, jump up of a prince kept coming to mind. The thought of having to greet him later as the prince seemed to bring a trimmer to his hands.

Fitz chuckled. "Honestly my name, alone should suffice, I do not think such awkward titles are really necessary in our case. However, I will leave it up to you, princess." He winked. "If you insist, than my servants will simply show you were you are to be staying." Fitz nodded and paused for a minute. "So, may I escort you to dinner tonight?"

"are you truly wanting to throw away all things that are proper?" She said as demurely as she could try. Maybe if he was this open to change then he would be open to not having a marriage at all. smiling she pulled a strand of hair and nibbled on it without thinking about it. "If you think that it would aid us in getting to know each other then I will call you Fitz but you must know that it is with great worry, my name is Yalann, but you can call me Lann if you think to shorten it."

<brother dear, you need to stop thinking about how he is an enemy and start thinking of him as a recruit that you don't know much about but have to make a part of your squad.> She looked over at the prince, at Fitz and then smiled. "would you like to show me about this beautiful palace. Am I correct to believe that this is one of the lost palaces of the Old Ones?"

<I am going to be going strait to ours rooms if you dont mind. I do not think that I will be good company this evening.> Setting aside the comb Faelann turned and walked away from his horse more flustered then he had been when he arrived here to deal with the horses.

<Fae you cant hide from him the whole time we are here. you know what father said about you keeping me under your watch untill the marriage was set up. If you dont make it here for dinner I may make a big mistake that will have our kingdoms at war again.> He could hear the humor in her mind voice as she spoke. Growling he turned from the direction he had been heading which seemed to be the kitchen door and turned towards the front of the palace.

<I could string you up for this you know?> he hated it when she pulled his strings like this forcing him to do something she wanted.

"If you don't mind having your servants show my maid where to have the trunks taken then I would be greatly pleased." she smiled again at him. he seemed to draw the smiles from her. "I must wait here for my brother to arrive, he wanted to make sure that his horse was taken care of."

Fitz gave Yalann a small smile. "I'm not throwing it away, I'm just forgetting about it, my dear Yalann. If worries you that much you can call me by my titles and I will call you by yours. Sometimes though I would just like it if my status wasn't brought up every 5 minutes by everyone. Don't you?" Fitz realised he was being a bit harsh a bit too late and coughed in embarrassment of his slight temper. He nodded to the servants and they approached the maid ready to lead her.
"I'm sorry. I would love to show you around. And yes that is true. I didn't even realise my father was in possession of it. It's quite a thing of beauty I would have liked to visited it more often." He cleared his throat, still a little embarrassed. "Your brother? Hmm, that's right I do remember being told you would be having a sibling with you. Did he come here in a separate carriage to you?" Fitz asked.

"It is just like throwing it away if your forgetting it. Have you not thought to give your close servants and guards the permission to call you by your name? My brother has found that it works so much better in the heat of battle then them calling him Your Highness." Yalann spoke softly trying to calm him down. Dose he not want to be prince at all? what would happen if he were to abdicate the thrown?

<You better hurry up I can not keep him here for that long.> Yalann nodded to her maid when she gave a questioning look on what to do about the servants. Turning the maid pointed to two of the four body guards left and pointed to the trunks that stood there. They quickly obeyed her and moved the trunks into the palace.

"my sister seems to think that this lump of pale stone is beautiful and no I did not come in a separate carriage. How am I to protect my sister from your kind if I were in another carriage?" His voice was only slightly lower then his sisters. "I do not find any interest in this building but then if my sister wish to see it then we shall see it."

Fitz look away, but something Yalann said caught his attention. "Your brother has fought? Wouldn't that be a little fool-" Fitz jumped a little when another voice cut it in. When he found the source he barely even had to think to connect the dots that the person behind her was a sibling. It was a little harder to figure out that he was indeed probably male. During this thinking Fitz also realised that this was in fact, the grumpy guard he had noticed before.
"My apologies. I did not realise you were accompanying her in the role of guard to that degree. You do blend in quite well with your men. Please forgive me." Fitz decided to ignore the insult to his people, it wouldn't do anything except cause contention, which was exactly what they were trying to stop. It was a little harder to ignore the insult to the wondrous building and bite down his retort but he somehow managed. "Well, if we're all ready, let's go." Fitz said, mostly to Yalann, and turned to enter the palace.

"why would it be foolish? he is the war prince after all." Yalann sounded surprised that he would even think that something was wrong with Faelann fighting in the war. "We have always had a war prince when there has been more then one prince. Our brother is the Crown prince and has proven to be a good choice to one day be king." Trying not to smile she watched as Faelann walked up behind Prince Fitz and spoke. She had forgotten how quickly he could move without others knowing that there was someone behind them.

"As we both know there will come a time that only one of royal blood can be around and then who would act as guard? My father could not allow my sister to go into a place like this when we do not know all the parties involved without some one that could protect her from any one that might come along." He raised his eyebrow as if to dare Fitz to challenge what he had said. A small part of him realized that this prince could in no way be a threat to his sister but if they were attacked he would have to protect both of them.

<I hope that this is worth the trouble, I don't want to have to try to protect both of you if an assassin comes.> He grumbled to his sister who threw him a look that said 'shut up and play nice.'

"I am Prince Faelann, war prince of the kingdom of Mavorie." He said trying not to sound as cold as he had before.

A war prince? Fitz mused, the closest thing we have to that would be my younger brother I think. But how strange to send the royal family to war. They must of really been getting into the fight. "I guess we do things a little differently here in Ellestine. My apologies I stepped out of line." I guess the royal family in Ellestine get's babied a lot. No wonder this guy doesn't seem to like me. But that also makes me a lot more scared of him. "If I had a sister, I would probably worry for her the exact same way." Fitz replied, unsure what to say to his heavily implied comment. He was quite aware with his weak stature he probably wouldn't be able to do much for his hypothetical sister except become a body shield, but he hoped the thought was there all the same.

"I am Prince Fitz. Uh, crown prince of the ugh, kingdom of Ellestine." He kinda made a small movement with his hand to go for a handshake but realised the prince might not actually want to touch him so drew it back to his side awkwardly.

Before he could compleatly draw his hand back Faelann grasped it and held it. "You seem to be worried about something prince Fitz? Is there something I should know about before we continue on this walk?" Something about the way he said it made it seem light hearted, and not a threat that It could have been. Looking over the prince Faelann relized that he had been sheltered moer then their brother Balann. There was alot of work that he was going to have to do to bring this prince up to shape to protect what was his. "Would you like to learn how to fight so that you can protect those you love if there ever comes a time that you guards can not?" He knew that he was taking a risk on getting attacked by Fitz guards if he went through with this but something told him tha tthis was the right move.

<Well done brother mine!> Yalann smiled as she wraped her arm around Prince Fitz's arm ready to be lead through this wounderus palaces. "And what wounders does this place hold for us that enjou seeing the work of the old ones?" She wanted to defuse the tenson in the air but something told herbthat it may take some beating on the practice fields for this to end.

(Sent from my Nook)

Fitz was baffled. He stared at the brother as he tried to come up with an answer, his mouth trying to form voiceless words. He noticed that the Faelann had the same shade of violet eyes as his sister, and in his discovery he forgot what he was meant to be answering, which made him blush a shade of red. So much for starting this off with a good start. Maybe this was the reason his father liked to have people avoid him. Embarrassment turned to shame and he looked away.
He was glad to have Yalann interrupt with a question that he actually knew how to answer. "It's mostly the artistic structure that's the wonder, it has lot's of mosaics and patterns that..." Fitz realised that his hand was stilling being grasped by Faelann's.

A smile crepted over Faelann's face, the frist that Fitz has seen on him, as he readed to throw Fitz to show him how much danger he could be in. <Dont you dare Faelann! I will turn you inside out if you try.> Her eyes were cold daggers at her brother. He let go of Fitz's hand and steped back away from him. Suddenly this did not seem like the dull detail he had thought it was going to be. "Think on what I have said. It may save your life one day if you learn how."

"Dont mind him he is just grumpy that he has no challang here to keep his skills up to par for war. Sad to say most of the army think this is going to go tearrably wrong in some way and that our kingdomes will be at war within the year again." Yalann said exasperatedly. "But for now let us think on the beauty of this place an dnot on the war we have left behind." She was trying to be the diplomat but her brother suddenly seemed to be doing everything in his powers to set this man off. She put that thought in the back of her mind to stew.

(Sent from my nook)

"I fear if I were to take you on your offer you would kill me. Whether it be accident it or not." Fitz said honestly, trying to make it sound like a joke. He shook out his hand; it felt a little funny after Faelann gripped it a little too hard. He liked Yalann, he definitely did not like Faelann.

"I doubt anything could go wrong with your brother around." Even so, Fitz swallowed nervously remembering the sly smile his father had tried to hide. He probably thought the same thing and hoping Fitz would end up 'missing' during the scramble. "Yes let's go take a look inside. Honestly, the detail just on the outside is marvellous but the way the interior is designed is amazing. There is one particular room which was planned quite well. It looks best at sunset though, I might show it to you then for there is simply no other way to see the room than in that state." He smiled a genuine smile. Buildings was his thing. He wouldn't have minded being a builder instead of a prince.

Faelann raised his eyebrow at the thought of killing Fitz in traning. "If I were to kill you in training the my record of live students to leave my teaching ready warrers would be ruined. Any ways if you do merry my sister I would feel much better if I knew you could defend her if someone tried to kill you." He sounded genuinly sincear about his offer. Something about this prince seemed to be getting under his skin.

"If my brother gives his word then you can trust that he will do as he says." Yalann smiled as they walked into the palaces. "In fact I recall a storie I heared from some of the men from the battle field that said he treated a group of your mens wounds and then, because he had given his word took them back to your lines to be returned." She smiled back at her brother knowing frist hand that that story was true. She had in fact been with him when he took the man back.

(Posted from my nook)

Fitz weighed the arguments as they walked, and was a little surprised at Yalann's story. He hadn't heard of that. Though he guessed it was a minor detail and nobody wanted to tell him it. "I will think on it Prince Faelann." Fitz still didn't really like the other prince though. He didn't exactly give a good first impression from the moment they met. He also definitely didn't like the looks Faelann was still sending to the beautiful interior.
"But for now let's continue our little tour." The entrance hall was a good example of just how grand the rest of the palace would be. It had detailed stain glass window panels depicting mages and wars and the elements with gold curtains with silver trims framing each picture. The walls were made of a similar design to the walls outside, though were far smoother to the touch and an occasional block was carved with a strange décor pattern. "Where should we start?" Fitz asked Yalann, actively ignoring Faelann.