Strange Strangers
Annabelle didn't really know what to make of the Candian entourage. She had practically stammered her way through greeting the king and the famous Knights of North Gumbar, who'd she'd heard stories of since she was a child. But the rest of the delegation was… eclectic.
She knew that the Dairy Islands was being extremely honoured as the first nation since the war to receive a royal Candian delegation since the end of the Ravening war. The nation had taken, understandably, on insular policies regarding its rulers after the death of the legendary Rocks sisters all in such close succession. Annabelle may not like playing court games, but she was competent enough at them to have heard the whispers about how the rapid deaths were almost suspicious, even during war time.
They brought many more people and warriors than would be deemed proper for a friendly visit as this was, but their letter asking for passage into their land had explained to House Cheddar the circumstances of their visit. The story had almost been to fantastical for Annabelle to believe, but the sight of the ships covered in frozen milk and people tinged blue from the frozen lands they came from quickly confirmed the story that the Candian royal family had sailed into the Unnamed Lands that sat North of Calorum to retrieve their long lost heir to the throne, who had managed to earn the loyalty of a fleet of ships. The two sailing ships that had accompanied the Candian battleship were awe-inspiring and to learn that there was a whole fleet residing in previously thought of as unpopulated territory was rather world-shattering for Annabelle, as a young captain who dreamed of sailing the seas and taming the waves.
But that was not the path that fate had desired for her.
She was to be chained to the Islands for her whole life; trying to patch together a small and struggling nation.
Annabelle tried not to pout as she watched Primsy follow Princess Jet around the courtyard, listening wide-eyed as the girl expunged her stories of battle. Such behaviour would be unbefitting of a princess, and was far too childish for a girl of seventeen. Almost a woman grown as her father reminded her so often.
Well, if she was almost a woman grown, then why wouldn't her father allow her to partake in the grown up discussions? Why was she stuck playing outside like a baby whilst the Crown Princess and King of Candia were shut up with Sir Moriss and her father whilst Manta Ray babysat them?
She was pulled out of her bitter thoughts as the Princess Ruby sat down beside her on the bench that Annabelle had planted herself on.
"You're looking unhappy," she observed, folding her hands over the Book of Leaves that rested on her knee.
Annabelle had not seen the princess put it down since the delegation had been welcomed hours ago. It clashed with her outfit. Like her sisters, she wore a courtly dress, this one matching her skin perfectly whilst her sisters' ones did the same for them, and, also like her sisters, she wore weapons over the top of her gown. It was not unheard of in the fashions of the court, even if it was uncommon. It certainly made a statement: that the Candian princesses knew how to protect themselves.
Annabelle would almost like to see that silent claim put to the test. Not that she disliked any of the princesses. Even if Princess Saccharina's charismatic presence was intimidating and she was slightly jealous of the star struck look in Primsy's eyes as she listened to Jet. She was just used to that look being reserved for her.
Annabelle glanced to the side and dipped her head respectfully, "My apologies, princess. I did not mean to be rude."
"That's not what I meant," Princess Ruby replied with a wave of her hand. "I just wanted to ask if you're all right. Things seem a bit… tense around here."
Annabelle narrowed her eyes at the princess. She thought that they'd been doing a good job to hide the tension that had clung to Lacramore for the past month and caused Annabelle to barely speak to her father. Ever since…
"I assure you, things are fine, Princess Ruby," Annabelle answered, perhaps slightly terse.
The princess smiled and shrugged. "I'm sorry if I was prying. You just looked like you needed to vent."
Annabelle raised her eyebrow but didn't comment, instead looking back over at her cousin and the other Rocks twin. "Why aren't you over there?"
Princess Ruby shrugged. "Jet seems to be doing a pretty good job of entertaining your younger cousin. Besides, I was feeling a little tired."
Annabelle's gut twisted as she remembered her father mentioning that the two younger sisters had been reportedly quite severely injured in whatever altercation the Candians had found themselves entangled in up north.
"Are you alright? Do you need anything?"
Princess Ruby shook her head. "No, it's okay. Jet actually got hurt worse than I did. I just… overextended myself in my efforts to heal her."
Annabelle nodded. She could not relate to being so truly devoted to the Bulb that she was bestowed the rare gift of miracles, but she could relate to wanting to protect a sister.
"I understand," she said. "I would do anything I could to heal Primsy if she were hurt."
"You hold a high regard for her, don't you?"
"She is like a sister."
"She is next in line for the throne, is she not?"
"Yes," Annabelle confirmed, holding back a frustrated sigh. "Some days I think she is more suited to it than I would be."
"You seem like a good leader. Your crew respects you greatly, as do the inhabitants of the castle from what I could see."
That observation caused something inside Annabelle to fracture and she slumped her shoulder.
"Thank you, princess, you are too kind, but I do not know if I will accept the throne," Annabelle confessed.
Princess Ruby frowned. "Why?"
Annabelle bit her lip, but found that once a little bit of her confession was out, the rest came flowing with it. "I have accepted that I must give up thoughts of adventuring the seas. I know that I can content myself with taming the Milk seas around the Islands. I wouldn't be the first princess to rule from aboard a deck. However I… I.."
She took a deep breath, feeling it hitch in her chest. "Lord Carior Swiss has reached out to my father with an engagement proposal and my father is going to agree and I just can't!"
Her chest was moving faster now, up and down as her breathing became more erratic, even as she kept her voice low enough to not draw attention to their shadowy corner of the court yard.
"He's over fifty and he's sleezy and he makes my skin crawl. Father knows I do not care for men and he said it would be alright but after mother and with him being so unwell, he says that I will need to make sacrifices for the good of the Islands. And I know that House Swiss are one of the richest and most influential houses, but I just… I can't do it. I will not marry him! Even if that means that I will not marry anyone and forfeit my right to the throne."
She was breathing heavily by the end of her tirade and glanced to her side to see Princess Ruby staring at her, mouth agape.
Annabelle sniffed and straightened up. "Apologies, princess. That was rather undignified. I didn't mean to burden you with my petty problems."
Princess Ruby quickly should her head and placed a hand on Annabelle's arm comfortingly.
"I don't think they're petty," she said sincerely. "I understand."
"You do?"
The Princess nodded and squeezed Annabelle's arm slightly, sending a pulse of warmth up it and straight into Annabelle's chest. "I do. I am prepared to devote my life to protecting Candia, but that? I couldn't imagine… I don't think I could do it either."
Annabelle swallowed back a wave of emotion as she ducked her head, peaking at the red liquorice through her eyelashes. "You truly think that?"
"I do," the princess confirmed.
Then she reached down and plucked something out of the shadows of the bush that was at the end of the beach turning around to reveal a sleek purple cat that looked as if it was some form of soft, dyed chocolate.
"Do you want to cuddle Cerridwen?" she asked, already offering the creature out to Annabelle.
Annabelle blinked as she reached out and accepted the cat without even really thinking about it. "You named her Cerridwen? After the Lacra goddess?"
The princess smiled and nodded. "Yes, the Goddess of rebirth and knowledge."
Annabelle looked into the princess' eyes, who met her gaze unflinchingly. True, Cerridwen's many domains included rebirth and knowledge, but she was most prominently known as the Goddess of magic and change, with her secondary traits as the goddess death and rebirth. Both. But Annabelle suspected that the princess already knew that.
"May I say, you have very fine taste, princess," Annabelle complimented, running her fingers through the silky fur as the cat curled up in her lap ad began to emit a low purr that caused some of the tension to melt out of her shoulders.
Princess Ruby's eyes gleamed. "Why thank you, Captain Annabelle."
Annabelle grinned.
-----
Amethar looked at his old friend and felt his heart twist.
In his memories, Tarthur raced across a deck, knocking enemies overboard and slashing his opponent's throat. He stood tall as he commanded fleets and strategised attacks. He grinned mischievously as he sent Manta Ray and Morris after the Candian troops to act as the Dairy Island representatives in the battles that occurred on land. He was cheerful, vibrant and full of life.
Amethar was struggling reconcile his memories with the man that was standing in front of him. Tarthur's skin was tired and wrinkled and Amethar could see wear it was hanging loosely on his skin. The Prince of the Dairy Isles didn't stand as tall as he Amethar remembered, his shoulders sagging slightly with some invisible weight and his arms not imbued with the strength and dexterity that they had been a decade and a half ago.
The only other Dairy Islander in the room, discounting the guards, was Sir Moriss and Lady Butter, who were the prince's closest advisors. They were outnumbered by the Candians, since Amethar had brought Theo, Lapin and Saccharina to the meeting.
He had offered her to allow her closest advisor (right hand? Second in command? Girlfriend? Amethar didn't quite know their relationship, but he felt that he didn't quite know his oldest daughter well enough yet to ask), but Saccharina had sent Gooey and Swifty to watch over her sisters alongside Sir Toby and a contingent of the knights as they played in the gardens with the princess and duchess.
They had all been on edge ever since Cal - no Cruller, that fucking bastard didn't deserve Amethar's familiarity - pulled his disappearing act. He had been cornered by knights and marauders alike, with Amethar levelling Payment Day at his throat, but then he had pulled something out, a frozen slushie artifact stolen during their raid on the Tomb of Cold when Saccharina had retrieved the Winterscoop. He'd crushed in his hand and disappeared before their very eyes and no one, not even Ruby (who Amethar was beginning to suspect had changed even more than he had previously thought, he had heard the whispers about her command of magic and, though she was generally discreet about it, he had seen her whispering to shadows and to a seemingly random assortment of people. He tried desperately not to think about how starkly that reminded him of his closest sister).
Amethar was sought of surprised that Saccharina hadn't spoken up yet. She had apparently heard some 'disturbing rumours' from the sailors that had had her scowling and she was not one for holding her tongue in the face of injustice (a good skill in a queen, and one that Caramalinda would need to hone so they didn't accidentally start any wars with Ceresia or Vegetania). However, Saccharina had been subdued over the past day. They had gone to visit Catherine's grave before they had visited the capital, just the two of them with Theo and Gooey keeping watch from the shadows. Saccharina had only shed a few tears, but she had buried her face in his chest when he reached out to hug her.
Amethar, himself, had had close to a month to come to terms with his first love's death. And he had loved Catherine, no matter how immature and naïve that love had been. He couldn't say if he'd have continued to love Catherine. They had barely known each other, both wrapped up in passion and giddiness and the fact that either of them could die any day. But his memories of his time with her were happy, and he could confidently say that he was proud of the daughter that had come from their union, even if he did not know her nearly as much as he would like.
He could see what Ruby had been talking about. Saccharina would be a good ruler. She had sat through lessons with the girls on their way back, not grumbling, even though she was taking classes with girls six years her junior, and not complaining when she'd needed help from sad girls. Amethar was proud of all his daughters. Jet and Ruby had welcomed Saccharina readily and had assisted her where she needed help, both of them eagerly listening to her stories of battles and magic and hardship within the realm that they had been ignorant of. His girls would be good for Candia, in the same way that his sisters would have been good for it.
Now, it was his job to be a good role model for them and to make their job's easier when they eventually took them up. He had always thought that day would be so far away. That he could let his girls be naïve and joyful and innocent as long as they wanted. He had wanted so badly to just let them be children. But that wasn't their lot in life. And he could never know what the new day would bring. His daughters were the princesses of Candia and they needed to be prepared accordingly. Somehow, Amethar was the last one to learn that lesson.
He needed to do a lot of grovelling to Cara when he got home. They both knew they would never love each other, not in the way that they were both looking for, but he was tired of the painful gap between them, a chasm that he'd allowed to be filled with resentment and bitterness over the years.
Amethar looked around at the silent room, and back to the way that Tarthur was staring out the window, a distant look in his eyes as he observed the courtyard below where Jet was standing on a bench, giving some sort of impassioned speech to an awed Primsy and an amused Manta Ray.
Well, if he was going to be king, then he would need to start doing some of the hard things that he had always avoided.
"What happened to you, Tarth?" he asked, ignoring the way that Theo stiffened slightly, the closest approximation of disapproval that the gumby bear would allow himself to outwardly show towards Amethar.
Tarthur's eyes snapped to Amethar and he blinked a few times before he answered, "Life, my old friend. Life is what happened to me."
Amethar nodded. "I suppose if the fight doesn't get ya, life will eventually."
Tarthur chuckled, which turned into a light cough before he nodded. "Aye, Amethar. You're right."
Amethar smiled. "Bet that comes as a surprise, huh Tarth?"
Tarthur chuckled again, managing to get to the end of this one without mishap.
They both sobered quickly though.
"Something else is happening, isn't it?" Amethar asked, getting straight to the point. He had never been very good at having hard conversations, and it would be impossible for him to approach them with anything but bluntness. They were painful enough without him having to parse fancy words.
All three Dairy Islanders grimaced and then Tarthur glanced to his side and Lady Butter started to explain in her lilting tone, the situation of the Princess. When she got to the end of her story, Amethar looked to the prince, who's gaze was down turned, not meeting Amethar's wrinkled forehwead.
"Tarth," he said, feeling something in his chest twist. "You can't do this."
Tarthur sighed, his entire back hunching. "I have to Amethar. I have no choice. House Cheddar isn't exactly in a position to refuse the offer of such a wealthy and powerful house."
"You can't really expect your daughter to do this?" Amethar couldn't imagine any progeny of Tarthur's accepting such restricting chains.
"The princess will do her duty," Moriss said firmly, with a confidence that Amethar knew was faked. "She will do what is best for the kingdom."
"She'd abdicate before she agreed," Amethar countered. He'd seen the gleam in the girl's eye, the confidence she'd commanded as her ship had welcomed the Candian entourage and led them into port. People don't just give that up. Not unless there was truly no there was truly no other option.
Both Lady Butter and Moriss recoiled at his statement. The lady gasped as Moriss shook his head in denial.
"She would not abandon the Islands like that," Moriss said. "She loves her people."
"She's seventeen. You're asking her to throw her life away."
"It is for the good of the kingdom! It's the best course for our future."
"And she's just a child! She doesn't deserve this."
A deadly silence fell into the gap between Moriss and Amethar as they glared at each other. Amethar could feel the tension behind him and knew that Theo had his hand on the Battlepop.
"Maybe her abdicating is the best course of action," Tarthur murmured, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
"Your highness -" Lady Butter began only to be cut off by her prince.
"We cannot afford to get into a scuffle with House Swiss. We already have too many houses slipping from our control. We would have a virtual civil war on our hands if they rebelled," he explained and then looked up at Amethar, his eyes glassy. "But I love my daughter. I don't want to see her with someone like him. You know, Jane and I thought that she could use the old magics to summon a child when she was younger, regardless of who she married. But we all know that the Church wouldn’t stand for it in this day and age. The only way she could really be happy is if she abdicated. Primsy is still far too young for a courtship and, regardless, she will be less of a target than Annabelle and she already fancies herself half in love with some priest so she will be far less desirable."
"Not having a Cheddar on the throne would destabilise the Dairy Islands," Moriss said.
"If the Islands need to be held together by this sham of a union then it doesn't deserve to be held together!" Tarthur replied fiercely only to break off into a coughing fit that had him almost bending over.
Moriss was immediately at his side, helping his prince and supporting him.
Tarthur took a deep shuddering breath as he straightened. "I'm dying Moriss. I don't want the last thing I do to make my daughter miserable."
Both Amethar and Moriss looked away at that. Amethar found his throat too sticky with emotion to offer up any words of comfort.
A moment later, he was startled as someone cleared his throat loudly from right behind Amethar's shoulder. Amethar jumped, along with everyone else, and glanced to the side to find Lapin standing there, his arms folded within his purple foil robe.
"Forgive me, your highnesses," the chocolate bunny said, his eats twitching. "But, I may have a solution."
Amethar raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Chancellor?"
"The Princess Ruby was discussing an interest in strengthening Candia's inter-kingdom relations. Candia and the Dairy Islands have always had the strongest alliance of any of the other kingdoms in Candia, but a formal renewal of said alliance couldn't hurt."
"Your solution to my daughter being married off… is to marry my daughter off."
Lapin frowned and oh, Amethar liked that expression, the one he always got when he was frustrated with the girls but didn't want to show it. It usually occurred when they were being deliberately obtuse.
"Not a formal proposal, just a loose discussion, a negotiation if you will. There are no nobles of an appropriate age or status for the Princess to marry at this stage, but she will need to marry within in a decade of her taking the throne, regardless of whether she accepts the throne or not and there are several houses with children who will be eligible within the next ten years. A promise of a marriage alliance with Candia would certainly be grounds for dismissing any internal proposals. And it would give her enough time to find someone she could be happy with."
All three Dairy Islanders frowned.
"It could work," Sir Moriss mumbled.
"It definitely could," Tarthur agreed. "There has not been inter-kingdom marriage alliances of such a high level in decades. A promise such as this would be more than enough reason to refuse House Swiss."
Lady Butter frowned worriedly, "Lord Swiss will not be happy."
Tarthur waved his hand. "Lord Swiss will have no leg to stand on, Grace. Not legally."
"And a formal alliance would be an actionable reason to send Candian fighters to the Dairy Islands," Theo said. "To strengthen their skills in water battles, of course. It would be a nice inter-kingdom training effort."
Amethar laughed. "I like what you're thinking, Theo."
Tarthur looked at Amethar, his eyes widening. "You would do that?"
Amethar clapped him on the shoulder, gently so as not to harm him further. "Of course I would. To help Candia's closest ally and to help my friend. I watched you shit and piss. I'm not just going to leave you hanging out to dry."
----
Ruby had enjoyed her time on the seas, but she was glad to be home.
She allowed herself to join in on Jet's excited chattering as they walked up from Dulcington where they'd docked. They both chattered away at Saccharina, telling her of everything she could expect from the castle and her knew life and Saccharina listened amiably as if they hadn't already had this conversation at least five times before, a huge grin on her face.
Gooey, Swift and Jonbon were walking with them with the rest of the sailors and marauders helping the boats get settled before they would arrive at the castle to be redirected to their quarters. Their mother had already begun construction of their own dwellings, only a little ways away from Dulcington, growing the small town considerably.
The exhaustion had finally faded from Ruby's bones after weeks of feeling faint after the spell and though, she was unable to banish the constant edge she felt, always needing to do something to help, she was able to allow giddiness to overtake it for a time.
She smiled widely as the gates of the castle opened and her mother stepped out, followed by a contingent of her own guard, regal and beautiful and smiling warmly at all of them.
Behind her was a figure that Ruby had missed dearly in the past month.
"And may I introduce the new Ward of the King, Count Wilhelmina."
Liam stepped forward but his eyes were plastered on Ruby.
"You're really here."