A story of royalty (closed, Me and Classic)

In the forests there was a regular slamming sound, it echoed slightly through the tree's.
*slam*
the sound was an axe, weilded by capable hands, rising first up, then down, cleaving pieces of wood on a stump.
*slam*
the axe was held by calloused hands, weilded by strong, and lithe arms.
*slam*
sweat dripped off the axeman, dripping from lankey red tinted hair, which shifted to revealed piercing blue eyes beneath.
*slam*
he had a steadily building stack of cut logs, sitting in a nearby basket, with every slam, more pieced were added to the pile.
*slam*
there was an unearthly calm about the oung man, his swings flawless, the ease of a man who has done something fro years, and is in tune with it.
with a pause, he stopped, settingt he axe on his shoulder.
"Whoo. always a good way to start the morning."
he looekd up, the sun hadn't yet reached its zenith.

The large windows of the library of the palace let immense amounts of sunlight into the room. A pair of dark green eyes gazed out over the landscape. A young lady stared, quite bored, at the landscape she knew so well.

With a sigh she stood up, the sunlight shifting on her hair, making it seem as though it were made of flames. Her pale blue dress trailed along the floor as she quickly went outside and took a deep breath.

"Good morning, rosa berberifolia." she said as she gently held up a red rose and sniffed it.

Shifting the wood onto his shoulder, the young man left the grove. he's skirt the town, sell some small game, and head into the northern woods, close to the royal castle. it was a beauiful area of the woods.
A he walkd alog, the basket on his shoulder, he heard a deep voice from besides him.
"So, hows the morning today, Ashter."
"Pretty good morning. suns up, the airs clean, the wind is soft. what about you Daniel, how you feeling my mate." Ashters voice was a soft brogue, considerate and calm, seeming to be part of the forests sounds itself.
"Tired. I want to sleep." the deep voice was tired, almost laconic.
"Stayed up trying to figure out the curse again?" Ashters voice was questioning, but still considerate.
"yeah. its a complex weave." the voice was bitter, annoyed at this 'curse' issue.
the Fae man appeared by Ashter's side, dressed in fine clothing, a hooded cloak pulled up, his fey wings were down, barely visable at the bottom of the cloak near his feet. he trailed a slight drift of red and black sparkels. the feys pale and angular face had deep bags from lack of sleep under its eyes.

The young lady made her way around the garden, nodding to the gardeners whom she knew quite well.

"Good morning, M'Lady Victoria." The girl, Victoria, curtly nodded her head in greeting. She was busy reciting the names of flowers in her head.

Daisy... bellis simplex. And the carnations are... dianthus caryophyllus. She had reached the wall of the castle. She ran a manicured hand along the wall lightly, making her way back to the castle, softly singing an Irish lullaby her mother taught her.

As he neared the Village, Daniel muttered something, becoming transparent to Ashter, and invisble and intangible to everyone else.
"please be be quick, I hate how this spell feels?"
"aye mate, I'll be swift."
Ashter entered the viallge silently, but before he got 20 feet, was mobbed by a dozen small children. each of them demandong a story, or a toy, or just calling his name
"ash~""-story from-" "fix-my" "Ah, did you~"
he raised his arm, and make a quick slashing motion, closing his eyes.
They quieted. looking intently. and he squinted at them, slowly opening his eyes
"I," the leaned in" have a toy for someone." they stared even more expectantly, eyes going wide as he pulled out a carved wooden knight from a pocket.
they almsot started up, but he shh'd them and they stared wonderously.
"In fact, I have many toys. but who got them last?"
he pulled out a dozen more wooden soldiers
3 of the kids raised his ahnds.
"okay, you three get some rock candy, and the rest get toys, then head off to play."
they all nodded solemnly. and he kept walking, selling a few small animals for the people around the town. some of the children sneaking behind him.
Finally he reached the ege of ton, the basket being taken by a friend of his.
he turned, and made a wave goodbye, sending the kids into the village to play as he headed down a back dirt path towards the castle.

Victoria made it to the castle again after a long while of walking.

"What is this?" She found a small piece of parchment perched on top of the book she had been reading, which was open and facing page side down. She gracefully placed herself in a faded yet plush arm chair. She popped open the seal and scanned the page.


She frowned, and the frown got deeper as she read. She was outraged that her parents would do this without telling her.

"I cannot believe this! I do not need to be set up with some stranger! I am independent and capable of ruling by myself!" she crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the fire in the hearth that kept the room at a comfortable temperature.

As he was walking, on the other side of the castle wall, where the under growth was cut back more as he walked to a small glade, Daniel got a curious look on his face. he reached out and pulled a piece of paper, lightly charred from the air, reading it.
"Huh. thats weird."Daniels brow crinkled, and he got a mischevous light in his eye
"aye, and what would 'that' be, perhaps?" Ash asked cautiously. Daniel got some pretty ambitious thoughts, and it was best to cut him off quick.
"An invitation, to the princess's summer solstice ball."His grinn grew wide and he gave a meaningful look towards Ash.
"aye? and what do that mean for me?" Ash though he knew, but jsut to be sure....
"it means, A night of raccous adventure and freewill!"
"and Ye want me to go." Already, Ash was resigned. this was not something daniel would let go fo easy.
"Aye."
"I'm saying it now. I don't dance."

Victoria knew very well that she couldn't go and bother her parents. She never could anymore. She went upstairs to her bedroom and grabbed a cloak. It was a simple cloak that hid her and made her look like an average villager.

She quietly made her way outside, to the wall she had been at earlier, and moved a wall of vines away from an old door. She found this a long time ago, about a month before she had gotten sick. The day she spent in the woods and surrounding area was the most fun she had ever had.

Victoria tugged on the door. "Come on... Open..." It took her several tries before being able to unstick the door. She pulled the hood over her head and went out the door, taking a deep breath of the fresh forest air.

Ashter wasn't paying attention, since talking to daniel about the logistics of how to learn how to dance. forgetting that he was invisable to the test of the world, and that he looked somewhat crazy.
the door finally opening caught his attention, his voice trailing off as he casually turned towards the wall, seeing the redhaired girl open the door. he paused.
"hello."

Victoria froze and looked at the man who had spoken to her. It was obvious that he didn't recognize her yet, which was probably a good thing. She straightened herself and nodded at him.

"Hello. Did ye just see what I just did here?" She gestured to the door. This was not good. She knew that if he did in fact see the door, then she would be forced to have stone and mortar placed in front of it on both sides. Then she would lose her freedom.

She tucked some of her strawberry blonde bangs behind her ear, waiting to see what he'd say.

picking up on the tone in the girls voice, Ashter responded in his soft brougue. he knew that freedom was hard to find, and wished to not deprive another of it.
"well, I don't know what I saw Lass, after all, I was looking the other way, weren't I."
he nodded towards the forest.
"besides, I'm just walking by. who knows If I was here or not?"
he gave a sly grin his dark reddish hair shifting as he looked at her, revealing his sharp blue eyes.

Victoria let out a relieved sigh. He seemed to catch on that she didn't want anyone to know of this door. Not a single soul.

When she caught a glimpse of his eyes, she was a bit mesmerized. The curious part of her made her stepped closer.

"Your eyes are quite bright! Is that entirely hereditary? I haven't ever seen eyes as bright as yours." She blinked her eyes then stepped back. "I apologize for that. I am just very curious, is all." Victoria bowed slightly.

"I thank ye for keeping my secret." She had the slightest of accents, but it was noticeable from time time.

At the embarresed girls comments, Ash grinned a bit.
"tis Fine, and Aye, me Eyes be a family trait. Don't worry, None will be getting any secrets from me."
he stepped back, turning slightly his eyes flowing over the depths of the forests around him.
"besides, the forest calls A wanderer from me. I plan to enjoy the Day while I can." he winked, the hair shifting inhis let eye, revealing his right more.
he glanced back, hesitent about leaving the girl here just yet, but remembering that Daniel hated waiting...

Victoria stepped to Ashter's side, facing the opposite direction he was. She looked up at him and gave him a quick nod.

"I appreciate your vow to silence, a dhuine uasail" She chuckled a little to herself. She slipped into an old version of the language. "I mean sir."

With that short good bye to the boy she thought she'd never meet again, she headed in the direction she faced.

He seemed... Nice. I hope I can trust him to his word. I haven't seen him at any gatherings before either... Oh well. I won't have to see him again. That's kind of a shame though, he was quite handsome.

Ashter nodded and walked off, seeming to vanish as he entered the forest. once out of sight, Daniel released his spell, sighing in relief, his hood falling back to reveal indigo eyes and silver hair.
"I hate that spell" Daniel grimbled, shivering.
"so you've told me... A lot." Aster comment back, eyes focused as he edges past a clump of devils club, massive spiked plants that swayed menacing in the wind.

The princess spent hours wandering around the forest and nearby town. She let a bunch of little girls put her hair into a long, thick braid. One plus to have never meeting anyone but royals, like other kings and queens and princes and princesses and dukes and dutchesses was that common folk had no idea what she looked like. But, for safety's sake she still wore the hood most of her time out.

She secretly reentered the castle gardens around dinner time and rushed back to the dinning hall and taking her seat across from her mother's seat and next to her father's seat.

"Am I dinning alone again tonight?" she asked the nearby servant. They nodded and Victoria sighed. "Another dinner with myself. At least I am pleasant company."

it was late, stars shining in the sky above him.
Ashter laid on the edge of a small pond, his feet in the sand, a small campfire next to him.
he didn't want to go home today, it would simply cause another fight with the steps.
Daniel was passed out on the other side of the fire.
as he sat there, he closed his eyes, the strange firery sensation passing over him, causing his hair to stand up
"midnight cmes, midnight goes~"

Victoria lay in her bed, golden strawberry hair splayed out on her plethora of pillows. She hadn't been able to sleep, and she wasn't sure why.

"Well, it's not eating alone. That's normal. Perhaps it was that boy. With the striking eyes. What did he look like again?" She thought for the longest time, still trying to conjure up a face when she feel into a deep slumber.

Victoria dreamed that night. She was in a field, in a summer colored dress and the sun sprinkling itself on her like a rain shower. There was a silhouette that made her feel at ease, like she mattered to him. It was a him. She was woken up right before she could see a face. She sat up and slammed her fist onto the bed with a light thump.

"Darn it. So close." She put her chin in her hand and pouted.

Ashter woke in a cold sweat, His body somewhat stiff from the hard ground. for some reason his mind drifted to the cute girl in the hood, who ahd been in his dream.
"what the hell, I didn't even see her face that well...."
"Wwhhaaa~??"Daniel was looking up still half asleep
"Daniel, Either wake up, or pass out."Ashter said, restarting the fire.
"option 2 please" Daniel promptly passed out, beginning to snore softly.
Sighing, Ash rose, stretching, he looked across the pond through the canopy, he could barely make out the tower of the church.
"theres going to be hell to pay when I get home."
Ashters voice was resigned.

Throughout that day Victoria was in a daze. She couldn't leave due to lessons that ate away her whole day. But all she could think about was the dream. On her papers she sketched flowers and silhouettes and bright blue eyes. On her lunch break she went out to the door and poked her head out. She didn't catch a sign of the person who belonged to the gorgeous blue eyes she kept thinking about.

pushing thoughts of girl in cloaks away, Ash headed home, Daniel finally awake and walking at his side.
he reached the old church, where his 'family' lives.
he stepped in and moving quickly was almost halfway up the stairs when there was a shout.
"BOOYYYYY!!!!! GET YOUR SORRY ARSE IN HERE."
Sighing, ashter spun and dropped back down the stairs
Tensinga nd preparing for the storm he just stepped into.
"WHERE WERE YOU YOU GOOD FORNOTHING! THERE WERE CHORES TO BE DONE!"
and you couldn't do them? I'm not your fucking SERVANT asswipe.
but he knew better then to speak his thoughts.
"sorry sir, I was late in the forest"
"LOST IN THE FOREST, ARE YE FUCKING KIDDIN ME?"
Gritting his teeth and clenching his hands, Ashter refraind from arguing.
"no, sir. I was lost."
"Go, Clean and do ye chores."
Ashter stiffle walked out of the room and turned the corner only to be tripped to the ground. he looekd up, seeing the 2 large figures above him.
"hello step-brother"
"fuck."

When it was time for tea, Victoria went outside, prepared to take her tea alone, as normal. When she walked out, she saw two figures sitting at her table, waiting for her. She was feeling confused and anxious, nervous and excited. She sat down and faced her parents.

"Hello my beautiful darling baby girl~" her mother said in a quiet voice, placing her hand on top of her daughter's.

"Victoria, sweetheart, we are here to apologize about not being able to speak with you recently." Her father's voice sounded apologetic. She sat with her chin delicately cupped in her hands.

"What is it that you wish to say?" Victoria had to use her best etiquette around her parents.

"We apologize for not taking more time to see you darling. But, we decided to hold a ball for you! So that you could meet a nice young prince of sorts and-" Despite her best etiquette lessons, she could not hold back her anger, and interrupted her mother.

"I don't want one, don't ye understand that?! Mum, Da, please don't make this happen! I know ye are going to force me to marry someone I don't love!" She had stood up with her hands flat on the table.

"Young lady do not raise your voice-" her father started.

"I CAN IF I WANT! I AM TELLIN YE THIS NOW, I WILL NOT EVER MARRY SOMEONE YE SET ME UP WITH! I WILL RUN AWAY IF I MUST TO ESCAPE THE HORROR OF MARRYING WITHOUT LOVE!" She ran inside the castle, to her room and slammed the door shut. She placed a beam down to lock the door and slumped against it, hugging her knees, tears stinging her eyes. "Don't cry Victoria... Crying never solved a thing..." Despite that, she let herself sob silently into her knees. She was an emotional wreck.

Ashter woke up on his bed, propped up as Daniel paced and swore around the bed.
"I should kill them. bury them deep and salt the grave. I should light them on fire, and hang them from the steeple. I Want to destroy them, curse them so they can never sit down without burning!"
"dan... Daniel..."
daniel flipped around, heading to ashters side. the anger dissolving into worry and concern.
"Your alive. thank god." the anger was still in daniel, his hair, normally smooth and relaxed was spikey, his indigo eyes glowing and swirling.
"What.... What Happened?"
Ashter felt pain, deep and throbbing from his chest and limbs
"your dipshit brothers happened. they beat the shit out of you. i though they had almost killed you. either out of apathy or simple stupidity."
"how.. How bad..."
daniel hesitated, hissing a bit before admiting.
"bad, like really bad. I can heal you but it will hurt. remember? all the pain you'd normally feel will be compressed onto minutes."
"Do it."
Biting down on a strip of tough leather, Ash tensed then the pain hit him as daniel spoke arcane words.
"MGGHEAHFALFAGGFLFA" the sound was muffled bu the leather.
"theres one leg. now for the next."
Sweating and tense, Ash nodded.
tensing as the pain came again.

Victoria sat in her arm chair, scowling. It was the day of the ball. The maid forced her up out of the chair and started tying her corset. With every tightening, Victoria had the wind knocked out of her. Then the maids forced Victoria into a small hoop skirt and then began the true horror, in her opinion.

In the end, she had on a deep red dress, gems adorning the skirt's bottom hem, her usual band around her hips, and her hair up in a beautiful curly mess, her bangs gently sweeping over her right eye. Her crown was positioned to where it framed her hair.

"At least I convinced them to make it a masquerade ball." she placed the mask over her eyes, it was perfectly conformed to her face, and had been painted simple yet elegantly to look like the rolling hills of the country. She was as prepared as she was ever going to be.

Daniel and Ash were in the forest near the castle, about 200 feet from the road in a concealed clearing. there were remains of a campfire where they had camped before
"so, whats ye plan, how are ye to teach me etiquette and dancing in the 4 hours we have."
"magic."
"figured enough. whats the spell."
"a modified 'princesses dream' spell, it will cloak you in a fine suit, give you a steed, and a imbue you with the etiquette you'll need."
"hold, a princesses's spell? tell me I'm not going in a dress."
"No, I modified it, and have been checking my work."
"no offense, but I'm not sure..."
"it'll work."
"fine. what do I need."
"i needed your tears shed in sorrow or pain, and your blood must be spilled with violence. the blood was taken care of by your 'brothers'" the tears from the pain afterwards."
"aye, they were good for something I suppose."
"One thing, this is designed to cheat fate, to give someone the chance to improve their station and to change their life. but it takes strange forms. Be prepared."
"kay, that it."
nodding daniel pulled slim oak brance, carved minutely with strange weaves, from his pocket.
"Domunis, Vashet Tor Jashed, weil forn De Frenge"
A seep light flashed, and caused Ash to close his eyes, when he open him, his clothes were strange.
he wore long close cut pants of fine black leather and wool, practical yet still quite ornate and beautiful, a slim and unadorned red sword belt, with a gilded blade mounted on it.
he wore a red long sleeved tunic of fine silk, also close fitting, revealing his lean and sturdy build. over that was a leather vest, dyed a very dark red, and laced tightly and firm. his hair fell perfectly parted around his face, his shining blue eyes visible clearly. along with assorted rings and and small pieces of jewelry (including a silver stud in his left ear, When the fuck did that happen?) he and a small carved black and red wooden mask, that could cover his face from the mouth up, and which was firmly hung on his belt. around his wrist were 2 crystal and obsidian bracers, which glowed faintly in the forests dim light.
"uhh... damn. this is cool."
"yep. didn't even have to sing or make a production. also there's a horse for you."
Nearby there was a black stallion, with golden brown marking on its flanks, with a full harness, gilded in gold and silver
"daniel. ye are a god."
"forget it. go, enjoy yourself."
daniel waved Ash off.
leaving, ash led the horse through the forest by the harness, naturally understanding how.