The savagery of the winter storm had shocked the Duke of Hearts, unaccustomed to seeing their little forest grove so blanketed with white. He peered out even now at the flurries drifting down, his hide shivering slightly as he shook his head. “We’ll need to find some sort of shelter before long,” The words were accompanied with a plume of steam, and he shifted his stance to stomp one cold leg against the ground. “I don’t think we’ll last long if the temperature continues to drop.” His words were met with silence, and he cast a glance over his shoulder. His mother was motionless, a faraway look in her eyes as she watched the falling snow.
“It would snow like this, back home.” The Queen finally spoke, the words soft and subdued. “The winter preparations would have been made long ago, and everyone would retreat to the shelter of their warm homes. Fortune favored us, for the fields were always bountiful and no one was forced to go hungry during the cold months.”
The Duke listened quietly, having made his way towards his mother’s side to listen. She spoke of her kingdom sometimes–the kingdom she had been forced to abandon less her head be claimed by the usurper. From a queen in truth to one only in name, she had handled her fall from grace with quiet dignity and nary a word of complaint. Still, Duke was not blind to his mother’s longing. She had never truly settled here in the Kawani lands, spurred on by the loss of her home.
One day, she intended to take it back. But to do so, she would need strong warriors, clever minds and information… all of which she had little to barter with, in terms of payment. The Queen now fixed her eyes upon the son she loved so dearly, accepting the gentle nudge of his nose against hers. Her daughter had followed in the footsteps of her father, though she often thought of Talisa with love. “Let us go.”
The mother and son walked through the blizzard, cold and tired. They lipped unenthusiastically at the barren shrubbery when they could, huddling together for warmth when they were too exhausted to continue on. The howling wind whipped at them, and the cold stung at their ears and eyes. If they didn’t find a place to weather the storm out soon… Duke allowed the grim thought to die off and tried to concentrate on putting one hoof in front of the other.
“There,” The Queen suddenly called, her voice nearly lost in the gales. Something was glowing in the distance, and as they drew closer, Duke realized it was the mouth of a cave. Some sort of light was coming from within, whispering promises of heat and safety. Eagerness sent a fresh jolt of energy through him, and he forgot his exhaustion as he surged through the mounting snow flurries. With luck, its occupants wouldn’t mind letting a pair of shelters take safety from the storm. He could hear his mother say something behind him, no doubt a warning, but the stallion did not slow his pace. If something less than friendly dwelled within, he wanted to be the one directly in the line of danger. He didn’t think they would be able to last much longer anyway.
He stood in the entrance for a moment, blinking rapidly and squinting at the… flames, yes. There were flames crackling, and Duke was so taken aback that all he could do was stare for a moment. The cave was surprisingly well lived in, even decorated with trinkets, feathers, and the like. Something large suddenly shifted near the back, and even from this distance, the stallion could see the enormous talons on the creature’s feet.
“You look nearly frozen to death,” The voice that floated from the back was more refined than Duke would have expected, though he still carefully held his ground. “Please, do not be afraid. No one should have to weather such a storm…” The stranger stepped closer, revealing a maw full of sharp teeth… but, perhaps more importantly, an elegance to his movements. He was large with a long, almost serpentine tail, but his mane was done up with care. If he was a predator, he certainly was no mindless brute, and that made him all the more wary.
Duke couldn’t help a shiver, ice cracking across his hide as a result. “Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly,” He replied dryly, and the reptilian-like stallion bowed his head briefly. “I assure you, I mean you no harm–”
“Kurisu?”
The stranger froze, and Duke twisted sharply around to find his mother staring, her dark eyes wide with shock. She was trembling from head to tail from the cold, her movements stiff as she carefully moved past her surprised son. “Kurisu?” She said again, this time her voice almost a whisper.
“Your Majesty!” The soquili sank onto one leg in an unmistakable bow, tears beginning to shimmer in his eyes. “We thought you dead after all these years…”
Utterly perplexed, Duke stared as the Queen pressed her muzzle against the stranger’s mane. “How did you escape? I thought they attacked the scholars first…” She asked, a rare note of mingled joy and sorrow causing her voice to tremble.
Kurisu pushed himself up slowly, his expression grim. “They did, your Majesty. I had the luck to be running an errand earlier that morning. By the time the attack started, I was well outside the central plains…” He trailed off for a moment, his ears flattening with dismay. “I should have done more.” The words seemed to rush out of him, accompanied by guilt he’d clearly been carrying for some time. “I could have fought. I could have–”
“Kurisu,” The Queen’s tone cracked through the cave, rendering the other silent. “Had you stayed, you undoubtedly would have been slain or worse. You have no idea how grateful I am to see you alive and well after all this time…”
The scholar seemed to grow a bit teary-eyed, smiling tremulously. “As am I, your Majesty. Words cannot describe my joy… but please, come warm yourself by my fires. This storm is utterly dreadful.” He did pause, casting a curious gaze back towards the still-silent Duke…
For the first time in ages, the Queen smiled. “Kurisu, allow me to introduce you to the Duke of Hearts. My son.” Pride and love warmed her words, and she fondly regarded her child.
His head still spinning from what he’d heard, Duke did manage a gruff little nod towards the stallion. Such an action was not unnoticed, and his mother clicked her tongue. “The manners of the court still elude him. He fancies himself a warrior.” She said with fond exasperation, gratefully stepping closer so she could huddle closer to the warmth of the flames.
For his part, Kurisu looked shocked. A son! But he knew better than to say anything. Spirits only knew what his poor queen had been forced to endure away from her homeland. “A warrior, He repeatedly thoughtfully, managing to conjure a smile. “I do not doubt it. I think he was ready to have me by the throat if I’d posed even the slightest bit of a threat.”
Embarrassed and annoyed by being talked about like he wasn’t there, Duke snorted. “And he still might, if you keep it up.” He grumbled. It was mostly a harmless threat…. Mostly.
Though he required meat, Kurisu had his stores well supplied in case of visitors. He gathered news from travelers, he explained, providing them with food and shelter in exchange for news of the world. Naturally, he had been listening for any signs of survivors from the doomed kingdom, but had grown more and more disheartened at the lack of intel. He had always hoped the queen had survived, but the odds were hardly favorable. Now that he had found her, though–well, i meant that everything could change. There would be time for talking later though. He urged the queen and her son to rest, promising to guard them with his life. He may have not been a warrior himself, but his appearance was frightening enough to some! Perhaps unsurprisingly, Duke flatly refused to trust so easily, and not even his mother could dissuade him. She would sleep first, he insisted. He would rest afterwards.
It was an auspicious beginning, perhaps, but it was a beginning. Kurisu had been a renowned scholar in the kingdom, and the Queen could make use of his quick and clever mind. Even as she wearily settled herself down to sleep, she could feel the first embers of hope beginning to reignite within her heart. It would undoubtedly be a long and grueling battle–almost impossible to succeed, should she even find the forces to muster… but that grim task now seemed a little brighter. The Queen allowed herself a small smile as she drifted to sleep, dreaming of the fields she’d once called home.
WC: 1509