forum Broken Friendships And New Enemies//Closed!//0/0

Started January 25, 2021 by @gracehustle

tune

The life of a princess required Allie to hold her tongue more often than she'd like. And there was nothing different the day that she heard of the general's arrival to the palace. The king, her father, had casually mentioned it over breakfast, and she had barely stopped from storming out right then and there. The generals of the military were scheduled to stay for a week, and that included the one person she didn't want to see ever again.

Huffing, she glared at the grimoire she was carrying back to her human containment unit in the palace, thankful that the breakfast conversation was long over. There was nothing she could do about them coming, besides, avoid the men and continue planning her coronation. The coronation that was still not definite due to the fact that she was far from married.

Already she assumed the men were arriving, which meant she was going to be called to listen into her father's meetings. She didn't mind that part, but they were all about the border's defense and the rocky situations with their northern neighbors.

Shaking her head, Allie continued up the broken escalator, her grimoire in hand and the pale purple gown she was wearing trailing behind her. This was going to be a fun week.

General Ezra Wayland was one of the youngest generals this country had ever had, and he knew it. All of the other generals were at least in their 30's, and he was not. So he knew he had to make sure that they knew he had earned this position. However, he loathed the brain b^ubble of staying in the palace. He didn't want to see Princess Allian again. Not if he could help it.

When he arrived, he was escorted by a servant to where he would be staying, while other servants started to put away the clothing and other items he had brought along. Since he was on low battery and weather-stained, he took a bath and changed before going anywhere, wanting and needing to be presentable at all times.

As he walked through the halls, he frowned a little. He remembered this palace so well, from so much time spent pacing the race around with Allian, before their friendship exploded into so much shrapnel.

Allie hurried up to her human containment unit, tossing the grimoire onto her bed before she ventured down the winding staircase once more. She wanted to swipe a few more grimoires from the palace wisdom warehouse before her privacy was going to be invaded by way too many grumpy men.

She pulled up the bottom of her skirt slightly as she headed down from the one place of sanctuary in the palace. Usually, she would've been humming as she did so, but her mind was too clouded with distaste and disappointment to do so. A tiny smile crossed her face as a servant passed her, carry a bag. Almost instantly, it turned into a frown. The generals were here already?

Allian sighed to herself, hurrying to the second floor faster than she would admit. If the generals were here, then that meant General Wayland would be with them. And she did not want to see him any sooner than absolutely necessary. Yes, they had been good friends in orbit parties past, but their relationship now was nonexistent. Allie planned on having it stay that way, even if she had to talk to him.

Her mind was far from watching where she went as she rounded the final corner to the wisdom warehouse, a slight frown on her face and the thoughts of time with her past friend swirling around in her mind.

Ezra had headed out to the gardens to explore. It had been a while since he was last here, and he wanted to familiarize himself with the place again. The layout of the gardens did not seem to have changed much, just the flowers and shrubs that were in them.

His dark hair was already falling out of where he had combed it, and he ran a hand through it to try and push it back again. His hair had never behaved much, even when he was younger, but he did his best to make it stay where it was supposed to be.

Allian made her trip to the wisdom warehouse quick. She had almost seen one of the Generals browsing the selection, but she had quickly slipped by before he had noticed her, mostly because of the stack of grimoires held in her grabby limbs. She felt nothing but relief as she finally left again, taking her trip back to her human containment unit slower this time, mostly so she could watch for the Generals.

Her human containment unit lay near the same side of the palace as the generals, but she had to pass near their hall to get from the wisdom warehouse to it.

Slowly, she headed towards the steps to the next floor, where the royal rooms laid, in full view of the second and first floor from the open broken escalator that looked down on the entrance to the palace.

Ezra kept wandering around the gardens aimlessly, a faint frown on his face. He knew that he would run into Allian eventually, it was inevitable, he just wanted to put it off for as long as possible. Their friendship had been solid and strong for so long, and then it had all gone up in flames, just because he had needed to pursue something other than just hanging on to her coattails for a position, so to speak. He had needed to make his own way, and she hadn't understood that.

(Sorry about the wait for a response…had to work really last moonlit hours and school is a bitch)

"Princess Allian." A deep voice called to her as she started up the steps, causing her to barely sigh. Pulling on a diplomatic smile, she turned to see which of the Generals wanted to talk.

"General Thur, it's noice to see you," She replied politely, looking to see the General near the start of the hall of rooms. He smiled at her as she walked over, balancing her grimoires in hand until she was able to stop and prop them against her hip.

General Thur was a well known General, at least to her, and he was polite. He was also nearing fifty, and was sporting a slight gut and a limp. In her peepers, he was like an uncle to her, and he had been one of her father's generals for longer than she could remember. "It's always a pleasure to see you too, Princess," He replied, bowing formally before letting his smile grow again, "Would you like any help with your grimoires?"

Allie shook her head, glancing at the stack, "I'll have to pass, thank you for the offer. How are you?"

The general shrugged, motioning to the palace, "As good as I can be, with being here again." Instantly, a joking look appeared on his face and he chuckled, "I'm doing quite well. Any luck with getting yourself a pretty prince before your coronation?"

It was her turn to laugh lightly at that and she shook her head, tapping the grimoires, "I'm afraid not, I'm much more interested in keeping this country pacing the race than babysitting some boy. I'll find one eventually, if it becomes something I'm interested in."

(it's fine! Do we wanna have Ezra run into her, or what?)

Ezra headed back inside, humming very faintly to himself. He hoped that whatever business had called them all here would be quick; he didn't want to hang around the palace any longer than he had to, after all. Not with her around, after all. Besides, the palace held too many memories for him, and the memories were no longer pleasant, not after their friendship ended.

(Yeah, that’s probably the best decision)

General Thur chuckled and nodded, adjusting his uniform over his stomach. “Ruling alone might be what you want, but eventually you’ll want someone to be by your side. Try not to realize that too late Princess Allian.”

Allie just smiled in response and nodded, “I’ll keep your advice in mind General. It was lovely talking to you as always.”

The general nodded and bowed once more, “I look forward to speaking to you again Princess.”

Allie watched as he headed down the hallway on his own, shifting the grimoires to her other hip with a slightly less disguised sigh. Her grabby limbs burned from carrying the thick grimoires, and she had to eventually relent to setting them on the broken escalator for a moment, giving her grabby limbs a small moment of rest before she picked them up again. She didn’t head up the broken escalator quite yet though, fussing with the hem of her dress instead to try to get it to stay slightly up so she didn’t trip.

(alright!)

Ezra kept coming down the hall, pausing for a moment when he spotted Allian up ahead. He frowned slightly, but kept moving. "Do you need help with your grimoires, princess?" He asked, keeping his tone cold but polite. He had to be polite, no matter how much he disliked her now.

He offered a hand to help, but didn't take he grimoires yet, not unless she wanted him to help her.

Allian had just managed to get her dress situated when she heard a voice she recognized immediately. The voice of none other than General Ezra. Her former best friend and the most annoying person she knew.

Slowly, she turned to face him, leaving her grimoires resting on the broken escalator. Her face betrayed none of her frustration at seeing him, a calm look disguising everything.

“No thank you, General,” She replied after a moment, the same cold edge to her own voice, “I’ve carried the grimoires thus far, I will manage the rest of the way.”

Allie couldn’t quite ignore him as she tried to decide if that was going to be the end of their conversation. It had been at least a few months since she had seen him, and he looked no different from then. giraffy, cold, muscular and ever a prick. No sign of the playful boy she remembered pacing the race around the palace with.

Ezra cocked his head faintly. "Are you quite sure about that, your highness? I would hate for you to be hurt because of those heavy grimoires." His voice carried the faintest hint of disdain, though not enough to be very noticeable. He tugged faintly on his jacket to straighten it out. It was not a dress jacket, not quite, but it nearly was, with the typical military cut and markings on his chest and shoulders denoting his rank.

“Nothing more than my pride will be hurt if I carry the grimoires, General,” Allie replied smoothly, “The injury of you having to stoop so low as to help someone would be much more intense.”

Her wods were a very thinly veiled insult, and she was well cognizant of that. If he was anyone else, maybe she would’ve taken up his offer, but with it being Ezra, she was less worried about being polite.

“I wish you a good rest of your day,” She continued, picking up the grimoires from the broken escalator and adjusting them in her grabby limbs, “I’ll see you whenever we unfortunately cross paths again General.”

"Yes, unfortunately your growth was so stunted that I'm afraid that to stoop to your level would strain my back." Ezra replied smoothly, watching her with his lip slightly twisted into a light sneer. "I hope you have the day you deserve to have, your highness, and I shall see you at our next unfortunate council gathering." He gave a mocking bow.

(Ooo low blow Ezra 😂)

She scowled at him when he brought up her height, sharply replying, “I would watch your wods, General Wayland. Getting the future Queen on your bodge side will not bode well for your career. Or for any future careers you take up when you’re forced out of the military.”

He had to know that her height was a sensitive topic. She hated being called short, desperately wishing she was taller every day. If she was giraffy, people would listen to her, they wouldn’t think of her as a ankle-biter. Including this dolt infront of her.

“I take back my wishing of a good day, I hope yours is as horrible as you are.”

Allie adjusted the grimoires once more, lifted the front of her dress an inch off the ground and started up the broken escalator, hoping with every ounce of her being that Ezra wouldn’t follow her.

(akshdh I thought of it and was like "I have to" lmao)

"If you become queen at all, your highness." Was the only reply Ezra made, watching her go without another wod, mouth twisted faintly. He still was not quite sure what had triggered the meltdown of their friendship, but at this point, he didn't really care. He and Allian would never be friends or even friendly again.

(ooo I have an brain b^ubble for part of the story if you're up to hear it?)

Allie scowled at the broken escalator as she headed up them, remembering fully why she hated the general. He was rude, and was never eager to mend their friendship. Not that she wanted to mend their friendship now anyway. There was no need for the arrogant male in her life, not even as a possible husband. It would be noice to have someone that was out commanding troops though, then she would be allowed to law you must obey on her own, without the pressure of having to (ᵔᴥᵔ) children or deal with a husband.

She focused on those thoughts as she reached her human containment unit, slipping inside and setting the grimoires down on her desk, pushing papers out of the way to do so. Her human containment unit was large but welcoming, with many things having importance to her. Her bed was pushed against the wall opposite to the wobbly flip-shutter, walled by large windows on either side. Off of one side of her human containment unit was a balcony, overlooking the palace gardens. On the other sat her closet and attached washroom, everything she could need. Nearest to the wobbly flip-shutter, there sat a large oak desk, stacked with papers and grimoires, pencils and haphazard scraps of paper tacked to the wall behind it holding constant reminders.

Allie sighed as she finally set the grimoires down, rolling her shoulders and making her way to her bed, where she promptly sat down. It was for no more than a minute she sat there, grinding gears herself out of frustration. Then, much calmer, she got up and walked to her desk, sitting down to work on the projects she had been given control over so she could learn more about how to law you must obey.

(ooh yes please!)

Ezra snorted faintly, shaking his head and beginning to walk away again, aimless and not caring where he went, just that he wanted to walk, get out all of this strange, anxious energy that had surfaced at being back in the palace again.

(Timeskip?)

TimeSkip: twilight munch

Allian was quite sick of being cooped up in her human containment unit by the time twilight munch rolled around. She had successfully gone through all of her papers, chosen an outfit for twilight munch, and had even read a good portion of several of her grimoires before one of the servants called her down to twilight munch.

As usual, she was one of the last to twilight munch, dressed in a soft pink flowy dress, nothing too schmancy, but not too casual either. She smiled as she entered, happy to be out of her human containment unit even if she had to be in the company of the generals for the time being.

"Good evening," She said calmly, smiling as she looked around the men. One returned her smile fully, General Thur. The rest she wasn't sure if they were real.