forum Two Princes at War // OxO // Closed

Started April 04, 2020 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

( It's admirable how fast you write! I take a long time just to collect my thoughts and try to formulate a reply that "sort of makes sense" much less watch for grammar+punctuation mistakes T_T I'm pretty sure you could finish a reply before I finish mulling over one flsdajfskl)
( Should they be told separately -as in when they get out of their tent and their fathers inform them of the details- so they approach each other believing that they're the one that's being weird, but really they were both told the same thing? lol )
( Another random thing I realized,,, Eirlys is acting like a tsundere schoolgirl that's sensitive to everything "senpai" facepalm x102032910 I guess he has become this because of my writing, so better embrace it lmaO)
~
".. Don't be unprofessional." Eirlys scowled in distaste, having been successfully reminded of his hatred for all things Kevran. He was sure not all of them were this infuriating, but at the moment it was all he could think of. The Kevran prince seemed to be staring at him intently, making Eirlys lean back in an attempt to put more distance between them. He cringed when his back hit the chair, realizing this was the best he could do for now. If they weren't in such an.. Inconvenient place, he would've attempted to cover his face.

A small part of him latched on to the way Nikolas said his name, though that was swatted away the instant he spotted the look Nikolas gave him- Perhaps it wasn't for him, but it definitely had something to do with his people. Eirlys didn't like others looking down on his people. However, it wasn't only reason. Even though it was but for a brief moment, he saw a familiar face that he hadn't expected, at least during this meeting. Or even, from the prince in general. It surprised him. Eirlys kept a straight face, though his hands inched closer to his sword in case things got out of hand.

It was no secret that war did things to people, even if Eirlys had never personally been affected because of his.. affliction. But he had seen it work its magic on his people, as well as the Kevrans. Often in the midst of combat, he'd spot one or two of them, the pain and anger from influences in the past taking over their logical reasoning. They were also the ones that he killed the quickest. If they utilized the adrenaline rush correctly and strategically used their strengthened abilities, they may have survived longer. But Eirlys barely met those kinds of people. Nevertheless, they ultimately died by his hands. Nikolas..

What have you been through? Something that makes you like this?

He blinked, surprised he had been thinking about the prince. Eirlys looked back at the prince, examining his face for answers to his questions. The Kevran prince had ruffled his hair a few seconds before, and Eirlys felt an inexplicable urge to tuck it behind his ear like he did whenever his own hair fell. Strange. He thought, wondering why he was acting so weird today. It must have been because he hadn't properly eaten his breakfast this morning. He never felt right if he didn't eat enough. Yes, that must be it.

(thanks! Ahaha i don't usually think about it as much as I just…write i guess??? idk lol)
(wait…about what? Sorry I get confused sometimes :l )
(lmao)

"You still have not answered my question." Nik replied, folding his hands together and smirking over at Eirlys. "So I suppose I must assume that the answer is yes, you were daydreaming about me." he glanced over at their fathers, who were standing and preparing to leave, their voices low as they continued speaking of the treaty.

Peace…how can we have peace? How can we have peace with a country like this one? Nik wondered as he pushed himself upright, picking up his cane and leaning on it a bit. His left leg was giving him trouble again, and he needed the cane today more than he usually did. The scarring on his left leg gave a twinge, and he winced just a little bit, shifting more of his weight to his right leg.

His father glanced over at them for a moment, before returning his attention to the Tesh king, his copy of the treaty held in his hands. Nik knew his father would talk to him about the treaty once they left, so he didn't bother to ask questions now. Asking questions would only lead to issues right now.

( I meant when they go and break the news that they have to be friendly to each other- And it's alright! I know I get cryptic at times because I'm not the best at describing things xC )
( Tbh this entire scene reminds me of kids whispering to each other during class.. While the teachers are talking fsjlafklds Or maybe even just throwing hate notes at each other in the form of paper airplanes lmao )
~
"I- That's not it!" Eirlys stammered, wholly out of his comfort zone. What was this? Did Nikolas enjoy messing with him? He grit his teeth, trying to come up with some smart insult to fire back. The only reason he'd messed with his name was because he didn't want to get it wrong and start off on the wrong foot- after all, they were similar in quite a few ways- but now that was completely out of the question. Nikolas Aster Crowe. Eirlys crossed his arms, letting out a sigh. Admittedly, his name was quite pretty. Undeniably unfit for the person it was meant for.

"Ugh.. I can't believe someone with so much hauteur is the prince of Kevra." He stood up and pushed the chair back into place, ready to head back out and join his father. On the way, he noticed a Nikolas walking with a slight.. Limp? Eirlys did a double take, slight frown warped his regal features. The cane wasn't just decoration. His fingers twitched nervously when Nikolas winced, holding back violet sparks.

I wonder if that's treatable..

Eirlys let out a heavy breath. Not like I'm able to help others with this… Is selfish magic a thing? Boots clicking on the hard ground met the gritty soil outside, quieting down significantly. Back in the tent, the layered material used to set it up had kept the insides warm. The sudden transition made Eirlys shiver. Pulling on the sleeves of his clothing, he nodded to Kaerri, who handed him the papers.

"Review them and meet me at noon the next day. We'll discuss it then." He paused, smirking. Eirlys waited patiently, knowing he'd pulled some strings back in that room.

"Listen here, El. Get close to that Crowe kid, he'll be useful soon. And at any case, it'll be a good image. Y'know, play buddy-buddy, at least for now. Yeah?" Kaerri smiled. Eirlys felt a chill down his spine, but ignored it. When it came to his father, it was best to stay amenable. He nodded once more, even though he felt the disgust build up in unspoken words. Get close to.. Nikolas? How was he going to pull this off? Eirlys had no one close to him- for obvious reasons- so he had no idea what kind of person he was like. Other than, well, that disturbing incident in the tent. If Nikolas acts this way normally, hash it all. Even a nine feet pole wouldn't be a long enough distance.

(oooh yeahh lmao sorry! Yeah that's fine)
(sjhfgjhk same??)

Nik snickered softly at Eirlys' stammering denial, and followed his father out. He was limping as he walked, leaning on that crow-headed cane, his left leg staying on the ground for as little time as possible. Maybe he could soak it later? In a hot tub of water? That usually helped with the pain. Of course, if necessary he could take some medicine or rub salve into the scar, but it didn't matter right now. Obviously he couldn't do any of that at the moment.

His father handed him the treaty. "Nikolas. You need to be on good terms with the Tesh prince. We want this treaty to work, remember?" his father's voice was careful. "We want this bloodshed to end."

Nik clenched his jaw, and had to stop himself from crumpling the treaty in his fist. "Why?" he hissed. "Why do we have to make a treaty with these…these monsters?" Sure, the prince is prettier than some women I've met, but that doesn't change the fact that they're all monsters. "You know what they did to Lizbet! How many problems Aron has now because of them! And you're saying that we have to make peace with them??" he demanded, glaring at his father through narrowed golden eyes.

His father sighed quietly. "I know." he said gently, reaching out to put a hand on Nik's shoulder. "I know that you're still hurting, I know that…that what they did to Lizbet was something that cannot be forgiven. But we have to put that behind us. Both of our countries are weakening. We need this."

"To hell with needing it!" Nik lashed out. "We could push them all the way back to their fucking capital! Kill them as we go, no prisoners taken and no quarter given. Then we wouldn't need to waste men on guards." his eyes gleamed even as he knew that this plan was a cruel one. "We could beat them, father, I know we could. One big push, arrow shaped, drive all the way to their capital and put their leader's heads on stakes on the city walls." his voice turned a little bloodthirsty, even as his heart gave a soft pang at the idea of Eirlys' pretty head on a pike.

His father narrowed his eyes. "Nikolas." his voice was firm. "I know you think we could, but the cost in bodies would be too high. It's too high, Nik. Maybe we could do it, but our fighting force would be destroyed. I know you would rather see them destroyed, but this treaty will save lives on both sides."

( Whoops, ended up eating in between but tbh I'm slow either way haha)
( Eirlys is so innocent when it comes to romance oml, he has no idea what's happening to him- I want to make him explore this feeling bygettingbulliedbyNikolas jkjjk )
( Hm.. I've been thinking of ways we can start the whole soulmate thing, so here it is,, Please tell me if you have any ideas too!- What if they don't touch once during the spar because they're both wearing clothes, and gloves so their hands don't get (idk.. splinters?? I swear it sounded better when I was reading that hot mans fighting in webtoon xD ) Anyway, I'm off track for the hundredth time, once they finish they determine that both reallly do deserve their titles because of how skilled they are, and decide to put aside their differences for just a few seconds and really.. See each other in a better light without the "You're from Kevra and I'm from Tesh" in between them. So they shake hands as a kind of "Hey let's change our first impression of each other and start over".. At this point, both have probably been sweating because of the fight and take off their gloves.. You know what happens next x33 )
( If you think we should wait a bit more, we can just take away the whole "see each other in a different light" and avoid the whole situation, sticking with "Yeah I guess you're kinda good but I still hate you don't come near me" lol :D )
~
After some contemplation and monumental self decipline, Eirlys decided not to use the treaty as makeshift fire starter. Instead, he set it aside on his bedside table and blew out the candles that he'd lit when examining the papyrus ((Only wrote that because I thought it'd sound better than paper, but if it doesn't fit the setting just pretend I said paper xP )) before lying quietly on the bed, hands folded together on his stomach. He stared up at the ceiling of the tent, thinking about his encounter with the Kevran prince. For some reason that Eirlys never quite pinpointed, he felt.. Strange when thinking about him. His face would heat up and explode into a million shades of red, his palms would get sweaty, and he'd feel hiding away so no one could see him in that state. Does.. Is this magic? Does he have powers, like me? The corner of his lips pulled down in thought. Although most magics were frowned upon, that didn't mean people didn't have them. And Eirlys had heard about many situations like this, where nobles or their children were found to have powers when they claimed not to.

If this was the case.. Eirlys bit at his bottom lip. Ugh, that.. That savage, I won't let him get away with this! His hands clenched into fists. How dare he use his magic during a peaceful meeting? Is he trying to sabotage the treaty?

But.. What exactly is this magic? Eirlys thought back to the record book he read when he was younger. It was a written record of all the powers that have been seen since people found out about their existence, yet he couldn't find a match. Much like him, it must be a heavily guarded secret. After all, a prince preparing to become king with illegal magic? They'd be shunned into a shadow of themselves before they knew what was happening. He nodded to himself, the beginnings of a plan formulating in his head. Eirlys would figure out what powers Nikolas had. This would give him an insane upper hand, and pair that with his own magic.. But whatever Nikolas did to him during the meeting stopped him from feeling ebullient at the image of locking Nikolas into the castle's prison cells. Eirlys yawned, tired from staying up this late.

I'll figure this out.. tomor… And with that, Eirlys fell asleep thinking about Nikolas Aster Crowe.

~ ((Time skip! ;3 ))

Talfryn woke up just before the first hint of sunlight peeked out from behind the border of forest that surrounded the camp (I made this up, if you want you can change it). He breathed in the morning air and sank into a brief period of nostalgia before snapping back into reality and climbing off his bed. The best time to train for Eirlys was in the morning. The air was crisp and cool, and he felt the best during this time. Perhaps I'll make it back in time to eat breakfast with my comrades. Eirlys quickly changed into his training outfit (I'm lazy so let's say it's pretty much the same thing as what he wore during the meeting, but with different material and no puffy sleeves, just skintight black clothing lol), pulling on his black gloves and exchanging his real sword for the wooden one hanging on a notch beside the door.

As expected, the training ground was empty this early in day. Good. This was optimal time for him to practice the techniques he'd created, unique to himself. Especially since the training ground for Kevra and Tesh had been combined for the sake of "peace to our kingdoms". Eirlys shook the thought away, not wanting to be in a bad mood this early in the morning. Deciding to run laps before starting his routine, Eirlys cleared the whirlwind of thoughts in head and focused on the dull thumping of his heartbeats. ((Bet he'll love it when Nikolas just barges into his freaking alone time lmAO))

(lol oof)
(yeah sure, sounds good! They'll handshake after the fight, then)

Nikolas awoke with the sun, getting dressed and grabbing his cane. He didn't need it that badly today, but better safe than sorry. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. He put his sword in his belt too, and headed for the training grounds. Halfway there, he changed directions to get breakfast first. If he exercised on an empty belly, there would be regrets.

He grabbed breakfast, eating quickly. It was just oatmeal, with some brown sugar added to make it sweet. He spoke with one of his guards, Errol, about mundane things. Errol's husband Ryker was one of Nik's other guards, but Ryker was nowhere to be seen at that moment. Probably for the best. Though hopefully that didn't mean that the taller, quiet guard was getting into a fight again. Nik had already had to break one up, and he didn't want to repeat that.

Finishing breakfast, he headed to the training grounds. Errol followed him, saying that he couldn't just let the prince go somewhere without accompaniment. So Nik and Errol headed to the training grounds, where Nik was surprised to see the Tesh prince already there.

( Ack, I'm so sorry for the slow reply! Yesterday and the day before I felt really out of it and I'm pretty sure I slept twice as much as I was awake (During that time I forced myself to eat food and do.. Pretty much nothing else) ;; My thoughts are still sluggish so I think my replies will still be pretty slow and badly written, but I'll try my best!)
( Btw, does this mean that lgbt+ is okay in this world? I'm assuming that Errol and Ryker are both male in this case :0 )
~
Eirlys transitioned through his excercises with relative ease, occasionally glancing at the sun to gauge the time. He didn't expect anyone for at least another two hours, so he took his time. Eirlys was setting his bow and arrows back into the training room as he heard the first person coming. "That was quick." He murmured, agitated. Peeking out of the storage room, he was thankful that he'd set the items down beforehand.

Of all the people.

He huffed, realizing that Nikolas seemed to have already spotted him. Nikolas and, whoever was next to him. Retying his bootlaces and wiping the sweat off his forehead, he stepped back out into the cool air. They've already saw him anyway.

"Awake so early?" Eirlys commented, grabbing his wooden sword and stepping toward the training dummies.

(it's fine!)
(Yes it does. It's typically accepted in most areas, though there are some areas that don't)
(hahhaaaaa I looked back at our old posts and I'm dying lmaooo)

Nik nodded. "Yes, though I see that you were awake earlier." he replied, doing his best to be polite and cordial. He didn't want to give the Tesh a reason to start the war back up again, just because he was being rude to their prince. He let out a slow breath, shaking his head just a little bit. He set his cane aside, lifting a wooden sword in one hand.

"Would you care for a sparring match, your highness?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at Eirlys. "Just a…friendly contest. We can find out who's the better fighter, of us two." he was smirking just a little bit, sure that it would be him. After all, he had experience on the front line, even if his damaged leg would slow him down a little bit.

It wouldn't slow him down that much, though, so he had nothing to truly be worried about.

( Thank you for understanding! )
( My favorite on the second page is this- "Strange. He thought, wondering why he was acting so wonky-wonky today." xDD )
( Who do you think should win? Tbh I don't mind either, I just want someone pinned on the ground with a sword at their throat lmaoo )
~
Are you.. Testing my swordsmanship? Seems you need a reminder of who led the main battles during wartime. I hope you haven't forgotten the impact I've made, if not for me.. For the people I've killed on the opposing side; Your side. Turning the hilt of the sword in his hands, Eirlys dug it into the ground as he spoke.

"How rude would I be if I declined? And no need to be formal. We're of the same status." He smiled, reciprocating Nikolas's courtesy.

What is this boy thinking of now..

Eirlys had always been able to read emotions (and subsequently found it rather effortless to read into one's true intentions), but Nikolas was different, if somehow one could not tell just by a quick sift through his thoughts for the past two days. Maybe it was because they were of similar status. Eirlys had a hard time reading his father. But of course, he had no troubles with the more peaceful neighboring countries that visited every year or so. He sighed, realizing he'd circled right back to his first question. This is going nowhere. It'd be better to focus on the present.

"I'm assuming your friend will be the judge? Pardon me, I'm not familiar with most of your acquaintances." Eirlys twirled the sword in his hand, analyzing his opponent. Which leg was it? he mused as he led Nikolas to the main field for combat training.

(no problem!)
(XD)
(Hmm. Idk, really. I'm good either way)

"Of course." Nik replied. He took off his sword belt, leaning his sword up against the wall, carefully making sure that it wouldn't topple over into the ground. "And yes, Errol can be the judge. If he's alright with that. Errol?" He looked to his guard.

Errol nodded. "Of course, sir." He replied, moving so that he would be able to watch them both easier. "Though try not to get too beaten up, won't you? Your father wouldn't be pleased."

"Errol. I don't plan on losing." Nik replied, swinging the wooden sword to get used to its weight. He stepped forward, looking at Eirlys. It was his left leg that was injured. If he'd rolled up his pant leg, Eirlys would have seen the twisting, angry scar that snaked around the flesh, the scar deep and angry, the muscle permanently damaged.

He watched Eirlys, eyes scanning over the other prince as he observed how he moved, what directions he seemed to favor.

( I'm dead tired and just finished a 5 page essay ughh :(( )
( From here it'll get shorter just for the spar, tbh I have no idea how to do this, Ig just make sure there's enough variety from blocks and attacks lol )
( mm, let's just see where this goes? )
~
"You sound rather sure of yourself," Eirlys commented, leading him toward the center. "I hope you aren't underestimating your opponent." He'd watched enough battles to see where that usually lead.

He got into position, nodding at Errol as the man lifted his arm, signaling the start of the match. Wasting no time, Eirlys dashed at his opponent, feinting left and jabbing his sword to the right, aiming for his sides.

(ew)
(Alright!)
(Mhm)

~
"Never." Nik replied with a cutthroat smile, moving with Eirlys and managing to block the blow. His movements weren't hindered by his left side, though he knew that in a drawn-out fight, he wouldn't be able to keep up. So he needed to make sure this ended before his leg grew too exhausted.

So he made a straight slash at Eirlys, not bothering with feinting and relying on brute strength.

Gave some space for Nikolas to do what he wants lol ;p
~
Eirlys grit his teeth, the wooden sword in his hands straining from the strength Nikolas put in his attack.
"Not bad." He leapt back, putting distance between the two as he determined his next move.

(haha okay)
~
Nik grinned wolfishly at him. "Why thank you." he purred, giving Eirlys no time to wait as he charged foreward again, again relying on his own strength to try and overpower Eirlys. He did not have the stamina to play a waiting game. Or, he did, but his leg did not. And he knew that. There was nothing he could do to make his leg last longer, so he would have to batter Eirlys' strength down before Eirlys could wear out his leg.

( Is it alright if I kind of changed the fighting field into something that looks a bit like an arena? I just imagined sandy ground :'0 )
( Tbh right now Eirlys is just trying to block and evade the attacks, especially with how fast Nikolas is attacking, it's not giving him any room to attack lol. )
~
At another strong attack with what seemed like no thought behind it, Eirlys felt like laughing.

He's really just brute forcing his way through this, isn't he? It seems he isn't familiar with who I am.

Because the sword strokes were too broad, Eirlys was forced to block it again, heels digging into the ground below. Although he couldn't retaliate at the moment because of Nikolas's quick attacks, he knew there was a reason Nikolas was so rushed. All he had to do was wait it out, and strike whenever the prince made a mistake. The powerful hits tired him out, of course, but it wasn't a big deal for someone like him, especially with his.. Quirk. At the thought, his fingers tightened around his sword in anticipation. Eirlys had no problem with these types of fighters, because he could simply ignore the fatigue- At least long enough to win.

(it's fine!)
(haha yeah. I think that Eirlys might win in the end tho, depending on how/when Nik's leg gives out)
~
Nikolas broke back, taking a few paces away to give himself a chance to rest. He was careful not to exhaust his left leg, knowing that he needed it to hold out for as long as possible. Errol was still watching the match, his hands behind his back and his eyes fixed on the two men before him. Nik cocked his head at Eirlys, taking a deep breath.

(Two taps on the ground means surrender? Totally forgot about that stuff lol)
~
The second Nikolas retreated a few paces, Eirlys was onto him again, giving little to no room for a breather. He attacked the same places he'd gone for towards the beginning of the match, trying to wear him down. They were fast, but not as strong as his opponent.

(uh…sure lol)
~
Nikolas took a deep breath, and brought up his sword to block Eirlys's attacks, his golden eyes careful and focused. He hoped that Eirlys didn't know enough to go for his leg, otherwise he probably was doomed. As it was, he just stood his ground against the attacks, rather than retreat.

~
Eirlys kept an eye on his opponent's sword, attempting to predict its next moves. He was slowly getting used to Nikolas's style, somewhat shifting his own to accommodate it. He'd made a good prediction before, but now he was sure of it. Nikolas seemed extremely wary of his left side, not giving Eirlys many openings. It would be hard to take advantage of them though, it seemed Nikolas was comfortable fighting around this drawback. There would be no choice but to wait patiently, which he had no problem with. He readied himself for retaliation, wondering how long Nikolas could hold up.

Nikolas brought his sword forward again, slashing down at Eirlys in quick, skillful movements. Sure, the wooden sword had a different balance than he was used to, but whatever. He was still an amazing swordsman.