Crystal looks up and smiles a little. "Yes. You will be joining my ranks. A Valkyrie. You'll be standing beside me in the front lines." She explains. "In my kingdom, most of the generals are women. Very few are even unless they have earned their place. Of course, that is only if you wish to fight." She didn't say 'by my side' since she knew it would most likely anger her wife. She takes a deep breath and shuts her eyes. She was going home soon. Despite the threat of war. She was eager to return behind the walls of her home.
A grin dripped its way onto Elowan's face, painting her mouth into some dark parody of a smile. She had been fighting for years, usually without any weapons. Fighting the frontlines of a war would be no problem, especially when she'd been fighting an unending war at home since she was nearly 10. "It would bring me…Great joy to fight."
Crystal smiles faintly before taking a breath. "We will be glad to have you by our side. You will become a Valkyrie." She chuckles. "Of course, proving worth is the be shown tonight. I hope you're up for fighting?" She asks, looking at the other. Becoming part of her ranks was something difficult, since each if the three trials tested body, mind, and spirit. She looks down at her gown, flicking a spot off it before humming in thought.
Elowan was about to respond. To tell the girl she had a small but steadily growing respect for that she had faced so many challenges already that one more would be no trouble for her. She was stopped by the servant opening the door and leading them directly into a posh carriage.
"You will be leaving now," He explained holding out a hand to help them into the marriage. Elowan ignored it with a frown. She hopped into the carriage and settled into an uncomfortable seat.
She stood and walked towards the carriage. Her eyes glinting in the light. Power and strength radiated off her as she entered the carriage. She was ready for home. She taps her thigh.
The journey was long and rather boring. She mostly just worked on papers. But after a time she could see the walls that protected her great kingdom. And for the first time in a long time, she actually smiled.
Elowan kept her face plastered to the window of the carriage, taking in every detail of the land. She'd never traveled before, so each rolling hill and tall tree seemed like one of the great wonders of the world. When she caught sight of the great wall, she gasped. It was huge, beautifully constructed and taller than she could see through her small window. "Your city is…beautiful."
Crystal looked at the other. "The wall was built many centuries ago by my ancestors. There are walls within the walls, since our kingdom continued to expand. But now we have reached a steady and simple outer wall. It is the thickest of the other walls, and the most protected." They enter the walls with ease, only stopping when a guard came to inspect them. He recognized Crystal, bowed before waving them on. The vastness of the kingdom was huge. Children ran around, laughing and playing. Crystal smiles and tells the coachmen to stop. He nods and Crystal exits. The children gasp and rush up to her, all of them talking excitedly. It was obvious Crystal well known.
Elowan stayed in the carriage. She didn't leave to talk to the children. In fact seeing children so close with their ruler was…odd. In her country, the ruling class was separate from those below it. She simply stared out the window, watching this strange new scene take place. She rubbed the top of her back, feeling the very tops of her scars. It was an odd gesture to use for comfort, but it comforted her all the same. They were marks of all she'd survived. All she could handle.
Crystal chuckles as she kneels beside the children, each of them telling her about something or another. She accepted a flower crown from a young girl and chuckled as a few boys tackled her. She played with them before walking back to the carriage and nodding to the Coachman and they we're on their way again. Crystal held the flower crown as they trotted through the cobbled streets. Soon enough a giant castle, gleaming with beauty appeared, towering over them. She sighs. "Home."
Elowan looked up at the castle with apprehension. It was beautiful, but also terrifying. Who knew what would happen inside? She no longer felt hatred for her wife. Now she was nervous. Excited. It was an odd feeling. She hadn't felt this many emotions that weren't anger or fear in a long time. It was… exhilarating."When will I be tested?" She asked, hoping to have something to do right away. She had never done well with boredom. It often led to her breaking things. Or herself.
Crystal was instantly greeted by a guard, his eyes were dark and concerned. "Your highness." He bows with a fist over his heart. She raises a brow. "Stand." He straightens. "It's your mother." He says quietly. "Come." He mutters. She nods and waves Elowan after her. The guard bows politely to Elowan. "Welcome, to your new home, majesty." He says before returning his attention to the indigo eyed princess. "I'm afraid it's some rather… depressing news." He explains as they walk down the halls. "It hasn't gone out to the public yet, but… I'm afraid your mother is dead. She passed away this morning…" He whispers. Crystal stops dead in her tracks. Her breathing hitched. "As you know, highness, you… are to take responsibility for the throne in times of war." He says softly. Crystal withheld her anger and took a deep breath. "I am well aware." She hisses. "Thank you. You are dismissed." The guard nods and scurries off. Crystal said nothing but began to walk. She headed towards a portrait where a man, woman and two children were painted in glorious color. The woman and man were sitting, their knees almost touching but not quite and then the young girl was sitting in her mothers lap and the young boy standing beside his father.
Elowan followed, taking in all the beautiful buildings and portraits. She came upon one that was absolutely wonderful, a larger than life picture of a happy family. Probably the royal family, now that she thought about it. Although she had never seen the full royal family- most of them were dead by now- but the girl had a certain resemblance to Crystal. "Is this you?" She asked, gesturing towards the picture.
Crystal gazes at the picture. "My mother, my father, my brother and I. Yes…" She seemed lost in memory as she gazed at the picture. How long she had yearned to have that life again. It made her sad that she was the only one left in the happy family. She chuckles bitterly before looking at her wife, smiling faintly before continuing.
Elowan shrugged. She would be quite happy if her parents died, but she realized that Crystal loved her parents. It was clear her family was… important to her. These thoughts were a bit too deep for today, though. Elowan shrugged them off. "Where are we going?" She hoped it was the bedroom. Right around now she would kill for a bed. Her butt hurt from the bouncy carriage ride and she still hadn't caught up on all her sleep.
(why has god abandoned this timeline?)
(Hi! I am so sorry! I was in the middle of moving and I abandoned all technology)
(It's all good! Moving takes a million years, so take your time answering and stuff. It's nice to have you back.)
(Thank you)
Crystal smiles a little as they walk. "I was going to show you your bedroom." She chuckles. "It's beside mine, so you don't need to worry about sharing a bedroom…" She trails off. "Anyways. You need your rest for the trials tonight so I would recommend a bath, food and sleep. It'll help you a bit more." She smiles a little and halts at a room. "Here we are." She opens the door to reveal a beautiful room. The walls were covered in marble, golden strings of leaves falling from the ceiling. The bed was giant and soft with silken sheets. Another door lead to a bathroom. It was gorgeous.
(It's kinda like the room in beauty and the beast, the live one)
(It's no problem.)
Elowan all but pounced on the bed, burrowing under the covers with a little squeal of joy. This was the most convenient room in history, and she loved it. The beauty of the room was lost on her as she power napped her way into a short coma. Sleeping was a luxury she was always ready to cash in on. Besides, it wasn't like she needed anything else. She'd taken a bath back at home and she wasn't hungry at all.
Crystal smiles faintly before sighing slightly and shutting the door. She places her hand on the door and bites her lip before leaving and walking towards the throne room, her steps swift and fast. She looks towards her guards, her maids, her advisers and her Valkyries. "As you all know, we are preparing for war. But we have also gained allies. My wife will be joining our ranks if she succeeds these tasks. Nala. I need you to prepare the tasks." The woman nods and rushed off.
Elowan woke up a few hours later. Or, she thought it was a few hours later. There was no real way for her to tell. She wiped the crust out of her eyes and wandered around, taking in all the pretty stuff. There was gold everywhere, lots of marble, and a couple doors. Pretty nice. Also very boring. She opened one of the doors. It led into the hallway, so she figured 'why not explore?'. Not like there was anything else to do.
Crystal was outside, changed out of her dress and into leather armour, mostly used for training. There was a crowd around her, cheering and clapping as she fought with some of her men, laughing and talking as she sparred. This was her element. She felt comfortable here. Training was more her thing.
From what Elowan could tell, the hallway was pretty boring. A bunch of empty bedrooms and bathrooms and one room that looked like a tiny closet library. There was nothing to do in this place. She half wished she was back at home. At least while she was there she could sneak out and fight somebody. And boy did she want to fight somebody right now. There was energy thrumming through her veins and she was still angry. Angry at her parents and at this dumb marriage.
The cheers could be heard through the castle. A maid notices Elowan and smiles. "If you're looking for Crystal, she's on the training grounds with the Valkyries. She'll be pleased to see you're awake." The maid says kindly. "follow me."
"Uh… I'm not really looking for Crystal, actually. Do you know where the kitchen is? I'm kind of hungry." Elowan wasn't, but eating things was a good method of entertainment. Besides, she trained constantly. It wasn't like she was going to get fat.
