Aravos and Princess Ryana sat at a table in the library, studying together as always.
And as usual it was so dreadfully dull.
"Again. Aravos said sternly." Now fully encompassed in his structured and serious tone of voice in its obnoxious entirety. "What is the right approach to deal with an unruly opposition without escalating a conflict?"
Ryana slammed her visor against the marble table with a loud thud. Not hard enough to crack it. But just hard enough she hoped she would be able to knock herself out and avoid looking like a dimwit any longer.
"Stop being dramatic." He replied in frustration at her juvenile action. "Just breath and think. I know you can get this one."
"Ask politely? Ryana said muffled and uninterested as her lips dragged across the table sounding slurred. Aravos scowled once again and shook his head at her inability to take his lessons seriously.
"Alright I give up. I haven't a clue. Ryana said as her final answer defeated. Raising her head back up to slouch back in her chair and bundle herself in her wings like a little chicklet.
"No. I will not accept this answer. Think. Or we will be here all day if we have to." Aravos said sternly from having to keep a close eye on her slow progress. He was growing impatient. Normally he could tolerate a few incorrect answers from her. But he would not tolerate any disrespect and a lack of willingness to improve on her part that was so unlike her. Why was she acting this way?
"Concentrate. Remember. Picture it in your mind and connect the truth and you will see it become clear."
Ryana sighed aloud once again disgruntled and closed her eyes in compliance. Just wanting to be over with this nonsense that made her feel stupid. She was just tired of trying to negotiate with him to no end.."
Her eyes widened.
"Negotiation uncle." Ryana replied quickly and coldly. But not without some hard thinking. "Negotiation should always be used first above all else. If not negotiation. Then Bribery. Entice them with something they desire that is beneficial to both parties. If not bribery. Intimidation. Make them stand down without further blood shed by a show of strong force. Only after all three have been exhausted should deadly conflict be used. For while some view violence as the easiest to execute, this is not true. The wise leader wins by words...."
"The desperate by war."
"Correct." He smiled impressed and a bit relieved. Holding to the book that looked more like a brick tighter in his palm eagerly. "It only took you an hour to get that one. You're getting faster." He then cleared his throat to continue on with the lengthy lecture. Much to Ryana's horror and frustration.
"Question two hundred and fifty two, what is the right way to..."
"Uncle. What was my father like?"
Aravos turned dead silent. Holding the turned page mid flip in place with his finger.
Ryana gulped and curled up nervously in her chair ever so slightly as the old warden slowly set the book down gently on the table. Hardly even making a sound and narrowing his feathered brow in silent frustration. She shouldn't have asked that.
"You've never asked me before. Why now?" He asked coldly without looking at her. Begging to not dig up the past for both their sakes.
Ryana remained silent timidly for a few moments before finally explaining herself.
"The other night when." She cleared her throat. "When I was with mother. He was brought up during our talks. And well..." Ryana held her breath for a bit nervously and started tapping her fingers together. Trying to be just confident enough to find out what she needed to hear.
"I miss him. But... I barely even remember him. I remember so little from when I was a baby. Ryana titled her head in and closed her white eyes under her visor, trying to remember anything."
"A face...."
"A hand. " She ground her teeth in growing frustration.
"Nothing. Hardly anything worth remembering." She lowered her head and back disappointed.
Aravos released a faint smile. "My dear. It is those very things that are some of the most important to remember. And sometimes that's all you need.
"But I want to know more." Ryana asked desperately aloud. Leaning in closer against the table. "I need to."
"Perhaps later this week my dear. I think it best if we avoid bringing up such unpleasantness and continue on with our lecture. We are almost finished with today's lesson so let's return to chapter..."
"Please uncle! Ryana suddenly leaned closer in her chair toward the table, pressing her arms and stomach to rest against it's hard edge uncaringly.
"Mother hardly ever talks of him. You never talk of him. Even the guards and servants aren't allowed to talk of him. I need to know more. I deserve answers. Ryana tilted her head toward her uncle's eyes. Trying to get through to him for answers she so begged for anyway she could.
"Please."
Aravos sat in silence for a few agonizing moments, rubbing his chin and weary eyes with his hand before finally sighing aloud defeated by his nice.
She's as stubborn as he was.
"Very well. I suppose we can take a break from our lecture for but a few minutes. He closed the book slowly and relaxed his posture only slightly. "What is it you wish to hear?" He said in a somewhat more compassionate voice.
Ryana smiled and scooted her seat in closer before suddenly growing a bit conflicted.
"What did he think of me? When he saw me for the first time. Was...Was he happy with me?"
Aravos chuckled. "What an utterly silly question. Of course he was happy with you. It was all he would ever talk about with the troops. It drove us all bloody mad."
Ryana smiled. The old warden smiled as well for but a brief moment as he leant back against his chair to get more comfortable, causing the old wood to creak beneath him.
"Well if I remember correctly, the first time he saw you, you were still but an egg. A very beautiful tiny white egg to say the least. Your mother was confident you would turn out just healthy. But your size used to worry him constantly. He would always ask doctors as to how you were growing. How much longer until your hatch day he would ask over and over again! Biting his nails all the while to the nub and walking in circles completely uninterested in our meetings. You took quite a while to hatch. It made him both terrified and incredibly eager in those long months in between. Unable to wait at meeting and holding you in person.
"What was his reaction when he really saw me? Not counting shell." Asked Ryana smiling. Aravos nodded and continued.
"The day you finally did hatch, your father and I were stationed on the outskirts of Drokka with the army preparing for a siege. This was when it was still an Imperial province. Aravos smiled faintly, as if thinking a pleasant personal thought. "I distinctly remember I was standing right at his side holding a map and discussing plans of attack for him to chose. He was quiet and quite bored I could tell, he never really much cared for battle. Just nodding at any plan I suggested, wanting me to choose the best one to employ and be done with it. But as one of the guards entered and informed us of your hatching at last. His mood shifted instantly faster than I've ever seen.
Your father practically flew out of his chair. Sprinting so fast toward his tent I could barely keep up. I waited outside in the snow, but peeked in every so often through the flap wanting to see my new niece. Only able to see his winged back standing over a blue light in the dimly lit room. What we both saw we will never forget.
A little girl. Bundled tightly in your mother's arms and swaddled in a soft silk blanket. Tiny, no feathers, but eyes so big and sleepy they seemed otherworldly to us all. The queen was talking nonstop about how happy and proud she was, and already thinking of names. But he didn't say anything for quite some time.
He just stood there.
Silent and standing tall for minutes on end. Dumbstruck and more quiet than I've ever seen him in all my life. I have only ever seen my brother cry twice. And for you it was the first time it was tears of utter joy."
Aravos kept quiet for a few moments before continuing. Clearly conflicted.
"I saw him as he held his hand against the hologram, trying to touch your tiny finger which had reached out to him, only becoming disheartened as it passed right through to instead hold nothing but the cold thin air. I remember him so badly wanting to hold you both close millions of miles away. I could tell he just wanted to leave and come home and see you in person. But he could not. It wasn't safe for you both in the north at that time. And he had grave responsibilities to uphold as the new Emperor that he could not abandon no matter how badly he desired. Instead he just remained where he was in the dark of his tent. Illuminated by the blue light of you both beneath him. Smiling for minutes on end, and taking in every detail of your little soft face so he would never forget.
Both remained silent for a few moments as Ryana wiped away a quick tear under her tiara with the sleeve of her dress.
"What. What was he like?" She then asked eagerly.
Aravos smiled. They had far gone past a few minutes but he could go on for a bit longer. He then stretched his back and wings far behind with a loud yawn and continued.
"Well..He was brave, kind, incredibly tall and very handsome. He had a long set of feathered white hair that reached behind to touch his shoulders. The people viewed him as a good if a bit unprepared ruler. He never wanted the responsibility of running an entire kingdom. Instead he loved to travel the world. See new places. Learn new things. He was very popular, especially with women in his younger days."
Ryana's eyes widened slightly surprised. "Oh so he.. Was a.. She cleared her throat while rubbing her long neck awkwardly. "He was a.."
"Yes Ryana. Aravos said unflinchingly with a slight smirk. "He was a playboy. And he was very proud of it. Always very flirtatious and always giving his many admirers from across the globe numerous gifts. Many considered him to be quite a romantic and very chivalrous, but he grew bored very easily. Never really finding someone who he thought could connect with his free spirited nature. Or one who also happened to meet our fathers requirements for a suitoress.
But that all changed when he met your mother.
Ryana smiled and leaned her head against the table to rest atop her folded arms like a child. "Can you tell me of how he met her?" She asked becoming more impatient by the second.
Aravos scoffed, rolled his eyes and begrudgingly complied impressively within the span of a few seconds. "Alright fine." Ryana tilted her head slightly and smiled as he continued.
It was long long before you were born.
"He and I were still just young princes in a time of short lived peace for the north. He and his friends wished to have a night out on the town after he returned from another of his lengthy travels abroad. Stubbornly inviting me as well to accompany them all for a night of merriment and drinking. Saying I needed to get out of the castle more."
Aravos remained quiet for a second before continuing.
I was quite shy with women and not a very attractive lad, so I said no at first. For I preferred to spend most of my days reading alone with my favorite books to accompany me while spending time with my mother Varenea. But to my surprise, she agreed with him as well, saying it about time I find a suitable wife. So after much debate, I reluctantly agreed and just like that we were off.
We ventured out into hearthtown. A popular site in the north, famed for it's hot springs by the lakes and it's numerous festivals held year round. It was cold, snowing, and dark but there were colored lights everywhere that sparkled and glowed as we walked through the frozen streets. The other's didn't really notice the pleasant surroundings on every corner. But I will admit. I found it quite charming.
We entered a tavern with dozens of people chattering and singing as our group walked by. With a few whispering and giving us cold looks as we took a table in the back. Most of us were from the south, and there was still a bit of anonymity between us and what some consider themselves to be true Northerners. But my brother was utterly ecstatic. No one knew we were royalty. So to them we were just common young soldiers on leave without a care in the world.
As we took our drinks, the others cheered as I had a first sip. It tasted utterly dreadful. But I finished it to its entirety, trying to not feel as if I were an outsider. They sang, they joked. But when our waitress arrived to take our orders. Everyone fell dead silent.
Ryana smiled.
That was her wasn't it? My mother?
"Yes."Aravos smiled. "She was still as beautiful and crafty as ever, even back then. Saying she would be expecting a large tip for serving so many of us buffoons at once. A few minutes later everyone started to laugh in a bit of amazement when they saw that she was impressively carrying dozens of plates of our food carefully balanced on her large wings as a tray. But as she approached us smiling, some drunkard wolf slipped and fell from his seat at the counter knocking against her back.
As she began to trip forward. My brother immediately stood up in his chair and bolted over to help her hold the heavy orders upright from crashing against the floor. Looking like a complete lovestruck idiot as he stood beside her and served us the meals alongside her in silence. She didn't seem to notice at first, just wanting to be done with her shift and get us out of her hair. But he did. She was all he could think off from that point on.
After our long night of dinner and drinking was done. Everyone in our group began to venture back out through the streets. Only now a bit tipsy. Myself Included.
But as I turned back behind. I barely managed to see that my brother had stayed behind and offered to help her close the store for the night. Asking if he could see her again tomorrow.
If she had known he was a prince she might have agreed immediately. But instead she stated that she was seeing a friend for his birthday. But provided the reassuring comfort that she would agree to see him the day after instead. Asking him to meet her by the hot springs to go swimming after dusk and to relax afterward by gazing at the northern lights together that decorated the night year round.
I remember my big brother was especially happy as he helped carry me drunk through the streets held around his back struggling to find our way home in the dark.
It was a wonderful night.
A few months later, He proposed. Asking her to come live with us as part of the royal family. She was very surprised at first and certainly quite mad at him for lying to her about being a prince for so much of their early time together. But after a long courtship and plenty of early arguments and apologies from my nervous brother, she at last accepted and the two wed in Hearthtown immediately. Her hometown.
My mother was ecstatic. Saying she loved the young girl and thought she was a perfect fit as his bride. My father however.." Aravos stood quiet. Becoming a bit tense as he rubbed his arm slightly. "Well.. he was just happy he had finally settled down with another albatross who could finally give him a pureblooded heir."
The wedding was wonderful. An extravagant feast and ceremony held outside in another snowy night as always. He asked me to be his best man. I of course agreed and watched happily as the two said their vows and danced together across the icy ground for hours after, with the snow falling gently across their calm faces as they circled each other endlessly throughout the night.
Never before have I seen two people more meant for one another or whose very lives had become seamlessly intertwined forever in one perfect moment. Albatrosses mate for life and on that night, they both swore that they would never love another again for as long as they lived. A promise that has never been broken.
As soon as the party ended, they were off on another lengthy travel for their honeymoon. This time to the tropics which at the time were still open to all visitors. While it was a bit too humid for our kind. Both returned saying it was the most beautiful place in the world.
It was a wonderful few years.
Aravos then hunched over saddened in his chair. For he knew what she was about to ask next.
"Uncle.."Ryana muttered hesitantly. Breathing a deep saddened sigh as she stared up at her normally imposing guardian now hunched over like a scarred child.
"How....How did he die?"
Aravos sat silent.
"My dear. Some things are best left buried and forgotten with the past. And trust me when I say this, it is best to focus on memories that bring you happiness and wisdom. Not dwell on those which leave you with nothing but remorse and regret." I have told things about my brother that I hope have inspired and uplifted you. But this one will only bring you pain. Just like it has brought for me and your mother. I prefer to leave you just knowing how he lived his life. Not how it ended. And if I must remain silent from this point on for you to remain untroubled by the harsh truth. Then so be it."
As Aravos began to open his book to resume with his lesson. Ryana leaned across the table and clutched tightly to his arm. "Uncle please...
"It hurts me so much more not knowing." She cried.
"No my dear." He said coldly as he turned the page.
"The truth always hurts more."