Page Life 2: Uninvited Guests
May. 23rd, 2019 09:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lonesparkFandom: The Dragon Prince
Raiting: General audiences
Characters: Original characters, Harrow, Viren, Ahling, (they are tweens)
Tags: commoner OCs, Harrow + pets, other human kingdoms, not everyone likes jelly tarts, Viren being Viren
Summary: Pets are not permitted in Pentarchy accomodations.
That first time Prince Harrow of Katolis had been involved with Yok getting a stress headache, it hadn't been remotely his fault, so she didn't hold it against him.
The second time, however, was very much a result of his personality and choices, and it was a much bigger headache.
This time when Harrow arrived, along with his family, for the summit, it was Asha's turn to introduce everyone. The adult rulers were conducted to the meeting hall for formal Pentarchy discussions that might last the entire length of the first monsoon.
The younger royals were sent to stay at nearby locations that were relatively obscure, to insure their protection from any attacks or intrigues. Unfortunately, "relatively obscure (and safe)" seemed to have been translated as "intensely boring," and even more unfortunately, the Katolian prince was fully capable of making his own "fun."
He had smuggled in two pet... creatures. Furrels, apparently. Small, squirmy, fuzzy beasts shaped like long sweetbuns, with dextrous paws and mischievous eyes.
The prince's companion, whose name Yok had forgotten already, having never practiced it multiple times, had accosted her to swear her to secrecy. He tried a friendly tone at first, but Yok stood firm on the rules. After that he threatened, begged, and eventually bribed her with an absurd quantity of only-slightly-stale jelly tarts that were also probably contraband.
Yok, being only human, and haunted every day by the memory of the delicious pastries, relented, earning a brilliant, ecstatic grin from Prince Harrow, as he helped himself to several. Asha, being immune to that particular bribe and resentful of being left out, was furious, and that was before Harrow's pets escaped.
They ran off down a disused corridor, crawled into the top of a closet, and disappeared into what was apparently a concealed tunnel.
Harrow didn't fit in the tunnel, not that royalty could be expected to fix their own problems. He ended up in the kitchen while Asha brewed him tea that was better for cramps than anything he'd find back home. Did he know, they inquired, that there were over two hundred kinds of Camborian tea, all specially brewed with herbs and spices, possessed of different medicinal qualities and fascinating histories, and sacred to different gods?
Yok surprised herself by quickly agreeing to crawl around in a potentially dangerous tunnel when companion-named-Viren asked, but avoiding a repeat of the tea lecture was worth it. Viren didn't fit in the tunnel opening, either, and really that whole claustrophobic experience could have been avoided since he did eventually find a larger, alternate branch.
"It leads to a cave," Yok explained to Asha much later that night, scrubbing sources-knew-what out of her hair. "Ask me now I know."
The pets were enticed with treats, leashed with Viren's practiced competence, and returned to the prince's quarters. The cage was then reinforced, and the room enchanted for silence and warning.
"You two are menaces!" Viren admonished.
"Viren, they didn't mean to cause trouble. They just wanted to explore!"
Viren pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'm not implying nefarious intent, Harrow. They're just animals. But intentions aren't magical."
"I thought you always say intention is a vital part of spellcasting."
"Directed intent, yes, but that's not the usage that..."
They truly never stopped talking when they were together, and Yok needed the special headache tea, a bath, and a good night's sleep.
When she came back, clean, to clear out for the night pages, Viren was crumpled on his bed, snoring, and Harrow was cooing sleepily at the notorious fugitives.
"I know you were probably scared out there. You have to stay with me. We'll still have adventures. You're real fuzz-brains sometimes, but the snuggles make up for it. Night-night..."
Yok consoled herself with the thought that her country's prince wouldn't do such foolish things... until the next day, when Prince Ahling arrived, along with his lucky tuk lizard.
He did sensibly keep it secured in a box, where it curled around a sunheart crystal and occasionally munched a tasty moth. But he found all of the Katolian delegation's antics entertaining and delightful, so Yok had to swallow her misgivings.
Fortunately, he was amiable (and handsome) and had brought a variety of Neolandian games. The two of them taught Asha and the Katolians how to play Ghost War, and Wind Swords, and how to fold ribbon fish, and a blessed lack of excitement persisted for the duration of the summit.
Raiting: General audiences
Characters: Original characters, Harrow, Viren, Ahling, (they are tweens)
Tags: commoner OCs, Harrow + pets, other human kingdoms, not everyone likes jelly tarts, Viren being Viren
Summary: Pets are not permitted in Pentarchy accomodations.
That first time Prince Harrow of Katolis had been involved with Yok getting a stress headache, it hadn't been remotely his fault, so she didn't hold it against him.
The second time, however, was very much a result of his personality and choices, and it was a much bigger headache.
This time when Harrow arrived, along with his family, for the summit, it was Asha's turn to introduce everyone. The adult rulers were conducted to the meeting hall for formal Pentarchy discussions that might last the entire length of the first monsoon.
The younger royals were sent to stay at nearby locations that were relatively obscure, to insure their protection from any attacks or intrigues. Unfortunately, "relatively obscure (and safe)" seemed to have been translated as "intensely boring," and even more unfortunately, the Katolian prince was fully capable of making his own "fun."
He had smuggled in two pet... creatures. Furrels, apparently. Small, squirmy, fuzzy beasts shaped like long sweetbuns, with dextrous paws and mischievous eyes.
The prince's companion, whose name Yok had forgotten already, having never practiced it multiple times, had accosted her to swear her to secrecy. He tried a friendly tone at first, but Yok stood firm on the rules. After that he threatened, begged, and eventually bribed her with an absurd quantity of only-slightly-stale jelly tarts that were also probably contraband.
Yok, being only human, and haunted every day by the memory of the delicious pastries, relented, earning a brilliant, ecstatic grin from Prince Harrow, as he helped himself to several. Asha, being immune to that particular bribe and resentful of being left out, was furious, and that was before Harrow's pets escaped.
They ran off down a disused corridor, crawled into the top of a closet, and disappeared into what was apparently a concealed tunnel.
Harrow didn't fit in the tunnel, not that royalty could be expected to fix their own problems. He ended up in the kitchen while Asha brewed him tea that was better for cramps than anything he'd find back home. Did he know, they inquired, that there were over two hundred kinds of Camborian tea, all specially brewed with herbs and spices, possessed of different medicinal qualities and fascinating histories, and sacred to different gods?
Yok surprised herself by quickly agreeing to crawl around in a potentially dangerous tunnel when companion-named-Viren asked, but avoiding a repeat of the tea lecture was worth it. Viren didn't fit in the tunnel opening, either, and really that whole claustrophobic experience could have been avoided since he did eventually find a larger, alternate branch.
"It leads to a cave," Yok explained to Asha much later that night, scrubbing sources-knew-what out of her hair. "Ask me now I know."
The pets were enticed with treats, leashed with Viren's practiced competence, and returned to the prince's quarters. The cage was then reinforced, and the room enchanted for silence and warning.
"You two are menaces!" Viren admonished.
"Viren, they didn't mean to cause trouble. They just wanted to explore!"
Viren pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'm not implying nefarious intent, Harrow. They're just animals. But intentions aren't magical."
"I thought you always say intention is a vital part of spellcasting."
"Directed intent, yes, but that's not the usage that..."
They truly never stopped talking when they were together, and Yok needed the special headache tea, a bath, and a good night's sleep.
When she came back, clean, to clear out for the night pages, Viren was crumpled on his bed, snoring, and Harrow was cooing sleepily at the notorious fugitives.
"I know you were probably scared out there. You have to stay with me. We'll still have adventures. You're real fuzz-brains sometimes, but the snuggles make up for it. Night-night..."
Yok consoled herself with the thought that her country's prince wouldn't do such foolish things... until the next day, when Prince Ahling arrived, along with his lucky tuk lizard.
He did sensibly keep it secured in a box, where it curled around a sunheart crystal and occasionally munched a tasty moth. But he found all of the Katolian delegation's antics entertaining and delightful, so Yok had to swallow her misgivings.
Fortunately, he was amiable (and handsome) and had brought a variety of Neolandian games. The two of them taught Asha and the Katolians how to play Ghost War, and Wind Swords, and how to fold ribbon fish, and a blessed lack of excitement persisted for the duration of the summit.
