Aeron Dudley

𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓵𝓴𝔂 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓷 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓵𝔂 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽.almost everyone she had encountered since arriving at the grand castellum was more interested in talking about politics or something equally uninteresting, than taking advantage of this singular event. “well, that’s an attitude i have to respect.” violeta answers with a grin, making a point of matching her long sip from the glass to his. “please, do keep me updated on your endeavours. i’m certain i’ll need the entertainment after a few days here” 

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“It’s an attitude you’ll find a lot of around here I think.” Aeron knew he wasn’t the only one already exhausted by the whole ordeal of being dragged straight from the war into this castellum. War was war and now that it was over he did not intend to hold anything against the kingdoms he had been made to fight. “A few more drinks and I’m sure things will be more entertaining.”

𝓿𝓲𝓸𝓵𝓮𝓽𝓪’𝓼 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓯𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓼 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓮𝔁𝓪𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓪 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓫𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓴 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓾𝓹. “surely not,” violeta began, “what kind of a ruler would organise something as extravagant as all this and not organise enough wine?” away from the drudgery of life in antegra for the first time, violeta had no intention of spending her time at the grand castellum bored and sober. “well if that is to be the case, here’s to making the most of it.” and one again violeta’s words were punctuated with an extended sip from her wineglass.

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“There’ll be plenty of wine, but the good stuff will run out first.” He’d have to remember to start his own stockpile of the good stuff in his room. Every kingdom had brought their own alcohol so Aeron was looking forward to trying some other delicacies while they were still in high supply. “I’ll toast to that.” He took a long gulp from his own glass, relishing in the thick, plummy taste of the red wine. “I will most likely try to stay as drunk as possible for as long as possible to get through this.”

sweet  had  turned  sour  with  the  marriage  to  another  ,  a  more  cynical  attitude  bloomed  and  her  husband  could  not  be  held  responsible  ,  not  directly  at  least  ,  that  was  certain  .  but  usually  ,  the  former  princess  would  of  been  happy  to  simply  be  ,  perhaps  in  a  well  lit  corner  with  a  book  or  enjoying  music  with  other  ladies  ,  but  instead  ,  like  the  dutiful  little  wife  ,  she  doesn’t  stray  far  from  her  husband  ,  should  he  want  to  show  of  a  pretty  wife  .   her  train  of  thoughts  paused  with  his  words  before  she  has  to  think  ,  to  not  put  her  foot  in  her  mouth  and  ultimately  offend  someone  with  her  sour  attitude  .    ❝             it’s  lovely  .  ❞     it  wasn’t  a  lie  ,  had  she  been  unmarried  and  with  her  family  prior  to  this  event  ,  the  girl  would  of  been  swinging  around  the  place  with  a  sibling  in  toe  .     ❝  but  i’d  much  rather  be  at  home  .  ❞     and  that  home  ,  well  ,  it  did  not  include  iilyria  .

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Aeron knew how she felt, at least partially. Although he could not say he knew the struggle of being married off for the sake of an alliance, he could at least empathise with how she felt about being here. “I think we all long for home.” They could have been housed in the most grandiose palace in the world and still Aeron would want to be home. “You know I haven’t seen my home of Limburg for years? The war ended and I was brought straight from the battlefield to here. I couldn’t even attend my own father’s funeral.”

“𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪 𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓲𝓽 𝓲𝓼.” while others had given the best years of their life to the war effort, facing death and injury on a daily basis, violeta had spent the last ten years in the safety of the antegran palace, stories of the war coming to her only in the small drips of information people were willing to share with such a delicate little noblewoman. violeta’s interactions with people from the other kingdoms were minimal, never having left antegra before, and so she was rather delighted with the whole affair. “this is the finest wine i’ve had in years.” she emphasised her words by lifting up her own chalice, motioning for a refill.

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He nodded to be polite, but Aeron was not exactly filled with confidence for these peace talks. The fate of kingdoms was being decided by people who had not known the true horrors of war. He could not speak to every ruler, but he knew of some who had hidden away in their palaces rather than be on the front lines. His own king had done so, until he had died and been replaced by his brother who had been fighting on the front lines until being called back to rule. “Best to make the most of it then, I’m sure we’ll have drained the stocks and be onto the inferior stuff within a week.”

          ‘   the weather not to your satisfaction   …   ?   ’   his neck turns as the words leave the mans lips  .  amren came into this knowing that the kingdoms affected wouldn’t have many pleasant things to say about the reunion or possibly even him   ,   and he prepared himself for that as best he could  .  but regardless   ,   amren wasn’t wanting to continue the war his father began  .  he   ,   too   ,   wanted to live in peace  .  the kingdoms had enough to worry about without the constant of war  .   ‘   it’s a joke i assure you   ,   ’   he comments before allowing a smile to cover his lips   .   

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Aeron allowed a small smile to grace his lips. He knew he should be looking for more positives at this time, but after so many years in the thick of it, finding silver linings for such dark clouds was proving difficult. “The weather is not dissimilar from Aryndale. Perhaps when it is warmer then I will feel a little more cheerful.”

she’s  a  testament  to  her  mother ,  fair  skinned  and  dark  haired  ,  but  it’s  not  exactly  the  way  she  looks  .  but  rather  ,  the  way  her  body  is  held  ,  tense  shoulders  ,  straight  back  .  years  upon  years  of  her  mothers  agitated  tone  ,  sit  still  ,  look  pretty  ,  as  if  that  was  all  the  former  princess  was  .  something  pretty  too  look  at  .  she  was  to  be  looked  upon  but  never  heard  ,  a  girl  was  only  worth  something  in  her  marriage  .  so  she  sits  among  men  ,  listening  to  them  prattle  on  ,  feigning  amusement  when  someone  should  look  her  way  ,  her  husband  lost  to  a  sea  of  diplomats  and  monarchs  ,  but  never  should  she  expect  to  be  spoken  to  ,  even  in  passing  .     ❝            and  that  is  only  until  someone  grows  bored  of  funding  such  an  adventure  .  ❞     she  replies  almost  cynically  ,  turning  to  the  male  with  a  polite  smile  ,  no  matter  how  practised  it  was  .  

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He chuckled at her response, lifting the chalice in her direction in a silent toast to her words before taking another sip. He recognised the former princess, now a duchess, used as a political pawn like so many others before her. Her husband was around here somewhere he was certain, but why he had left his wife alone in a room of men who loved to hear themselves talk, he had no idea. He could at least be a friend to her so she wasn’t bored out of her mind until the duke deigned to make a reappearance. “How are you finding it here so far then?”

Marcello hadn’t expected the rain to start when he’d ventured to the stables but he’d also not been paying much attention. He’d missed being outside, the castle was too small for his own liking. He was used to the openness of Naves, of all of Porvo. 

Turning at the man’s voice he nodded, “I wouldn’t mind helping.” He took the reigns as he looked outside. “The fun of being caught in the rain gets much less entertaining the older you get doesn’t it?” 

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“He gets a little spooked when he can feel a rainstorm coming, so it’s better to have more than one person bring him in.” Not an ideal quality for a horse since they should be reliable in most weathers but Aeron could hardly blame the animal for wanting his creature comforts in his old age. He had taken the horse out simply because he figured it had been a while since he’d had an adventure.

“I know the feeling, I’m starting to get to that age where I complain about the cold in my bones.”

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The castle. Truth be told, Nadia had avoided the rich and royals unless her job demanded it. With the wounds of the past still open, could anyone blame her weariness? She’d just finished collecting payment for another odd job when the rain came. Cold. Dark. Was it an omen for the times to come… Headed to the stables, a voice and the sound of disgruntled horse caught her attention as she rounded the corner. “Lucky timing…” She nodded in response, one gloved hand reaching out towards the animal. “Aren’t you handsome.” Nadia’s voice cooed before she turned to the man beside. “I’ve never met a horse who liked the sound of thunder.” The chuckle left her lips, the mercenary’s eyebrow hitching upwards. 

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“This one especially, even rain spooks him.” Aeron remembered times back in Limburg during thunderstorms as a child when he and his father had camped in the stables during thunderstorms. His father insisted that since the animals did so much for them, the least they could do was be some comfort when they were afraid. Even if it was inconvenient at times, Aeron was always sympathetic to them. “He’s a tired old boy, he just wants his bed and something to eat. Don’t we all?” Funny how they were all just simple animals really.

the     only     solace     she     was     able     to     find      lately    was      riding.    that    and     the     stables.     she     missed     her     own     horse    ,     which     was     back    in     antegra.     she     had     not     been     able     to     find    an     escort     to     take      her     riding     before     the     weather     started    to     turn.      though     that     didn’t    stop     her    from     visiting    the    stables.     the    rain    started    to   pour      quite    loudly     as    the     duke    rode     in.     quickly    ,    the     stablehands     made    their     way     to     him    to    assist.       “     just    in     time     ,     ”     she     says     ,     “     the    storm     sounds    ghastly.    ”

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“Awful isn’t it?” He handed the horse over to the stablehands who quickly ushered him away into a stall, snorting and stamping all the way. Aeron ducked for cover himself under the roofing just as the clouds broke. “I can’t decide whether it’s best to wait it out here or make a run for the castle in the downpour.” A flash of lightning answered that question and he opted to stay where he was.

He had returned only when the weather began to change for the worse and made it back to the stables just before the downpour started. “I don’t suppose you could give me a hand?” He called out as he dismounted. “I want to get this old boy sheltered fast before he gets drenched.”