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The sun had long since vanished behind a shield of clouds, even before dipping below the horizon. The arena was filled with the scent of roasting meat as the long awaited feast drew nearer. The fighting in the pits had stopped as the sky grew darker and the anticipation of the prizes to come drew close. The drakken who had managed entrance before, but now served no purpose, had been weeded out by the royal guard.
Yet, the room still was crowded with the towering figures of the drakken who stood waiting. The only spot of color coming from the two gems whose husbands had been proud enough, or foolish enough, to bring along. The royal gems having slowly vanished, to make the arrival of the prizes that much sweeter.
The Prince and Princess stood looming by the door, Ehkota flocked by his guard and the princess by a single younger brother. There was a sudden commotion from out beyond the gated doors. A figure loomed in the frame as the doors were pulled open. An cool gust of air bringing the distinct smell of rain.
Moments after the high prince entered, a line of terrified girls trickled in--nearly a hundred in number. Shimmering in the torch light, they cast a halo around themselves, cutting through the dullness of the rest of the room.
Nearly all the girls had entered when the Ehkota reached out and caught a single one by the arm. Sensing a disturbance in his pack, the high prince snapped around, giving his younger brother a deadly look.
The prince gave a half hearted shrug has he pulled the bright haired gem girl away. After all, what was the point of being royalty if there weren’t any perks? @eclecticwitch (Adorabella)
With the younger prince gone, that left Gaelnesh to face the rest of the room.
“700 hundred years ago,”he started, his voice echoing around the chamber. “Our neighboring country faced an enemy they were too weak to handle,” At this, a few of the drakken let out noise of disgust.
The prince waited, his face grim. “And we, in our glory, offered the aid they so desperately needed,” He paused again, as more called out. “It is on this day, so many years later that we remember our greatness and that of the King! It is today that we reap our reward and it is today that next great generation of drakken starts,”
At this, he grab one of the nearby gems, his massive hands easily able to wrap around her upper arm.
“To the victor goes the spoils!”
Due to the rather large harvest, the royal family had picked out several guards who had accompanied the caravan from Shadow Worth to assist in helping hand out the prizes. Several, if not all, of the girls had been chosen for particular people so it had been made incredibly clear that no mixups or mistakes would be tolerated in handing them out. To help keep clarity, each one of the guards had been assigned anywhere from two to five girls that they were in charge of handling, having memorized each of their destinations beforehand.
Being the first guard in the line, a man stepped forward and wrapped his hand around the arm of a brunette who wore the nastiest of glares. Usually such an expression would grant her punishment of some sort, or at the very least a stern talking to. This particular girl, however, seemed to wear the look well. It could be argued that it made her stand out, more attractive even as it was in stark contrast to some of her softer facial features. Such things were none of his business and completely out of his hands as he was just the delivery boy in this instance. He was just happy that she chose not to put up any real fight as he led her away from the line.
Luckily for the guard, his charge was being delivered to an unmistakable name. Zakroti of house Unalim, a member of a rather influential family and rather skilled tactician if the rumors rang true. He had been told ahead of time of the man’s shorter stature, but he had not quite prepared enough for witnessing it in person. Maintaining a professional front, the guard approached Zakroti and his entourage with the Gem in his grip, stopping slightly short to bow his head respectfully.
“Welcome back Lord Zakroti. On behalf of the royal family please allow me to extend our most sincere congratulations. By the glory of the King, may she serve you well.” The guard raised his head from its bowed position, moving his arm in a way that forced the girl forward a few more steps toward her new master before letting her go. From this point on, her life would be in the hands of the man she had just been handed over to, she was no longer his concern.
“His majesty Gaelnesh also sends a message. He was saddened to hear about the events that transpired last year and regrets the outcome. It is his hope that this girl will suffice as a replacement for what was lost. That is all.” There wasn’t much of the message that the guard understood, but it was assumed that Zakroti would as no explanations were given to supplement the delivery. Bowing his head once more, the guard made his way back to the line in order to continue delivering the brides to their new homes.
Evienne approached the pair with a single Gem in her clutches, all indications of injuries hidden by cloth and posture. The girl she held in her hands was a beautiful creature with silvery hair and lilac eyes, bearing a posture of confidence Azilon had not been expecting. Eyes flashing briefly over Rya, the princess turned her gaze back up to Azilon before speaking.
“We’ve been expecting you for some time now, Azilon Dantanath. We were beginning to worry that we had offended you in some way, glad to see you’ve finally come around. It seems you’ve been pretty busy on your own though, tell me little Gem… Are there any new additions to the Dantanath name on the way?” The woman smirked, eyes reflecting a cruel sense of mischief as she laughed.
Seemingly unamused, Azilon shook his head and gritted his teeth against the displeasure he felt at being forced into such a situation.
“You have my apologies, I did not know my absence would be so apparent. As for this one here, she still has a little ways to go before she’s to my liking for such an endeavour. I’m sure you will be well informed should that change.” Azilon was starting to get antsy, not quite used to being around so many people for such an extended period of time. Sensing his unease, Evienne nodded her head and accepted his response without further inquiries.
“Glad to see that your brother will not be stealing all the spotlight this year. For you, may she bear you many strong heirs.” Just about pushing the young woman forward, Evienne waved her hand before making her retreat back towards the line to retrieve her next charge.
Out of the corner of his eye, Gaelnesh kept tabs on the room to ensure nothing was out of place. Between the brides being handed out by those other than his own hands, and the attack that had summoned him home early, the high prince was a little on edge. He was certain not to let it show, however, maintaining a poise that spoke of only power and absolute certainty in his place.
While his daughter delivered a bride to Azilon, and another guard made his way toward Zakroti, Gaelnesh motioned for two of the girls in line to follow him. He didn’t bother grabbing them to escort them, somewhat confident that their experiences at Shadow Worth were enough to ensure their obedience. Just to be certain, a single guard trailed behind the girls as a reminder to keep moving forward.
Approaching the man that was to be their husband, Gaelnesh grinned and greeted the Drakkan with a great deal of respect. The high prince was rather familiar with some of the man’s exploits as a youth, having famously marched into the Gem lands to take his brides as he saw fit before the laws had been put in place, and the reaping put under the control of the royal family. Keregar was only a few years younger than the prince, and just about as tall too, truly an impressive sight to those around him. Despite being younger, however, it seemed the events of his life had weighed him down, giving him a jaded air that aged him considerably.
“Ah, Keregar. It’s been some time, you’ve been well I hope? Word of your sons’ accomplishments have reached us and we are quite proud, I expect to be hosting them here sometime soon. Your family has more than earned these two, may they bring you many fine additions to the bloodline.” The prince snapped his fingers, prompting the girls to either step forward on their own or to be pushed by the guard hovering behind them.
Either way, the girls were exchanged from the prince’s side to Keregar’s where they would remain for the rest of their lives. Whether he kept them for himself or gifted them to his sons was up to him, Gaelnesh only hoped that they were satisfactory as he really did appreciate the man and his efforts for the royal family.
“I have to say though, it’s getting difficult to tell whether Krenta is displaying wisdom for keeping you among us… Or if you are so accomplished as a warrior that he cannot defeat you in battle. I look forward to many more years of fighting alongside you.” Gaelnesh allowed a hearty laugh at the joke, poking fun at the man’s rising age before taking his leave.
Following the lead of his fellow comrades, a rather young looking guard stood with a Gem in either hand. He would have liked to think that the girls feared their destination more than he did, however, they only had to fear the unknown… The guard had heard the rumors about the man that was to receive the two prizes he was delivering, and none painted the man in a kind light.
The Grave Warden they called him. A terrifying man with a reputation for violence far beyond what was called for. It didn’t seem to matter to him who it was, as long as blood could be spilled, Heccarim was likely to be at the center of it. The guard did his best to seem like he was in complete control if for no one other than the two girls he was escorting from the line to their doom.
“I would suggest that you two be on your best behavior.” He said softly, attempting to warn the pair for what was to come. It seemed like such a shame to the young man, a waste even to hand over such prizes to a man that was more likely to kill them in the first night than breed with them. One of the two girls looked like she had a stronger personality, so he felt like she might be able to survive for a little before succumbing… maybe even long enough to impress the man, who could tell? It was the other one he worried for, a small blonde girl whose body he could feel trembling in his hand already. There didn’t seem to be much hope for her, he only prayed that Krenta would take her quickly.
Finally nearing his destination, the guard was quick to bow his head, stammering his way through his predetermined speech.
“H-hello, S-s-sir... ” He started, doing his best to look anywhere but the man’s eyes. It was his hope that if he avoided eye contact, he would be allowed to make it back without injury.
“B-by the glory of the King… M-may they bring y-you many strong ones, er… sons.” The guard gave one final look before simply releasing the girls and hightailing it back into the crowd out of the sight of the beast.
Another more seasoned guard watched with a fair bit of amusement as one of their rookies was charged with delivering brides to a more infamous fellow. He had to stifle his laughter as he watched the poor sap shake his way over to the mysterious man, clearly flustered as he had to address him, and quickly make his retreat with a tail tucked between his legs. If the guard had to be honest he couldn’t blame the kid for abandoning the girls as quickly as possible, the man was truly frightening. He was just glad it wasn’t him who had to deliver the two. Instead he was in charge of a single Gem, a cute little thing that was to be delivered to a married couple who, if what he had been told was accurate, conceived a drakkan-born child on their own. Quite a rarity they were if that was the case.
“I’d say luck is on your side Gem. You could be one of those two unfortunate souls. Such a pity.” He mused out loud, not really speaking to the girl in particular but making sure she was paying attention. Moving her forward, the guard approached the couple, bowing his head to each one in turn as was customary for a pair of their stature.
“By the glory of the King.” The guard spoke, gently guiding the girl forward to present for the couple’s inspection.
“His majesty regrets being unable to greet you in person, however, he has instructed to me to extend his deepest apologies. His majesty Gaelnesh has also heard about the birth of your child, he extends his congratulations along with the hope that this Gem might bear you many more strong children. Good evening to you both.” With a final bow, the guard left the girl in their care giving her not even a second thought as he returned to his usual duties.
Ehkota wasn’t one to let all the others have the fun, as this was one of the greatest opportunities to gather support to his side. Easily swayed was a mind when being showered with compliments and gifts, and if he was going to compete with his brother he was going to have to step up his game just a bit. Having tucked away the Gem he had pulled aside before for safe keeping, the younger prince plucked another Gem from the line and sauntered over to one of the more youthful faces in the lineup.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the famed weapons maker.” The prince looked over the man with an appraising look, eyebrow raised curiously before he broke out into a grin. It seemed that the Reaping had summoned more than a few attractive individuals to the capital, and this man was definitely among them. He looked to be a little younger than the prince himself was, but that wasn’t much of a bother, he just hoped that his nuisance of a niece wasn’t around to interfere this time around.
“I do hope that you’ll be sticking around the capital for a little while longer. I should like to see some of your… wares before long.” Ehkota maintained his smile as he twirled the small Gem around, sending her off in the direction of the youth.
“On behalf of the King, your prize. If you need anything of me feel free to let one of my guards know, they’ll bring you through. See you around.” His words were just shy of a wink as he retreated, feeling as if he had sufficiently gotten his point across and eager to continue handing out the bribes… Or brides rather. Next up would have been an acquaintance of the youth, perhaps even more so, as he waved his guard onward.
Following not too far behind the younger prince was another nameless face in the crowd, one of Ehkota’s personal guards accompanying him with a Gem for another Drakkan. Before he was able to make it to his destination, the guard was held up by the prince as he spoke to the young man. A personal invitation had been extended to the man from the royal, something that he was going to have to commit to memory in case the man really did come calling. He wouldn’t have been surprised, as he was by no means the first, but it was still rather annoying to have to remember so many faces so that they may be seen through in discretion. Nodding his acknowledgements, the guard bowed his head to the young man he recalled to be named Zevi.
The encounter did not last all that long, however, before Ehkota was beckoning him forth to the new owner of the Gem he had been in charge of escorting. This particular man stood in contrast to the other they had spoken too, the first being rather pretty and quite Gem like in certain appearances, the second rather hulking and imposing in his posture. Pure strength seemed to radiate from the man as if he bore too much, his body unable to contain it all. If anyone at the event looked like they belonged, this man certainly qualified.
Ehkota stepped up to do most of the talking for this one, saving the guard from having to expend any extra effort, something he didn’t mind in the least.
“And you must be Vonnath Mors, am I right?” The younger prince feigned slight ignorance, knowing full well who it was who stood before him.
“You’re quite impressive yourself, you know? Rumor has it that you’ve turned Zevi here into a fine young Drakkan worthy of the bride he was just handed. May you bring the power of Drakka into this creature as well.” He cooed, the guard stepping forward on cue to present the Gem bride with a bowed head of his own.
“By the glory of the King.” The guard spoke, relinquishing the girl before returning to Ehkota’s side, following closely behind the prince as he made his way back up to the front of the room.
After having finished delivering a couple of other brides, Gaelnesh returned to the line of Gem brides to pick up a beauty whose very skin appeared to carry the scent of the sea with her. The guard that had accompanied him previously tapped the shoulder of the Gem, a silent order to start moving while the prince led the way. This particular beauty was chosen for a particularly difficult situation that Gaelnesh was hoping to address in good faith.
Kaivor, a man who had displayed incredible strength on and off the battlefield. Even his father was a name that Gaelnesh knew, having been told about the exploits of the war from his father. If he wasn’t mistaken, the man had died during the war with the Anathos but he had left behind quite the legacy. It seemed, however, that the seizing of power by the now King hadn’t sat very well with that said legacy, something they were not so silent about.
Approaching the man, Gaelnesh decided it was best if he bowed his own head rather than waiting for the man across from him to do so. Additionally, he restrained his smile to a less familiar but still friendly expression, tone as neutral as possible.
“I was quite surprised to hear that you would be accepting our invitation to the capital this year, but I am glad that you did so. Now I can properly express my gratitude for all the hard work you’ve put into maintaining Drakka’s borders. It is my hope that you will accept this bride as a token of such gratitude, an everlasting tie between country and crown.” The high prince motioned to the girl to come forth, presenting the bride himself before bowing his head and leaving the man with his toy.
Grabbing two Gem brides from the line rather quickly, and perhaps a little more roughly than intended, one of the guards was quick to usher them forward. Impatient with their lack of speed he resorted to nearly dragging the pair, lifting them up enough so that he was mostly in control of their movements until he made his way to stand before the Drakkan that would be receiving them.
“Beastmaster.” The guard’s voice cut clearly through the ever growing chaos of the room, expression nor tone particularly kind.
“Your father speaks most highly of your accomplishments, says your creatures are the beasts of legends. The royal family is delighted to have you back.” His face twisted into what could only be described as a sneer as he delved into a mock bow. While his words were true enough, the guard just couldn’t wrap his head around how such a man was eligible to show up and hog not one, but two brides. After all, it was to his knowledge that the man had to have his father petition for him, using someone else’s prestige and standing with the royal family in order to reap the benefits. It was a disgrace in his opinion, but he wasn’t a prince and thus had no say in the matter. All he had to do was deliver the brides and be done with it.
“May these creatures bend and behave to your will just as your beasts do.” Without another word the guard shoved the two girls forward with enough force to cause them to stumble, turning on his heel and returning to work he deemed far more important.
“Wilhelm!” Bellowed the voice of one of the more veteran guards as he shuffled a pair of girls from their places in line over to the Drakkan in question. While he could not confidently say they were friends, the guard was more than a little familiar with the man’s antics, having been witness to his fair share of the youth’s duels.
“I see the royals have finally decided to recognize your prowess, a joyous day indeed. The crown has asked if I would extend their gratitude at your continued support and provide to you these beauties as thanks for your service to the crown.” The man grinned as he all but pushed the girls forward toward their new lord and master.
“May these Gems allow you to sire many powerful children to carry on with your impressive legacy. Should you require anything else, you need only ask m’lord.” With a courteous bow, the guard took his leave from the man so that he may become more acquainted the with the two girls that had just been dropped off into his care. What was to become of them was anyone’s guess as none knew how Wilhelm handled his private matters, once they left the capital it wasn’t all that likely that they would ever be seen again but who knew? Perhaps the brides would get to venture father than his regular servants?
Ehkota swept across the room, gathering and leading on the last of the girls through the crowd. Already the ranks of the Drakkan were thinning. A few had chosen to stay behind and indulge in the feast that was prepared for every Reaping, and that had appeared at some point during all of the commotion. It was, however, difficult to ignore how empty the room had become in such a short time. There had been hope that a few more would have stayed, but at the very least it seemed that this year’s harvest had created quite a stir of excitement, plenty of men chomping at the bit to play with their new toys.
The prince came to a stop just a few feet away from the Kinner he had spoken to at the small little shop, just a day or so prior. Stooping down to whisper into the ear of one of the Gems, he watched with a small amount of amusement as her face twisted with confusion before he led her the rest of the way.
“My friend! I trust the tournament was to your liking? I won’t keep you too long as I’m sure you are eager to inspect your prize. It is my hope that you enjoy her and if not, well, you know where to find me.” He waved with a smile before sauntering off once again, taking the remainder of the girls onward, handing one over to a guard before disappearing with the rest.
Having spent the last few minutes staring at Ordic from afar, the particularly short guard finally composed himself enough to guide his charge over to the man. It really was strange to see someone like him at a ceremony such as this, as each of the girls were being handed over as brides. While he had to admit that he didn’t know a whole lot about the order that Ordic hailed from, the guard was fairly certain that it was against their beliefs to take Gems as such. Stepping forward, the man bowed graciously, holding the girl that was to be his prize out in front of him.
“If you’ll pardon my brashness, it is more than a little surprising to have someone from your order requesting a bride. While you deserve nothing less, it does make one wonder what it is that has inspired such a change. Perhaps it is the wisdom that your order cannot regenerate itself as well as it once has?” He stated, giving the man a final look before passing along the brown haired Gem.
“All reasons aside, the crown recognises your importance to Drakka. May this reward help replenish and inspire the rest of your order.” Nodding his head, the guard took his leave having delivered the last of his charges. For his work he would be compensated with a feast, separate from the main one, set up just for the guards who had travelled from Shadow Worth with the brides and their prince.
“By the glory of the King and the true gods, we take what is rightly ours. Take tonight to enjoy your rewards. We will meet again tomorrow to continue the celebrations!”
