Dark Nation

Gethen flew through the Dark nation to where her father would be lingering surrounded by those grotesque council members- all of them were grotesque for the moment for all of them had throughly upset her. Zenith was streaming along behind her his sleeve still snagged in her iron grip.
Many things to say to her father were presenting themselves forth in her mind but with each idea she imagined a way her father or annoyingly the council could retort.
Coming to the right door Gethen released her brothers arm and without hesitation shoved forcefully on the two heavy, twin doors watching them swing inwards dramatically with an eerie creek. The councils dorm. The fireplace was as always alive with a raging blaze everything within 10 foot of it sent into a red glow gradually fading out to orange and then darkness at the fringes of the behemothic room. A large amount of council members were looming in different areas of the room posing in many different angles towards the door their faces half pitched in the darkness of the early morn. Some where ancient and the wrinkles on their faces were defined in the fire light, others were younger and with half of their statutes dim and mysterious and the other half glowing red if there were such things as demons Gethen would believe they were it.
Amongst them she searched for her fathers intimidating posture and instead her eyes were drawn to the only female one present.
Mother.
Gethen turned her eyes to zenith suddenly anxious. Her speech was for her father not her mother.

Stella set down her tea cup and smiled at Layla. “Maybe that wish could come true. I hear the fire nation technology is amazing, perhaps you could see me married one day. Though I get the feeling you have a better chance of seeing again than of me marrying!...oh wait…the arrangements… You still have a better chance probably!” Bouncing up off the bed, and with the dark magic wolf hot on her heels. “Well then, what do you say we go find Gethen. I have a feeling if they sent someone to size me up; my sister is in the same situation.” With a quick trip to her wardrobe to pull on a set of heels, Stella waited for Layla before she set off out the door with her shoes clicking down the underground hall. Heels were not her most favorite shoes to wear, but she knew it was easier for Layla to find her with the clicks they emitted as she walked.

As the odd group walked in search of any of the other royal siblings, Stella was happy to hear Zenith and Gethen’s voice from the room up ahead of them; though the feeling quickly changed as she heard her mother’s voice resonating from the same room. “Oh boy, here we go.” Quickly walking towards the door and entering, she just caught the end of her older brother’s sentence. Glancing between her siblings and her mother, Stella could only shake her head as the wolf sat down beside her as she turned to Gethen. “I take it the measuring tape greeted you this morning as well then.”

Layla smiled and laughed at her friend’s joke. “Oh, come now you need to have a better attitude about all of this my dear princess.” She stayed seated, listening as Stella went to her wardrobe and put on her heels. It always made Layla feel special when she wore those shoes, it was silly but she knew the princess despised them and only wore them for the sake of helping her keep up.

Following her out the door quickly, she stayed close behind as the ever present shadow. She heard the voice of the prince and soon it was followed by the queen. Taking a deep breath before she followed her friend in, she made sure her face was focused towards the ground despite the fact she couldn’t see the royals either way. It was proper respect and of course Layla was always the prime example of a good little servant girl.

Stella stayed quiet as Gethen and Zenith spoke, only to narrow her gaze at their mother’s words. It would be a sunny spring day in the Dark Nation before she went along with an arrangement because her mother said so; and she would happily assist the wind princess in kicking her brother if he forcefully treated her like a sack of dirt you drag around, not that she would ever expect that from her brother.

Hearing someone else enter the room, Stella turned to see Vincent enter; and could only give a smirk at his comment. “It appears so. Welcome to the party, feel free to join in.” With a small smile at Zenith absently scratching her wolf, the flicker of a smile was quickly wiped away with his question. “Thrilled would not be my choice of word for it, that’s for sure. To put it simply, the Water Nation would have one less prince capable of producing an heir if I was forced into a marriage. Though I am not turning down the gathering all together. It would be unfair to turn someone down without meeting him first, and if fate has a sense of humor I could possibly fall for him.” Scratching the dark wolf with a shrug, she glanced at her siblings with a sly smile. “If anything, it would give us a chance to see something besides the caves we’ve grown to know by heart.”

With the honest truth out of her system, and the dread of her mother’s reaction to it, Stella wasn’t prepared for the booming voice of her father. “When did he get here!” she whispered between her teeth to Layla. She had been in a bad mood and showed her stubborn little self to her mother; but dealing with the entire family was another story. As everyone was told to leave, Stella quickly grabbed Layla’s hand. It probably appeared to be out of more stubbornness; but she needed her friend there right now. Despite being headstrong on opinions, she was still just a young girl after all. “She might as well stay, she’ll hear everything later. This will just save me the trouble of repeating everything.” Throwing a ‘please let me get away with this one’ smile at her father, Stella walked over to a seat and sat down; gripping onto the blind girl’s hand like it was a life line.

“Nothing has changed,” He stated, his mouth falling into a thin line of disapproval. “Are you excited to take your Wind Princess kicking and screaming here?”

Vincent turned towards his brother and gave a short laugh, “You’ve hit the nail on the head.” He grinned smugly at his brother, leaning against the cold stone wall behind him.

Hearing someone else enter the room, Stella turned to see Vincent enter; and could only give a smirk at his comment. “It appears so. Welcome to the party, feel free to join in.”

Vincent nodded at Stella but said nothing, listening to what she then said to Zenith. He did agree it would be a nice chance to see the rest of the world for once, but he would never admit to it.

“Calm yourselves!” a deep, throaty voice boomed, belonging to the bear of a man who strode into the well-lit room.

Vincent’s dark eyes flicked to the direction of the voice and he tensed slightly at the sight of his father, the King, and leaned further against the wall in the hopes that the shadows would hide his tall figure. The King shouted for the servants to leave, which they quickly did, and then demanded that he and his siblings take their seats.

"Now that everyone is here," He began, warily pacing behind the seats, "We can formally discuss the matters at hand. Without petty complaints."

Vincent watched his father hesitantly and then pushed himself off the wall, walking confidently across the room. His leather jacket moved with his body, blending in the with shadows around them. He took his seat, leaning back casually in the chair, and turned his head to look at the King. Vincent hardly wanted to discuss anything with his family at the moment. He knew what was expected of him and that was all he needed to know… he’d rather be drinking than stuck in this room discussing his future.

“For generations,” Garion began, “War has ruled over each Nation, its' become something akin to every day life. It's unavoidable and unnecessary. I believe that peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it and move on, to adapt. I believe that these marriages are as ridiculous as they sound, but they ARE necessary. I believe that it is something we cannot escape. And it does not matter what I believe!” His voice grew louder and he fought to keep it steady, the King's fist curling into a fist. “Peace is a necessity. Protecting our Nation and our people, this is what we are born and destined to do,” He expressed, finding himself leaning forward in his chair. “Our opinions mean little to what has been cemented into tradition, into history. The more you fight against it, the more our Nation suffers.”

Vincent sat quietly and listened. While he wasn’t the type to hold his tongue, he did know the importance of choosing ones battles and this was not a battle he could win. So, instead of cursing and condemning the tradition, he remained silent and stared at his parents with an unwavering dark gaze.

"You cannot be selfish. You are no longer children to be pampered mindlessly by maids, no longer will someone wipe your nose for you"

Vincent smiled to himself for a brief moment, holding back the desire to tell his mother just how well his maid had “pampered” him not just a few hours ago… but decided it may not be the best idea to taunt his mother.

"Think this... in only a few hours you will be attending the gathering traditionally held every 20 years. In a few hours you will be meeting the other royalty of nations and we will be attending with you. Not only will you be meeting your future husbands and wives but their mothers and fathers and some of them our brothers and sisters. We expect you to behave like royalty. At the gathering you are still the royal youth of the Dark nation so you will be representing us as you still will be when you Gethen and Stella go to live with the water nation. Me and your father expect the upmost behaviour from all four of you otherwise..." her eyes glinted in the fire light where she'd perched herself on the arm of Garion's chair. "There will be consequences"

Vincent nodded his head once, stretching in his seat, “Sounds like a plan, mother dear.” He said shortly, running a hand through his thick messy waves, “You have my word that I will act like a perfect gentleman.” He added, mockingly placing a hand over his heart while raising the other as though he was taking an oath.

Gethen looked between her father and mother her expression helplessly pleading as her eyes focused maining on her father, her eyesbrows furrowed with sadness, her lips shaped with unhappiness. "Please father. I dont want to leave the nation. I dont want to marry a water nation prince. I'd rather marry Hanza!" She looked about the others for some aid. "Say we go to this gathering and the princes are ghastly- can we stay here- cant you call it off? Force the Princes to move to the Dark nation even so we can be here with you still" Gethen even turned her eyes to her mother. "Please Mother i dont want to go to another Nation- not permanently. Not the water nation. I cannot even swim"

“Gethen, dear, plead all you want. They aren’t going to change their minds. Best come to terms with it, sister.” Vincent said dryly from a few seats down. He had nothing against Gethen, but did think she should have a little more respect for herself and not grovel infront of their parents in the way that she currently was.

“And how are the future rulers of the Water Nation to rule from underground, Gethen?” she asked softly, still staring into the fire. “And I suppose swimming lessons would be a good place for both of us to start. May even be considered blasphemous to the princes and they ship us back underground.” Trying to put a smile on her own face, she could tell it was just as empty as the one in her room that morning. With a final reassuring squeeze to Layla’s hand, Stella turned to their father with the question she honestly did not want answered. “When do we leave?”

Vincent nodded as Stella spoke, agreeing with her, and then looked back to the King and Queen when she asked when they were to leave. He had the distinct feeling that it would be in the very near future (perhaps even that day). His parents knew their children would rebel and telling them last second would force them to go… sneaky sneaky.

Gethen stood sharply at her fathers words intune to Zenith. Her lips colourless as she eyed her parents with fire light inflicted eyes. Without permission to speak further. Without any more support from her submissing siblings. Without the time to change what was happening. The Gathering was in a few hours. Few hours. They certainly had left it till the last minute to inform her of this ridicule tradition. No. They didnt even inform her they just went about measuring her up without a word of explanation she had to find out for herself!

Anger coiled within Gethen like an irritable snake bothered by some pitiful predator who illuded that it could take her on. That's what the water nation was to the dark nation- a pitiful predator! It was like a fly threatening to eat a spider! Why shouldnt there be war. She'd rather sleep on the floor in the middle of a battle field next to the enemy's corpse then marry the enemy and slumber peacefully at his side as some submissive dark nation wife. A submissive wife! Never.

"Well i can certainly tell a lost cause when i see one" She looked from her Father to her Mother and then to her sister and brothers eyes sharp and callous. "Id rather of provoked war here- Now i'll just be doing it alone- out there" her voice quaked as she turned on her heel her rage gradually increasing disabling her from giving any verbal excuse to her parents for departing other than the fact if she stayed she would inflict her thoughts of the entire affair physically with force. Storming from the chamber after Zenith she saw the flocking councillors and snarled at them all. "Im glad to see you're all mildly content with yourselves. You slimy, trechourous cretins! You half witted mongrels from the depth of hell" she slapped out at a few hitting them wildly on the shoulders as she passed and they hunched away snide smiles peeking at the edges of their lips in the dark knowing it was only so long now that they'd have to endure her tempered outbursts. It only infuriated her further as she stalked through the corridoors followed by Hanza who had been one of the crowd hurrying after her.

--- ----

Aedre held herself at her offspring as they reacted to the facts. Unhappiness, polite disarray and barely contained anger flickered before her like young flames before a fire. "Id rather of provoked war here- Now i'll just be doing it alone- out there" Aedre found a hand rubbing Garion's shoulder aggitated. She believe Gethen would. She was like that. Garion would have to talk to her after or before the gathering. Otherwise she would not sleep soundly again knowing her daughters were out there with the other nations content of starting war one way or another. Though Stella and Vincent were still present Aedre rose and smiled down at Garion. "I shall take my leave to get ready for the gathering"