âŋxxxâŋxxxâŋ
And it's your dream to be the king of all creation
As far as I'm concerned you've hung your shadow on the wall
And though your fingers never really pulled the trigger
Your hands are just as guilty,
You're the one who bought the blood
DIALOGUE #800000 â THOUGHTS #6d6d6d
xxx
xxxxxAdelaide had been keeping a close eye on her father since they arrived in the audience room. She had taken only a moment to survey her surroundings- Addie had been in dozens of similar throne rooms, and the luxury was familiar to her like it wasn't to many of her peers. She looked to the King for approval- she had been a Guardian for three weeks now, a feat neither of his other children had accomplished. However, the man hadn't given her a sideways glance since they'd been led in like sheep to be watched and discussed by the nobles and priests. Addie was used to these affairs; she had an endless tolerance for small talk and fancy dresses. Her mind, on the other hand, was whirling with thoughts of the Divines. She'd been going through the motions for almost a month now, but still hadn't gotten a glimpse of her partner, the first Divine.
As much training as she'd done, and even though she'd been picked as one of the final four Guardians, Adelaide still felt unprepared. From an outside view, she and the Priestess's boy probably looked the most at home here- but the princess hated being out of control. She had a few castle servants posted around the grounds keeping an eye on things, and one or two officials who owed her a favor in case something went terribly wrong, but it wasn't enough to soothe her nerves entirely. She shifted her weight slightly, feeling the stiffness of a hidden knife pressing against her calf.
Addie didn't dare break her poise, but surveyed her companions with a stoic air. The other three Guardians were an eclectic mix of people. To her right was Lord Valerys, part of the massive and convoluted bloodline stemming from the Priestess. The Guardians hadn't gotten much unsupervised time together, but Adelaide saw a kindred spirit in the boy. Both had been raised with high expectations, in close proximity to royalty and power. The two had been familiar with each other long before they had entered Guardian training, in fact, since the church and state were so closely tied. He was intelligent and observant, and a worthy opponent in battle- someone who truly deserved the title of Guardian.
The other two, Addie was less sure about. Junichi and Galaya were both commoners, giving them little esteem from the start. However, the princess knew better than to underestimate a street rat- they were fierce, and clever gamblers. Neither struck her as outright poor, though. Galaya had been an orphan, and Junichi the younger brother of one of the previous Guardians. Both were much more reluctant to interact with her, and the blonde seemed outright intimidated. From the brief interactions she'd had with Junichi, he'd seemed to have something to prove- a chip on his shoulder that kept him driven and dedicated. She respected that, sure, but he was also abrasive and reclusive. Addie hoped that he wouldn't cause any trouble for the rest of them with his stubbornness and need to prove himself. She could understand having a desire to be validated, but there was a right way to go about it- and Junichi was going the absolute wrong way.
Galaya, on the other hand, was a mystery. She was small and fragile, and looked completely out of place among royals and priests. Adelaide hadn't been able to figure out what reason the girl had for pursuing a Guardian role- she lacked the bold charisma or strategic cunning that the other three shared. Galaya seemed to simply want to be there. The girl was sweet enough, and there was something refreshing about her- like a salty ocean breeze among crowded city fumes. Adelaide almost found herself drawn to protect the girl- even though being a Guardian meant that she could take care of herself, in whatever manner it happened to be.
Adelaide's attention returned to the king as all of the officials filed into place. Was it finally time? Dozens of sets of eyes turned to the ornate doors, and the tension in the room thickened. This was what they had been waiting for, all this time. They'd read scrolls, taken tests, undergone rituals, all for this moment.
But did anyone truly feel ready?
xxxxxAdelaide had been keeping a close eye on her father since they arrived in the audience room. She had taken only a moment to survey her surroundings- Addie had been in dozens of similar throne rooms, and the luxury was familiar to her like it wasn't to many of her peers. She looked to the King for approval- she had been a Guardian for three weeks now, a feat neither of his other children had accomplished. However, the man hadn't given her a sideways glance since they'd been led in like sheep to be watched and discussed by the nobles and priests. Addie was used to these affairs; she had an endless tolerance for small talk and fancy dresses. Her mind, on the other hand, was whirling with thoughts of the Divines. She'd been going through the motions for almost a month now, but still hadn't gotten a glimpse of her partner, the first Divine.
As much training as she'd done, and even though she'd been picked as one of the final four Guardians, Adelaide still felt unprepared. From an outside view, she and the Priestess's boy probably looked the most at home here- but the princess hated being out of control. She had a few castle servants posted around the grounds keeping an eye on things, and one or two officials who owed her a favor in case something went terribly wrong, but it wasn't enough to soothe her nerves entirely. She shifted her weight slightly, feeling the stiffness of a hidden knife pressing against her calf.
Addie didn't dare break her poise, but surveyed her companions with a stoic air. The other three Guardians were an eclectic mix of people. To her right was Lord Valerys, part of the massive and convoluted bloodline stemming from the Priestess. The Guardians hadn't gotten much unsupervised time together, but Adelaide saw a kindred spirit in the boy. Both had been raised with high expectations, in close proximity to royalty and power. The two had been familiar with each other long before they had entered Guardian training, in fact, since the church and state were so closely tied. He was intelligent and observant, and a worthy opponent in battle- someone who truly deserved the title of Guardian.
The other two, Addie was less sure about. Junichi and Galaya were both commoners, giving them little esteem from the start. However, the princess knew better than to underestimate a street rat- they were fierce, and clever gamblers. Neither struck her as outright poor, though. Galaya had been an orphan, and Junichi the younger brother of one of the previous Guardians. Both were much more reluctant to interact with her, and the blonde seemed outright intimidated. From the brief interactions she'd had with Junichi, he'd seemed to have something to prove- a chip on his shoulder that kept him driven and dedicated. She respected that, sure, but he was also abrasive and reclusive. Addie hoped that he wouldn't cause any trouble for the rest of them with his stubbornness and need to prove himself. She could understand having a desire to be validated, but there was a right way to go about it- and Junichi was going the absolute wrong way.
Galaya, on the other hand, was a mystery. She was small and fragile, and looked completely out of place among royals and priests. Adelaide hadn't been able to figure out what reason the girl had for pursuing a Guardian role- she lacked the bold charisma or strategic cunning that the other three shared. Galaya seemed to simply want to be there. The girl was sweet enough, and there was something refreshing about her- like a salty ocean breeze among crowded city fumes. Adelaide almost found herself drawn to protect the girl- even though being a Guardian meant that she could take care of herself, in whatever manner it happened to be.
Adelaide's attention returned to the king as all of the officials filed into place. Was it finally time? Dozens of sets of eyes turned to the ornate doors, and the tension in the room thickened. This was what they had been waiting for, all this time. They'd read scrolls, taken tests, undergone rituals, all for this moment.
But did anyone truly feel ready?