”The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
The early morning rays shone brightly through the slotted windows etched into the castle walls, glinting mesmerizingly off of the slightly-pink tips of hair peeking out ever-so-slightly from the top of the covers that hid a mound on the single bed that sat within the room that one were to look upon. The mound stirred, followed by a small, muffled sound of annoyance, and for the briefest of moments the pink tips disappeared before reappearing again, followed by the rest of the light orange tufts attached to them. This also revealed a boyishly charming face and large, interesting eyes, mixed with hues of both green and orange, that were currently blinking blearily against the morning light that filtered so brightly into the young man’s eyes. Lifting a hand, he rubbed at his left eye and yawned slightly, adding to the boyish charm that was already held within his features, and then stretched in such a way that an onlooker would be reminded of that of a cat.
Scratching his lower back, he threw back the covers and moved his legs over the side of the bed, shivering slightly as the room temperature hit his bare skin, goosebumps and hairs rising at the sudden change from warmth to chill. As he rose, he stretched once more, lithely, letting out a soft groan as he did so, his bones cracking slightly in the process, before he sighed and relaxed, dropping his arms once more to his sides and scratching his back again. It didn’t take him long to dress, ensuring to don his ever-present broadsword in its sheath at his hip, and with a quick splash of men’s perfume and an equally swift brush of his teeth and hair, the young man retrieved his shoulder bag, slipped it over his head, and easily made his way from his room.
This routine was not an uncommon one for young Ryder Veldine; in fact, this was quite literally his daily routine. Unless his Queen requested otherwise, he was generally awake with the early sun’s rays, readied fairly quickly, saw to any business that required his attention, and was outside of her chamber doors ready to assist her as soon as she awoke as well. ‘Tis the requirement of the Queen’s Royal Advisor, he presumed. En route to the kitchens portion of the castle, he detoured slightly to make a stop by the royal accountant's offices and have a brief word with the older gentleman who handled the finances in there, simply to go over the papers that Ryder had submitted the day before. After ensuring that everything had been in order and nothing was out of place in his calculations, he accepted the finalized reports from the accountant, gave him a respectful bow, slipped the reports into his bag, and retreated from the man's office. Making one last deviation in his route, Ryder slipped into the royal library, his chin dipping ever-so-slightly in greetings to the librarian currently organizing a stack of books. They nodded absentmindedly in return, clearly more than accustomed to his presence in that room, not missing even a single beat in their movements as they did so. It was quick work for him to retrieve the book from his bag and return it to its proper place on the fifth shelf up, the third row down, only to snag a new book from the second shelf up in the same row. Scrawled neatly across the leather front of it were the words Quae astris praesentiuntur Astronomia, and with a satisfied smile, he slipped it into his bag and made his way easily from the library, his little side trips complete.
Stopping by the kitchens along the way to retrieve his breakfast, as well as the maid who was to deliver Queen’s afternoon tea, Ryder nodded hello to the cooks. He noted with piqued interest that there was a new face in the kitchen, and reminded himself to ask the Queen about the new staff member later. He nibbled on his bread and mutton as he walked, giving a slight tilt of the head in greeting to servants as he passed them in the large halls of the castle on his pathing to the Queen’s throne. The maid did not attempt to chat with him, as she was well accustomed to not only his own personally quiet nature but also the kingdom as a whole’s tendency to no speak to many of the men who were in service to the Queen - something that someone as astute as he had not failed to miss. Why this was so, however, he hadn’t a clue.
As Ryder walked, he reviewed the previous day's events in his head, in case his Queen was to inquire what he had accomplished, although he had already given her his reports before retiring for the evening before.
The day had been a simple one, as the tasks that his Queen had entrusted to him had been few and easily done, and his job generally entailed advising the Queen when she requested his input on situations as she seemed to value his opinion given his educational background. However, he did frequently offer to assist her with other tasks, in an effort to lighten the load on her shoulders, and would often be seen out and about performing duties on her behalf that she either did not have the time or the inclination herself to do.
Ryder had been sent to the local orphanage to gather documents on their current orphans, for what the Queen explained was an effort to find homes for the children in need. He then was sent to collect taxes from the shops in the northern shopping district of the city, followed by delivering the monthly royal donations to each church that was currently within city limits. Following that, he was to document all funds that were transferred between the shops, his hands, the castle, and the church, and submit these all to the royal account for filing, before reporting the final profit directly to the Queen herself.
Polishing off the last bite of bread and mutton, Ryder took a swig of water from his canteen on his hip opposite his sword, cleared his throat, and paused outside of the Queen’s throne room alongside the maid as well as the two ever-present guards who stood on each side of the large, ornately designed doors. Jerking his chin up a bit in greeting to them - it was clear that he was a man of few words, and this was a common way for him to say hello - he leaned slightly to the side to listen, noting that he could hear the slightly muffled voices of the Queen and who he immediately recognized as Sir Adrian Wells. It was obvious that they were still deep into discussion, so he straightened once more, hands clasped behind his back, and prepared to wait until she had finished and beckoned him inside.
It was around five minutes later that he heard the approaching footsteps of a man and the doors to the great hall were pushed open. Eyes briefly meeting Sir Wells’, he noted the man’s strained features, and although he was known for being more so the stoic type, perhaps equal in seriousness to Ryder at times, it was rare to see him under such duress. He would have to ask one of his Birds what had happened; they always knew. Brushing the thought aside and turning his focus back to the now-open doors, he smoothed back his hair in an attempt to somewhat tidy the mess that it always was and made his way inside, a small smile on his face - as large of a smile that really anyone could get out of him anymore, other than his books. He strode directly towards Ivelda, immediately dropping to one knee before her and taking her hand with his, his other arm behind his back, and gently placed his lips to her fingers.
”My beautiful Queen; as always, it is a glorious morning that I am truly blessed to be given the opportunity to awaken and arise, to immediately see your beautiful and youthful face,” he practically purred, his voice dripping like fresh honey on honeycomb. Finally turning his soft, unique gaze up to hers, that small, impish smile remained on his lips as he rose to his full height before her, only to bow forward at the hips, one arm cast out at his side and the other folded around his hips. ”I come with one of the servants, bearing your morning tea. Please, drink and be nourished, as the kingdom requires you to remain strong and healthy in order to lead and prosper.”
Straightening once more, Ryder stepped slightly to the side to allow the maid access to the Queen and the desk that she was to eat her breakfast at. As she approached, Ryder kept a watchful eye on her, his gaze wary and alert, yet his stature giving off the appearance of someone relaxed and unprepared. The girl, no older than possibly thirteen or fourteen years old, set the food down, clearly too fearful to even raise her gaze and look at the Queen, cast a dutiful yet quick curtsy in regards to the higher up, before quickly scurrying from the large chambers.
After watching her leaving and ensuring the doors shut behind her, Ryder returned his gaze to his Queen as she lifted her tea. He studied her as she sipped at it, admiring her ethereal beauty, before he averted his gaze. He stood at her side, as per his norm, awaiting any orders or anything she should wish of him.