Princess Jessamyn's Story

As Jessamyn rode trough the field she let out a happy laugh and looked back to see Adrianna had slowed almost to a halt. Circling around Jessamyn kicked her horse, Dusk, into a gallop and went back to her friend. Both of them stopping their horses at the same time the princess looked to her friend in question. "What is it? What's wrong Adrianna?" The other young woman sighed. "Jess have you already forgotten that you're supposed to be back by noon?" Jessamyn scowled at her friend. "Of course not! Why would you...." Suddenly Jessamyn looks up and, seeing the sun nearing the midpoint in the sky, she kicks Dusk into motion.

Around an hour later Jessamyn and Adrianna come to stop inside the royal stables. Jumping down from Dusk Jessamyn pats the black stallion's side before handing the reins over to a servant. Behind her, she heard Adrianna speaking to one of the servants about giving the horses carrots but she wait for her friend to finish. Instead, she started towards the exit, knowing that her mother would be upset if she was late for their tea. Though she was silent the whole time it was the only constant time she spent with her family and she knew he mother prized the time.

Back in her quarters, Jessamyn started towards the dressing room with Adrianna close behind her when the vision suddenly hit her. Letting out a soft cry she collapsed to the floor as she saw the pictures fly past far too quickly. When she finally regained her normal sight a small glint of hope shone in Jessamyn's eyes that had not been there before. "He's back..." At Adrianna's confused look Jessamyn clarifies. "My father, the King. He's coming home."

They were a ragged company. Their numbers had lessened greatly during their ardous journey, and their faces were haggard. King Balian's company consisted of knights, men-at-arms, archers and squires and food carriages. All the knights had dents in their armor and wounds. The men-at-arms looked worse and the archers had no arrows left. The squires were skinny and freezing, young boys who seemed to walk as if it was the only thing they could do to keep going. It was plain that they had seen things they would never forget.
The king rode in front of them all, his once crimson cloak now soiled and torn. Despite his condition, there was still a glory to him in his dented armor, black and inlaid with silver.

"What shall we tell them?" His Captain asked as he fell in by his side. "Are we allowed to speak of what we have seen?" For they had seen so many things. Many terrible, haunting things that would follow them to the end of their days. Though... If we see it again, I fear our end may come swifter than we had imagined...

At first it seemed as if the king wasn't going to answer. "First, dear friend, go to your familiy. I'm sure they long to see you, and you them." His eyes rested on the Captain's and he smiled a tired smile. Balian longed to see his daughter and his wife, to hold them in his arms and take in the scent of them, a proof that he was not dead and they still existed. No parent should outlive their children. "The world must know if this. Every Kingdom in Arurion. What we found will doom us all if we are not prepared. War is coming, Captain and we have the good fortune to know the enemy we will be fighting." Balian nodded and urged his horse onwards. "The smallfolk will surely recognize us and know we have returned. On the morrow I will let them know what we have found in the north." A moment passed and the King lost himself in thought while the Captain nodded, understanding. "You must not hold your tongue."


Several of the common folk turned their heads as they rode through the gates. The tower guard shouted down: "The King has returned!"
The crowd began to thicken as more people came to behold their lost king. He did what he could to smile at them, accepting all the roses and flowers that were offered to him and his men, as well as shaking their hands. It seemed to take an infinity to get to the Royal Palace, but eventually, they were there.
Once he had dismounted, he dismissed his men and let them join their families and loved ones. Halfway up the marble steps to the palace he turned around and stretched his arms toward the sky, to calm the crowd. "Citizens of Elalimeth!" His booming voice rang through the air. "I have great and dire news for each and everyone of you." A moment of silence. It was as if their breaths were synchronized. "I will let you know more on the morrow, for we have had a long journey and I too have loved ones I long to see. Pray forgive me." And with that, he turned and walked to the palace.

Balian passed the guards and stepped through the great oaken doors and into the main hall, boots ringing off the black marble floor. It was dim and the grandeur of it all had faded in his absence. Elalimeth would once again become a source of light and he would need to work on having the life blown into his Kingdom again. "Daughter!" he shouted, voice ringing. "Jessamyn!"

Jessamyn struggled to get up, left weak from the vision, and took a few stumbling steps towards the door of her quarters. "Princess! You must rest! If the King is indeed coming he would fall dead seeing you in this state." Though Jessamyn wished to protest she knew her friend was probably right and sighed. "I am glad that I have you Adrianna. If I didn't have you to speak freely with I fear I might have gone mad or fallen ill by now." After sitting for what felt like an eternity but was truly only around 30 minutes Adrianna finally deemed Jessamyn fit to leave her room. After allowing the other young woman to lace her into a corset and a gown Jessamyn finally exited her quarters and quickly descended to the second floor of the palace.

Once she had left the south wing of the castle Jessamyn slowed her pace and drew her shoulders back and her chin up. Outside of the south wing, where the royal family and very important guests were kept, she knew that the eyes of the court were on her. Though it was usually not that bad, her being the third(?) in line for the throne, with her recent visions and her continued silence had affected her reputation within the court. As she reached the main hall Jessamyn heard her father call out to her. "Daughter! Jessamyn!" As he shouted the second time Jessamyn reached the bottom of the stairs she smiled brightly and spoke softly. "Father." Though she spoke softly her voice carried through the air like a melody in the sudden silence of the large room. As she stood a few steps from the staircase a single tear trailed down her face and she wished with all her heart to run to her father but did not. She had always awaited and longed for his return but ever since her visions had started she had also feared his return, unsure what his reaction to her new 'gift' would be.

Tyrannus paced back and forth across the south wing of Elalimeth's castle. He was finally going to fufill his dreams, thee assassination of King Balian.

Tyrannus Hated Balian ever since he broke down the door to his hideout and killed 4 of his best assassins, and friends. It may of been a year ago, but Tyrannus remembered it as if it were yesterday.

He slowly slid one of the hidden blades of its hilt and put it in his pocket, then slid in his cross bow attachment. He loaded a bolt in and pulled back the string. He swung down from roof, looking through a window, and spotted Balian. "There you are ya little bastard..." he raised his crosssbow and aimed for a dent in the kings armor...

The silence between them was suffocating. Balian's stomach turned as he watched his daughter's face. She seemed happy, sad and scared at the same time. His own expression showed confusion, as well as happiness. "Jessamyn..." He let out, smiling now. He stepped towards her and closed the gap between them. When he reached her her wrapped her in his arms and closed his eyes. "I have missed you terribly, love." He said, sighing deeply. It had been so long since he had held her in his arms, it seemed like a lifetime ago although it hadn't been that long at all. His journey had been long and ardous, fraught with dangers and battles and terrible things. Now he was home and safe and his daughter was there as well. Nothing would hurt them now.

"How have you been?" He asked, releasing her. Balian's first thought was not to go and rest or to eat or to bathe. He wanted to know if his daughter was well and nothing was troubling her or any other member of his family. There was something coming down from the north. Something that would threaten every living soul of the Kingdoms. "Are you well?"

The Praetorian guard came in through the gates. They were coming to receive their King and to welcome him home. They were his personal bodyguard, but had stayed in the capital to guard his family. "My Lord." The Captain said and stepped forward, taking a knee. "We welcome you back." As he kneeled, so did the rest of them.

"Stand, Captain. All of you." He spoke, turning to face them. "In an hour, I would have you come to dinner with me and my familiy, Captain." He nodded and dismissed his men, posting them as guards around the Citadel.

Balian turned back to his daughter and smiled. "Apologies." He said, shaking his head, armor glinting in the light. "Walk with me."

((Just posting this so y'all know theres a new page))

As her father embraced her Jessamyn trembled with barely contained sobs. Despite her wish to throw herself into her father's arms and cry when her father released her, Jessamyn smiled and stilled her trembling. "I've been wonderful and missed you dearly father." After a long pause at his second question Jessamyn forced herself to brighten her smile and nodded. "I've been wonderful."

When the Praetorian guards came in Jessamyn stepped back from her father so he could address his guards. Watching with a kind smile on her face Jessamyn stepped forward to place a hand on her father's arm as he dismissed the guards, knowing he would invite her for a walk as he had always done before he left and the guards interrupted them. As her hand landed on her father's arm a bought of dizziness hit her and she only had enough time to register the signs of a coming vision before she collapsed.

As her own surroundings left her new surroundings replaced them. Looking around from the strangers point of view she recognized the room as one of the rooms in the south wing. Quickly dismissing the thought she focused on the crossbow in the strangers hands or, more importantly, the fact that it was pointed at her father. The last thing she saw before her vision darkened again was the trigger being pulled.

"Payback time..." Tyrannus punched out the window and pulled the trigger, Realeasing the arrow and sending it into a spiral twords the king...

Just as soon as she collapsed Jessamyn stumbled to her feet and shoved her father roughly out of the way of the arrow. Though she was quick enough to get her father out of the way she was not fast enough, while in her heavy gown and constricting corset, to move herself completely out of the path of the arrow. Feeling a sharp pain in her side, the arrow sliced through the fabric of her gown and grazed her skin, causing blood to spill onto the sky blue gown. Ignoring what she knew was a minor wound, Jessamyn spun and looked at the window of the room the stranger was in. Glaring in the direction of the attempted assassin for a moment Jessamyn quickly dismissed him, knowing he was too far for the guards to catch him, and went to check on her father.

Tyrranus swung up and sprinted off the roof, He landed in a busy street and looked for a door with three latches. Upon arrival, he swung the door open and slammed it shut. "DAMN IT!!!" he slammed his fist onto the table "How did she know...?"