He had not expected the air to retain such a chill, even in the summer. It had been five weeks since he had taken the throne, and he had left for the Forest some week ago. It had been a long path through warstrewn territory, with people crowding to see the Crown Prince who had sworn to do everything to end the war once and for all. Even among the Nightkin, he had been granted this sort of reverence. But two days before the path had become treacherous and slow-going, and this morning, the horses had stopped and refused to go any further. Something terrified them.
Lucien had bid his coachmen and the guard farewell and send them back to the empire, continuing the trek on foot. The forest was vast and looked untamed; only the road before him seemed to suggest anyone lived within it. Yet strangely, he wasn't afraid. He felt the invitation had a warmth of its own, as though it had stretched out a long ribbon before him that he need only pull himself along.
At last, he found himself walking up a path in the woods up a hill. As he passed, the torches lit themselves, each one in unison, merely a step before him. They led up to the grand front gates, already opened. Still, he felt the need to say something.
"I am Crown Prince Lucien Margelidon! Soon to be Emperor Hadrianus VIII! I have come to talk of peace between our people, and a marriage to rejoin what was unjustly sundered before it could be wholly joined! Will you meet with me?"
...The answer was not spoken, but, as he looked ahead, the grand front doors swung open, and a woman, pale and beautiful, stood in them.
Takeaways
Hey that's Naeva! :D
The Forest is truly alive, not just in the biological sense either. It is a magical land that is clearly connected.
While some nobles may have complained, the common people on both sides are desperate for peace, so ultimately this is the right choice.
Magic is much more prevalent here than it was in the empire, and the empire is not magic poor by any means.
Memory 6: Lucien Arrives at Schloss Dos Martos
Lucien had bid his coachmen and the guard farewell and send them back to the empire, continuing the trek on foot. The forest was vast and looked untamed; only the road before him seemed to suggest anyone lived within it. Yet strangely, he wasn't afraid. He felt the invitation had a warmth of its own, as though it had stretched out a long ribbon before him that he need only pull himself along.
At last, he found himself walking up a path in the woods up a hill. As he passed, the torches lit themselves, each one in unison, merely a step before him. They led up to the grand front gates, already opened. Still, he felt the need to say something.
"I am Crown Prince Lucien Margelidon! Soon to be Emperor Hadrianus VIII! I have come to talk of peace between our people, and a marriage to rejoin what was unjustly sundered before it could be wholly joined! Will you meet with me?"
...The answer was not spoken, but, as he looked ahead, the grand front doors swung open, and a woman, pale and beautiful, stood in them.
Takeaways