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badass_tiger) wrote2023-05-01 04:19 pm
badass_tiger) wrote2023-05-01 04:19 pm
Royal Duties (Original Work/Where Shines the Sun Aslant)
Title: Royal Duties
Prompt: Think like a queen
Fandom: Original/Where Shines the Sun Aslant
Characters: Armand, Hilbert/Solange
Summary: The enemy is nearing Fleuyan, and the royal family prepare to embark on their duties to the kingdom.
Prince Armand had grown up listening to both the fairytales of Fleuyan and the stories of war of Rasfura. It was no surprise, therefore, that his grave-faced announcement of the encroaching enemy troops roused a roar of excitement from the soldiers - all the soldiers, be they natives of Fleuyan or descendants of the people from Rasfura. The most excited amongst them were the old soldiers, the ones who had arrived in Fleuyan with King Hilbert, though some of them were even older than King Hilbert now. Yet Armand had no doubt that if the enemy troops were to underestimate them for their age, they would soon come to regret it.
Satisfied that his duties for the present were fulfilled, he ordered the soldiers to make their personal preparations before their next orders came, then went to find his parents.
He was dismayed to find them deep in an argument in the king's study. Throughout much of his childhood, Armand had thought of the king and queen as the most harmonious couple in the land, and was shocked to hear his Aunt Ragnhild insinuate that the two were constantly arguing behind his back. Now an adult, he had become somewhat accustomed to the idea, understanding that their quarrels did not diminish their love for one another, but he still hated to witness it. Neither of them so much as glanced at the door when Armand knocked and entered.
'You are the most important asset to the kingdom,' King Hilbert was saying in a low voice. 'Your protection is of the utmost importance.'
'Spare me your mincing and tell me what you mean, Hilbert,' Queen Solange snapped.
'I mean that you should go,' Hilbert said. Solange paled, then flushed with renewed anger, and he hastily added, 'To seek protection with another kingdom. The most -'
'You mean,' the queen cried out, 'that while my kingdom is under threat of being sieged, you mean to send me away?'
'The best thing -'
'I refuse! Don't you dare say another word on the subject!'
'Solange.' Hilbert took her hands. She pulled away, but he grasped her once again, forcing her to face his tender gaze. 'Please understand. As long as a member of the royal family remains, so can the kingdom. It is essential that you remain -'
'Then you intend to die!' Solange half-shouted. Armand winced. 'Some warrior king, indeed! The enemy are hardly at our door, and already you -'
'I intend no such thing,' Hilbert said sharply. 'It is my duty as king to plan for every eventuality. I have faith in our soldiers, but your safety must be our priority. Anyone in the kingdom would agree.'
'You fool,' Solange said. Armand was alarmed to see tears rise in her eyes, instinctively ducking away to avoid the sight. 'You oaf. Are you becoming senile? Have you forgotten that you have a son - an heir? If you speak of the essence of the kingdom, do you not speak of Armand? Yet you will not send Armand away when he can fight. He is one of the best of the soldiers, and you would disgrace him as a prince to send him away. Then if you will not protect Armand in that way, there is no point in protecting this old woman. I cannot bear you any more heirs. So let me stay here. Let me stay and manage the castle, tend to the wounded, and give you my support. Don't send me away while my husband and my son put their lives at stake. Please, Hilbert.'
'Solange ...'
Armand chanced a peek at his parents and instantly regretted it when he saw Hilbert cradling the queen's face, Solange gave him a beseeching look. It was worse than seeing them kiss.
'I am sorry,' Hilbert said softly. 'Sometimes I still feel like a young man and a new leader, always afraid of taking the wrong step yet desperate to protect everyone around me. I have even more to protect now, and I am all the more afraid.'
'You are still that man in many ways. You forget that there are people you can turn to for help and advice, for instance.'
'Well ... yes ... perhaps ...' Hilbert seemed embarrassed. 'Only promise me, my love, that you will not enter the battlefield.'
'I will do my best.'
'You will not promise?'
'I cannot promise my actions if I were to witness anything happen to you or Armand.'
'I understand. Will you promise not to come near the battlefield as much as possible?'
'Very well, I promise.' Solange released a sigh of relief. 'Thank you, dear. I know it's foolish, but I feel that if I can only remain close to you, I can ensure your safety.'
'Perhaps it is so. You are my goddess, after all.'
She laughed, drew back, and threw her arms around Hilbert's neck. Sensing that they were about to kiss, Armand broke out of his trance to shout, 'Mother!'
'Yes, Armand?' Queen Solange turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Armand was appalled to realise from her unperturbed tone that she had known him to be present all along.
'I - I - I -' He flailed, at a loss for words. 'I ... wanted to ask Father ... for our next orders ...'
'Oh. You stood there all along for that?'
He blushed. 'I was afraid to interrupt in case it made you angrier.'
'Impertinent boy,' Solange sniffed, but her anger appeared to have passed. 'Very well. I suppose you do all need your orders. I will check on the castle supplies in the mean time.'
She paused to kiss Hilbert on the cheek and, to Armand's chagrin, King Hilbert swept her into his arms to kiss her full on the mouth. Solange was laughing as they broke away.
'I know I can trust the two of you to protect what's important,' she said with an affectionate hand on King Hilbert's cheek. Then she turned to Armand and kissed him on the cheek. 'You understand, don't you, my son?'
Too affected to speak, Armand nodded. He had understood, suddenly, that while King Hilbert's priority was the kingdom, Queen Solange's priority were her family. King Hilbert clasped him on the back, and the royal family broke up to tend to their respective duties.
Prompt: Think like a queen
Fandom: Original/Where Shines the Sun Aslant
Characters: Armand, Hilbert/Solange
Summary: The enemy is nearing Fleuyan, and the royal family prepare to embark on their duties to the kingdom.
Prince Armand had grown up listening to both the fairytales of Fleuyan and the stories of war of Rasfura. It was no surprise, therefore, that his grave-faced announcement of the encroaching enemy troops roused a roar of excitement from the soldiers - all the soldiers, be they natives of Fleuyan or descendants of the people from Rasfura. The most excited amongst them were the old soldiers, the ones who had arrived in Fleuyan with King Hilbert, though some of them were even older than King Hilbert now. Yet Armand had no doubt that if the enemy troops were to underestimate them for their age, they would soon come to regret it.
Satisfied that his duties for the present were fulfilled, he ordered the soldiers to make their personal preparations before their next orders came, then went to find his parents.
He was dismayed to find them deep in an argument in the king's study. Throughout much of his childhood, Armand had thought of the king and queen as the most harmonious couple in the land, and was shocked to hear his Aunt Ragnhild insinuate that the two were constantly arguing behind his back. Now an adult, he had become somewhat accustomed to the idea, understanding that their quarrels did not diminish their love for one another, but he still hated to witness it. Neither of them so much as glanced at the door when Armand knocked and entered.
'You are the most important asset to the kingdom,' King Hilbert was saying in a low voice. 'Your protection is of the utmost importance.'
'Spare me your mincing and tell me what you mean, Hilbert,' Queen Solange snapped.
'I mean that you should go,' Hilbert said. Solange paled, then flushed with renewed anger, and he hastily added, 'To seek protection with another kingdom. The most -'
'You mean,' the queen cried out, 'that while my kingdom is under threat of being sieged, you mean to send me away?'
'The best thing -'
'I refuse! Don't you dare say another word on the subject!'
'Solange.' Hilbert took her hands. She pulled away, but he grasped her once again, forcing her to face his tender gaze. 'Please understand. As long as a member of the royal family remains, so can the kingdom. It is essential that you remain -'
'Then you intend to die!' Solange half-shouted. Armand winced. 'Some warrior king, indeed! The enemy are hardly at our door, and already you -'
'I intend no such thing,' Hilbert said sharply. 'It is my duty as king to plan for every eventuality. I have faith in our soldiers, but your safety must be our priority. Anyone in the kingdom would agree.'
'You fool,' Solange said. Armand was alarmed to see tears rise in her eyes, instinctively ducking away to avoid the sight. 'You oaf. Are you becoming senile? Have you forgotten that you have a son - an heir? If you speak of the essence of the kingdom, do you not speak of Armand? Yet you will not send Armand away when he can fight. He is one of the best of the soldiers, and you would disgrace him as a prince to send him away. Then if you will not protect Armand in that way, there is no point in protecting this old woman. I cannot bear you any more heirs. So let me stay here. Let me stay and manage the castle, tend to the wounded, and give you my support. Don't send me away while my husband and my son put their lives at stake. Please, Hilbert.'
'Solange ...'
Armand chanced a peek at his parents and instantly regretted it when he saw Hilbert cradling the queen's face, Solange gave him a beseeching look. It was worse than seeing them kiss.
'I am sorry,' Hilbert said softly. 'Sometimes I still feel like a young man and a new leader, always afraid of taking the wrong step yet desperate to protect everyone around me. I have even more to protect now, and I am all the more afraid.'
'You are still that man in many ways. You forget that there are people you can turn to for help and advice, for instance.'
'Well ... yes ... perhaps ...' Hilbert seemed embarrassed. 'Only promise me, my love, that you will not enter the battlefield.'
'I will do my best.'
'You will not promise?'
'I cannot promise my actions if I were to witness anything happen to you or Armand.'
'I understand. Will you promise not to come near the battlefield as much as possible?'
'Very well, I promise.' Solange released a sigh of relief. 'Thank you, dear. I know it's foolish, but I feel that if I can only remain close to you, I can ensure your safety.'
'Perhaps it is so. You are my goddess, after all.'
She laughed, drew back, and threw her arms around Hilbert's neck. Sensing that they were about to kiss, Armand broke out of his trance to shout, 'Mother!'
'Yes, Armand?' Queen Solange turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Armand was appalled to realise from her unperturbed tone that she had known him to be present all along.
'I - I - I -' He flailed, at a loss for words. 'I ... wanted to ask Father ... for our next orders ...'
'Oh. You stood there all along for that?'
He blushed. 'I was afraid to interrupt in case it made you angrier.'
'Impertinent boy,' Solange sniffed, but her anger appeared to have passed. 'Very well. I suppose you do all need your orders. I will check on the castle supplies in the mean time.'
She paused to kiss Hilbert on the cheek and, to Armand's chagrin, King Hilbert swept her into his arms to kiss her full on the mouth. Solange was laughing as they broke away.
'I know I can trust the two of you to protect what's important,' she said with an affectionate hand on King Hilbert's cheek. Then she turned to Armand and kissed him on the cheek. 'You understand, don't you, my son?'
Too affected to speak, Armand nodded. He had understood, suddenly, that while King Hilbert's priority was the kingdom, Queen Solange's priority were her family. King Hilbert clasped him on the back, and the royal family broke up to tend to their respective duties.