﹙ᴀʟᴇ﹚XANDER ᴊᴜʟɪᴜs FREY II the KING of ARYNDALE
“No man is worth more than another, wherever he is from." "But what if he is your friend?" Achilles had asked him, ... [o]r your brother? Should you treat him the same as a stranger?" "You ask a question that philosophers argue over," Chiron had said. "He is worth more to you, perhaps. But the stranger is someone else's friend and brother. So which life is more important?”
genevieve was truly in her element , thriving in the bustle of what was arguable one of the busiest & grandest balls she had attended , with a noble from every corner of the world at her convenience . and despite the festivities having already carried into the late hours of the night , with genevieve having already had a generous amount of fine wine & danced until her feet were raw , she was sure it was nowhere near over . in the midst of it all , during what was an incredibly dull conversation with an old lord , genevieve managed to excuse herself to her guest chambers long enough to tweek her golden curls & powder rosie flesh .
it was on the blonde’s return , as she laughed giddily with one of her lady maids about the crude advances of some lord , that oceanic hues locked on her king . her companion was dismissed with the simplicity of a nod as she approached , desperately fighting an amused smirk from crimson lips . “ ― busying myself . dancing , drinking , conversing… “ flirting , she should say . her words were delivered with a sense of nonchalance , a playful attempt to toy with her lover . “ i do apologise , my king… silly of me to forget that i should always be at your beck & call . “ evidently , the wine had made genevieve feel rather brave .
“yes, very silly of you indeed,” xander retorted teasingly, his dark brown-green eyes catching the torch light, glinting provocatively. he stepped forward and closed the distance between them in a few swaggering bounds, hands outstretched to embrace his lover. “perhaps the king needs to remind this wild angel of his what she’s been missing,” his tone was dripping sweet and teasing, strong nimble hands encasing her frame, pulling her in close in one quick, sudden movement.
the music from the ballroom bled out into their dim hallway, the torches flickering wildly, illuminating genevieve’s face in a faint orange glow, softening her features. it seemed they both were a little intoxicated, he could tell the moment he pulled her in close, smelt it on her breath, and alexander couldn’t help the impish smile that spread across the curves of his plush lips. he held her body close to his, hand splayed gently across her lower back, head tilting haughtily. he gazed at her for a moment, smiling like a mad man, though perhaps he was tonight. leaning in, xander let his eyes flutter close, abruptly and suddenly planting a firm kiss against his lover’s delicate lips.
a free hand came up to gently but firmly grab ahold of her perfectly chiseled chin, the warm feeling of lust and alcohol flushing across his regal countenance as he pulled away just as suddenly. “hmm, I like it when you drink, you get so sassy and hard to deal with,” his tone was low and breathy, whispering against her skin as he held her chin up to look at him, dark gaze meeting her’s with a challenging glint in them. it was hard not to be all smiles and flirtatious glances with genevieve, she had a way of bringing out his wilder and bolder side. it was probably the thing that had drawn him to her the most in the beginning- she made him feel free and immeasurable.
one would think that after almost two years since ascending the throne, roland would have gotten used to hearing that title being used in his reference. and he did, surely, but at times it still took him a moment to realize that he was the one being called out. but this time there was no denying that he was the person of interest for the arynite king. roland’s hand tightened stiffly around the goblet filled with subpar wine according to his standards, knuckles turning white as a fake smile appeared on his lips. “king xander,” he added in reply, remembering the instructions by his advisors to avoid the full name when it came to him. “thankfully not much happened to turn my mood sour in the past few hours. i hope you have remained well yourself.”
a part of him did not trust the man in the slightest. he was used to being surrounded by unreliable people, had grown to know how to read their gestures and identify their intentions. of course, his sister always played a part in discovering their hidden secrets too. but he could recognize that arrogance from a mile away, and his mind was telling him to thread carefully around the king. with a small glance, he ushered a silent apology to his subject - one which the other understood, and dismissed himself without needing prompting. after all, the hand of the other king on his shoulder made it clear that xander had no intention to leave himself. it felt uncomfortable, truly, but roland always picked his battles and this was not one he would rather fight during a party. so instead he kept up his smile and raised his goblet towards the other king. “to a wonderful evening, and a fruitful gathering,” he toasted, although roland had his doubts about both points.
the younger king eyed the older for a brief moment before letting his hand fall away from the man’s broad shoulder. a contemplative smirk spread across his features at the toast, nodding his head in agreement and raising his goblet back. king roland was an enigma to xander, he unfortunately didn’t know much about the king. they had seen each other a few times as children- before the war, before roland’s father allied against aryndale. his jaw tightened at the memory, a bitter taste rising in his throat, to which he responded with taking another swig of wine. the other man had only been king for little over a year, he had done nothing to alter his alliance with iilyria in such time- but he was not as aggressive towards aryndale as his father had been- so many questions swirled around like an intricate spider’s web in the younger man’s mind. if he could convince gondour to ally with aryndale- it would likely be a hard task. from their meetings so far, it seemed roland wanted peace and to be done with wars.
“I’ve been... very well yes, but I’ve also come to find myself very curious these days-” the bear king of aryndale was never one for small talk or sugar coating things- after all a real man said exactly what he meant, and took what he wanted. all the extra fluff was for cowards and inferior men, but they were kings, and such things they easily transcended. xander turned his head slightly to look roland in the eye for his next words, “I can’t seem to tell what you’re thinking or what your motives are, gondourian king,” his gaze sharpened, “but I hope to gain a friend in gondour by the end of the peace summit,”
xander smiled then, breaking the air of earlier seriousness, taking the last sip of his wine. “though it seems you have no interest in anything other than neutrality.”
there were moments in all her life that had her heart soaring , at times like this , it pounded heavily in it’s gilded cage , bruising her rigcage as fingers tangle with her husband . it was in these moments alone , that she was reminded they were once children together , forced to grow up amidst a war & this moment was remiss of what they once were . her laughter was unconcealed as her fingers tingled with the gentle touch of his lips on her hand . she forgets in these moments that kings & queens weren’t afforded much freedom , she forgets their titles all the same , until they slip from his lips . ❝ it is her great honour to accept such a request from the king . ❞ she quips playfully , though her free hand is gentle , caressing his jaw with a smile .
alexander smiles brightly at her response, gingerly touching her hand and holding it against the warmth of his cheek for an extended moment. thoroughly pleased with her answer, he gazed down at her.a million thoughts swirled through his mind but one was the loudest; she’s so beautiful. it was nice, being able to have a moment for themselves. the arynite king had a lot weighing on his mind lately, most of his dukes and lords were pushing him for peace with iilyria- forgiveness. but the people cried out for justice, as did a loud but small group in his court. slowly he let her slender hand fall away, offering an arm out to her to help her mount the horse.
he lifted her up easily, strong hands grasping her waist tightly, lifting her up and over, right into the front part of the black leather saddle. the king followed suit, pulling himself up behind her, wrapping his arms around the queen’s petite frame, his digits grabbing for the reins as he steadied them atop the animal. “hold on tight, my love,” xander whispered softly against the gentle curve of her ear, resting his chin against her shoulder, he placed a kiss against the exposed skin. his head felt dizzy, the stark winter sunlight making him felt strangely alive. hyper-aware of her presence, body pressed back against his chest, he gave their horse a firm squeeze with his legs, urging it to move out of the stables. “I haven’t much time before I have another meeting with my advisors but, I really wanted to spend it with you,” he explained softly, breath hitching, hands using the reins to guide the animal.
(eventually will have a bio page done for him but in the mean time have this very long intro post ! )
max irons, thirty-one, aryndale, male ––– i believe that is ALEXANDER julius FREY, the KING of ARYNDALE. they are THIRTY-ONE years old and are known to be very +PASSIONATE & +JUST, though they can also be very -DOGMATIC & -AMBITIOUS. he reminds me of a collection of hunting trophies; all predators, the sharp smell of early winter in the dawn air, the calm before a gruesome battle, a bear sigil, being brave even when you feel afraid, a heavy fur cloak, blood seeping into snow and earth. ( chai, 22, gmt-8, she/her )
inspired by: king arthur (merlin, camelot and other shows/books/movies), achilles (greek myth), prince andrei (war & peace)
T R I V I A
𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦: xander (goes exclusively by this, hates being called alexander or alex)
𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴: horses/horseback riding, swords, combat/military, bitter red wine, savory foods, his kids, pretty women, hunting, archery, meat, gold, power, sunrises, waking up early, summer time, painting/sculpting, fencing, jousting, sports/athletics, being in charge, nature, animals, fur cloaks, being praised
𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴: being questioned, being told what to do, the cold, iilyria, political meetings, religion, women drama, beer, spears/lances, the ocean, boat rides, diplomacy, studying, rooms with no windows, roses, sweet things, coffee, mushrooms, card games
P H Y S I C A L
𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴: dark hazel, thick eyelashes
𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳: light brown, naturally curly
𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵: 6 ft 3 inches
𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵: 205 pounds
𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵: bonfire smoke, evergreen trees, iron, and horses
C O N N E C T I O N S
𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴: marcus frey (called marcus the magnificent by the people) (predecessor, deceased), tbd frey
is a total extra brat?? and goes by xander bc he was named after his grandfather, (so technically he is king alexander II) and wanted to be more distinguished from him than just being “junior” or “the second”, so he opted to start going by xander in his early teens. basically wants to be mr. different™ and unique.
often referred to as “the bear king” or “the wild king” for his fiercesome reputation in battle and affinity/talented reputation for hunting
the second born son and child of the frey family, he was the first spare prince to be born in the family. the son directly after the heir, the beloved crown prince. xander was always bitter about this fact, and always secretly believed he would make a better king than his elder brother. his father had xander trained and educated alongside his older brother, training them both as his heirs though naming titus his official heir. the other princes weren’t trained or educated the same way, treated as regular princes. xander spent most of his childhood playing second fiddle to his older brother- it didn’t help either that they were so close in age (two years apart). xander was constantly treated as the replacement, the back up. his elder brother titus was loved by the people and the obvious favorite of their parents.
alexander is still secretly wracked with guilt over his brothers death, he spent years secretly wishing he could be the crown prince, wishing his older brother didn’t exist— so he feels partly to blame no matter how irrational that is. another reason for his guilt is that he wasn’t there with his father and brother during the invasion, unable to save them. he feels like if he had been there things might’ve been different. the day of the invasion he had been left behind at the castle, while his father and brother went to the border to check on a strange message from one of the generals stationed there.
has the most military achievements and prowess of all his siblings. before becoming the king he had had plans of becoming a general and pursing a military career. he excels the most in physical matters, athletics, combat, military strategies etc. his weaknesses lies in academics/diplomacy/politics (outside of strategy and philosophy). so a bit of a himbo lol.
becoming king has begun to change him, his ambitions have been growing as well as his sense of entitlement and arrogance. he’s also started to become increasingly promiscuous— when he was younger he was never a casanova (but not a prude in anyway either). but lately the longer he’s been king the more tempted he’s become to have his cake and eat it too. why not explore all the perks of being king?
due to his father and brother dying defending aryndale from the iilyrian attempted invasion years ago, the arynite king hates iilyria and has no plans for peace. he wants justice and revenge, and has secret goals of invading and conquering iilyria for himself.
he loves his county and people deeply, and would do anything for them. he hopes his reign will be a golden era for his people, he wants to expand aryndales power, make them richer and stronger. he also wants to improve education and social/economical issues within his country. desperately wants to do the best he can for his country— and wants to be remembered fondly by history.
met his wife isabel when they were kids, grew up together— she was even his first kiss. no one was surprised when he asked her to marry him at age 21, and no one was surprised when she said yes. it’s safe to say she is his first love, though in recent years the strain of being king, the war, and his recent subtle personality changes and infidelity have started to cause conflicts between them.
definitely can be a bit of a bully or shit starter at times, though my bb really does mean well at the end of the day— he just has a really bad way of showing it most of the time.
in regards to sexuality, for the most part he is straight— but he has some gay tendencies he doesn’t want to see or admit to. definitely closeted and/or confused. he has a strong preference for women and for the most part ignores the occasional rare homosexual attractions he feels.
loves his children dearly and wants more!! a lot more lol! having a lot of siblings of his own, he wants a large family for his own kids. he currently has two children by his wife isabel frey, the queen, a six year old son named elijah and a three year old daughter named gaia.
as for his mistress, genevieve, he met her within the last 9-12 months and was immediately taken by her. currently she isn’t his official royal mistress (yet), but everyone knows about their affair (unofficially, so everyone gossips behind closed doors about it at the moment).
in true leo fashion he’s kind of !! dramatic ? passionate ! and has a temper ! he also has a taste for luxury and extravagance, especially lately. also very flirtatious and cocky, flirts a lot without meaning it in recent years— increasingly so. enjoys teasing and getting a rise out of others as well! but also being king now, he is very careful about hiding his emotions, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses now. feigning an air of haughty indifference most of the time.
@vcinglcry / three hours into the welcome ball, one of the castle hallways near the ballroom.
the night had been a busy one already, being king was— tiring at times to the say the least. he already could feel a splitting headache threatening, pulling at the corners of his skull as he stumbled out into the dimly lit hallway. the architecture was ancient, cold marble stone columns, cold stone floors, old abandoned paintings aged with the years of time. it had always been a mystery, what had happened to the people here— all those hundreds of years ago.
xander had had more than a few goblets of the wine tonight, it helped take the edge off the bore and stress of politics. sighing softly as he leaned against the wall outside of the ballroom entrance, the soft twanging of the musicians drifting into the otherwise silent hallway. this entire thing was ridiculous in the arynite kings mind. a dance could not replace justice for the arynlite lives lost in the war. his father and brother’s lives. a flush of sudden anger crept over him, dusting his cheeks red and making his hazel eyes writhe with emotion.
that was when he heard the footsteps, familiar ones, and just as the blonde rounded the dark corner, one of her ladies maids in tow, he was already ready to greet her. “it’s about time I saw you, where have you been all evening, gen?”
his tone was demanding but had a flirtatious quip at the end as he stood up straight, away from the stone wall, a smirk already beginning to spread across his regal visage. “I was afraid I would die of boredom but it seems an angel has come to rescue me from such a terrible fate.”
@ofglcry / the first hour of the welcome ball, a corner of the ball room.
there he was, king roland of gondour. the arynite king had mixed feelings about the older man; it hadn’t been him who had made the alliance with the mad king- it had technically been his father. but nonetheless, he was still a wildcard and still currently allied with iilyria. “your majesty, fancy seeing you here,” xander greeted sarcastically to the older male, approaching him with drink in hand, swaggering up to the other. “king roland, I hope you’ve been well since I last saw you this morning.”
he took a sip from the gleaming golden goblet, held tightly between ringed aristocratic digits. the taste of the sour wine was somehow sobering and intoxicating all at once as his free hand clapped down on the older king’s shoulder. it was meant to be friendly of course, though they hadn’t been able to talk much alone, they had seen each other at the first meeting with the other kings and their advisors this morning. his dark hazel eyes glimmered as he looked upon roland, the ball had just begun and everyone was still in the early stages of drinking and socializing. in typical arrogant alexander fashion, he had pushed his way past whatever unrecognizable noble the gondouran king had been talking to, giving the stranger a hard look as if to tell them to leave. his air was haughty, it was obvious the younger king found himself very important, superior to most others around him, even when in the midst of a party.
@boundroyal // one day before the welcome ball, the castle stables at the grand castellum.
he was holding her hand, leading his queen to the stables where he had his servants prepare a horse for them. “come on, walk faster,” he said teasingly, looking back over a shoulder at her petite frame, pulling her along behind him, her slender hand clasped gingerly in his larger one. “I want to go somewhere with you— before the ball and all the politics.” the king explained as they finally stepped into the stables, a dark grey horse tied and tacked, waiting and ready for the young royal pair. he pulled isabel’s hand up to his lips, pressing their curvature against the back of her hand, dark hazel eyes searching hers. “if my queen would do me the great honor of accompanying me of course.”
the journey to the grand castellum had taken them a little over a week on horse back, so sure— in theory they should probably be sick of riding horses by now. but it was something that the king loved to do dearly, he had an affinity for animals, horses especially. smirking at his wife as he gazed down at her, eyes twinkling mischievously.
