#asats

[fruityprinceling]

A Song and the Sea - 6

[ first | previous - a collaboration with @aquaticsong]

Rylea curtsied and began reciting her part of the customary greetings between royals while her brother looked on, only partially listening. The princes' gazes had met for just a brief moment and Ailill was struck by the odd expression that seemed to flash over Theodore's face, there and gone too quickly to be truly read. A small frown tugged at the corner's of Ailill's mouth as he worried that whatever it had been spelled trouble and only just pulled his attention back to the present to hear his sister say, "…and allow me to introduce my twin brother, Prince Ailill."

It was training more than anything that ensured the red-haired prince bobbed into a neat bow. He mentally chided himself for getting distracted and stood straight again, reflexively reseating his glasses as he met Prince Theodore's eyes again and waited to be acknowledged.

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[fruityprinceling]

A Song and the Sea - 8

[ first | previous - a collaboration with @aquaticsong]

Once again, it had been hard to tell given the recitations and customary gestures of formal greetings, but Ailill was beginning to gather the distinct impression that Prince Theodore had taken an instant dislike to him. That did not bode well. Given the lack of any opportunity to have given offence, there seemed to Ailill to be only two plausible explanations — both of which he considered as he trailed along behind his sister and the other prince.

The first possibility was that Prince Theodore was of that set of royals which still carried disdain for the traditional style practised within the noble houses of Eir; specifically, the way both men and women wore their hair long. It would not be the first time Ailill had encountered such odd prejudice and were it not for the purpose of their visit, he would simply ignore it as something beneath his attention. He did not like to think that Rylea might be restricted from sharing her cultural practises with potential children though, were she and Theodore to make a match.

The second — and more directly concerning — possibility was that the Prince disliked Ailill being there at all, specifically in his capacity as his sister's chaperone. Ailill frowned at the green-clad back of the Prince as the group walked up the steps. If this… cad had been entertaining ideas of having his way freely with Rylea, he had another thing coming. He might be more physically imposing than Ailill, but that didn't mean the smaller Prince wouldn't fight tooth and nail to keep his sister safe. He would need to watch this man very, very closely…

[next] - link pending

[fruityprinceling]

A Song and the Sea - 4

[ first | previous - a collaboration with @aquaticsong]

As the carriage drew to a stop before the castle steps, Rylea reached for her twin's hand and Ailill give her a comforting squeeze. "It'll be alright," he whispered, "we're in this together." She flashed him a nervous smile which then resolved into the practised bright serenity of The Princess as the carriage door opened and she allowed herself to be helped down.

Her deep golden hair, styled both loose and with elegant braids, caught the light and shimmered with an undertone of red as it cascaded in soft curls down her back, the ends bouncing gently above the base of her spine. The effect against the vibrant blues and gold accents of her gown was striking, showing her features of to best advantage as she alighted upon the ground.

Ailill hung back a moment, letting her have her grand entrance just as they'd practised, then adjusted the golden frame of his glasses and followed her out of the carriage. The siblings were, as always, a coordinating set. Though Ailill's clothing was set in darker shades of blue to allow his sister to shine more brightly; his own hair — slightly paler and a few shades redder — also hung long, stopping just above the bottoms of his shoulder blades, with slender and artful plaits tying back the strands that might otherwise fall into his face.

The visiting Prince, book tucked neatly beneath his arm, allowed himself a moment to take in the splendour of the palace before him with its shining lime-washed stone walls and grand towers, banners fluttering in the ocean breeze, overlooking the cliff's edge upon which it sat down to the sea below. Ailill idly wondered if the buildings extended down into the earth to allow access to the waters, but then refocused on the matter at hand.

A young man, approximately their age though perhaps a bit older, was descending the steps from the palace towards them. "That must be Prince Theodore," Ailill muttered under his breath to his sister. Her smile didn't falter as Rylea replied between her teeth, "I didn't expect him to be quite so… tall."

"Perhaps a heavily pescatarian diet lends itself to height," Ailill quipped, just before the Prince and another older and slightly less opulently dressed gentleman walked within earshot. And indeed, Prince Theodore stood at least half a head taller than Ailill, who was himself of reasonably average stature and only slightly taller than his sister.

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[fruityprinceling]

A Song and the Sea - 2

[following this post by @aquaticsong]

"Rylea, would you please stop that. It's very difficult for me to concentrate with your foot in my face."

The Princess waggled her velvet slipper-ed toe in her twin's face, pressing the very tip of it into his cheek and tipping his glasses askew. Ailill sighed pointedly and snapped his book closed. With the tips of his thumb and forefinger, he pinched the end of his sister's shoe and moved the offending appendage away, dropping it and leveling an exasperated glare at the Princess who, for her part, grinned impishly.

"If you keep sitting with your skirts all bunched up like that they're going to crease, you know."

Rylea huffed and scootched back up onto her seat properly, lips pursed in a nearly comical pout. "Hmph. You're no fun. We've been in this carriage for ages, and you've had your nose stuck in that book nearly the whole time. Honestly, I don't understand how it doesn't make you feel sick." She made a half-hearted attempt to smooth the fabric of her gown before giving up. "Besides, you're not the one being paraded in front of some random boy you've never met like a broodmare before a stallion. The least you could do is keep me company."

Ailill straightened his glasses on his face and sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. I know this isn't any more fun for you than it is for me." He shifted and tucked his novelette under his thigh for safekeeping. "But you do know this is important, don't you? Mother and Father are anxious to make you a good match and this Theodore fellow is supposed to come from a very respected royal house."

The only response Rylea seemed prepared to give that was another harumph and a pointed glare out the carriage window. Only the sounds of travel filled the interior of the carriage for a while. Just as Ailill was preparing to say something else, his sister spoke.

"I know that. Of course I do. It's just… it's so demeaning. To have people stare at you like that. Like you're not really a person…. I hate it."

The prince reached out and took his twin's hand, giving her a comforting squeeze.

"I know you do. I think anyone would. And I hope you know that as much as it's my job to keep you company, it's also my job to make sure any potential suitor is worthy of you." He gave her hand another squeeze and she swivelled her head back to look at him. "I promise, I'm not going to just let some ass-hole scoop up my sister if she doesn't like him, no matter how impressive his pedigree."

Rylea giggled at the vulgarity and pulled her brother into a tight hug that pressed a soft "Oof!" from Ailill. She released him and beamed, back to her usual self once more.

"Do you think our rooms will have a view of the sea? I've always wanted to be able to see the sun rise or set over the water. That alone will have made all this dreary travel worth it. Do you think we'll have time to freshen up before dinner? I wonder if they'll serve fish."

Ailill listened to his sister's chatter, responding with the appropriate sounds of agreement or encouragement when prompted, as the carriage continued to rattle down the road to the seaside castle.

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