Hallendrest scribbles
I am in the weird phase of my writing process where I am both planning, outlining, and writing. A good deal of the planning becomes clear when I have written more and become more acquainted with the characters and the world.
As she entered she found her father sitting with slumped shoulders at his desk while her mother stood near the window with her arms wrapped tight around herself. She glanced at them each as they turned at the sound of her entry. “Father, you asked to see me?” King Ektor nodded and did his best to sit up straight, though Reena could clearly see the exhaustion and turmoil in his face. “Yes, come. Sit." Reena looked again at her mother who turned away to the window, giving the distinct impression of hiding as she did so. “What is this about?” She asked, her eyes lingering on her mother’s back. “We’ve reached an agreement.” Her father’s voice was steady with a note of finality. “With Kalt? Vonterre?” Reena started. “Yes.” Reena looked wide eyed at her father, “I…How…but what of, of, your promises…” She stammered as a hundred ideas formed in her mind and tried to pour out at once. Surely he couldn’t mean he’d made an agreement to join, to give up their sovereignty and submit to the whims of Kalt and it’s king. “The King offered a condition that I believe will ensure that Adullam is protected from some of the worst of Vonterre’s ideas.” He looked away from Reena. “What condition?” Reena frowned, noting something shame begin to color his face. After a long pause he met her eye again. “That a princess of Adullam would reign as queen of Vonterre.” Reena sat in stunned silence. How could he submit to doing that to his own daughter who was raised and trained to take his place on the throne? To change from a refusal to take part in the cancerous kingdom of Vonterre to marrying his own flesh and blood into it? “You are sending Cassandra to be married to that, that monster of a man? How long do you think that will last? How long before he…before…” Her voice trailed off as her father’s gaze drifted from her’s once more, the look of shame now obvious. “Oh, sweet Vontis, you aren’t sending Cassandra are you?” her voice came out just above a whisper. Her father turned back to her eagerly, “King Kallias didn’t wish to interrupt the succession for the Adullam throne. Our family will still rule in Adullam as a providence of Vonterre. And you,” he paused looking at her with sorrow as tears spilled from her eyes, “you must be our voice in Kalt. As his wife, he may listen to you. At a minimum, the homeland of the queen has to mean something.” Reena stood, pushing the chair back and stumbled away from her father. The room suddenly felt extremely close and airless. Without another word she turned and fled.