Royally Elemental: A Chatroom [SLOW]

-:chapter 4: the growing flame:-

Princess Rafiya and Prince Victor had asked around. Had spent the entire day asking around, actually.

A lot of the newer palace workers didn't know any details, and those that had been around for a while did not give them much information.

So really, they hadn't learned anything at all. One of the eldest maids had confirmed that a tragic event had happened, but then she scolded the siblings for poking their noses into someone else's business.

They--mostly Princess Rafiya--decided to turn to a more... solid... approach.

Rafiya dropped the old book down on the table, noticing the dust that fluttered up around it. They leaned over Victor's shoulder.  The library was devoid of people around them.

Victor coughed, wiping the layer of dust off the cover. He then started tracing his fingers over the faded golden lettering on the front.

"'An Indulf History?'" Victor read.

"'An Indulf History'," Rafiya confirmed. 

"Rafe, are you sure we should be digging around?"

"How else will we ever learn anything?"

"It feels wrong..."

"Then--" Rafiya started to snap at Victor for not understanding how important this was, but then remembered that he was a lot younger than they were. "If you don't want to do it, you can leave. Just pinky-promise not to tell anyone."

Rafiya held out their hand, with just their pinky sticking out.

"No! I'll help," Victor cried suddenly.

"Okay. Let's read."

Rafiya pulled the cover open.

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There was a lot of places that King Dylan liked to be. At the docks, in a sparring match, discussing potential battle strategies...

But arguing over color palettes for repainting the nursery room was not one of those places.

"Just..." Kind Dylan said, listening to Queen Miya describe various colors to him. "Go with a light pink."

"But what if it's a boy!?" Queen Miya insisted. She'd said something similar about every color that he had suggested so far.

"Then go with a blue. You can never go wrong with blue. If it's a girl, we tell everyone that it's the color of the ocean and your problem solves itself," King Dylan said. This wasn't even the first time that Queen Miya has spontaneously decided to repaint the nursery. It was closer to... the third? 

And what made it worse? The first color that it had been painted was blue.

Queen Miya gasped, "You're right! I'll have the servants get on it right away!"

King Dylan shook his head as she scurried away, but couldn't keep the smile off his face. Hey, if that was the only way to get his mind off of the Firens, then it was the only way.

And anything he could do with Queen Miya was alright in his mind.

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King Vukan and Queen Natalya had a public outing today. It helped keep the peace in their Kingdom, to randomly go out in public now and then. To walk down the streets and speak with their people.

But even though today could be considered a "special occasion", it wouldn't be a regular day.

King Vukan was smiling faintly as his wife was speaking with a local merchant.

"Oh, yes, that sounds very interesting," she said softly, gently resting her head on her hand. She seemed very into the story was telling.

Maybe a little... too interested.

"Well, honey, I think we'd better get on our way, no?"

Queen Natalya turned to him, a playfully knowing look on her face. "Yes, I suppose so."

Before they turned and walked away, the Queen wished the merchant good luck.

In between her polite waves, Queen Natalya said under her breath, "You don't have to be so jealous, dear."

King Vukan stopped walking. He stepped in front of his Queen, dropped to one knee, and took her hands into his.

"With a face and a heart as beautiful as yours, how could I not be? Any man would be lucky to have you, my Queen."

Queen Natalya stared down at him for not even a moment before gently pulling her hands away.

"We're in public--"

Queen Natalya was cut off as a bubble of ice cold water suddenly splashed down onto the two of them from the air.

Queen Natalya let out a shriek in shock, but King Vukan was bristling with rage. The people of the Kingdom were gasping; one of them grabbed a cloth for the Queen.

"Where?" King Vukan growled. "Where is the Watern?"

The village fell silent. King Vukan listened, an intense scowl written on his face. 

And he heard it.

Laughter.

The King charged down the street, rounding a corner into an alleyway, and found the culprit.

The laughter--which stopped immediately--had been coming from a peasant boy. He was no younger than 13, scrawnier than a stick, and carrying the scent of the ocean.

The boy stared up at King Vukan, a surreal horror in his eyes. The King didn't hesitate before grabbing the boy by the shoulders and leading him promptly into the middle of the street. He didn't miss how the boy was quivering with absolute terror beneath his fingertips.

"So--" King Vukan started, but the boy cut him off.

All in one breath, the boy sped through his apology. "King and Queen Indulf, I am so, so, so, so, so sorry. It was only a harmless prank I didn't mean to offend you or ruin your day out--"

"Stop," the boy cut himself off immediately as King Vukan spoke, "You have fifteen seconds to give me one good reason not to break a couple fingers before I send you back to where you belong."

The boy's eyes widened. "Please, no, no. I'm a tailor, I need my fi--"

"Eleven, ten--"

The boy was almost crying. Queen Natalya  placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "I think you've scared him enough."

"Huh?" the boy gasped.

"Fair enough. Come on, boy."

"W-What?"

Dripping wet, grip tightening on the boy's shoulder, the King had fire in his eyes as he hissed in a low voice into the boy's ear, "We're going to go pay a visit to my dear friends, King and Queen Elvy..."