In Shining Armour

Heir to the Throne

   Long, grey hair and a matching chiseled beard rest upon the head of the king, along with his spotless crown of gold and ruby lining to match his silky, red robes. Resting upon the side of his ruby-studded belt lay his worn broadsword, with a golden dragon acting as the basket guard of the hilt. The once silver blade had been gradually given a soft tint to it, for the great amounts of blood from the victims that had fell to it had permanently stained the metal. T'was true - King Elys I was a legendary swordsman, and not a poor archer, either. Unlike the other royal families, whom have had generations of passing down the crown to their youth, Elys fought his way for the crown, taking down many of the World's greatest leaders to secure his seat on the throne. 

   A humble king, Elys was often described as. Generous and joyful. Occasionally delivering fruits and bread to the less fortunate families in the vast kingdom of Lorivia, King Elys found joy in his forgiving hand and lenient disciplinary actions. His kindness was greatly appreciated across the 200-acre kingdom -- 175 of those acres were occupied by the glorious castle; nay, cathedral, that was the High Keep, stretching to the back wall of the kingdom. Structured with beautiful quartz and marble, decorated with long, red and white banners proudly bearing the family's dragon on them. Such a majestic castle was home to most of the richer and more valuable residents of the kingdom; however, always open for visitors. Each floor had its own indoor outhouse, kitchen, dining hall, common room, seemingly endless bedrooms, and dance hall. 

   Ruling over the kingdom was the king's favorite part of the position. Not so much the control aspect, but being able to be a reliable and trustworthy body of power was what the king lived for, down to his very core. He wanted his people to acknowledge him as family, friend, and a source of safety and comfort all throughout the land. His pregnant wife, Queen Myrtzia, was just as comforting and caring, if not more. Every year on the week of Winter's End, she spent her spare time hand-knitting blankets for all the infants of the kingdom, much to the gratitude of the Lorivian citizens. 

   Despite the practically perfect lifestyle of being a strong and kind king, and the riches that came from doing so, the king's eldest son and next in line for the throne, a young, troublesome man named Jethanson had always held a strong disdain for his royal future, wanting absolutely nothing to do with being king. He'd much rather seek any and all opportunities to cause havoc across the land. When he was a young lad, he was kicked out of many prestigious schools in the area, for various reasons; thievery, fighting with the students and even some of the deans, and the like. Jethanson was responsible for the destruction of many food carts, and had at one point almost set flame to his father's bed sheets. By the time he had come of age, the first-born son of King Elys I had a lengthy reputation as the local troublemaker, and he was damned proud of it. 

    If Jethanson was a rebellious misfit, Ranulphus was the polar opposite; a saint, as this one's history leads him to appear as. Rather than ignoring all authority and wasting away at The Inn for Reforming the Troubled Youth, Ranulphus excelled at school, performed exceptionally well at his swordfighting lessons, and went on week's end hunting expeditions with his uncle Ouen, often returning with impressive hides and meat. Having been training to rule like his father his whole life, he envied his brother for being first-born, wishing that the year between the boys had worked in his favor rather than Jethanson's. "Father, change the rules of standard! You can break tradition and elect your own heir, like the mages!", the second-born regularly begs of the king, only to always receive the usual, "That is by the will of the Trees, my child. I cannot change how their will influences our people." Regardless, Ranulphus restlessly continues to prepare himself for the position, finding Jethanson's spite to his birthright offensive to the legacy of the throne.

   Jethanson's appearance matched his actions -- black hair that parted down the middle and touched the sides of his chin, pale and light skin to match his cold, grey eyes and messy stubble of dark facial hair. He was a scrawny fellow, but the lack of body weight benefitted his ability to flee before he would get in trouble. Ranulphus's appearance was as contrary to his brother as his personality: short, golden brown hair, vibrant, baby blue eyes, a chiseled and carefully-treated goatee that circled his perfect teeth, and a strapping, masculine figure to compliment it all.

   Even though the two boys were each a couple years beyond of age, neither of them had been outside the walls of Lorivia; Jethanson had been caught many times trying to sneak out, but the king, although otherwise forgiving, had strict laws on who gets to pass through the gate at the entrance of the kingdom. The king was a brave fellow, never afraid to interact with new people or take his sword into battle; the reason why he only allowed certain people outside was simple. His kingdom lived in a peaceful co-existence -- a co-existence not found in other places of the World. He's lived a life of warfare and tragedy, and he knew his subjects would rather be tortured than experience even a fraction of what he's experienced. He knew of the ongoing conflict between the imps of the west and the angels from above; he knew of the No Man's Forest and its extensive history of ruthless slaughter, rape and cannibalism; he wanted his people to have no association with any of the cruel, outside world. Elys would rather stay in the boundaries of his own kingdom, acting as a guardian over his subjects and prepare for the big day ahead of them, for that day was the day the guests had arrived.