Announcement

[royal_obligation]

Edarial makes a list of necessities for a wife. He has Zevros check it over, who promptly rips it up and throws it at him. He is of the opinion that if Edarial doesn't actually want to marry a specific person, he shouldn't, and Zevros will have nothing to do with any of it. Edarial sighs, rewrites it, and keeps it and a copy of it away from his twin in the future.

He makes the announcement to various interested people that he will be looking for a bride. Just saying it makes him feel sick. Edarial manages to keep it together long enough to give a list of the qualities he's looking for before he flees. He says he's busy, no one will look twice at him being curt and disappearing to get work done. So no one comes after him when he hides in his room and locks the door.

Face buried in his pillow, he realizes that there's no way he can be personable to his - whatever they are. Potential brides, suitors - whatever, he doesn't care. He'll hire someone to vet them, so he doesn't have to torture himself dealing with women trying to persuade him to marry them.

Comments

[come_midnight]

"My cat is - my familiar is dying!" Iobel says. "I'm out of spells for the day! Let me in!"

[aestrix]

"Hand me the cat," says one of the guards, "and I will dunk it in the fountain. He will be returned after the prince has chosen a bride."

[come_midnight]

"Is that what this is - I can't very well marry anybody unmade!"

[aestrix]

"So hand me the cat," shrugs the guard. "And you won't have to worry about it."

[come_midnight]

Iobel gives him Cricket.

[aestrix]

Cricket is taken. He is dumped in the fountain, and healed. Then, he is not given back. Instead, into an out of the way closet he goes. There is already a litter box and food and water in it. How thoughtful.

The second guard looks at Iobel with a stony expression. "Not to worry, miss," she says in what should be a comforting tone but somehow misses it, "he is perfectly safe as long as you're here."

[alicornucopia]

The guard handling Cricket after he's healed is sworn at in two languages and scratched and bitten as much as Cricket can manage in the process of trying to escape, but he doesn't escape. He yowls from his closet.

[come_midnight]

"Wh- give him back!"

[aestrix]

The guard handling Cricket gets one hell of a scratching. That will leave scars.

The one dealing with Iobel says calmly, "He will be returned unharmed, not to worry. Just not right now."

[come_midnight]

"You're holding my cat hostage to make me stick around and meet the princes. You're seriously doing that?"

[aestrix]

"I wouldn't use those terms," says the guard. "We're just trying to guarantee that this country has the best chance it can get."

[come_midnight]

Iobel fists her hands in her hair.

"Right. Hostage cat. Where am I supposed to go?"

[aestrix]

"At the main palace gate there's a man accepting guests. Tell him your name and title and you'll get a guest room."

[come_midnight]

"I don't have a title."

But she goes.

[aestrix]

She gets a guest room. It's nice - pleasantly furnished and with a lovely little single bathroom with running and heated water (made by magic).

[come_midnight]

Sure. Lovely place to wait out the hostage-taking.

She wants her cat.

[aestrix]

Eventually there's a knock at the door.

[come_midnight]

Iobel goes and opens the door.

[aestrix]

There is a short, portly old man with a clipboard. "Hello -" he checks the clipboard, "- Miss Iobel Swan. Edarial's feeling ill at the moment, do you mind if I have a word in his stead?"

[come_midnight]

"I just want my cat," she says plaintively. "I just want my cat back safe, is he - where is he?"

[aestrix]

"... Your cat? I beg your pardon? I wouldn't know where your pet is, ma'am..."

[come_midnight]

"My familiar. Someone took him."

[aestrix]

"Your -" The little portly man startles. "- Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness, do you know who took him?"

[come_midnight]

"I didn't get their names, the guards at the fountain, he was sick, they wouldn't let me take him to the fountain myself and then they took him - he got a good few chunks out of the one that was holding him but he didn't get away."

[aestrix]

"The guards at the fountain?" asks the little man. "What? No, no, you must be mistaken, the guards would never do that!"