The Red Princess and The Golden King

Chapter 7

Vrae sat in Etherae's tent, eating a snack of dried fruits, and smoked Gouda. She was thankful for the chance to talk to him in private. If he was as close to the prince as he'd said, he may be able to tell her enough about him to make a better choice. They'd spent the past ten minutes in silence, as she wasn't sure how to go about starting such a conversation.

Finally, Vrae asked, "So what would you like to know about the prince?"
She sighed, "What is he really like? Outside of the few interactions I've had with him, all I know are the rumors." 

"The rumors are... less than great, and not what I would consider accurate. He's a deadly man, that much is true, but he's never been overly fond of violence. By the gods, he was a brat as a child though. His mother finally got tired of his nonsense after he broke a vase in a fit and took him to a soul healer to get sorted." Vrae chuckled. "Half the palace heard the reaming she had given him that night. it was a long time ago though, he's gotten much better at regulating himself since then."

"I'm guessing that wasn't the first thing he broke then," she said.

"No, he's always been a bit emotional and impulsive. He's a good man though. He's never lashed out against another person who wasn't absolutely deserving. You'd be safe with him, that's not something you ever have to worry about." He told her, picking up on her concerns.

Visibly relaxing, she asked, "He knits?"

"Aye, that and other things. 

"Why?"

"I think there are some things better for you to learn on your own if you decide to agree to his proposal."

"In that case, is there anything I should avoid doing or saying around him?"

"Hmmm," he thought for a minute. "Don't make assumptions about him, when he sets a boundary, respect it, and... blueberries. He hates blueberries."

"Blueberries?!"
"Yes! Etruia brought blueberries for his twelfth birthday, and he ate so many he vomited all over a young lady during a dance." Vrae said laughing. "He felt so bad, he bought her a new dress to replace the one he ruined, and a new horse after learning of her love for riding. It still took him years to live that one down."

"No!"

"Yes! Even the mention of them churns his stomach!"

They joked and laughed about the prince for another hour, and she learned more about his embarrassing moments, including the time he did in the stables and got shit on by a horse, and then kicked after screaming. He wasn't a perfect man, but he was human. She didn't know yet if she could love him romantically, but if the picture Vrae had painted her was true, she could see herself at least loving him as a friend. For her, that would be good enough. With her decision made, she went to bed for the night.

-

Fragaye still had a lot of wounded who needed attending. and she spent her morning working. It hadn't really eased since the days before. Where the injuries became easier and quicker to heal, the number of those to see in a day increased. She felt like a dog chasing a butterfly. She'd run from tent to tent longing for a minute to catch her breath, but that break was always just out of reach as she was called in to help patient after patient. She almost envied Zoreichi, but even the thought of spending long hours alone in a room with mirrors waiting for a call was enough to drive her mad with boredom. Healing was hard work, but she enjoyed being around and helping people.

Etherae took her lunch an hour later than planned, after being harassed into healing a noble-born officer's arm. It was a gash that could heal on its own, but he whined and begged, even went as far as blocking her way to the cooking fires, until she healed it. He was lucky she had taken her oaths, as she was so enraged by his interruptions that she wished to break the damn thing so he'd have a real reason to be bothering the healers. She even almost revealed her golden ranking to shut him up, but she thought better of it and finally just gave in. As she made her way with her lunch towards the prince's tent, she had to avoid reaching up and touching her empty earlobes. She had been lucky things were too hectic to notice the golden jewelry the first day, but after getting back from her conversation with the prince, she realized they could give her away, so she had kept them in one of her pockets since. Finally reaching the prince's tent, she reached up to knock, but was interrupted.
"He's not in there," a man said.
"Where is he then?"

"Preparing for tomorrow's coronation. Lucky for him, we're only a half-day from the closet point of the Scul Nuilm. Traveling all the way back to the capital would not have been easy with the current situation." He said walking away.

The Scul Nuilm, she thought to herself, trying to remember its significance. The great river! The Scul Nuilm hosted the coronation of every king of Fragaye. It weaved its way throughout the nation like a snake, and had many branches that fed water throughout the entire country. It was unique, and most Fragayens believed the river was carved for their tribes by the gods themselves, and they'd do anything to protect it. How could I forget about it! Realizing he'd probably be busy until nightfall, she decided to meet with him after her day's work.

Since she was already late coming back from lunch due to her previous hold up with a certain entitled noble, she decided to eat as she made her way back for work. I can't say what my future will hold with the prince, but I do hope it includes a day off when this war is over, she thought to herself.