ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴅᴇᴍᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ❅ 𝕽𝖔𝖞𝖆𝖑 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖈𝖑𝖊𝖘

❝𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞❞

K01 ‖ The Princes' Alliance: Social Etiquette

"A monarchy is the most expensive of all forms of government, the regal state requiring a costly parade, and he who depends on his own power to rule, must strengthen that power by bribing the active and enterprising whom he cannot intimidate."
― James Fenimore Cooper

𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕲𝖚𝖎𝖉𝖊:
Italic words - the thoughts of a character / a foreign language is spoken
Bold and italic words - a lie, only when Princess Caitlyn's around
Bold, italic and underlined words - the timeline of memories, past, hallucinations etc.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

In 1905, there was a struggle of succession between Carl of Denmark from the House of Glücksburg and Haakon VII from the House of Hárfagri, that was thought to be lost between the years 1387 and 1905, when Norway was part of various unions.

It was soon settled when Haakon VII of Norway was elected King of Norway. With him the House of Hárfagri, the direct descendants of King Harald Fairhair himself, resumed occupancy of the throne of Norway after almost a millennium of hiding.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Year 1963
Royal Palace Oslo, Norway

"After nine hundred and thirty five years, our family's birth right was finally returned to us when your grandfather was elected as Norway's King," said King Olaf V, looking down at his 10-year-old son, Mathias.

The young boy stared at the paintings on the wall with great curiosity and wondered, "Norges Konge? [Norway's King]"

"Yes, my son," said the boy's father as he knelt down to his level. King Olaf V held his son's shoulders and gave him a grim look. "You, my son, is the one and only Crown Prince of Norway. Should anything happen to me, you must be strong. Do you understand?"

Young Prince Mathias stared at his father with his ice-blue eyes, wondering what could bring forth such an unsettling topic.

"Pappa? Er noe galt? [Dad? Is something wrong?]" asked the young Norwegian Prince.

King Olaf V laughed softly, shaking his head, "Nei, ingenting sånt. [No, nothing like that.]"

Not liking how that sounded, Prince Mathias moved in to give his father a big hug. "Jeg er her, pappa, [I'm here, dad]," said Prince Mathias, burying his nose into his father's shoulder.

Another shaky laugh escaped the king's lips. "Jeg vet, jeg vet, [I know, I know,]" said the king.

It was the last time the young Norwegian prince hugged his own father, for the next summer when he returned from Ever Realm Academy, he was already too old for that sort of thing.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Year 2039
Former King's Chamber, Royal Palace Oslo, Norway

Seated in his bed, leaning against the headboard with pillows supporting his back, the former King of Norway held his granddaughter's small and slim hands in his larger and wrinkled ones. Mathias, who was once a young boy learning about his birthright, was now an old man of ninety-five years old. The once luscious hair of pale gold that cascaded down his shoulders were now thin and closer to the shade of white. The charm of his boyhood had faded entirely and what was left of it were his lively ice-blue eyes.

By the side of his bed sat his eldest granddaughter who held a great resemblance to her mother, the current sovereign of Norway. Both Queen Cassandra and Crown Princess Caitlyn inherited the former king's pale golden hair and ice-blue eyes, a trait unique to the current House of Hárfagri established by Haakon VII.

Former King Mathias observed his granddaughter; a shadow of the young girl she once was as her brother's betrayal took a great toll on her. While her hands were clasped in her grandfather's, she stared into space, not meeting the former king's ice-blue gaze. With hunched posture, sunken cheeks and dark shadows under her eyes, the princess had clearly not been eating nor sleeping well.

Her grandfather sighed.

"My dear Amaryllis," he said in Norwegian, tightening his grip on her cold hands. "You are too quiet. Talk to your grandfather, won't you?"

The old former king was weak, weaker than he was a few months ago. The slightest tremble of his hands were felt by the fifteen-year-old princess. Princess Caitlyn shifted in her seat, pulling her hands out of her grandfather's grip. Instead of pulling away from him, she laid her hands on top of his wrinkled ones.

"Grandfather," Caitlyn said, her lower lip trembling. "The amaryllis blooms wilted."

"My dear grandchild-"

Caitlyn immediately reached for the jug of water by the side table when her grandfather broke off coughing violently.

With shaking hands, Mathias accepted the glass of water and took a long sip before putting it away. His hands found their way to Caitlyn's and held onto them for dear life, trying to smoothen his breath.

"I have kept you awake for too long, grandfather," said the Norwegian princess. "You should rest."

Mathias shook his head to deny her from departing while gasping for air until he could breathe normally again. His eyes were unfocused as they tried to meet Caitlyn's. Mathis held on, preventing her from leaving.

"Do not pursue revenge on your brother," he managed as his coughing returned. "You will fail to make him regret. It will only widen the rift between you two-"

"Grandfather, this is not the time to talk about this-Doctor!" Caitlyn turned to the direction of the door, shouting for the doctors stationed outside her grandfather's chambers.

Mathias's tightening grip made her turn back to him. He gasped out raspily, "Listen, Caitlyn. The regret must come from himself. You-must-believe me."

The young princess grew more frightened, fearing that her grandfather's condition would deteriorate further with every passing second that the doctors were not called. She refused to let this be the last time she ever spoke to him. "I know, grandfather, I believe you," she said, choking on her words. "Just stop talking, I must call the doctors-DOCTOR!"

Her last screech at the door effectively summoned the doctors as the group of white clad men rushed in.

"Caitlyn-you-mustn't-do-" were the last words that the princess heard from her grandfather before she was brought out of the room.

Staring at the closed doors of the chamber, Princess Caitlyn was being held back from entering and staying by the former king's side. The princess shrieked curses at the ones who held her back, calling down the wrath of the gods on them, and detailing the punishments she would present upon them before firing the lot. She cursed her own twin brother too, for his sudden departure had brought the family much dismay. Thrashing against her restrainer's grip, the princess made a vow in Old Norse.

"By the grace of the gods, he will answer for it."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

1032 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜

𝐚/𝐧: that escalated real quick. hope you enjoyed this! happy new year's eve! ready for a new beginning?