The Ilvoran Rebellion [1x1]

[Skagosi]

The King is dead, presumably murdered in his sleep by his previous wife. Filled with hate and jealousy, she turned his people against him and her son now sits the throne as ruler of Ilvoran. He sends the country into devastation, meanwhile, the old King's youngest child runs for his life with only a few loyal allies to guide him in his search for help in retaking his kingdom from his cruel half-brother.​

 

[Skagosi]

The young prince wakes to a dog’s frantic barking and just barely glances the cloaked figure as it rushes into his bedchamber. He sits up in time to see a silvery blade diving towards his throat. His hand catches it as blood begins to flow from his palm. Ignoring the sharp burning, the prince twists the dagger, forcing his assailant off of him. The two bodies wrestle fiercely, toppling from the bed to the stone floor. He struggles against the killer, tries desperately to avoid the blade though it strikes him multiple times. By now, guards have heard them and he can hear their boots running down the halls.

He fights hard despite the deep cut in his hand and the blood that makes his grip slippery. The squabble feels as if it takes hours rather than a few short minutes as the pair tumble about the room. Somewhere close a dog growls then the weight of his attacker is gone, knife sliding across the floor. He hurries to stand as his shepherd’s body tackles the cloaked figure and her huge white teeth sink into flesh.

Everything blurs after that. He sees several of his father’s kingsguard, then one of the small council advisors, all pushing him towards the stable, up onto a horse, and out of the castle. He hears screaming in all directions but he can’t see anything. There’s so blood covering him and his hand burns like a thousand flames. His castle is under attack he realizes at last but when he tries to speak his voice betrays him. No, he tries to cry out, I have to go back! I have to help them! No one stops the horse though. No one listens to him. Instead, he keeps riding, powerless as he watches his people fall dead and blood overtake his castle.

Areion wakes in a cold sweat, his breath falling in heavy pants. The same nightmare has been haunting his sleep ever since he was forced to abandon his home many weeks ago. He doesn’t recall every detail, but those were filled in for him by the advisor and two kingsguard which helped him escape.

Beside him in the darkness, his shepherd lifts her head to stare at him. She looked every bit like a normal dog save for her size. She was a massive beast, of height with the wolves he had seen his bannermen hunt. Ezra used to tell him that she was part magic, a gift from the gods to protect him. He believed that ever since she’d saved his life all those weeks ago.

She crawls closer to his side, letting her great furry head rest across his legs. Aerion smiles at her and scratches behind one of her ears before easing back down to try and find a little more sleep until dawn breaks.

Nights were rarely spent sleeping for the recently proclaimed Queen Regent. There had been so little time for it before as her son grew and she planned her wretched husband’s death. Now, sitting in the chamber she’d once shared with the murdered king, she finds that old habits truly do die hard.

With a glass of wine in hand she watches the black sky from her perch near a tall glass window. The moon was but a mere crescent, accompanied by very few stars. She thinks of the escaped false prince. He was hardly more than a boy, how could he have lived while so many of her men had stormed the castle? A dog apparently, that was how. Reports told her that the assassin was discovered dead, throat torn open by fangs that belonged to a canine.

There must have been other loyalists who helped him flee. Whoever they may be, they were all gone or dead now. Troops of riders had been sent after the boy prince since the sacking though still weeks later none had returned with him. Selene was near tempted to send her own son out with that awful manticore he insisted on keeping. But no, she decided finally, he was needed here. He was King now, time to play that part rather than chase his half-brother across the world.

She drains her cup and rises from her seat. Though far from tired, she goes to the bed, lifting the quilts up over her. Memories flood her mind’s eye of the king she once loved. He had been so gentle, so kind to her, and she went willingly into this very bed with him. She married him shortly after despite knowing it was only done to save her honor, to keep the child she carried from being born a bastard. Yet, she loved her king. She’d been loyal to him, bore him a handsome son, but that hadn’t been enough. He left her in the end.

Nothing had ever been more satisfying than his death. If only his boy prince had gone with him...

 

[BrookeDi]

Gwendolyn
She had long ago sworn to protect the King and his family, particularly his son. She just never expected to be needed so fiercely as she was now. Like the young Prince sleeping a few feet away, the events of that fateful night often played in the guard's mind. Hers was a different perspective, though. She'd been awake, monitoring the halls when the attack had come. She'd been near Areion's room, but not close enough. If it hadn't been for the wolf... Gwen's grip on the hilt of her sword tightened.

She shouldn't think like that.

What's done is done. She had nearly failed her oath to protect the Prince, and she was determined to make up for it now. She would keep the boy safe, and she would help to get him back on the throne.

She had a destination in mind, vague as it was. They had allies in the North, and Gwen hoped to end up there, eventually. They had gone South, though. There are allies there, too, but no one that Gwen trusted to help them out of this mess. No. They had gone South to lead Selene's hunters astray.

They had gone as far South as she had dared, and then she stopped letting them leave a trail, cutting East so they could circle back around and head up North. It wouldn't be an easy journey. It would likely be quite dangerous. This time, though, Gwen was determined that she would protect her charge.

The Guard catches Aerion waking startled, but she pretends not to notice. She's keeping an eye out on their surroundings, anyway. Gwen notes, too, when his breathing has steadied, and he falls back asleep. She almost regrets waking him in the morning, but they have to keep moving.

"Aré," she prompts, accenting the 'e.' They had decided to ditch their royal clothes and armor a somewhere along the way, to better blend in. It feels wrong, in her mouth, to call after the Prince so informally, but should someone overhear and well, Gwen is sure that there are spies everywhere. Gently the prince's protector nudges him awake. "We should get moving," she informs him, voice low. There's no one around to hear them, at least not that she can tell, but you can never be too safe.

Victoria
Victoria stood beside the door to the Royal Chambers. In her mind, she still referred to them as the King's chambers, but they belonged to Selene now, and soon they would belong to her son. She lets out a breath, waiting impatiently. She had never been impatient with the King. Victoria hated having to stay behind, but it had been necessary. After they had managed to get the Prince off on his horse, she had a part to play now. As soon as she heard movement within the chambers, Victoria painted a solemn expression on her face.

She is loyal to the new regime. She is loyal to the new regime. She is loyal to the new regime.

At the very least, she must at least seem loyal to the new regime.

So far, Selene hasn't seemed to suspect that her loyalties lay elsewhere, but Victoria wasn't going to risk that happening anytime soon. Getting the Prince back on the throne would require him having allies in the castle; preferably allies that are alive.

When Selene finally emerged from the depths of her room, Victoria fell into step off to the right and just slightly behind the Queen Regent. "Your Grace," she greets the other woman, waiting for acknowlgement. When it comes, she continues with her daily report. "There is no news on the search," she starts, knowing that is the first thing she's going to be interested in. The next bit she's hesitant to continue with, and there's a slight pause before she continues. "We should consider opening up the court, again, to the people. They have complaints, and they have been lining up every week to be heard..." A few weeks of neglect on that end and the line had grown quite long each week. "They've already started lining up for this morning."

Every week the King would listen to the complaints of his people and settle them if he could. After the exchange of the seat, they had yet to continue this particular task. Victoria suspected that Selene was afraid at how the people would react, but she couldn't be certain to as to her reasons. They couldn't put it off much longer, or there would not be a kingdom for the Prince to return to. "Perhaps today would be a fine day to introduce the people to the rightful King?" The words felt wrong, dirty in her mouth, but she said them sincerely.