The Epic of Antares

Castle Blackrose was enjoying a strangely peaceful night, after the events of Emperor Nero's gift to King Antares. The procession after the play was subdued and delightful, many had heaped praise upon the shoulders of the sagatellers and the bards for a retelling of a great story that the south had only heard about in rumor and off hand conversation. The southern nobles eagerly looked to make King Antares and Emperor Nero the stars of the night as plenty gathered around them to hear what they thought of the spectacle. Galahad found it distasteful. So many thousand dead at the hands of a young prince many years ago, their sacrifice and their beliefs made into entertainment for others to enjoy. He understood why the nobles would be ignorant to the gravity of the Storm Island's Rebellion and what it meant. Yet he had thought the Stygian King would be different, and would show greater respect. However his carefree attitude and jovial demeanor looked to be one of a man who reveled in the praise and almost welcomed it.

It seemed at every opportunity given to find a redeemable quality of the Northern King, Crown Prince Galahad Bludgaard found that he could never come to like the man he had so recently met. Admittedly their only real conversation came at the summit of the monarchs, and the prince of dragons was sure that did nothing to help matters. He took another sip of his drink as he walked the halls by himself. He looked into the dark liquid and was at least thankful Stygian wine lived up to its reputation. The flavors from his home danced across his tongue, the bitter winds of Vistorian mountain tops filled him with life. With that came the memory of Helax, his dear dragon and friend. The prince found himself missing his ever familiar companion, and the boisterous attitude of the Elder Dragon. Even as young as Helax was, there was an air of maturity to him that the other dragons admired. No doubt were he here, he would have enjoyed terrifying so many humans as he soared above in the clouds basking in the celebrations. Reza would have enjoyed it as well.

A soft smile crossed his face hiding the growing redness of his cheeks. He leaned against one of the many windows along his path to catch his breath as he thought about the soon-to-be Crown Princess. He recalled the first time he met the wide-eyed girl, the way she looked at Helax and more earnestly at him. Not as an invalid, but as a warrior like her brother, a great man worthy of all the titles bestowed upon him. In her ocean blue eyes, he found the courage that was so often spoken about when others talked of him. He had always thought–perhaps hoped–that maybe the emperor along with the princess's mother would see him worthy of…

Galahad did not finish the thought, shaking his mind clear as he continued on his stroll. She was promised to another, he could not understand why, but she was. What the emperor saw in the north that was so valuable escaped him and he was sure it was the same for Saturn as well. He could not imagine the myriad of feelings his dearest friend must have endured through the early days of the celebrations so far. Yet as always, Saturn said nothing, nor showed even the slightest bit of discomfort, hosting the man his wife was once promised to and now his little sister. Galahad was always amazed by his mental fortitude in the face of adversity, his calming presence like the very sun in the sky. His warmth just as powerful. King Antares' appearance in the south threatened to cool that radiating heat and the dragon prince would not allow it.

However, what could he do? It was not just the presence of the Stygian King that ailed the King of Talterra; it was the decision given to him by the Emperor of Aurum. This marriage–this farce could all be put to an end if King Antares all but declined the union. Galahad did not care for the consequences if Antares chose to reject Reza's hand. The southern realms had proven for well over a century that they did not need the north, more precisely they did not need Iliad and her Stygians. Talterra's efforts in the south beyond the seas in the Land Hidden in Fog, ruled by the Highland tribes had proved beneficial. Slowly but surely, within less than a century the Tribe of the Painted would control the entire region and a new empire would be formed. Were his efforts and Saturn's not satisfactory? What else could they do to gain the favor of the emperor and convince him to leave his foolish desire for the north alone? Galahad took several more swigs of his chalice hoping the answer would reveal itself to him. To no luck, the only gift he received was several new flavors being accompanied by memories of his youth, one he happily welcomed with a grin.

He allowed the memories to entertain him as he continued his march, with Reza's crowning ceremony taking place tomorrow. Everyone had chosen to retire early, there would be much to do in the following day. The prince quite liked his uninterrupted stroll through a castle he often regarded as a second home. He could still recall the first time he was brought here by his father, face knotted and mood soured. He was a spoilt prince in his youth, he would be the first to admit it. Yet surely not many would fault him, for the great Elder Dragon Helax chose him to be his rider. Any man given that honor would have perhaps shown more humility than a five year old child. Alas Galahad liked to think that was not the case for his own benefit. Nevertheless he was thankful for his father's insistence or rather proclivity to show great appreciation for the emperor at the time. Without it, he would never have met Saturn nor Edward and all the mischief they would create together. The older the prince had gotten, the more he missed those days when all that mattered was the adventures they would conjure up in these halls and the forest behind the castle. Even now as he moved calmly, the wine loosened his grip on reality enough that the past was visible, if only for the briefest of moments. He saw a boy with platinum hair, a wooden crown atop his head, flanked by his trusted generals–the red haired King of Dragons and the auburn haired Lord of Thorns. Nothing could stand in their way and all of Aurum was theirs to protect. He wondered if any of them still remembered those earlier years.

Although not his intention, the ending of his journey had brought him towards the private study room of the King of Talterra. Prince Galahad had hoped he would pass here and the same darkness that permeated through this section of the castle would be likewise here, but the soft rays of light coming from the crack in the door told him otherwise. As usual while others slept he was always toiling away in solitude. He would say it was just how he always was, but Galahad knew there was more to it. Whenever he was awake this late, it was more often than not because he was in a foul mood. The Prince of Dragons had a plethora of reasons to pick from, but rather than stand there and guess, he decided he would ask him directly.

As he pushed the door open, it took him slightly longer than he would have liked to realize they were not in the captains quarters of the Terran royal battleship. Granted the room was twice as large as it was on the ship, but both still carried the same air of adventure afforded to a captain of the sea. On the walls hung various pirate blades of differing quality, a few of them Galahad could recall him claiming after a battle. He moved to examine them, as always they were kept in the most pristine of conditions. That quality was extended to everything in this room, from the bookshelves to the maps scattered about both on the large table and hung on the wall. At first glance one would think the room a mess but closer inspection would show everything was where it was meant to be, at least that is what he had always told him.

He smiled as he stole a glance at him, the king was hunched over on the table facing four large windows using moonlight, as a source of light. He examined the maps they had charted when they explored different paths through the rugged waters around Aurum and the oceans beyond. Each map was a different route they had taken to the Highlands. They still had not found the optimal route and with winter on its way the waters would only become harsher to travel. However, Galahad knew he enjoyed the challenge. Many would have found it odd that the King of Talterra who was known to be well versed in many things would also find a great fascination with the sea. Yet those who were aware of the ancient stories of House Blackrose, would know they were once master seafarers. That blood seemed to still burn hotly within the latest Terran King, one the prince took to be a good omen.

"I thought you would be asleep?" there was energy in his voice.

"I could ask you the same thing. At the very least I thought you would be in your chambers," he returned his gaze to the maps in front of him. "Queen Freyja did not look to be in the best of moods this evening."

"It is not me she desires to warm her bed." The indifference in his voice was commanding yet quaint.

Galahad furrowed his brow. "I dislike when you do that."

Saturn paused for the briefest of moments before continuing on with his papers. "Care to expand?"

He was colder than usual, Galahad thought. He knew the night had bothered Saturn but to what extent he feared the only way of knowing would be if he pulled it out of him. Ordinarily he would have let things lie, but Stygian wine had emboldened him more than usual. So the Crown Prince of Vistoria spoke his mind.

"I dislike when you speak as though you do not care for her or that she does not care for you, for that matter. Yes she was promised to him, so what? She is not the first noble, nor will she be the last. Tonight bothered you, it bothered all of us. That play further proved what we have always known of the Stygians–what your father has always taught us. It does not help matters that she fawns for him like a newborn babe. I understand why and I know you do too. Yet it does not mean we must be indifferent. You are not a Stygian, you are allowed to be upset, you are allowed to feel."

Galahad caught his breath finally allowing himself to breathe. He hoped he did not come across as combative as he sounded. He only wished to speak the truth. Saturn's lack of reaction was noticeable not just by him but by Edward and the other southern nobles. He was King of Talterra, that carried weight throughout all of Aurum, not just the south. They had all gathered in his home, to celebrate his sister. He had every right to command respect from all present, including the Stygian King.

"So it is my lack of action that upsets you?" Saturn leaned back on his chair as it groaned underneath his weight. His massive frame pushed the limits of his white sailors blouse.

Galahad folded his hands. Another thing he disliked was when the Terran King was purposely obtuse.

Saturn could feel the growing ire of his dear friend and turned his chair to face him. "What do you want me to say Gal? That it upsets me to have the Stygian King in my home? To see people prostrate themselves and gather around him like he is some divine being worthy of worship? That it is not enough that the emperor offers away his daughter–my sister–like some common trinket, but he demands the grimoires while also spending time alone with my wife? Would you have me burn all of Longshore in anger?"

Galahad wanted to appreciate how regal Saturn looked, yet he found being scolded like a child to be the bigger issue at hand. He lowered his head in apology. It was unfair of him to ask for an outburst from him but he simply cared for his honor and dignity. There was much on the shoulders of Saturn that he already thought unfair. All this ceremony had done since was to ask more of him than anyone had any right to. The emperor included. As much as the celebrations were a welcomed boon for Longshore, he was eagerly anticipating the end of it all. Yet it also meant he was closer to not seeing Reza again for a very long time.

Saturn leaned forward, hands intertwined. Even in the well lit room, his platinum hair glowed like a crown of flames on his head, his beard as always kept neat and properly trimmed. His ocean eyes, much like his sisters, often gave away his emotions more than his face ever could. They were cold and frozen, a blue hue not seen anywhere perhaps but the skies of a winter's day in Iliad.

"If you must know," there was a softer tone to his voice. "It does bother me, more than I care to admit. Truth be told, everything about him irritates me. But when the anger builds enough to be worth addressing, it dissipates."

"Why?"

Galahad spotted Saturn's lip curl ever so slightly. "Because I see the way she looks at him, the way she laughed while they danced. Or the ease in which she moves when he is by her side. How the nobles all flock to me to tell me things about her that I did not know. In the mere two days that he has been here, for the first time in five years, I look at her as a woman. Not simply an accessory, or the mother of my son. It is as though I am seeing my wife for the first time, I am seeing Freyja Stormborne for the first time. And all I feel is shame."

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Five years he had known her and not once had he ever seen her laugh as she did that first night he arrived and they danced. It was as though he was awoken from a long dream. The first time he met her paled in comparison to the woman he saw that night. Her cordial and calm demeanor impressed him, it always did. She lacked extremes and he thought that was what he wanted in a queen. He was under no illusion even at the time of their first meeting that her heart would only ever belong to another. In truth he was unsure what about her that Prince Antares found so captivating. Her appearance was breathtaking, a beauty he had not been able to see an equal since nor did he think he ever would. All the same, she was quite plain, her answers and queries were nothing spectacular to paint the picture of the woman he had heard the Stygian prince was so enamored by and was willing to slaughter thousands to reach. But that night, that night Saturn finally understood.

"You have nothing to be ashamed about," Galahad did his best to sound convincing.

Saturn let out a dry laugh and leaned back in his chair turning his gaze to the maps on his wall.

"You know I still dream of Una?" he looked at his oldest friend with sincerity. "I dream of the Highlands of the Painted and the thick fog that masks their mountains and beautiful land in the early mornings. I always imagine this is what Iliad is like but more wonderous. I dream of landing on the shores and breathing in that ancient air. I make my way up to the first hill, I see her there wrapped in their ceremonial shawl, her face painted with the cerulean color of her tribe. Her orange hair burning in the sunlight. I care for nothing else but to take her right there and I do. As I have done every time we journey back to the Highlands. In her I find the passion for life that I thought was sorely lacking in my wife."

It was only by chance, pure happenstance that their paths crossed more than a decade ago. They were blown off course, a terrible storm had gripped the sea and Galahad and Helax were lost to him for some time. Coming upon a strange land with his crew he did not know where they were or how far off from their route the storm had blown them. But all that mattered was that they were alive, there would be time to regroup. Soon after that plan was foiled by the shouting of his crew as they all pointed to a naked woman wielding a spear, being chased by men on horseback. These were not his lands, he knew better, he always knew better. Those were not his people and he had no right to interfere, he was meant to return home. He watched as she fought back as best she could, doing better than even some of his men but it would not be long before she would tire and they would kill her.

Perhaps if they had just slaughtered her he would not have intervened. However the moment the men pinned her down and started to undress themselves, his decision was made for him. Saturn launched himself off his ship with considerable force, rocking the entire vessel. He burned them all to ash along with their horses, before they had any idea what was happening, before he landed in front of her. As their scorched bodies heralded his arrival. Fear ravished her mind as she gripped her spear ready to defend against him. He did not know what else to do so he lay on his knees, giving her his coat. The gesture confused her, but all the same she took it gingerly. That was the first time Saturn Blackrose met Una Muireadhach, seventh daughter of King Fearchar Muireadhach. The one and only woman he ever loved.

"Even after I married Freyja, even after she gave me a son. I still lay with her every time we go back. And every time she still begs me to stay, knowing I cannot, knowing that I am meant to belong to another. She does not care for she has decided that I am hers, and will always be hers." There was admiration in his voice for the woman that captured his heart.

Galahad moved closer to him, choosing to lean against the table. "Is this what it means to be a noble? To be given all we could ever desire, except for what it we truly yearn for?" He placed his chalice on the table having had his fill.

Some would have thought Galahad's remark arrogant, bordering on ungrateful for the boundless riches he had been afforded. The Crown Prince of Vistoria did not care. All life had shown him was that the desires of the heart took precedence above all. To crave another and not having the chance to fully satiate that hunger. He knew they would both give away all they had and everything that came with it. Saturn would do it for Una and Galahad would do it for…

"You know what brings me the greatest shame?" Saturn leaned on his right hand, a recognizable indifference in his eyes. "I have not dreamt of Una once in the last two days, instead traces of Freyja streak across the nothingness in my dreams. And I awake saddened by it. What does that make me Galahad?"

"Human," he responded with the conviction of a king. "It makes you human, and I am glad. It should have always been you and Una. I will never deny that, but perhaps this proof that something real could exist between you and Freyja."

Saturn allowed the idea to gestate in his mind, he was envious of his dear friend's optimistic view of his marriage. It was one of the many things he loved about the red-haired prince. That and his propensity to worry about him more than anyone else, perhaps excluding Reza.

"It should have been you, you know?" Saturn rose looking to wet his tongue with mead. "This naming ceremony should have been a celebration of her and your union."

The King of Talterra knew no one better to be his sister's husband. The closer Reza had come to her naming day the more the chatter of her union was discussed. Enrieta and Roderika were Queens, they had the right to marry when they saw fit. Entire realms depended on their choice. However Reza was a different case. She could be used to unite multiple realms under one banner, under his family's banner. He did not look at his sister as a tool to be used but he was not naive enough to not see the value of it. Yet the more Saturn thought about it with his advisors, the more he wanted her to marry someone worthy, regardless of what it meant for Aurum. And whenever he thought who could wear that crown, the towering man with the long crimson hair in front of him was the only one worthy. He approached with mead.

Galahad raised his chalice accepting the drink, "Even if the decision was hers to make. I do not think I would be her first choice. No I am sure of it, I will only ever be her dear knight. I am fine with that." He smiled as he hoped the drink would wash away the lies he spoke.

The Crown Prince turned his attention to the papers on the table not wanting to linger on her anymore than he always did.

"What have you been reading to distract yourself all night?" He uncurled a finger from his chalice pointing to the papers.

Saturn sat back down, as he took a large swig of his drink. "I am not distracting myself. I have received word from the seas east of us. Well past the Empire of the Three Kings and what lay even further past the eternal desert."

Galahad perked up, very little news about the lands and seas beyond Aurum ever made its way back to Talterra. Their understanding of the world outside of them was fractured and sparse. What little they did know was difficult to piece together given the nature of how the rest of the world saw Aurum. Or more accurately could not see Aurum. The Stygians who better understood the greater world naturally held tightly their secrets unwilling to share. It only added to how much they despised them. So much of their focus was on Aurum, as though that was all there was to the world. The Emperor was the same, in fact much of the older nobility shared the same views. There was a growing divide between the nobility of Aurum of what her future was supposed to be. However that was a topic for a different time, Galahad looked on trying to decipher the parchment.

"What does it say?" He picked up the letter as the words began to ooze together, becoming illegible. He despised the language of The Three Kings, it was barbaric in all facets.

"A new Emperor of the Sea has been crowned, some weeks back. That makes all eight thrones complete for the first time in, I dare not imagine." There was an uneasiness in Saturn's voice, one he was not sure why.

"What is it?" Galahad asked, sensing uncertainty from his friend.

Saturn rubbed his platinum colored beard. "Nothing worth addressing," he dismissed. "Though it is amusing that it seems the eighth emperor was crowned seemingly on the same day or thereabouts as King Antares."

"Well if that isn't an ominous warning."

Saturn laughed. Galahad could not recall how long it had been since heard that sound. It filled him with so much warmth. He always wished he would do more of that. If only you showed her this side of you, the prince thought.

"There is more," the king's expression hardened slightly. "The letter also attempts to describe the new emperor."

Galahad did not understand why this was a point to highlight but paid attention all the same.

"My understanding of the language is still quite primitive," The Terran King was also strongly against the language of The Three Kings. "But it describes him as a man who walks with the stars. Twin suns light his path. In his left hand chains strong enough to bind the world, in his right the very strength to break it. The first acknowledged in eons since The Exalted One, by the Four Enlils capable of becoming the next Shahanshah."

"Shahanshah?"

"I know not what it means either, but I can only assume an even greater title than what he has already attained."

With every new piece of information they received of the outside world, the greater it was to them. As well, it was a firm reminder to them of how small they were in comparison. Their wars and conflicts seemed to lose their luster and appeal knowing greater threats existed. Galahad scarcely believed that such fantastical things lived outside Aurum despite the proof shown to him. It was difficult to accept–beings that commanded great swaths of land and sea. Whose actions shifted and remade the world, there was a part of him that was thankful that such entities knew not of Aurum and the people that called her home. What the gaze of these beings would mean if they were ever made aware. What the Stygians would do in retaliation to foreign mortals.

However as the Crown Prince of Vistoria turned his attention to his friend, Saturn's eyes told a different story. They were eyes filled with wonder and budding excitement of what the outside world had to offer. The sailor in his blood boiled with eagerness to learn more of the world of what this new emperor would do with his new title. To throw away the responsibilities of being a royal and sail the open seas was the Terran King's deepest desire, a dream only spoken about once when they were children and never again. Galahad knew that dream still existed deep within him. The day that word reached them of Crown Prince Hyperion Xerxes divesting himself of his titles and departing Aurum shook the entire continent to its very core. Yet while others were left speechless and scrambling for what it meant for the future of the Stygians and all realms. Saturn was the only one to carry a look of jealousy, an expression Prince Galahad did not know his friend was capable of having. He so desperately wanted him to one day have his wish, he hoped he would live long enough to see it. Certainly perhaps accompany him on one or two voyages.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" the Terran King asked with a soft grin.

"Oh nothing, I look forward to all these festivities being done with. I much like the castle when it is less lively, as if there is ever truly such a time."

"We are in agreement my friend, we are in agreement."

"Which reminds me after all of this you will be spending more time with Freyja." There was no room for argument. "It has been made apparent you have been neglecting her, our Stygian friend has made that quite clear. She likes to pray in the morning, correct? Start going with her."

The king gazed into his chalice, his indifferent reflection staring back at him. The thought of spending more time with Freyja felt like an obligation that he needed to check off his daily duties as a monarch. However, now there was a new sensation that he was not quite sure how to process. A sinking feeling that filled his mind with how many ways he would ruin the time between them. His inability to measure up to the Stygian King. It seemed for the first time Saturn Blackrose felt anxious at the thought of spending time with his wife. A childish emotion that he found difficult to wrestle with. An emotion he thought he would only experience with Una.

"As you command Crown Prince Galahad," he allowed himself to relax completely.

Galahad nodded lovingly.

Saturn looked to move along, unwillingly to fully sit within the rare sensation of anxiousness that he felt. "How was the meeting between the Lord Regents?"

Galahad came alive with a proud grin, "You should have seen how Edward hounded the Stygian Lord Regent. It was quite the show."

"Is that so? Tell me more," Saturn chuckled.

The Crown Prince of Vistoria did as he was asked and regaled his dearest friend with the afternoon's events and all that came with it. The older they had gotten the more they valued these moments they spent together. These were the times where they most felt as they did in their youth, unburdened by responsibility and all that came with it. It was a feeling very few understood and would be able to experience. Neither Saturn nor Galahad took it for granted, they savored every moment together as though it was their last. One day it would be.