The Journey 23.

Autumn. The City Of Fanile. The Kingdom Of Terrindim.

Prince Waniq, the crown prince of Terrindim is a temperamental man at times. Though every seventh day when his family gathers for their traditional noon meal.
The crown prince has to reign himself in, and keep his temper under control.
Which can be rather difficult at such a family gathering. Considering about half of his family would like to see him dead.
In the third floor dining hall here in the main keep, in what's referred to as the real palace.
Prince Waniq, looks beyond his daughter Sarsha, who is sitting between him and his wife Kelriss.
And looks to the glass window in that direction, and rolls his eyes, and nods his head to one side.
A rather annoyed looking Blackflame the dragon loudly snorts, which causes everyone already seated at the long table. To look in his direction, as he peers through the glass window looking at everyone in the dining hall.
Though in actuality, the large black dragon has only eyes for young Sarsha. He really couldn't care less about everyone else gathered here in the dining hall.
The crown prince's young daughter waves to the dragon, but quickly stops when her mother, princess Kelriss. Puts a hand on the leg of the young girl.
Prince Waniq almost chuckles despite himself, when he hears his daughter let out a rather adult sounding sign.
The crown prince, who by his standing in the kingdom, is basically the leader of Balford faction.
Looks at Blackflame on the otherside of the large glass window, and wryly smiles. Prince Waniq nods his head to one side again, to get Blackflame to move away, so that he's not such a distraction.
The large black dragon finally takes the hint. And moves away, though even from inside. Everyone already here in the third floor dining hall, can hear Blackflame grumbling and muttering as he walks away across the courtyard outside.
The crown prince wryly smiles again when he glances at his wife Kelriss, who rolls her eyes at the antics of the large black dragon. Who along with his twin sister Whitefire is disappointed that they don't get to play with young Sarsha today.
As it's seventh day, the day the royal family gathers for their traditional noon time meal. Well, those who are in the capital city Fanile gather.
Many of the extended royal family stay away from the capital on the seventh day. For the simple reason they don't want to gather with the rest of the family.
Prince Waniq used to do that a lot, especially when he was a younger man, and when he was first married to his wife Kelriss.
Though in recent years that's been harder and harder to do. For the simple reason they've got a young daughter. And they live here in the so called real palace.
And that their young daughter is essentially the heir, and will be the next sovereign of the kingdom of Terrindim.
As the twin dragons Blackflame and Whitefire have picked her to be their next rider. Which basically makes her the next sovereign.
The crown prince, who is one of a just a few that the twin dragons actually get along with in a friendly fashion.
For the simple reason he knew from an early age he wasn't going to be their next rider, and that he accepted it quickly enough.
It helped that when he was six, Whitefire, who hardly speaks to anyone, at anytime. Bluntly told him that he wouldn't be the next rider of the royal dragons. Even though they paid attention to him, and kept him company when he was lonely.
Which was quite often, which isn't a surprise considering who his parents are.
It's from that time that prince Waniq, started his friendship with the twin dragons. A friendship that's still strong today.
And it's why the royal dragons will actually take into account what he tells them to do.
Though nothing outlandish, like win a war for him. He's their friend, not their rider.
So it's just simple things they'll do for him. More so now that they've picked Sarsha to be their next rider.
As they absolutely dote over the young girl. So much so, that the royal dragons are usually grumpy on the seventh day. Because they're unable to play with the child, who is essentially the heir to the throne.
As servants continue to bustle in, and deliver various covered dishes, and place them on the side tables.
Prince Waniq after glancing at his daughter, who fortunately hasn't inherent his temper.
And who is sitting there patiently for a four year old. Waiting for the last of the family to arrive so that they can eat.
The crown prince looks at the others, who are already seated here at the long table in the middle of the dining hall on the third floor of the main keep.
There's his siblings, all three of them. Who for once are all in attendance for the family meal.
As one of them usually finds an excuse to be out of the capital, so as not to attend the seventh day meal the royal family gathers for.
Prince Waniq, who is the crown prince, because he's the oldest of the children of king Crassil of Terrindim.
Looks at his brother Sormis, the next oldest. Who would like nothing better than to see Waniq dead, so that he can be the crown prince.
At twenty four, prince Sormis is a petulant looking fellow, with long hair. Married with two children, a member of the Grayvin faction. One of the smaller factions, that if rumours are true, he rules with absolute authority.
Then there's princess Chrisabol, prince Waniq's only sister, well legitimate sister. Considering the king has a few bastards throughout the kingdom.
Thankfully none of them are in the capital at the moment. For if so, they'd been invited to the royal meal that takes place at noon every seventh day. Which would cause an uproar to say the least.
Something that prince Waniq finds hilarious as he looks at his younger sister Chrisabol.
For she's ever a prude, who truth be told, is rather indifferent to her oldest brother.
As she's more interested in the church of Torros, which she's heavily involved in. So much so she wanted to be a priestess in the church.
But their father, the king. Who on the surface is indifferent to his offspring. Forbade her from joining.
The crown prince suspects if Chrisabol was a bastard, or a cousin instead of a child of the sovereign. She would be able to become a priestess in the church of Torros.
But alas she's not, and the princess, who has just turned twenty one, has resented their father for the last five years. Ever since he forbade her from joining the church to become the priestess.
Then there's the youngest of the king's children. Prince Dalvin, just seventeen, and newly married. He married in the summer.
And though Waniq and Sormis marriages were arraigned. One that's turned successful, the other not.
The youngest of the royal prince's who is sitting near the foot of the table, got married because he wanted to.
His new wife sits beside him, and though she is nobleborn. She's not exactly from a well known or influential noble family.
Her family are more merchants than anything. Nor is she part of one of the more influential factions.
Prince Waniq has never been all that close with his youngest sibling. The thirteen year age difference has seen to that.
But in the summer just gone by. The crown prince has never been so proud of his little brother. For the simple reason he was able to annoy both their father and their mother. Infact he was able to anger the two of them.
Something that even the crown prince finds difficult to do. Considering one of them, their mother, wants her oldest child dead.
As they are the effective leaders of the two largest factions in the kingdom of Terrindim.
The Balford and Golmard factions, who are at war with one another. As they fight for the privilege of having a family of wild dragon egg hunters join them.
Prince Waniq looks at the others already seated at the long table. Various royal cousins, their spouses and others. A fair few who want to see him dead, or at least disposed of his position of crown prince.
Prince Waniq who got lucky in his marriage, as he both he and his wife fell in love with one another, in their brief courtship before they were married eight years ago.
And though their first child, a boy, who died just a few weeks old, as he was born prematurely.
A time that the crown prince found most difficult than any other time in his life.
Their relationship has never been stronger. It's helped by the fact that princess Kelriss is in the same faction as him.
Something that he demanded when his parents were searching for a match for him.
Something he knows wouldn't of happened, as then he was not the leader of the Balford faction.
If he was, his mother would of insisted in finding another young noblewoman for him to marry.
His brother Sormis is not so lucky, as his marriage is a spiteful one at that. And though he and his wife Kerra put on a public front of domestic bliss, for the benefit of their two young children.
It's no secret that they despise one another. All because they're belong to different factions. Two factions that are often in conflict, who have been in a number of faction wars over the centuries.
Another in such a predicament sitting at the long table in the dining hall. Is crown prince Waniq's uncle, prince Paldim. One of the king's two surviving siblings.
His uncle Paldim, a solid looking man in his early forties. Of average height for a Terrindiam. Who is the reason prince Waniq is in the Balford faction.
Because he wanted to be just like his uncle Paldim, who is also in the Balford faction.
Though the king's brother has little to do with the faction nowadays. Due to the fact of who he's married to.
The lady Desamo, a cousin of the queen. And like the queen, is a member of the Golmard faction.
Prince Waniq wryly smiles as he sees his uncle Paldim is already drinking. And probably has been all morning. As he sits there, ignoring his wife next to him. Holding up his goblet for one of the servants to refill.
The crown prince figures if things are going to explode today, as often happens at these family meals.
Then it will come from that part of the long table where his uncle Paldim is sitting.
If not, it will be from prince Waniq himself. Which is more often than not, the norm.
Though he hopes to keep his temper in check, even with the defeat of the Balford faction's third fleet yesterday morning up in the province of Smalsare.
The crown prince looks up and down the long table and faintly smiles when he catches sight of his cousin Craefar. The youngest child of prince Paldim and the lady Desamo.
Craefar spots the crown prince and slightly grins too. As Craefar like his older cousin, is in the Balford faction.
And though Craefar is just twenty, he's already a fine airship captain, and is one of the fleet admirals in the second fleet of the Balford faction.
Craefar's grin disappears, as he looks directly across the table from him.
Prince Waniq leans slightly forward so that he can look down the table, and see who his young cousin is looking at.
It's Craefar's older sister Halene, who is looking absolute daggers at her younger brother.
The crown prince slightly winces, as his cousin Halene is a dominant figure in the Fornam faction.
Who a certain sir Wassen is in, or that should be was in. As he was killed in a duel early yesterday evening by lord Ganulf, who is prince Waniq's advisor.
Hell, anyone could set things off today, crown prince Waniq dryly thinks to himself, the effective head of the Balford faction, who listens to the various conversations going on at the long table.
Knows that the duel between lord Ganulf and sir Wesson is at the fore of a lot of the conversations. So is the current war between the Balford and Golmard factions.
And that the Salmain faction has now declared war upon the Balford faction too.
The crown prince looks across the table, and down. Where his cousin Simeon is sitting.
Who catches sight of Waniq looking his way, and slightly winces. As next to Simeon, his wife Kallie. Is looking as smug as one can possibly be in such surroundings.
As the noblewoman from the north of the kingdom is in the Salmain faction. Infact she's a cousin of lord Ganulf.
And at court, and especially within the royal family. Where there's little in the way of representation from the Salmain faction.
The lady Kallie has a large say in the way things are run in the Salmain faction, that's dominated by one family.
Prince Waniq feels sorry for his cousin Simeon, who he genuinely likes. Who if rumours are true is in a loveless marriage to a woman who has had more than her fair share of romantic dalliances.
And now that her faction is at war against the Balford faction, she'd be even more insufferable to be around.
Hmmmmm, maybe i should go on the offensive and start an argument, prince Waniq thinks to himself, he glances at his daughter Sarsha and thinks better of it.
The crown prince is trying to be a better influence around his young daughter. For the simple fact she will be the next sovereign of Terrindim. And he doesn't want her to grow up and be a tyrant. Which could be the case if she follows his example.
Hell, look at how i turned out considering who my parents are, prince Waniq thinks to himself, who at times still can't believe he hasn't got a worse temper than he has.
After all, his parents, or that should be his mother, was not the best example of parenthood one could ever wish for.
Indifference, which turned to disappointment, which in turn led to anger and hate. Is what he got from his mother the queen.
And though his siblings were subjected to similar. He got the brunt of it due to being the oldest.
Those at the table stand as another member of the royal family enters the dining hall.
And a genuine smile appears on the face of the crown prince as he and his wife, and daughter stand. And like everyone else bows.
Even his uncle Paldim manages a passable bow, considering he's already drunk, and the meal has yet to start.
"Nephew" says the new arrival, who kisses the crown prince on the cheek before she sits on the empty chair to his right. Everyone else sits after she takes her seat. After all, she's the only other dragon rider in the royal family.
"Aunt Laenna" says prince Waniq in greeting to the dragon rider Laenna. Who is married to king Crassil's youngest brother, prince Fallins.
Who per usual, isn't in attendance. As he spends a lot of time out of the capital.
With good reason, as he absolutely hates the queen. It's why the crown prince gets along with him so well. Even though they belong to different factions.
There wouldn't normally be another dragon rider in the royal family. As the twin dragons Blackflame and Whitefire don't like having one in their family.
But since the then lady Laenna was already a dragon rider before she married prince Fallins, they allowed it.
It helped that the youngest of king Crassil's brothers is one of the few that the twin dragons get along with. And consider a friend.
The others being prince Waniq himself, and his wife Kelriss.
The only people more important than them to the royal dragons, is the king himself, as he's their rider. And now the crown prince's daughter Sarsha, who they've anointed as the heir to the throne.
Prince Waniq is just about to ask his aunt Laenna how she is, when in walks his mother, queen Pania of Terrindim.
The crown prince doesn't bother to stand and bow to her, as many of the others at the long table do. Predominantly those who would like to see him dead.
His mother is not the sovereign, nor is she a dragon rider. So technically he doesn't have to acknowledge her presence with a bow.
There's a plastered on smile on the face of his mother as she glances his way as she sits in the right hand chair at the head of the table.
Prince Waniq is just wondering where his father is, when his young daughter Sarsha, who has been ever so patient for a four year old, speaks up, and quietly says to her father "Can we eat now dad?".
The heir to the throne then tells him in a conspiratorial whisper that about half of the long table can hear "Popa's not coming, he can't be bothered".
Prince Waniq who is wondering how the hell his daughter knows that. Looks sharply away to his left, and sourly smiles as through the glass window that way, he sees the large head of a rather guilty looking Blackflame duck out of view.
Seeing his wife Kelriss suppress a grin, the crown prince Waniq looks his mother's way, and queen Pania says in a force tone of cheer "Let us eat then" . . . . . .