The Journey 24.

Autumn. The Capital.

After splitting a loaf of bread, and sharing it with her nephew beside her, princess Laenna the dragon rider quietly says to him "I see you've been causing trouble again".
"Who me?" says Waniq the crown prince, in all innocence "I would never" adds the oldest offspring of king Crassil and queen Pania.
The princess, a woman turned just forty in the summertime, who is married to prince Fallins, the youngest brother of the king, wryly smiles as she looks sideways at her nephew.
Who if gossip and rumours are true. Is the cause, and the solution of a lot of the turmoil the kingdom may, or may not be going through.
"Well, then your advisor has been" states the dragon rider, who is part of the Welmid faction, who then adds "With his, shall i say endeavours that he likes to partake in".
"Well yeah" says the crown prince, who then dryly adds "There is that".
Prince Waniq shrugs, as to say he can't do anything about that. When infact he can, but he chooses not to.
The princess, is about to ask her nephew about the news of his faction's defeat against the Golmard faction, up in the province of Smalsare yesterday morning.
But he looks away to his left, at his young daughter Sarsha, who is getting stuck into her meal with all the enthusiasm of a four year old who has had to wait for her noon time meal.
The crown prince chuckles, as his daughter tries to stuff a chunk of bread and cheese into her mouth at once.
And the rider Laenna can't help but smile as she watches the young girl. And thinks to herself that the twin dragons Blackflame and Whitefire couldn't of made a better choice than Sarsha.
Who will someday be the sovereign of Terrindim, whenever king Crassil passes away, and she becomes the queen.
The wife of prince Fallins, then looks away to her right. To the end of the table where her brother inlaw the king usually sits on the seventh day get together.
But only the queen sits there today, here in the third floor dinning hall of the main keep, within the inner sanctum of the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
And as usual, the queen after looking this way once, and greeting the rider Laenna, she totally ignores this part of the long table. Infact since just after the meal began, she hasn't looked this way since.
The rider of the dragon Greenfire slightly shakes her head. As she wonders how a mother could hate their own child as much as the queen hates the crown prince.
Even after the near twenty years she's been part of the royal family. Princess Laenna still can't comprehend the hate the queen has towards her oldest son.
She knows why the queen is like this, but she definitely can't comprehend why she wants her oldest son dead.
Hell, the woman barely likes the other two boys, the rider Laenna thinks to herself, the princess will always consider the royal princes as boys, no matter how old they get.
The dragon rider married to the youngest brother of the king. Looks down the table to where young prince Dalvin, the youngest of the king and queen's three sons, is sitting with his new wife.
Both seventeen, and in throes of a serious relationship for basically the first time in their lives.
The rider Laenna hopes they'll survive. Because the queen is almost as angry at her youngest son nowadays, than she is at her oldest son.
The princess, who is originally from the southern province of Cramoor. Wonders where the argument will start from.
She's a little surprised her nephew Waniq hasn't started it. As he's more than a little temperamental to say the least.
She's rather impressed that he's kept his cool, and has yet to start an argument.
Or will it come from the youngest of the royal princes. She wouldn't be surprised, since young Dalvin has definitely been pushing the boundaries of late.
Getting married against his mother's wishes, and even his father's wishes. Though the king did eventually relent. If he hadn't of, Dalvin would of had to of eloped if he was to marry his sweetheart.
The rider Laenna then looks across to the otherside of the table again. This time more to this end.
And as she sips from her goblet of wine, she looks at her brother inlaw Paldim.
Who of course is well and truly drunk, and it's only a little after midday. And wonders if he's the one to kick things off. As the middle brother, will often start arguing with his wife the lady Desamo. Who happens to be the cousin of the queen.
The cousins who grew up together in their family's lands in the province of Darnass.
Then the dragon rider looks further down that side of the table, and slightly winces when she spots her own son Simeon. Who has his head down, as he eats his meal.
Her oldest, twenty years old, is sitting there with his wife of two years, the lady Kallie from the province of Hanamede in the north.
Lady Kallie, who is sitting there chatting with another royal cousin. Looking like the cat that's got the cream. As her family's faction, the Salmain faction has gone to war against the Balford faction.
The rider Laenna told her son not to marry the noblewoman from the north of the kingdom who is a few years older than him.
Who had a bit of a reputation to say the least. A reputation that's definitely been enhanced since marrying Simeon. As rumours of her infidelity are rampant throughout court, and across the capital if one knows what to look out for, and to listen for.
The dragon rider in the Welmid faction represses a sign. And hopes her oldest child pursues a divorce before it's too late.
At least she knows no argument will come from that part of the table. Her son is too brow beat to get in an argument with anyone.
So the princess Laenna who is glad her two other children aren't in the capital at the moment. Along with her husband prince Fallins. Who absolutely hates the queen with a vengeance. Who keeps away, because he thinks highly of his older brother the king, and doesn't want to upset their own relationship.
Is a little surprised at where the argument actually starts from. It starts just a bit further to her left. From her nephew's wife of all people. Princess Kelriss, after an innocent comment from young Sarsha. Which illicits a reaction from the queen. Which gets a response from Kelriss, the wife of crown prince Waniq.
The rider Laenna just catches her nephew Waniq beside her mutter "Bloody hell here we go".
After his daughter innocently asks to have one of the fruit puddings that are on the side tables. It's not her fault everyone else is too slow to eat the main course.
And after innocently asking for it, and her mother agreeing. Then asking one of the servants if they could please go and get one before the dessert course is served.
Which is where the queen interjects, and tells princess Kelriss not to indulge the child.
The rider Laenna continues to calmly eat her main course after princess Kelriss says to the queen "I shall raise my child as i see fit" followed by "Kindly keep your child raising opinions to yourself" there's a long silent pause before the wife of the crown prince adds "I shall not raise my daughter as you raised your own children my queen".
Out of the corner of her eye, the princess who is a dragon rider, sees her nephew after looking slightly shocked that his wife. Usually the most calm of individuals, suddenly speak up. Then slightly winces at that child rearing barb from his wife directed at his mother, the queen.
The rider of the dragon Greenfire glances the other way, and looks at the queen. Who for once in her life, is at lost for words.
Simply because her oldest son's wife keeps out of any arguments between family members. Well, she usually does, but not today.
Princess Laenna, who figures queen Pania only said that, to try and get a reaction from her son the crown prince.
Watches as the queen goes to say something in response, but she narrows her eyes, and instead looks away towards the side tables. Where one of the servants is getting one of the bowls of fruit pudding.
"Stay right there young man" says queen Pania to the servant who is about to pick up the bowl of fruit pudding for the daughter of the crown prince.
With the rest of the long table fallen silent, the queen of Terrindim says to the servant "Leave it there until the dessert course is served". The servant bows in the direction of the queen, then steps away to stand with the other servers.
Queen Pania, a woman nearly fifty, who over the years has turned a little stout, though her features are still fairly unlined, and there's very little gray in her dark hair.
Looks towards this side of the table, though not at princess Kelriss, but at her oldest son, crown prince Waniq, to see what he'll say and do.
The rider Laenna is utterly amazed her nephew Waniq doesn't react at all, and continues to eat his meal. When everybody else at the long table has stopped eating, to watch what happens.
As once again, the leader of the Golmard faction, queen Pania. Tries to goad her oldest son, the crown prince, who leads the Balford faction.
The two largest factions in the kingdom, that are at war. As they fight to see which one of them will have a family of dragon egg hunters, who have recently found a wild dragon egg, will join them.
The silence is broken by the young princess Sarsha, who asks her mother "Is he bringing it over mummy?" referring to her pudding.
The young child, who is the youngest at the table, looks around, and realises something is wrong, she's not exactly sure what.
But from the way the adults around her are behaving, including her parents, she knows something untowards has happen.
Suddenly within the mind of the rider Laenna, she hears her dragon Greenfire tell her that he doesn't like this. Because if the young child gets upset, then the twins will get upset. And no one, absolutely no one wants that.
Princess Laenna who can immediately see the danger in that, out of the corner of her eye, sees Blackflame the dragon peering through the nearest window. And a moment later, sees Whitefire the dragon pop her head up, and look through another of the glass windows of the third floor dining hall in the main keep, in what's commonly called the real palace.
The dragon rider, the only one in the royal family apart from the king, decides to act.
"Come on dear" says princess Laenna the dragon rider after she stands up, and holds out her hand to the crown prince's young daughter.
"I could do with some of that pudding too" adds the nobleborn dragon rider.
Without even waiting to be told by either her mother or father, to go with aunt Laenna. The young child hops out of her seat, and takes the hand of the princess who is married to prince Fallins, the youngest brother of king Crassil.
The queen maybe married to the king. But in Terrindiam society, either noble or commonborn. There's those who are given more privileges than anyone with exception of the king.
And that's dragon riders. It doesn't matter what faction they belong to. Or if they're nobleborn, or a commoner. Dragon riders are given due respect by all in Terrindiam society.
So it's with a sour look upon the face of the queen, that she watches the rider Laenna walk hand in hand with the young child Sarsha, to the side table where the dessert course is.
After giving a bowl to Sarsha, and taking one for herself, the nobleborn dragon rider faintly smiles, as behind her from the table she hears the king's brother. prince Paldim say in a slightly slurred voice "Laenna I'll have one of those too" followed by "I need something sweet to go with this sour setting".
Good old Paldim, the dragon rider thinks to herself, who then looks over at the servant who was going to bring Sarsha a bowl of the fruit pudding, and says to him "If you would be so kind to take one to the prince".
"Of course rider Laenna" says the servant with a bow, who takes a bowl to prince Paldim knowing that not even the queen will counter what the dragon rider has requested.
Princess Laenna, who is probably the second most well known dragon rider in the entire kingdom behind the king himself.
Walks back to the table with Sarsha, and says to the young girl "You can sit with me young lady". Sarsha is all for that, as she idolizes her father's aunt, because she's a famous dragon rider.
Once seated, she lifts the young princess up onto her lap, and the two of them start eating their pudding.
The nobleborn dragon rider looks across the table at prince Paldim, who has just bellowed for more wine, as he starts on the pudding placed infront of him. And sees the quick look he darts her way.
She wonders if he's as drunk as he appears to be, and silently asks her dragon Greenfire to find out.
The dragon who is on the staging grounds of their faction over on the west side of the city.
Tells her that prince Paldim is indeed drunk, but no where near as drunk as he appears to be.
The princess Laenna, hears her nephew Waniq whisper to her "Thanks".
Then the crown prince of Terrindim asks his young daughter "Good?". He gets an enthusiastic yes in reply from the young girl who is the heir to the throne.
While the rider Laenna, looks sideways at the queen as some of the conversation picks up around the long table again.
And sees queen Pania looking daggers at her brother inlaw Paldim, who by the looks of it is enjoying the fruit pudding as much as young Sarsha by the way he's stuffing spoonfuls of it into his mouth.
The queen can't direct her anger at the dragon rider, but she can at her brother inlaw Paldim.
Who like the crown prince is in the Balford faction, though he has little to do with it nowadays.
Paldim always the rebellious brother, who when the crown prince was young, always looked up to, and modeled himself after, far more than ever his father the king.
Princess Laenna the dragon rider slightly nods to herself as she realises her brother inlaw Paldim may not have a lot to do with faction politics anymore, he still will get involved if he has to.
Especially considering his faction is at war with the queen's. As they fight for the right to have a family of dragon egg hunters, who have recently found a wild dragon egg, to join them.
"Good aunt Laen?" asks young Sarsha as she sits in the lap of the famous dragon rider.
"Yes" replies princess Laenna "Very good" adds the nobleborn dragon rider from the province of Cramoor.
Who is the only one who knows how close they were to disaster there. For if young Sarsha got upset. Then the twin dragons would of got upset. And anything could of happened then, with the dragons Blackflame and Whitefire if they decided to do something in retaliation for young Sarsha getting upset . . . . . .