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Post by alexanderthegreat on Apr 11, 2009 0:43:09 GMT -5
Hurried footsteps echoed throughout the great hall of the Solar Castle, accompanied by gasps and murmurs of the servants that filled it. This was something they hadn't expected, yet no one had expected anything like this.
The king, Bradley Frexton IV, was fatally sick and at such a young age. His son, Prince Alexander, after having been missing since just before he turned eighteeen, suddenly appeared shortly after the news started circulating the kingdom.
The young man kept his gaze focused ahead, ignoring whatever comments the pitiful servants had waiting for him. Bursting into his father's chamber, the two Captains of Santo-Luce immediately stood to attention, one stepping forward to greet the prince.
"Prince Alexander, how surprising it is to see you--" he started and Alexander immediately held up his hand to silence him.
"I don't care to hear it. What's going on here?" Alexander demanded, stepping closer to the bed where his father lay sleeping at the moment.
"He's become very ill, sire. His condition worsens with every day, we are only glad that you've come home..."
"And at such a good time, too. Milord, your father is in no physical shape to look after his usual political matters, so I've directed Lord Damnedblood and the others of the Sumata 13 to take all of their inquirires with Santo-Luce to you," rang in the voice of his father's most trusted advisor. Alexander gave him an incredulous look.
"Are you kidding me? What do you expect me to do sitting with a bunch of the other stuffy royals?" he responded. The servants around the room looked at each other uneasily before the advisor spoke up again.
"Sire, we need a voice for Santo-Luce. I'm afraid it'll have to be you."
Alexander's eyes widened, looking back over his father. So much had changed in so short of time...
He nodded his head and smirked.
"Yeah. Yeah, alright. I'll look after it," he answered, and almost at a too perfect of a moment for it was at that time Bradley opened his eyes, squinting up at the young blond man standing beside his bed.
"....'bout bloody time...responsibility..." the man tiredly muttered before falling back into a deep sleep. Alexander's eyes narrowed slightly at this, but bit his tongue. He stepped back, looking around the room at everyone watching him - he threw back his hands.
"Alright...so what? What's it you guys want me to do first, then?" he asked, quite honestly not having a single clue what his 'first order of business' should be. Who'd have thought those years where his father was trying to teach him something seemingly important turned out to have been something he really should have listened to?
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Post by Trucido Damnedblood on Apr 11, 2009 15:34:18 GMT -5
"The new voice of Santo-Luce, Welcome" An evil voice said. A man walked into the room, covered in...Blood?
"Sorry about this" Trucido said as he wiped some of the blood of his clothes. "Some person was talking and well, he smelt bad."
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Apr 11, 2009 16:17:25 GMT -5
Alexander looked over and his eyes widened at the sight before him. The man was standing in the room with a red suit and dripping with blood. Alexander's jaw dropped and he shook his head at Trucido in protest.
"W-whoa, WAIT. We keep this place clean, what do you think you're doing waltzing in here like--ungh!"
The short figure of the royal advisor was suddenly beside Alexander, elbowing him sharply in the ribs and muttering, "LORD DAMNEDBLOOD!"
Suddenly, Alexander's eyes widened even more as he quickly looked back up at Trucido, laughing loudly and nervously as he did so.
"I MEAN...HEY, what are you doing walking around without a drink?!" he snapped his fingers at one of the servants by the door, whom of which was looking rather pale at the moment, "go get this man a margarita!"
Hehe...smooth, Alexander. Smooth...
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Post by Trucido Damnedblood on Apr 11, 2009 16:32:07 GMT -5
"As, so the Adviser knows me, but not the new Prince that I had to cancel a date to meet ." Trucido said "Meh you have been missing for a while. I just want to welcome you to the Sumata 13 and to YOUR kingdom."
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Apr 11, 2009 17:00:39 GMT -5
"Oh, the young prince knows you, sir. He just seems to be...a little 'overwhelmed' by the news of taking the throne, is all," the advisor calmly answered, receiving a glare from Alexander as he did so. Alexander promptly stepped forward, giving his advisor a bit a shove.
"YES...yes, that's it. Milord, I apologize for you cancelling your previous engagement to come meet with me. I uh...yeah, I'll...gladly accept my seat as king of the Santo-Luce kingdom upon my father's death, and until then pose as the immediate ambassador for the kingdom," Alexander grinned, giving a slight bow as he did so. The advisor raised his eyebrows slightly, he hadn't actually thought the boy would be...well, as well with his words as he was.
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Post by Trucido Damnedblood on Apr 11, 2009 17:13:18 GMT -5
"...Now that is what I like to hear. What I would Love to hear is that you have Ice cream." Trucido said, with a glee.
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Apr 11, 2009 17:42:40 GMT -5
An awkward silence filled the room. Everyone looked over at Alexander, whose eyebrows raised at the blood-covered man's request.
Seriously? A man who killed another person because they smelled bad had a sweet tooth?
'I...guess I could work with this...'
Alexander shrugged and then called to the servants by the door, "You heard the man; get him some ice cream."
"But sire, we don't--"
"Now, please," he demanded, not bothering to listen to whatever they had to say. What a way to come home and find out your dad's dying, you're expected to manage the kingdom while he's dying, and then become THE leader when he does finally kick the bucket.
Just what he wanted to come home to.
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Post by Trucido Damnedblood on Apr 11, 2009 18:55:07 GMT -5
"Thank you." Trucido said "I have heard that the Santo-Luce hospitality is the best around." He sat in a chair. "So what is your plans with this kindom, King Alexander?"
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Apr 12, 2009 11:14:38 GMT -5
"My plans? Whoa, well...um...that's right, my plans with the kingdom. Well, you see, I...well, I've been gone for some time as you know and so I guess I'm not entirely up to par with the uh...goings-on in Santo-Luce..."
Wow. This really wasn't going well.
"I-I mean, I think what I'm going to do here, now, for the time being before the uh...funeral and coronation, I'll be uh...reviewing the kingdom to find...weaknesses...? Make it stronger, and uh...get to know people..."
It's not that Alexander was bad with his words, it was that he knew absolutely nothing about what he was supposed to be doing. So yes, probably the first step as a leader would be to get to know the kingdom you're going to be in charge of, and find out what it was your father left for you to work with.
Bradley finally awoke from his nap and had been listening in however. He wiggled his fingers as a signal to summon the royal advisor to his bedside, where he shook his head and glared at his son.
"What the hell is he doing?" he whispered, watching the boy fumble with his answers. The advisor merely grinned.
"I suppose he's doing exactly what you wanted him to do, sire. He's talking like a big boy," he couldn't help but chuckle as he said it.
"I wanted him to take responsibility, not make himself look like an idiot and take down Santo-Luce while he's at it," Bradley grunted and tried to sit up. One of his servants immediately rushed over and coaxed him to lay back down, placing a few cold cloths on his head. Bradley swatted them off and grumbled, breathing heavily as he did so.
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Post by Trucido Damnedblood on Apr 14, 2009 14:31:46 GMT -5
"I know, you have no idea what to do, right? Like your father is dying, so you do not know for your people to respect him. A Statue maybe being built or are you going to respect your father by making the kingdom stronger." He said
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Apr 14, 2009 16:25:57 GMT -5
Pay respect to his father? What for? The man only ever whined and complained about everything Alexander had ever done, there was no point in him trying to impress his father now. Santo-Luce did look up to Bradley Frexton, though, so doing something for more or less 'in memory of' his father would probably get him on the good side of his citizens...
"Ah, yeah, well...a statue is a good idea, I may look into it. I think I'm more looking to hang with the locals, find out what it is that they thought made my father the great ruler he is and all--you know, something like that. Carry on the same way he did, not too much change, you know?" Alexander replied, thinking this over in his head. No way he could run the kingdom like his father did, his father wasn't cool. Cool people were bad rulers, anyway...right?
But again, the kingdom liked him...the man had to have done something pretty amazing for that kind of respect.
"My kingdom will be stronger, Milord," he said, "so strong that even Nerezza will cower before its might."
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Post by Trucido Damnedblood on Apr 14, 2009 17:46:10 GMT -5
"That sounds lovely. Make the Nerezza quiver," He said "But their captains and the Leader... Maybe you should test them... to show them who is a better kingdom."
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Apr 15, 2009 11:36:04 GMT -5
Alexander sat back in his chair, blowing at a couple of strands of hair in his face.
"Maybe I will," he casually said and suddenly there were gasps heard around the room, a glass jug of water was dropped in the corner by a servant, and in the blink of an eye the advisor was right at Alexander's side.
"Pardon my interruption, Your Greatness," he had addressed Trucido first before looking down at Alexander, "I'm sure, young Alexander, that you are well aware that your father has refrained for years to call war upon Nerezza - we protect and defend against them when they call war, rather."
Alexander played with a strand of his hair, and without looking up at the advisor he answered, "Well, maybe we need to change things. Show them they can't push us around - sometimes you've got to be the giver rather than the receiver of the beatings, right?"
"Sir, I don't think you quite understand the severity of--"
"Go get him some more ice cream," Alexander cut in, and just as the royal advisor turned to open his mouths to one of the servants he also added, "I want you to do it. And I want the rest of you to get out of here and stay out of here until you're either called for or I'm done my meeting."
They all left immediately, reluctantly, but silently. Just as Alexander was sure that there would be no more interruptions or arguments, one more voice spoke from the bed situated in the room.
"You're a disgusting excuse for a son," Bradley snarled through wheezing breaths. Alexander didn't look at him, either. He changed his gaze towards Trucido instead as he answered his father.
"I just think there needs to be a few changes if I'm in charge. If you don't like it, get off of your deathbed and come stop me."
"That's it...you aren't thinking! You'll take and destroy everything here...everyone...and blame it on something else...disgraceful is what you are!!" Bradley bellowed and as much as he fought, he had no strength to pull himself out of his bed to walk over and beat Alexander over the head with something. Alexander had nothing to reply to him with this time except the shaking of his head.
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Post by Trucido Damnedblood on Apr 15, 2009 15:05:06 GMT -5
"My my my. Am I in the middle of this family feud?" Trucido asked as he finished his Ice cream. His ears perked when he heard the words 'get more ice cream'
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Apr 16, 2009 11:15:12 GMT -5
"Not a 'family feud' per se, I think he's just cranky from the pain is all," Alexander responded to Trucido and his father growled again.
"You're an absolutely despicable little boy..." Bradley huffed and Alexander got to his feet and glared at him.
"You know, I thought you'd have a little more faith in me. I've been gone for a year or so, who knows what I might have picked up and learned on my own while absent? I even came back to responsibly fulfill my duties here despite having to face you. Did you stop to think about that, old man?!" he snapped. It was then that the door to the chamber creaked open and the royal advisor himself snuck in with more ice cream. Alexander gave him a polite nod, and he returned it with a glare before he stormed back out of the room. Alexander looked over Trucido to make sure he was happy, at least.
"Things will...come together. It's hard right now, but once they see my way will work...I just have to show them," Alexander sighed and looked out of the window and watched all of the people as far as the eye could see move about, socializing, he thought he could see someone stealing something from a food cart not too far away. These people all had to see that he wasn't a bad guy - different, and the way he'd do things would be different for sure, but it wouldn't be for the worst like they would assume.
"...Maybe I should have a party," he finally spoke again, "my understanding was that the royal ball happened only not too long ago in Crepusculum--shame for me to have missed it and all the beautiful ladies there, I'm sure--but something here for the whole kingdom and visitors to our kingdom to take part in. Everyone gets to know each other, gets to know me, get everyone to ease up a bit maybe and see things won't be so bad, you know?"
He couldn't help but grin then as he added, "Maybe I'll find myself a future queen, even! Come on, man, what did I miss at the ball? You gotta tell me. Lots of hot chicks, I'm sure, right?"
Alexander was obviously feeling a tad more comfortable, and his father groaned at the mention of women. However, Bradley would say nothing for the rest of the time that Trucido was here.
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