675-11-06 - About regrets and changes
About regrets and changes | |||||||
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Summary: Vandrik meets the young princess Madalyn at the beach and they engage into a lovely conversation. | |||||||
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Early November in the Isles is still a pretty wonderful time to be around, climate-wise. Fall in the tropics can mean more showers than normal, but the temperature is still far warmer than it would be in, say, Two Rivers, where one Vandrik- formerly Yldon, now Aidyl- hails from. Which is why, now that he has returned to the Capital's island, can be found standing out on the beach, ankle-deep in the tide.
Bared feet, with her skirt slightly rised, the young princess Madalyn Onimus runs, giggling, beaming, smiling widely. Her handmaiden more grumpy is following the young woman together with a few guards.
Madalyn whirls a few times, tightly holding that fabric of her gown, that it wouldn't sweep the sand.
She runs close to Vandrik, but does not stop close. She will stop just when her feets will feel the refreshing water, tickling fingers playfully, "I do hope that we won't have storms this month. At all!" She tells, looking at Vandrik now.
Her guards and handmaiden will bow politely, while Madalyn just honor man with a wide smile, "You are the one, who came from Two Rivers, aren't you?"
Vandrik hears the giggling and can't help but smile when he sees Madalyn running through the sand. Who could help but do so, seeing someone so young and pretty having fun at her entourage's expense? But, when Madalyn stops before him, Vandrik remembers his place and he bows deeply to the princess. "Aye, Young Majesty, I am. Vandrik Ailyd, nee Yldon, at your service," he says, straightening back up and smiling at the young heir.
The young girl chuckles,"I always thought, that my mother is Majesty. I am just Highness," she explains her opinion, "Though, I would love to be just Madalyn. Call me Madalyn, alright? At least when nobody is seeing!" Madalyn winks, "I fear if lady Adara or that Mother Nimoria would hear you calling me Madalyn, we both would get into trouble..." She comes closer and flops to take a seat on the sand. She pats a place beside, offering the man to join her, "How do you like in here? It had to be horrible. To marry without love... "
Vandrik's surprise is quite plain on his face as Madalyn plops down beside him. This is /not/ the pensive young woman who was so reserved in their first meeting! Her openness and friendliness are welcome, though, as Vandrik smiles a little, obliging the royal's request to have a seat on the sand.
"Oh, there is love, ... er ... Madalyn," Vandrik tests out the name, watching Madalyn's entourage carefully. "I mean, at first, there was trouble. But, Imma has proven worthy of every effort I can give her. And her character is ...," Vandrik says, gazing off across the ocean, his expression clearly affectionate as he thinks of his wife. "Well. We seem to have been incredibly lucky in our pairing, as we are remarkably compatible with one another. I would never choose /not/ to marry her, now, even if the choice were granted."
Madalyn listens for the man quietly, playing with the sand, trying to draw something on it with her finger. Just when the man will finish, she will sigh and raise her look up to the horizon, "It's good..." She whispers then, "It is good, that you do not regret the choices you made in your past. I do. Funny, right? Princess shouldn't regret anything, but I do. There are things..."
She looks up to the man and beams again, "But today is very special day. I am changing everything. I will go to fix my mistakes. I will do things right, and you will see... Kingdom of the Isles will prosper even more!"
This last statement draws a concerned glance from Vandrik, who looks over the Princess suspiciously. "What do you mean? ... what are you going to do, Young Majesty?" he asks, concern evident in his voice. He's actually somewhat fond of her, after all, since she's been nothing but welcoming to him since his arrival, and was even on his side from the beginning after circumstances changed upon his initial arrival.
The girl chuckles, "Do not worry. I will travel back to your King's lands. I will try to arrange... a treaty, which I failed a few months ago. I won't go like alone. I will travel with guards and everything. I will be back just on time for my birthday party. Will you come? You and your wife are most welcomed, like everyone! I am so excited too..." She sighs dreamily.
Vandrik's brow creases for several seconds as he watches the young noble, still concerned over what, to him, has been a sudden change of tone in her countenance. He watches her, contemplating. But, the fact that he's been away on honeymoon for nearly a month and didn't even really know Madalyn that well to begin with finally eases the wrinkles from his face as he accepts her words as genuine and not a sign of hidden motives. He allows himself to smile, then, and nods. "Of course, young Majesty. As you were so kind and generous when I first arrived, and at my wedding, there is no other party I would be more happy to attend," he says, smiling. And the way he says 'young majesty' isn't in the usual, formal way most people would probably say it. When he says it, there's affection behind it, more as if it were a nickname rather than an honorific.
"I am glad to hear that. And I definitely must pay a visit at your island. The time will come, when you will be my solicitors, right?" She chuckles, "I should get to know you and your home... It looks like, that my destiny does not want to change. People try, I try, but still, I have that heir status on my shoulders."
She sighs again and fills the sand from her palm into the wind. Her handmaiden comes a little bit closer and leans in to whisper something. Vandrik will be able to hear two words definitely: sun and allergy.
Madalyn sighs and stands up, "I am really sorry, but I must go back into the castle. See you at the party." She nods her head a bit, before starting to head back towards the city.
Vandrik is quick to rise and offer the Princess a hand if she'll accept his help. "Of course, Madalyn. You are always welcome on Hailyd. I know that Imma would be happy to receive you, as well. She's also probably quite anxious to show off our home and our potential as solicitors," Vandrik says, smiling as the Princess departs.