Chapter Text
The castle halls echoed with silence, as servants crowded around the grand hall, pressing faces hard against the wood in hopes of catching even a mere word from the king or queen's lips. All till a harsh cry roared from the hall, and like oil to water, the servants scattered, running down the halls terrified of being caught for their snooping, the king and queen were forgiving, but when the prince was in a rage they certainly didn't want to get in his way.
“You have to be joking mother. You must be absolutely joking, there isn’t a crying soul in (hell alternative) that would suffer how you are making me!”
“William…”
Silver plates crashed against the floor, clattering harshly and echoing in the grand hall. The noise made the king and queen flinch away from their son, the king reaching out for his wife in the midst of the moment.
“I refuse! I refuse to marry that- thing…”
“William! “ his father yelled, now making the younger man flinch back in shock.
His father had never yelled at him in such a manner before. Not since he was a naughty child.
“William, stop being selfish.” The king took calculated steps forward towards her son, to which his son naturally stepped back, a sudden nervousness and fear in his eyes, “you will marry the princess of Elbira and solidify a union between our two countries and therefore finally ending this thousand year massacre!" he screamed
Williams' breath was shaky as he inhaled, trying to regain his confidence and arrogance he had owned only moments before.
“Why must I do it.” he spat
His father turned away from him, “you are the royal heir of this country. You excel in all of your educational endeavours, you’ve always been honorable and noble. Do not let your childish temper and selfishness be the reason our country starves to its end. Do you care for your people, or do you only care for your pleasure? Now leave. We leave for Elbira in 3 days, and aim to arrive at the royal castle in three weeks. Fix your attitude before then, or doom your country.”
William pressed his lips together, biting them ever so slightly before spinning around and storming out of the hall, down the corridor and past groups of servants who all seemed to be too occupied dusting an already clean painting.
Once he was well out of ear shot, the gossiping began.
“Her majesty must have finally told him about his future union…”
“He must not be pleased”
“Who would..?”
“We’ve been fighting that country for longer than anyone can remember.”
“Did you hear how the king screamed?”
“The last time he yelled like that was when the young master missed his first horse riding lesson”
“No! It was a jousting lesson-”
“Either way!” one servant appeared above the group of gossiping scoundrels, “the young master is not happy, and there is work to be done. We must prepare the carriages, pack the bags and prepare for the departure of our monarchs…the young master is going to save his country. So we must do our part to make him as comfortable as possible! Go one! Shop people to work!”
And like that, the servants departed once again, scrambling in all different directions, rushing to the kitchens, the cellar, the grand hall, the library, the study, all to prepare for the departure of their prince.
-
Once William made it into his room, he saw how almost his entire wardrobe had been ransacked. How his room had been deep cleaned, and it looked almost like no one longer occupied it. He took a deep breath, attempting to stabilise himself, before walking over to his floorlength mirror next to his window.
William had always been tall for his age, tall and lanky A young, freshly 20 year old prince with dirty blonde hair that he was attempting to grow out, a baby face only just outgrowing its round features, shining blue eyes that pierced your soul for the truth, and hands that, unlike what you would think, were not soft with innocence, but were hard with callouses, injuries and practiced technique. William knew how to fight; his father had made sure of that. He was undefeated in any form of battle, that was, unless it was his parents.
They had treasured him, raised him to be a good man, therefore he could not go against them.
He looked over his body, dressed in a fine chiffon shirt, a green velvet vest and matching tailored trousers.
That didn't mean that he wouldn’t hate this arrangement. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t hate his future wife and her country. Didn’t mean he wouldn't try to make her suffer with every single ounce of power he had in his being.
He scoffed, and fell into his bed - it looked like Williams' future had already been decided for him.
-
The journey to the border of Tarrossian, the country willian had grown to adore and was now going off to protect through marital union, was a week.
One whole week rolling over hills and trudging through mountain roads all while contemplating his future.
He was going to marry a girl, whose country, whose family, whose whole life, he was raised to loathe. He;d been told stories about the people of Elbira. Warriors and fighters who fought not to protect their treasure or their wealth, but to protect their land and each other. ‘Their society relied on weak compassion’, a tutor had once told him.’Tarrossian is much stronger than that. We fight to protect what is right, what is noble, and for our home. Never forget that.’
He clearly never did.
William was thankful to have his own carriage for the ride to the opposing country, it meant he had his privacy to write page after page in his nonebooks about every though that crosses his mind, aswell as every bird he spotted fom the carriage window.
The boys uncle had been the one to teach him about such creatures, the ones who had no absence of wings to restrict them. The creature that could travel across the world at its own pleasure. He became infatuated immediately and by the age of 12 he had every bird in Tarrassion memorized.
This trip he was talking, travelling to the border, felt like a bittersweet end to his childhood, in a way, he got to travel the span of his entire country, seeing every bird he’d ever had the luck of seeing all over again, one final time, before he was sent off into another land, one he despised, and he would be amongst soil, plants and creatures that were entirely unfamiliar to him.
Surrounded by a culture he loathed so much that he had been completely ignorant to learn about it!
Internally, he groaned, and as he watched ahead of his own carriage, to his mother and fathers, as they passed through a blown gap in a stone wall, he realised that was his final whisper to his land.
Before he was no longer in Tarrossian. He was in Elbira.
-
This land was completely unfamiliar to him.
Instead of mountains or rocky villages, here William, and his parents traveled through watery creeks, grassy, rolling hills dripping
in sun and valleys that thrived with life. Unlike his own country, wildlife wandered freely, even through the towns they travelled through.
You can imagine the poor man's shock when he dared glance out of his carriage window to see a woman dressed in only loosely draped fabric feeding a deer with a swallow perched upon its antlers. Where was her decency?! Her proper dress, William was horrified! She might as well have been in a state of undress, she had no corset or no petticoat, it was completely unreasonable.
He clutched his chest, fingers digging into his velvet green vest as he leant back with a wince. He wasn't going to survive.
If that was how his future wife would greet him, he might as well run away now.
-
After another whole week of travelling, a total of two weeks, William and his parents drove through a bustling town, though its buildings much resembled a small village, there were too many of these village- like buildings to consider it one though.
They were in the capital.
Overlooking the town? A large castle that stretched far across a great hill, surrounded in a high turret wall and a large wooden beam door that must have shook the earth each time it was lowered.
The prince inhaled sharply, patting away the dust from his clothes, and tilting his head high.
William had authority here, no matter what. And he would show his wife just who he was the second he stepped out of that carriage.
When his feet hit the concrete oath, however, he was momentarily stunned.
A smallish man with soft eyes, and a tall slim woman with eyes like a falcon. Daggers that stared right through William, and almost made his facade of strength waver.
His mother and father bowed, and William followed suit, though he had no respect for these people, or their disgusting land.
“Welcome your graces, the woman spoke, her voice sultry and welcoming, tinged with an accent, however there was a tenseness and disdain hidden beneath it that William knew was inevitable.
“We’re honored to house you in our home. Thank you for taking the time to come here, and agreeing to our terms.” The man spoke this time, his voice kind, yet tense in a subtle way.
“Not at all.” William's mother spoke up. She’d always been soft, and held almost zero disdain for this country, despite its sins to their own, “thank you for accepting our proposal. This is our prince, and my son…william.” she gestured to him, and he bowed again.
“No, thank you…for reaching out. Me and my husband are sure that this engagement will benefit both parties. Please follow us inside..”
“I-im sorry…your highness, but i have a question.” William stopped everyone's movement, and the queen glanced at him with eyes that looked like they wanted him dead, “but where is my bride? Why is she not here to greet me.”
William didn’t back down. His tone was firm and spiteful. His own bride not showing up to greet him? It was shameful, and both countries knew it.
“My daughter is currently occupied with her studes…however she will hopefully join us later, to dine…” the woman grinned, before turning to William's parents, “you see, my daughter is extremely well educated, and her education is one of her top priorities. She didn't wish to miss her lesson today. Especially with the wedding date to be set so soon.”
William clenched his fist in frustration, but then uncletched it and hid his hands behind his back.
“I see…well, thank you…” he gritted out before following along into the castle.
A castle he was terrified of.
A castle he thought would consume him.
But William was strong, and he wouldn't let that happen.
He stepped into that caste, fully aware of where he was, who he was surrounded by, and what his objective was.
He was on enemy land. Surrounded by the enemy, because he was meant to marry the enemy.
Something sick turned in his stomach, and he silently lurched in his mouth, however he swallowed it back down, letting the acid burn his throat.
He couldn’t show weakness, not here.