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[kinghenrymontague-blog]

                                          Let me tell you what I wish I’d known                                         when I was young and dreamed of glory:                                                         You have no control                               𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜, 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢.

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cataclysmcrown:

she know she shouldn’t make a scene, she shouldn’t be causing such a fuss in the open but the new land and not knowing what is out there caused her to forget the first rule of all of this and go running toward her husband in panic. she follows him back toward her tent with a nod, composing herself again and putting on the mask of the queen. “yes, i did. mikhail was guard most of the night and it was peaceful. the air out here is warm even at night, something lovely but hard to get used to again.” a hand comes up to brush his face gently, soft fingers running along his scruff with a warm smile. “your night was not horrible, i hope. come, it’s still early you can get some rest if you’d like. i’ll keep eye out for the children.”

once inside the safety ( and privacy, most importantly ), henry peeled off the shirt he’d been wearing for no more than a minute and tossed it on the floor. he made his way to the washing basin, splashing the cool water on his face and neck, sighing as he felt the water trickle down his over-heated skin. the king nodded at her response, but grimaced. “gods, the weather --- it’s horrible. i can scarcely stand the heat most days.” and with a thick layer of fur, it was even worse. “no, i shan’t rest. i want to make sure they’re alright, too,” he insisted, drying himself with the cloth provided by the servants while he had been away. “the territory is unknown to them, and i constantly worry they’ll get lost on their way back to their tents...”

[kinghenrymontague-blog]

I love you, madly. To my bones & with every messy part of my head.

asilewxyz (via wordsnquotes)

[kinghenrymontague-blog]

seasvng ( pyros )

                  PYROS LOOKS UP FROM his book, slightly surprised that the man had acknowledged his presence. he hadn’t thought that the norden king cared much for him — then again, he knew very little of the ruler. ❝ not at all, your highness. ❞ he answers, turning his attention back towards his book. ❝ your affairs are not of my concern. my scope of concern lies with horses and books.  ❞

            IT OCCURS TO HENRY that he truly had no reason to disturb the duke. he was obviously anything but suspicious about the king’s activities, and if he was he didn’t show it. however, the lack of any real recognition ( no bow, no ‘majesty’ ) throws henry off, and so he tilts his head and jests, if only to gain pyros’ all attention. ❝ that seems like a rather dull life, hm ? do you ever read books about horses, or do you prefer to keep them strictly separate ? ❞ 

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victoriamontague:

Victoria stared at her father with a cool gaze. The same one that he used on the courtiers back home when they have displeased him. She did not sit but instead stood in front of him for once not tilting her head. “This is not about Nora though I am still displeased with her death. i understand it thought and will not berate you about it any further. I have come to speak on the matter closest to my heart. Norden is as you know the most precious thing to me. I would die for Norden. I believe with all my heart that when the time comes for another to take the crown that it should be me. I should rule Norden. I ask that you make me your heir instead of my brother. I know that the male child is normally chosen but I believe I would be better suited. I do not ask this lightly. I ask this because I must.”

The speech made Henry freeze. He didn’t make a change in expression, however --- even though his mind was reeling. His father had taught him very young that the features of the face could tell anyone exactly what was going on behind expressive eyes, so sometimes ( most times ) the key to keeping control of a situation was keeping control of yourself. But even Henry flinched a little when Victoria ceased speaking, and he took a long and measured breath before saying anything. When he did, he spoke with an equally cool and relaxed tone. “Your love for our home has never once been in doubt,” he explained, struggling to find the right words. “And as far as sex, well... I’ve never believed the male should always be chosen. While it’s a solid law, yes, the likes of Queen Emeline prove that it has its flaws.” His diplomatic stance faltered when he looked into Victoria’s eyes, and with a sigh he stood from his seat and walked to the small table that held wine and other foods, and he poured two cups. “Victoria, you must know... if it were up to just me, you would already be heir.”

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tenebrisnlux ( mikhail )

                           he immediately straightened to attention at the sight of his king , his expression tinged with guilt. “ forgive me , your highness ; it will not happen again , ”  he stated , referring to him sleeping on the job. he tucked the book back into his jacket pocket from where he’d gotten it before putting his hands behind his back , once again looking every inch of the guard he was. “ i of course made sure queen katherine was safe before sitting down. ”  he was always particularly careful around this king , considering the feelings the guard held for his wife. 

                           ❝ please, you must not overreact, ❞  henry said, working through a withheld laugh that turned into a chuckle. he could practically feel the discomfort coming from the guard, though the king could not decipher from where it came. but alas, his position made it all too common --- and so he shrugged. ❝ she has more than one guard, you know; and you’re entitled to a break, yes ? after all, a sleeping guard is no guard at all. ❞

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eleanorwinnell:

The princess’ eyes averted away from the king in front of her, feeling blood rush to her cheeks with embarrassment. Why did she think that calling him would be a good idea? Now she had seen the King of Norden, her friends’ father, with barely enough clothing and quite frankly the thought made her far too uncomfortable. Still she offered him a smile, albeit still puzzled as to why he had chosen to remove his clothing in such a place. “Oh no, I didn’t need anything! I just wondered if.. If you were alright? I mean, I can tell that you are because you’re speaking to me, but I was concerned when those -” she motioned towards his clothing “-were off.” 

The flustered princess made Henry smile, if only because he could barely remember the last time he had felt such a way in the presence of partial nudity or some such situation. The innocence ( or what he perceived as such ) was endearing, though Henry was certain he was more than a little biased. He smiled with good nature, trying to ease Eleanor’s obvious anxiety over the situation at hand. “I’m quite all right,” he assured her. “I merely took a wrong step in the woods, is all. Twisted me knee.” There was truly no valid excuse ( that she would understand ) as to why his clothes had been off, so he kept quiet on that.

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seasvng ( pyros )

            PYROS HAD SPENT MOST of his morning, sitting on a rock as he did some light reading. it was the only exercise he was allowed to do while while he flipped through the pages, pyros happened to look up from his book. he was surprised to see the half-naked king of norden, but ultimately, did not want to admit he had seen the older man. instead, pyros reverted his attention back to his book, hoping the king had not noticed him. 

            USUALLY HENRY WOULD IGNORE the sight of anyone on his path back to his tent. knowing that food and rest awaited him there, he was never in any hurry to dally --- but he had just caught sight of pyros ( whom he remembered vaguely from their last excursion in the new world ) looking back down at his book, presumably having already seen the king. as was his habit, he made an excuse. ❛ sorry to have disturbed your reading, ❜ he said. ❛ i seem to have lost track of time in the woods. ❜

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ofwarborn ( sybil )

                    THE SMILE THAT GRACES HER FEATURES is instantaneous. one could even say contagious. pollux, would say it is contagious  ― sybil would say it looks too wide, too many teeth and too crooked and too much. mostly, it reserved for her brothers ( nic and nate included ) or pollux or  ― bryn. she wants to coo at the way he addresses her because never did she think a king this handsome would ever address her as such. instead she gives a giggle, her head dipping low ( almost to her chest and she corrects this jerkily, meeting his eyes far too briefly before looking out into the woods ). g o d s, when did she revert back to a school girl with her first crush.  ❝ your majesty, i  ― gods, i apologize. the fire is nothing to laugh about i’m just so,❞ her hands do something, try to say something her mouth will not.  ❝ it’s good to see you as well. are you ― are you well?❞

                    THE ROTTEN FEELINGS that festered in henry’s chest from his shift ― exhaustion, confusion, hunger, pain, so much pain ! ― all but vanished into the cool morning air when sybil smiled, if only because the king could quite literally feel how sincere and unmarked by the world it was. he could  a l m o s t  remember a time when he had smiled in such a way, before the world had come crashing down around him, teaching him the truer ways of life. still, henry appreciated the look ( and the positive attention she was giving, of course ) all the same.  ❝ there is no reason for apologies, sybil,  ❞  henry said through a lighthearted chuckle, feeling as though she felt quite nervous and wanting to help ease it.  ❝ yes, i am; you are kind to ask. would you like to walk with me towards the kitchen tent ? perhaps we can find some nourishment. ❞

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victoriamontague:

Victoria was still disturbed by not having shifted the night before. She wondered when she would be able to shift again and feared that she would not. She could not dwell on her wolf now though. She had decided to speak to her father. These were treacherous times and she could not go on any longer without speaking to him about something close to her heart. As she entered his tent she did not smile but allowed him to hug her. She was not in a loving mood. She wore her the expression she normally chose to have at court. Cold but not murderous. Still it was not kind. “Father. I am afraid that I am quite unwell. I wish to speak to you about something that weighs heavily on my mind. Please Sit.”

Henry knew his eldest daughter like the back of his very own hand. In many ways, she was a mirror of him --- strong-willed, unwilling to bow to troubles, and always, always wanting what was best for Norden. But in others she was like her mother --- kind, and naturally subsequently hurt by the loss of her friends. The noblewoman had died for trying to kill her, and Henry held no guilt for stopping her; but Victoria undoubtedly felt differently. It was more than a little bizarre to hear Victoria’s words, having always been to say that command rather than follow it. Henry sat all the same however, and looked to her with a worried curiosity. “What’s the matter? Is this about what happened with you friend?”

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cleo-windsor:

She smiled and shook her head “There is really no need to aplogize, and well I suppose everyone is having a little time getting used to having to reside in tents for the time being.” But she wasn’t going to complain “Yes…I just wanted to thank you personally for ensuring that my father’s legacy stays with me, I know that there must be some that don’t agree with me, keeping it all.” She said sighing softly

“Yes, i suppose. ‘tis nice being closer to nature, though, I must say.” Henry’s features had been caught in a slight smile since Cleo had entered, but her words brought the corners of his mouth lower as a small frown. She had deserved what he’d given her, of course --- but Henry hated the knowledge that he’d done it to appease his own guilt over killing her father. “There are always naysayers when it comes to these things,” he said, placing the smile back on his lips. “But you are welcome, Cleo. You deserve what is rightfully yours.”

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precipitcus:

regardless of her betrothal to the young ironhaven prince, ivy had never been one for the decorum of royalty. this moment was no different, her interest piqued when she noticed a man limping out of the woods. her eyes followed him for a moment, before she moved closer to investigate. her eyes landed on scars, and before she remember the teachings of her mother, ivy was interrogating. “how come you have so many scars?” she asked, before her hand slapped over her mouth, eyes gone wide.

the first thing henry usually encountered upon exiting the woods were his personal guards, and perhaps katherine if he hadn’t wandered too far from the castle or tent. but the outgoing question from a stranger --- that was less common. still, he continued to dress as he smiled slightly at the girl, knowing she hadn’t thought before speaking. he’d been like that once, too. “the result of many years, i suppose,” he responded thoughtfully, raising a brow. “you’re quite young. and while i don’t presume to know you, i assume you haven’t been in a large amount of dangerous situations, hm? my... job title requires it, i’m afraid.”

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ofepithets ( anya )

                  DESPITE NOT BEING FROM norden, there was a certain duty to being a nurse. help the injured, save the sick. no matter the alliances. not to mention, a king stood before her. but as he insists he holds no injuries, anya has to blink several times in order not to scrunch her nose in disgust at the smell that emanated from his breath. the herbs in her basket call to her as she pulls some mint and offers it to him. to soften the blow, she makes sure to slip some into her own mouth, chewing it incessantly.  ❝  would the king care for some mint then ?  ❞

                 HE’D KILLED THAT NIGHT. he could taste it one his tongue, and he had been forced to wipe the animal’s blood from his chin when he’d woken up --- not to mention the twisting of his stomach. and so anya’s offer didn’t come as a surprise, at least; though he wasn’t used to one being so bold, for some nobles or royals wouldn’t take kindly to such an offer, henry thought. “yes, thank you,” he said politely, taking the small plant and placing it on his tongue without hesitation. “what brings were here so early?” he asked, attempting to change the subject. “gathering herbs, i assume.”

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johannisms:

johannes had decided to go on his own walk, very early in the morning, often restless when not drifting along in the sea. he startled when he came across the king of norden, a land so different from what he loved most. he noticed some sort of injury, evidenced by the limp, and the king pulling on clothes. johannes swallowed nervously, turning around briefly to allow henry some privacy, even if he wasn’t aware he was being watched. when johannes deemed it had been long enough for the king to be at least somewhat dressed, he turned back around and came into the clearing the king stood in. “oh, your majesty. i didn’t expect to see you on a walk as well,” he said in feigned surprise, trying to mimic his earlier startle so as not to seem like he’d been watching henry the whole time. 

in the silence of the edge of the woods, footsteps were easily heard --- especially when one’s senses were still heightened. and so the sound of another didn’t go unnoticed, simply ignored; henry thought it was probably a guard, or another curious soul wandering the woods at dawn. instead, when he was dressed and faced the other, he was met with someone entirely different. “ah, well. expectations are rarely reality, hm?” henry mused, if only to keep the subject off why a king was wandering nude in the woods.

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eleanorwinnell:

She had woken up way too early, before the very first traces of the break of dawn colored the sky. Staying in her tent was always an option, but she had yet to enjoy a sunrise in this land. A path close to the forest led to a clearing that overlooked the harbor, and she chose that place to watch the early morning spectacle. The sky was still glowing in amber hues when she started to make her way back to the camp. The sight of a familiar body made her stop in her tracks, although she had never seen it this bare. It pained her to see those scars, only being able to imagine the greater pain he went through when he first got those marks on his skin. King Henry looked almost injured,  or in pain to say the least. “Your Majesty?” she called out, approaching him slowly.

He was only half-dressed when he heard the voice call out his title from behind, and so he finished before turning around. Seeing the princess made his shoulders tighten, if only because she definitely did not know about his family’s gene. But her relation with Nate put Henry at ease, if just enough to give Eleanor a small smile. “Your Highness,” the king replied, straightening his clothes out, since he had dressed so hurriedly. “I hope you are well. Did you need something?” Nonchalance was always the best option, he’d learned.

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cataclysmcrown:

she always awoke as the sun broke the horizon, letting her know that the night was finished and her family was coming back home to her. in these lands they had to be twice as careful and watch their every move. she wanted to be of as much aid as possible, care for them and keep their secrets as she’s always done. seeing henry return first made her worry a little lighter, clear across her face when he breaks the forest line and comes her way. l i m p i n g. “are you hurt?” she asks, whispering as not to alert anyone nearby if they might be awake at such a time.

henry wasn’t surprised to see his wife, of course --- she was always there when he returned, always waiting to see if he and the children were alright. he was only worried that he presence ( and how worried she seemed ) would bring attention, even if there weren’t many people about. “i’m quite well,” he assured her, glancing down at his leg. “’tis nothing... outward. the pain will stop soon. it always does.” he paused to move closer to their tent, beckoning katherine to follow. “did you sleep well?”

[kinghenrymontague-blog]

CONGRATULATIONS ! the gods have chosen your character to obtain a favorable outcome from drinking the magical water of the stream. your character has been granted: good luck; the opportunity to not shift for the night. a temporary solution, this should reveal to your character that drinking the water inhibits shifting, perhaps you should take some home to zenan !

ONE, TWO THREE.

three whole hours past dusk. hours past the time when henry should have shifted. he should have long since felt the crack of his bones, the ripping of flesh, the pain of transformation and the fear of hurting someone… but he had not felt any of it. the moon held its position high in the sky, overlooking the dense, deep woods behind the castle. henry stared at it, tired eyes not blinking, from his position on the ground. helpless. waiting. scared. why was he not shifting ??

he spent the next hour counting as many stars as he could. the castle was no longer emitting any light with torches or fires, so the measurably smaller tent city was blocking much less view of the stars. but even naming them — somehow managing to remember the names that his elderly, star-loving governess had taught him as a child — brought him no closer to calmness.

it was not the not shifting that frightened the king the most, for he had done that before — when holding the wolf back, that is. but the animal would always CLAW and scratch at his chest, making sure he knew the mistake he was making, making sure he knew the hell he’d pay when he finally let it free. but now, under the canopy of trees, sitting on the damp ground…

he felt nothing.

no clawing, no scratching, no temper, no… anything. it was as if the wolf was GONE, though henry knew that to be false; for they were one and the same, he and the wolf. he had told victoria much of the same, just hours before. had he been wrong ?? was his age some sort of factor in this strange occurrence ??

no, surely not. his father lived to be his current age, and he still shifted — did he not ?? it would not have been the first time his father had lied to his son, to be sure... but henry could still clearly recall his father’s limp coming home from the woods ( not unlike his own ), the blood on his clothes from the night before, the stench of his breath after a fresh kill under the moonlight. and so henry was at a loss as to what could have possibly occurred to stop his shift, until —

— THE WATER !!

the water from the stream. it had affected so many others, had it not?? it had caused people to be attacked, almost killed… it changed people, it made then ill. had it changed him — had it changed his children ?? was the change permanent ?? did he want it to be ??

with no answers to be found, he knew, until morning, henry lied back onto the damp, soft soil of the small clearing he’d found. he knew of only one thing, as his mind rushed through so many thoughts and possibilities: if it had been the small stream’s water that had apparently cured ( if only presently ) his familial curse, henry needed it for his own. if teshayra held the secret, held the holy grail of everything he needed —

— TESHAYRA WAS HIS.