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thecagedsong · 2 years

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Hey, who wants the first chapter of a fic I have no idea where to take? It would just be an ugly unfinished work on AO3, so I thought, why not unleash it as a tumblr exclusive? Note I have no idea for building the plot or the OC cast necessary to go along with this, so anyone who wants to take this idea and comment or continue, go for it.

The Pirate Adventure (written long before the game concept art came out, fyi)

Katarina arrived early at the castle. Geordo had sent her an urgent invite two days ago, so here she was. At least it was her off day at work so they wouldn’t miss her helping carry packages. Keith had come along like usual.

“I haven’t been here since the International Assembly,” Keith said as they were escorted through the entrance hall.

“Me neither, I wonder if I could stay for the glorious bath service again? Do you think I could squeeze it in? I’ve never felt so relaxed in my life! Though it will be less fun without Sophia and Mary,” she mused.

“Nope, it is entirely improper to ask for a bath,” Keith said quickly. “We’ll just see what he wants. If we get this over with quickly enough, we’ll have time to visit some of the bakeries in the Capitol while we’re here.”

“What a good idea!” Katarina said. “What do you think this is about?”

“Nothing good,” Keith said.

“What makes you say that?”

“Katarina!” Mary’s voice called as they entered a sitting room. “I didn’t realize you were going to be here. Alan just said I needed to visit because the Queen had some questions.”

“Important ones too,” Prince Alan said, walking into the room with his twin.

“Keith, my how your reading comprehension skills have fallen in the past year,” Prince Geordo said. “Though I don’t know how you could misinterpret ‘Keith is not allowed to come’. It’s a statement so plain a six-year-old would understand it.”

“If that didn’t work the first twenty times you tried to prevent me from accompanying my sister, I don’t see why adding the words ‘I am serious. Keith may not come by order of the Crown,’ would keep me away,” Keith said, smiling just as pleasantly.

“Oh, I don’t know, possibly because the crown giving this order isn’t my little brother’s, but my father’s?” Prince Geoffrey said, walking in with Lady Randall on his arm. “Now we’re going to have to swear you to secrecy about the fact that this meeting took place at all and still send you to wait for your sister in the stables.”

“Wait, w-what?” Keith stammered. “Prince Geoffrey, what are you doing here?”

“Garlan, please see to it that Lord Claes understands the secrecy of this meeting, then escort him to wait for his sister in the library.” Prince Ian said, standing up from a couch that had been facing the wrong way for Katarina to see him. “We’re not heathens Geoffrey, we don’t have to make him wait in the stables.” He helped Lady Selena stand up and handed Keith the book he had been reading. “Here, the history of early Sorcier is fascinating, don’t you think? Enjoy it while you wait.”

“As you request, your Highness,” a servant said.

Keith shot Mary a look as the servant Garlan pulled him from the room.

Katarina smiled and waved at him, hopefully convincing her brother she wasn’t going to do anything foolish, before turning to the group. “So why am I here? Lady Suzanna can help the Queen better with anything Ministry related, and Mary with anything political.”

Suzanna cooed, “You really are the most precious thing. Go on Geordo, convince her.”

Prince Geordo sighed and stepped up close to Katarina, carefully placing her hand on his arm in proper escort position. Looking her straight in the eyes, he said, “You are here because you are going to be my wife after we get married. This is a family meeting that affects all of us, so Mother and Father thought it appropriate for everyone to discuss it together.”

“Ah,” Mary said gently, and laid her hand delicately on Alan’s arm. She glanced at Alan, then back to Geordo, “Is it that time already?”

“No, not quite yet, but it draws ever closer, and we have to consider information that affects that,” Prince Geoffrey said. “No one besides us and Keith Claes know that this meeting is more than individual private dates. Aside from Garlan, no servant is attending us. Mother and Father are waiting for us in Mother’s Tea Room. Not even the most skilled wind magic can eavesdrop in there, so it is where we hold private and essential family meetings. We best not keep them waiting.”

“Well put,” Prince Ian agreed, leading his fiancée out a different door than where keith went. Prince Geoffrey and Lady Suzanna followed, and after a moment, so did Alan and Mary.

“Are you tired? You’re walking slower than normal,” Katarina asked as they fell further behind his brothers.

“I wanted to make sure you understood something before you hear everything,” Prince Geordo said. “I will pick you over being King every time, though I hope you are willing to stick with me and become Queen if that’s the only way to keep Sorcerier politically stable. Do you understand?”

“What? Geordo, I’d make a terrible Queen. I’m not cut out to be royalty at all,” she denied automatically.

“The thing about being royalty, is that you have the power to be whatever kind of royal you wish, and that becomes the standard for what it means to be royal,” he said calmly. “Do you understand?”

“Not really. But aren’t we keeping your parents waiting?” she asked, still not quite ready to address the question of Prince Geordo’s feelings, though the time was growing nearer where she promised to give her answer.

“They can wait, and so can I. I’ll wait however long it takes me to convince you of how wonderful you are and how much I love you,” Prince Geordo said, making her blush. “But since you don’t want to be Queen, I don’t want to be King. Can you understand that much?”

Her eyebrows drew together, “but you’re so perfect, you’d be so good at it! People respect you, they follow what you say, and you’re smart enough to make the right decisions and clever enough to see them through. Threatening enough that people won’t challenge you, and kind enough to make sure no one ever wants to.”

He pressed a kiss to her hand, “You have no idea how much I adore you for saying that,” he said, the closeness making her blush. “But I’m only this good of a person when I have someone to protect and someone to remind me to be kind. If you can’t trust my reasoning right now, trust that I do not want to be king. And trust yourself. Alan and I are going to ask you something, and I want you think hard if it is something you would enjoy and think of nothing else. Promise me that, and we can catch up with the others.”

“I promise,” she said, meeting his eyes. Whether something would be fun is always one of her considerations.

He pulled away and led her the rest of the way to the Queen’s tea room. It was kind of odd that the most private room in the castle was the Queen’s tea room, shouldn’t it be like the state room or the King’s office or something?

Ten chairs were set up and Prince Geordo led her to a pair of chairs between Alan and Lady Selena.

“Thank you all for coming, we apologize for the false pretenses,” the Queen said, standing up to pour tea from a huge teapot. She served everyone there, which was odd, but you didn’t tell the queen what to do in her own tearoom.

Oh, that’s probably what Geordo meant by royalty defining what it means to be royal. Mother would have had her or Keith serve the tea, but the Queen could just say ‘I’m going to serve the tea today’ and everyone has to go along with it. That was kind of cool.

“Please, I’m dying of curiosity,” Suzanna said. “Geordo already hinted that this isn’t the official King’s Choice, so what are we here for?”

And out came the whole long story. And it was a story, like something out of one of her books. A royal ship had gone rogue and was pirating other ships, both from Sorcerie and other nations, captained by a wind mage, Selena’s brother, who had either abruptly turned traitor or was under the influence of dark magic. The political implications damaging Prince Ian and Lady Selena’s reputation international and domestically as a throne candidate, possibly swaying his faction to Prince Geordo or Prince Alan and Mary.

Larna looked enthralled, Selena looked to be on the verge of tears no matter how often everyone affirmed that they didn’t blame her for Katarina’s kidnapping or her brother’s possible betrayal. Mary was perfectly poised, like she was preparing for a test. All the princes looked serious, even Geoffrey, who could come off as a goofball.

“Pardon my forwardness,” Mary said, setting aside her teacup, “But I must ask this question to fully understand the situation. Do any of you princes wish to be King? And Your Majesty, I understand you have delayed picking an heir to allow Prince Geoffrey and Prince Ian to clean up corruption in the court, but please confirm if you intend to pick an heir or if you intend to allow the legislature vote one of your sons into your position.”

“I don’t,” Prince Alan said right off the bat.

“I do not either, though I will if the other option is a civil war because none of us were willing,” Prince Geordo said. “A responsibility, not a desire.”

“It is more a responsibility than a desire for me as well,” Prince Ian said, “Though I am less opposed to it than Geordo. I have long understood that this position might fall to me, and am ready to accept it, though I know I will depend on my brothers’ aid should I assume Kingship.”

“I don’t want it at all,” Prince Geoffrey laughed. “It keeps me from much more interesting and important endeavors, but there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my brothers, so I’ll do it since none of them want to.”

“Thank you,” Mary nodded, perfectly poised. “And Your Majesty?”

“I would rather not be the one who decides which of my sons bears the burden of the crown,” the King admitted. “Though I am proud that all of them acknowledge it as a duty rather than a prize. I believe it speaks well to our parenting that you all desire happiness over power. When I set this law to prevent the recurrence of the blood bath that heralded my reign, I didn’t realize how difficult this choice would be. I have documents naming my heir in the event of my death that my wife and the Prime Minister have seen, but I intend to let the legislature create a system for selecting the monarch out of the proper generation and family of heirs. I believe it is the most likely path to a continued peace for my family and my country. Also my sons would understand that if they are chosen as heir, it is indeed duty that compels them to the position. Does that satisfy you, Lady Hunt?”

“Yes, it does.”

“What are we going to do to get my brother back? Please, I need to know,” Selena said, holding Prince Ian’s hand. She was so brave! Katarina reached across Geordo’s chair to place a hand on her shoulder, and Selena gave a small smile in gratitude. She pulled back her hand, but Prince Geordo caught it and kissed the back of it, making her blush. He didn’t release her hand, but let it rest between them.

“Obviously we have to recover your brother and the possible black magic user controlling him. We have yet to catch Sara, but I’m not sure about the possible motive she would have,” Lady Suzanna mused, “This seems purposeful. There is something someone is looking for on these ships, it doesn’t seem like one of her experiments.”

“Perhaps the dark magic user was a child slave looking for other slaves,” Prince Geoffrey posited. “We’ve led several raids these past three months, but the nature of dark magic makes it difficult to tell how clean those events were and if someone got away. We also have had trouble working diplomatically with other countries to attack this problem, as they refuse to acknowledge the possibility that they have a problem with magic child slavery since their positions benefit from it.”

“That’s possible, but we should stay open other possibilities,” Suzanna mused. “A magic tool from some of the archeological troves abroad are going to be transported to Sorcier soon for our ministry experts to take look, that makes a fine prize for a dark magic user. Or kingdoms that know certain magic tools can be used by non-magic users might be trying to claim it first. Or the plan is simply to sow dissent among Prince Ian’s faction. As for the plan to resolve this issue, to take down a royal ship it would have to be a small crew on a fast vessel with a lot of power. Wind, Ice, and Fire mages would make up the party preferably, as well as something to counter the possible dark magic and all should be prepared for combat.”

“Those were our thoughts,” the King agreed, “We were hoping to quietly borrow Alexander and to ask Lady Selena to obtain an important personal item of Lord Gaiman to work it. The sea has the advantage over land in that a ship can sail directly as pointed, and wind and water mages with the proper tools and working together make wind and tides no barrier.”

“Consider it done,” Lady Selena said immediately. “And if…if it turns out my brother has turned traitor of his own accord, I swear my house will completely denounce him.”

“Selena,” Ian said reverently, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you.”

She was flushed pink. “I could hardly do anything else.”

“We have also offered the opportunity to Geordo and Alan to be on the team that recovers Lord Gaiman,” The Queen said, and Katarina looked at rapidly between the princes beside her.

“What? But to put the princes on such a dangerous mission,” Mary said, frowning. “That seems careless.”

“They both have experience with the aftermath and effects of dark magic, useful and powerful magic to offer, and it might be beneficial politically if they wish to keep from attracting bigger factions. To appear to have abandoned politics when this information comes to light will prevent favor from falling to them.”

Mary frowned, “Prince Alan doesn’t have a faction. I’ve made sure of that.”

“Alan doesn’t, but you do,” Prince Geordo pointed out. “You’ve got blackmail on so many families, they presume you want to be Queen.”

Mary’s eyebrows rose, “It will be a simple matter to dispel that notion. And Prince Geordo’s firmest supporters in neutrality are aware that he does not seek or want the throne and know that Katarina is . . . I think the danger of power shifting is being overstated. If people are foolish enough to misunderstand the nature of dark magic control, which several of their daughters have experienced firsthand, they will push towards the first prince, who has several more years of experience.”

“How wonderful that you will remain here to monitor that shift in opinion,” Prince Geordo said drily. “However, am I to understand that you don’t want me to be sent on a dangerous, several month quest for the good of the kingdom? Or is it just your own fiancé that you protest leaving?”

Mary glanced quickly at Katarina, who shrugged as she wasn’t sure how to feel about what everyone was talking about.

“While I admit it is a wonderful opportunity for you to leave, explore other lifestyles, and gain some needed leadership skills,” Mary said. “It concerns me greatly that your family is considering letting either of you place yourselves in danger due to issues surrounding kingship. I dislike the precedent it sets and the implications about the value of your lives.”

“It’s one ship, one dark mage, we’d have a whole team of the military and ministry’s best helping us,” Alan said. “It isn’t careless. It’s calculated to show that we care. Maybe in the past the royal family has been considered too precious to get our hands dirty, but none of us are that kind of royal and we don’t want to be. I intend to accept the offer to join the mission.”

“I see,” Mary said, looking around, “and you intend to respect his decision.”

“I trust my sons to return to me,” the Queen said. “Including Alan, though I will insist on a light mage accompanying the party to assist with healing and dark magic detection.”

Alan nodded, “I already have a few names in mind. Not Maria,” he said, glancing at Katarina. “She has powerful magic, and experience with dark magic, but she is a liability in a combat situation.”

Well that’s true enough. Part of the reason Maria falls in love with the capture targets is because of all the times she was unable to protect herself. She almost got kidnapped herself at the last International Assembly. Katarina does her best to protect her, but she could see why Prince Alan wouldn’t want Maria on such a long and dangerous quest, even if she is a super cool white mage. Maria is brave enough, but Katarina knows she would be scared.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Prince Geordo admitted, “I can see the benefits of both going and not going. I dislike the idea of leaving Alan by himself, but I dislike the thought of leaving Katarina without my aid more. Lady Selena barely knew us and she knew that I would resign all rights to the throne if you asked or it would keep you safe, I don’t doubt that others are aware as well. Even if the worry is out of proportion, all it would take is one too ambitious noble to make you a target,” he said, squeezing her hand.

He took a deep breath and said, “Remember what I asked in the hallway, think about if this is something you really want, but I would invite you to come with us and be part of the team.”

“How could you—” Mary started to say, but Prince Alan distracted her with a shoulder touch, and Prince Geordo continued over Mary’s attempt at interruptions.

“Your dark magic, sword skills, and persuasion would make a fitting addition to the team. I trust Pochi to help you and to sense dark magic. I would assist in protecting you, of course, while we are abroad, but I won’t lie and say it will be easy.” Prince Geordo explained, never looking away from her eyes. “Many of the comforts you have now would be temporarily suspended, such as your access to sweets, farmland, and romance novels that you can’t carry with you. Anne would be welcome as the ship’s cook and your valet, if you do come. Please tell me if this is something you would like. You would be assigned this job through the ministry, so you would continue to be in their employ.”

“How could you support this decision!” Mary charged Alan.

The Fourth Prince shrugged, “My brother’s underselling it. I was the one that suggested Katarina come with us. Come on,” he said, leaning close to Katarina, “Haven’t you ever wanted to learn if you can climb the mast of a ship as fast as you can climb a tree?”

For a second she saw herself swinging from the edge of the crow’s nest, laughing, and she really, really wanted it. Katarina always wanted to travel, this could be her chance.

“But Lady Katarina, think of the people you will be leaving behind for an unknown amount of time! Myself, your brother, Sophia and Maria, you can’t possibly think of leaving us behind like that!” Mary protested.

“You will also be leaving your mother behind,” Prince Geordo pointed out. “She won’t be able to scold you for anything you do on the ship, and you will be free to act as you please. Keith will have the chance to grow up without you watching out for him all the time, as will Maria and Sophia. Mary will be busy handling politics, and we will keep you safe so you can return to see them again. It is a very adult decision you have to make here, but I will support whatever decision you make.”

But if she chooses to stay, Geordo will stay too, leaving Alan with a bunch of strangers to track down the dark mage.

“I find myself inclined to volunteer for this mission,” Lady Randall offered, eyes gleaming. “That would continue to limit the number of those who are aware of the rouge ship, and my presence will not affect our reputation as I am often absent on jobs for the ministry. I have several magic tools that I have been unable to test on land. As a powerful wind mage and a member of the Ministry, I believe I fit the criteria.”

Katarina could already see Raphael weeping over handling the magic tool requisition forms without Lady Larna.

Prince Geoffrey and Lady Suzanna shared some kind of secret message with their eyes, before the eldest prince broke into a wide smile. “I support my fiancée taking this trip completely. None better to handle Chaos afoot. Until the rumor breaks, I’ll redouble my diplomacy efforts to see about rooting out the slavery trade abroad. I must stay to handle the nobles of my faction, but I’ll feel much better letting you handle this issue personally, my dear.”

“We’ll be able to spin the tale of which of us is credited with the capture to our liking if Lady Randall is part of the party,” Prince Geordo said. “It would be coupled with the reveal of Lady Larna and Lady Randall, but could be powerful to give this win to Geoffrey if whispered in the right ears or supported with an award for services to the crown. Or we could credit this win to the Ministry, with all of us in support, changing the dialog of power factions to between Ian and the Ministry, rather than between brothers.”

“If Selena and I are the only ones present in Court as a united front,” Ian strategized, “We might be able to keep from opinion swaying too far out of our favor, no matter if her brother’s identity is revealed.”

“Stop,” Mary said. “We have yet to hear Lady Katarina accept this in any way. Do not make plans for her consent, the pressure is unfair.”

“Quite right,” Prince Geordo said, turning back to her. “May we hear your thoughts, Dearest?”

To go on a ministry trip/overseas adventure with Alan and Geordo and Lady Larna, to track down pirates using dark magic and be free from her mom and give Keith a chance to grow without her. But Keith would grow without her, and Mary and Maria and Sophia would too and she wouldn’t see it. But if she didn’t go, then Prince Alan wouldn’t have Prince Geordo at his back, and she’d be stuck with extra security because of politics she didn’t completely understand and she could do something weird that would mess everything up. People already called her a saintess for some reason, what if she did something to convince them she would make a good queen? (And she didn’t want even think about what her mother would say about that.)

“When would we leave?” Katarina asked.

“Soon as possible, tomorrow evening,” Prince Alan said. “We’ll take a carriage overnight to get us to Westbeach, and set sail the following morning.”

“That’s really fast,” Katarina said uncertainly.

“Exactly. You wouldn’t be able to tell your family or friends what you were doing, could you really leave them like this?” Mary asked.

“She already can’t tell them about the stuff she does for the Ministry,” Prince Alan pointed out. “There isn’t anything special about this, except for how long she’ll be gone.”

“Which could be months!”

While Mary and Alan argued, she watched Prince Geordo. Whatever she said, this affected him too, since he’d do what she wanted. It was hard to tell, but Katarina had known him longer than any of her other friends, and knew he wanted to go. He wanted to be there for Alan. He wanted her there too.

He said she should pick whatever she wanted, but what she wanted was her friends to be happy and safe.

“Did everyone else approve of their plans to asked Lady Katarina?” Mary asked the rest of the room. “The Claes family will be vicious should something happen to her.”

“I suspected it, when they asked to talk about this between themselves,” Prince Geoffrey said. “I am fine with it. As mentioned, we are not sending Katarina into a more dangerous situation than we are sending my brothers and fiancee into. I believe the Claes would approve the philosophy and respect that Katarina is an adult woman who can make her own choices.”

“Katarina is one of the bravest, strongest, and kindest people I know,” Lady Selena said, her voice soft but her tone strong, “I would trust her to treat my brother right, and to come home safe with him.”

“We presented this as a test for our children,” the King said, glancing at his wife, “to see how they would confront a challenge. We will support their decision and allow them to deal with the consequences of their actions. It is the only way to let your children grow, Lady Hunt. Something you will understand one day for yourself.”

“I agree with my husband, though my heart longs for me to agree with you, Lady Hunt,” the Queen said sadly. “I wish my children safe and unharmed, but I cannot clip their wings when the world demands they fly. This way they fly free by their own choice and not someone else’s. They offer Lady Claes the same opportunity, which Lady Claes has earned by her own independence in working at the ministry in the first place.”

Her own choice. Free. Living on a ship, no mother or Keith to tell her how to behave. Just Prince Alan, who lets her go with a laugh, and Prince Geordo, who is easy enough to convince with the right smile. She’s not scared for her safety, Prince Geordo and Prince Alan totally had Plot Armor, and there were no doom flags with Maria back on the mainland.

Yes, it would be hard to go without sweets or novels, but she was already a working girl. This was part of it. Or, it would have been part of it in her last life. She probably wouldn’t have gone to college like two of her brothers, but she would have gone out to live on her own after getting a job. Here in Sorciere, the culture was that she would move directly from her parents house to her husband’s house, no time to be independent and just live on her own terms like she had always imagined being an adult would be like.

A real adventure where doom flags don’t come from fate, but from not being skilled enough.

Freedom tastes like wind and salt water.

“Of course I want to go! Leave it to me!” Katarina said with a smile.

#hamefura #the pirate adventure #seriously #no idea where to take this plot bunny #it's just this #and some dialog from the king and queen presenting the plan to their sons #I now invite you #where would you take this?

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