08-22-2016, 11:58 AM
ROMEK
Of course, Romek is much too stubborn to ever be intimidated by anyone, regardless of what title they have given themselves or what powers they have. So few remember that they all came from the same place (crept up out of their mothers’ waters, no less) and they will all go to the same place when they die.
”I am glad you think so,” he says, with a gracious incline of his head towards the black stallion. Of course, the official reason anyone does anything is to receive recognition, and to be appreciated, but it’s a little different for everyone (some may want power, or friends, or whatever else) but for Romek, it is for his own sake. Keep the wolves from his back by proving to himself that he is capable, and growing, and changing. After all, to stay still is to stagnate. And this is something that Offspring must know, for his ranks were now open to all, for the first time in history.
Offspring regards him warily and in that moment he realises that it will not be good news. And, despite the countless years and disappointments which had pushed them apart and built a gulf which always seemed insurmountable (yet never was) between them, he felt crushed. He lets the silence sit between them as he processes this news, and as Offspring elaborates on what happened exactly. It’s only when a good deal of time has passed that he realises that the man had ended his speaking with a question, and Romek, seeing no reason to need to hide from his past anymore, says ”Yes. I knew him well.”
”I was his General first, when he first came to the Deserts. And although he was a very fresh newcomer, he fought alongside us all as we went to war on the Valley. Gave himself to kingdom and cause easily and whole-heartedly.” he paused, looking off into the distance momentarily.
”And then soon afterwards, he was my King. There was some disagreement about someone so new taking the throne, but I soon put an end to that.” he paused again as he remembered, and a smile briefly flit across his face. ”Vanquish was right for the role in ways that I was not, at the time. And nobody could disagree with me, someone who had more of a claim to it than anyone else. He won everyone over soon enough, though, although that was hardly a surprise.” Perhaps he ought to sound bitter here, but he truly was not, had never felt an ounce of any kind of anger towards his good friend. Vanquish had been everything that a King ought to be, had been everything that the Deserts had needed at the time. ”He was my best friend, for a long time, and forgave me despite all that I failed to do, and believed in me, and, well, Beqanna has lost a good man, is all I will say.” realising that perhaps the black King will not have such a positive view of someone who was an enemy.
A pause once again, and he looks to the hills and the snow-capped peaks of those mountains, and he looks to the huddles of horses gathered, and to the King in front of him. He thinks of Mari, and their three children, soon to be four. Born into a world of war and soon-to-be-war. Born into a world of either anxiety, or bloodshed, and never in-between. Peace had never been peace, but rather a cease fire as each kingdom fortified against an oncoming attack, imaginary or otherwise, or found a reason to be angry. They all wanted the same thing in the end, didn’t they? Somewhere safe to raise their children. Somewhere to grow, and to enjoy themselves.
”And I look at you now, an enemy of his, and I do not see much different in you. You are a good man, a good King, a good father. Maribel admires you greatly, and it is not hard to see why.” he pauses again (pause pause pause). ”I think I’ve had enough of all the war and all the fighting. Everyone is scared. Everyone is thinking of ways to defend themselves, by swelling their ranks, and their armies, and training hard and being hard.” he sighs. ”But that is just like fighting the threat of flooding by making it rain. Look at all of us, all tossed up and tangled in our anxieties of other kingdoms attacking. When the solution should be simple, really. Yet no-one has thought to do it.”
”We should all be united, not by conquering, but by friendship. Alliances. An entirely united Beqanna, the likes of which have never been seen in its history. And not one where there is a power struggle, or where one kingdom is in charge, but where all are equal, and happy, and willing to open its borders to everyone. Everyone is so worried that the other will attack. When the other is worrying the exact same thing.”
He looks to Offspring. ”War is boring. It’s the time for peace. And the Tundra, I feel, is in the best place to initiate this. As the most powerful kingdom, or one of them, we have respect and we will have others wanting to get close to us, for safety. And you could do what every other ruler has ever done, and take advantage of this through squabbling and asserting your own dominance over underdogs who will inevitably grow strong enough to rip off your legs, and thus continue the cycle. Or, how I see it, is you can break it.”
And Offspring, well, had certainly proved he was no stranger to breaking tradition in favour of progress.
”I am glad you think so,” he says, with a gracious incline of his head towards the black stallion. Of course, the official reason anyone does anything is to receive recognition, and to be appreciated, but it’s a little different for everyone (some may want power, or friends, or whatever else) but for Romek, it is for his own sake. Keep the wolves from his back by proving to himself that he is capable, and growing, and changing. After all, to stay still is to stagnate. And this is something that Offspring must know, for his ranks were now open to all, for the first time in history.
Offspring regards him warily and in that moment he realises that it will not be good news. And, despite the countless years and disappointments which had pushed them apart and built a gulf which always seemed insurmountable (yet never was) between them, he felt crushed. He lets the silence sit between them as he processes this news, and as Offspring elaborates on what happened exactly. It’s only when a good deal of time has passed that he realises that the man had ended his speaking with a question, and Romek, seeing no reason to need to hide from his past anymore, says ”Yes. I knew him well.”
”I was his General first, when he first came to the Deserts. And although he was a very fresh newcomer, he fought alongside us all as we went to war on the Valley. Gave himself to kingdom and cause easily and whole-heartedly.” he paused, looking off into the distance momentarily.
”And then soon afterwards, he was my King. There was some disagreement about someone so new taking the throne, but I soon put an end to that.” he paused again as he remembered, and a smile briefly flit across his face. ”Vanquish was right for the role in ways that I was not, at the time. And nobody could disagree with me, someone who had more of a claim to it than anyone else. He won everyone over soon enough, though, although that was hardly a surprise.” Perhaps he ought to sound bitter here, but he truly was not, had never felt an ounce of any kind of anger towards his good friend. Vanquish had been everything that a King ought to be, had been everything that the Deserts had needed at the time. ”He was my best friend, for a long time, and forgave me despite all that I failed to do, and believed in me, and, well, Beqanna has lost a good man, is all I will say.” realising that perhaps the black King will not have such a positive view of someone who was an enemy.
A pause once again, and he looks to the hills and the snow-capped peaks of those mountains, and he looks to the huddles of horses gathered, and to the King in front of him. He thinks of Mari, and their three children, soon to be four. Born into a world of war and soon-to-be-war. Born into a world of either anxiety, or bloodshed, and never in-between. Peace had never been peace, but rather a cease fire as each kingdom fortified against an oncoming attack, imaginary or otherwise, or found a reason to be angry. They all wanted the same thing in the end, didn’t they? Somewhere safe to raise their children. Somewhere to grow, and to enjoy themselves.
”And I look at you now, an enemy of his, and I do not see much different in you. You are a good man, a good King, a good father. Maribel admires you greatly, and it is not hard to see why.” he pauses again (pause pause pause). ”I think I’ve had enough of all the war and all the fighting. Everyone is scared. Everyone is thinking of ways to defend themselves, by swelling their ranks, and their armies, and training hard and being hard.” he sighs. ”But that is just like fighting the threat of flooding by making it rain. Look at all of us, all tossed up and tangled in our anxieties of other kingdoms attacking. When the solution should be simple, really. Yet no-one has thought to do it.”
”We should all be united, not by conquering, but by friendship. Alliances. An entirely united Beqanna, the likes of which have never been seen in its history. And not one where there is a power struggle, or where one kingdom is in charge, but where all are equal, and happy, and willing to open its borders to everyone. Everyone is so worried that the other will attack. When the other is worrying the exact same thing.”
He looks to Offspring. ”War is boring. It’s the time for peace. And the Tundra, I feel, is in the best place to initiate this. As the most powerful kingdom, or one of them, we have respect and we will have others wanting to get close to us, for safety. And you could do what every other ruler has ever done, and take advantage of this through squabbling and asserting your own dominance over underdogs who will inevitably grow strong enough to rip off your legs, and thus continue the cycle. Or, how I see it, is you can break it.”
And Offspring, well, had certainly proved he was no stranger to breaking tradition in favour of progress.
fuck all your dreams, they’re not all they seem