Author Topic: The Princess In Tytor  (Read 1549 times)

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Offline Beatrice

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The Princess In Tytor
« on: March 03, 2021, 07:45:03 AM »

Visiting a new school was always an experience to raise stress levels, even moreso when one is the Crown Princess of Rokkenjima. Adriana knew that, on some level, she could never truly enjoy the company of peers unless she was in the company of royals and, despite the best efforts of her mother, she would never truly enjoy her youth as wholly normal. She hoped, however, that her time at Anson Preparatory Academy could perhaps be more normal than her experiences in Rokkenjima and Dartfordia where the expectations were that much higher, due to the fact that one day she would sit on the respective Thrones of both nations. If being a teenager was not stressful enough, having the expectations of your future to be so great only placed another layer atop that which was, to be honest, nothing she wished for at this stage in her life.


Walking the halls of Anson Preparatory Academy with her guide, Professor Horace Campbell, was a pleasant enough experience. Naturally there were curious looks, the girl walking the halls with a security detail never far from her side, there would be no opportunities to lead a life in the background here. Finding their way to the library her face lit up, impressive in its appearance and rows of books, she felt a little closer to home. "And if you'll watch your step here," her guide spoke, pointing out a spot which wasn't quite so level due to settling, it happened: Adriana lost her footing and was most certain to enact a faceplant into the floor beneath her. Not only to be known as Crown Princess, now she would be known as the girl who, despite her security detail, met the floor with her face on her first pre-day at the Academy. Only it wasn't meant to be.

When the expected pain didn't grace the entirety of her face Adriana looked up to see a boy's eyes looking into hers, before being torn from his supportive arms by her security detail. "You may calm yourselves, I'm sure he's less a threat than the floor just was," she would say with a chuckle and a motion of her hands to indicate they should step down. Stepping forward she bowed slightlty, "I should thank you for your quick reflexes, they saved me from a good deal of pain and countless stories I'm sure. I'm Crown Princess Adriana, and what would the name of my hero today be?" she said playfully.

Beatrice Anselmo
Grand Chancellor of the Independent Order
Empress of the First Empire of Rokkenjima

Factbook of the First Empire of Rokkenjima - Kingdom of Clysperis

Offline Tytor

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Re: The Princess In Tytor
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2021, 08:56:23 AM »
He couldn't find it.  He just couldn't find it.  How hard could it be, finding just one particular textbook in the school library?  Seriously, how hard could it be?

Thomas Emmanuel Roland Frederick Xavier Waverly-Edwards, Earl of Eastwood, heir to the Duchy of Vigil, and great nephew of King Michael I of Tytor, had been searching the shelves of the Anson Prep school library for what felt like at least two hours.  He looked at his watch.  Scratch that, it had only been fifteen minutes.  He sighed.  Why did this stuff always have to be harder than he wanted it to be?

Thomas was 17, and usually went by Tom with his friends, though adults generally called him Thomas, Mr. Waverly-Edwards, or (occasionally) Mr. Eastwood.  That last one always cracked him up, even when he was in trouble.  Oh, and his mother had a nasty habit of calling him Tommy, especially in front of his friends; he was half convinced that she did it on purpose, just to bug him.  He glanced around at the bookshelves one more time, and then gave up.  He decided he'd better go ask a librarian.

Just as he turned to head to the information desk to ask for help, he heard Professor Campbell's voice, which was odd, since the headmaster didn't often wander into the library on a Monday like this.  Wednesdays were more common, which was important to know if you didn't want to bump into the man, which was fairly usual among even occasional rulebreakers like Thomas.  Professor Campbell wasn't cruel, mind, just strict.  What was even more odd was the company the good professor was keeping.  Thomas had seen that girl somewhere before, though he was having trouble placing her offhand.  Then there was the rest of the group, who just had to be security, and there were enough of them that this girl just had to be someone important.  Thomas suppressed a grimace.  No surprises there; this school was full of important people, and most of them were stuck-up little creeps who thought they were practically royalty.  Thomas was actual royalty, and he was able to be decent to his fellow human beings here at school, so he had no time for those idiots.  A pity there were so many of them.

Thomas started to turn around, so as to give the professor and his entourage some room, and then it happened.  The girl stumbled on an uneven bit of floor and toppled forward.  Without stopping to think, Thomas practically lunged forward and caught her.  As she straightened, her security detail pulled Thomas away, and suddenly he realized who she was.  Crown Princess Adriana of Rokkenjima calmed her guards, and then spoke to him.

"I should thank you for your quick reflexes, they saved me from a good deal of pain and countless stories I'm sure," she said, "I'm Crown Princess Adriana, and what would the name of my hero today be?"  She was smiling, which was a good sign, Thomas supposed.

"Thomas Waverly-Edwards, at your service," he said, giving a little (and probably somewhat melodramatic) bow and smiling in return, "Call me Tom.  Everyone does."  He glanced again at her bodyguards, and then at the headmaster, who smiled good-naturedly at him.  "Professor Campbell showing you around?" he asked Adriana, "What do you think of Anson Prep so far?"
His Majesty Michael the First, by the Grace of God, King of Tytor and her Colonies, and Lord Protector of Floodwater

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Offline Beatrice

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Re: The Princess In Tytor
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2021, 09:05:11 AM »
"Indeed he is," she replied, "And a gracious host he has been. Allow me to apologize for my detail, they've my best interests at heart but at times they certainly know how to smoother a girl," she said with a sideways glance at the closest agent of her detail. "It seems to be a fine place so far, and while my tour thus far has been informative, I'd much prefer a student's view of the school I shall be attending. If it pleases the Headmaster, and my detail, perhaps you would be suited to showing me around from here? After all, I shall need a student's eye as to what to expect, yes? Who better to show me than Tom?" she continued, locking his arm in hers in a playfully authoritive manner, not so much to him, but to assert her wills to her detail.

"Where are we going first?" she asked.

Beatrice Anselmo
Grand Chancellor of the Independent Order
Empress of the First Empire of Rokkenjima

Factbook of the First Empire of Rokkenjima - Kingdom of Clysperis

Offline Tytor

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Re: The Princess In Tytor
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2021, 07:15:56 PM »
(OOC: Scene change...)

It had been not quite four weeks since the chance meeting in the Anson Prep school library, and Thomas was getting better at finding materials in the bookshelves.  He'd seen a few more students trip on that uneven patch of floor, though none as spectacularly as Adriana.  He saw Adriana in the halls and between buildings every so often, and they always greeted each other like the friends he supposed they were.  It was a Saturday, and he had just finished getting a tray together at the cafeteria for his lunch.  The entrée was an odd-looking beef Stroganoff which could easily have been confused at a glance for something nasty, but it smelled delicious.  Thomas could have gone to visit his family for the weekend, since they lived just a bus ride away from school, but he'd visited last weekend.

A group of his friends was seated by the far wall, laughing uproariously at a joke someone had told, and he made his way in that direction.  As he picked out a path amid all the tables and loudly chattering students, he passed a group of seniors.  One of them, a burly boy who Thomas thought was the son of a duke somewhere in Northmark, stuck out his foot at just the wrong moment for Thomas to be able to avoid it, and he went down like a marionette with its strings cut.  Stroganoff went everywhere, and Thomas was suddenly wearing his lunch.  Humiliated, and more than a little angry, it took him some effort not to throw his tray at the perpetrator, who was laughing fit to burst at the chaos he caused.

"Laugh it up, pretty boy," he muttered, just loud enough for the offender to hear, and went back for a fresh helping, wiping bits of mushroom and pasta out of his hair as he went.
His Majesty Michael the First, by the Grace of God, King of Tytor and her Colonies, and Lord Protector of Floodwater

Factbook -- News -- Press Office

Former Governor-General of The Infinite Alliance
Former Ambassador to Albion and the Global Right Alliance
Former Vice Premier and Speaker of the Senate of the Independent Order
Professional Procrastinator

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"A witty saying proves nothing." - Voltaire

Offline Beatrice

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Re: The Princess In Tytor
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2021, 10:03:06 PM »
Settling in had gone well, though she was especially thankful for the kindness she had been shown on her first day. There were stories to be sure but that was to be expected; word often traveled quickly through the student body. The chance meetings with Thomas had continued though thankfully without the unwelcome influence of gravity interfering. Evanthe had offered to dispatch a plane to bring her home over the weekends however she had determined it would be better to use that link home as little as possible. She was here to experience the world around her after all, so the more time she had away from home the better.

Sitting at one of the tables she had taken notice of Thomas' arrival though as each time before she was hesitant to invite him to her table. The commotion would soon grab her attention and draw her away from daydreams as she saw the scene play out before her, the laughter of the one boy especially irritating her. She took to her feet and walked over giving the jester a gaze before brushing a mushroom which Thomas had missed on his shoulder. "We've got to make falling not our thing," she said with a chuckle, "and while I was thinking of inviting you to my table today now I've got an even better idea."

"I've wanted to properly thank you," she paused, "so if you'd like the Austrana is berthed within a ten minute helicopter ride from the Academy. You can take a shower and clean up a bit, I'll ask that Gemma sees that some fresh clothes are gathered for you and that any concerns of the school administration are taken care of concerning our departure. Our chefs can make just about anything so if there's any dish you wish to try all you need to do is let me know. From there we've got a cruise across the Strait of Arovium to the Arovium Bay, where we'll have the beaches to ourselves."

"As for you," she said to the perpetrator, "I don't know who you are or who you think you are, it's not important to me either way, but I'll introduce myself. I'm Adriana Anselmo, Crown Princess of the First Empire of Rokkenjima, Princess of Littlebrook, Grand Duchess of Josai and Tom here is my friend. I remember when people are rude to my friends, especially so when they don't make things right. You may be a senior, maybe you're a Count, Baron or Lord of some land, again it's not important to me. What is important to me is that you're a good boy and apologize for what you've done to my friend and make sure it never happens again. We wouldn't want a misunderstanding in the future, after all, now would we?"

Beatrice Anselmo
Grand Chancellor of the Independent Order
Empress of the First Empire of Rokkenjima

Factbook of the First Empire of Rokkenjima - Kingdom of Clysperis

Offline Tytor

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Re: The Princess In Tytor
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2021, 07:03:26 AM »
Thomas had never seen anyone wilt so fast.  Seriously, one moment the guy had been laughing like the first-class jerk he was, looking like he was two seconds away from making some crack or other, the next he was shrinking back like he was afraid Adriana was going to rip his head off.  He mumbled something that may have been "Sorry", but just as well might have been "Don't hurt me".  Now it was Thomas's turn to laugh.

"Thanks for sticking up for me," he said to Adriana, turning his back firmly on the would-be prankster, "Some guys just don't know when not to push their luck.  I would be thrilled to join you aboard the Austrana; I've heard so much about it, though I can't believe that half the stories I've heard are actually true.  Can I meet you out in front of the administration building in twenty minutes?"
His Majesty Michael the First, by the Grace of God, King of Tytor and her Colonies, and Lord Protector of Floodwater

Factbook -- News -- Press Office

Former Governor-General of The Infinite Alliance
Former Ambassador to Albion and the Global Right Alliance
Former Vice Premier and Speaker of the Senate of the Independent Order
Professional Procrastinator

Non-partisan and proud of it

"A witty saying proves nothing." - Voltaire

Offline Beatrice

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Re: The Princess In Tytor
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2021, 12:56:41 AM »
Adriana couldn't help but to let a giggle escape upon Phil's attempted apology, "I'm not sure if you're aware but apologies in Rokkenjima are about more than simply saying you're sorry. You see it's about politeness, letting others know that you've reflected on what was wrong, and that you're not merely working through the motions. With that in mind, perhaps a little more loudly, you may try again..." she looked at the tablet which Gemma had handed her a moment ago, "....Philip Lassiter, Earl of Cottonwood, son of Lord Jordan Lassiter, Duke of Cheswick. Ah, I see here that the dossier notes you like to go by Phil, so we'll keep it informal. Now that we're introduced the floor is yours, Phil," she said, withdrawing herself for a second while looking at him expectedly.

If he had wilted before he now looked as though he had seen a ghost, with the colour having effectively drained from his skin. He cleared his throat and turned to Tom, "Look I'm not good at this but Tom...." he said looking him straight in the eyes as loud as he could without shouting, "I was a dick, I'm sorry man, no hard feelings?" He turned to Adriana, "Is that better, I'm really sorry and I won't be a jerk to him again, I promise." "Better, yes, though you won't be a jerk to anyone. Each of us has the power to change the world every day, maybe not the whole world, but we can change the world for someone for better or for worse. Use your words and actions to change the worlds of others for the better, it makes Mundus a brighter place for us all. Can you try to do that for me, Phil?"

"I'll try, yes, Adri..." she shot him a glare, "Your Majesty." "You should eat your lunch before it gets any colder. Now if you'll excuse Tom and I we have a ship to catch, the waters of the Strait and the Bay are so beautiful this time of year, and I wouldn't want us to be late."

"Hey, that's what friends do isn't it?" she asked with a smile. "I saw many bullies throughout my schooling back home, as well as straight up jerks who think they can do whatever they want without consequence. Better that they're put in their place when they're young before they grow up to be monsters. Enough of that though, I'll see you in twenty."


Austrana

It had been some hours since they touched down upon the Austrana which made its transit across the Strait of Arovium without issue. The usual flotilla of smaller ships were present as she entered Arovium Bay, "Has she lived up to your expectations?" Adriana asked. "Now obviously there's parts of her that I can't take you to, you know, national security interests and all, but she has all the comforts of home while her and her sister, Estvua, are always deployed so they may be used by the Empress as swiftly as possible, regardless of where she may be in the world. Planes are fine and all but this," she said looking out to the sea, "this experience can't be had on a plane. Just over there," she said pointing to a spot isolated from the beaches and activity of people ashore, "dad taught me to fish, it's his favourite spot for some reason even though we have some of the top fishing stocks just off the shores of Azukishima. Mum always gave him a hard time over the travel costs, but he always insisted on coming here."

She sighed as she turned away from the waters to face Tom, resting against the hand rails of the Austrana. "Whatever happened to my strategy of staying in the shadows? I nearly pulled it off after the fall but now....putting your bully in his place by making him apologize and bringing you along on the Austrana, I'm not exactly going to be able to keep a low profile now. Word will spread from him, his friends, everyone in the cafeteria and before we know it...."

"I know we see each other mostly in passing and we share a class or two, but I gotta know. What do you think of me, like who I am not my status, or the toys I have at my disposal? What am I to you?" she said with an innocent grin.

Beatrice Anselmo
Grand Chancellor of the Independent Order
Empress of the First Empire of Rokkenjima

Factbook of the First Empire of Rokkenjima - Kingdom of Clysperis