The Citadel on the Sea

[Elladan]

Preview:
What would you do if your kingdom was stolen?
Your home upon the sea.
What would you do if your throne was broken?
The crown that belongs to thee...

*The Citadel on the Sea
-Across a Crimson tide

[Elladan]

Feled looked out to the city of Valunde. The winds relentlessly threw waves upon the shores, (sha)ttering them on the rocks like glass. The sound was soothing to his ears.

He lifted his brow at the call of his name.

"Why must the dawn have come already?" he mumbled to the cat laying upon his lap, purring thoughtfully at the generous strokes running down her back. He looked away from the window and towards the furball, though his mind was currently elsewhere.

After drawing away from his thoughs, he gently lifted the feline and laid her beside him on the mattress. Yes, he had only awoken moments before, just as the first rays of dawn pierced the darkness, and he was still lying in bed.

Another summoning came from below. The young man lifted the sheets and rolled out to sit up. The cat gave a loud meow, objecting to his failure in attending to her.

"Oh hush, Ellenya. There are more urgent matters in the world, you know." he said playfully to her. "Oh, but you know how to manipulate me, eh?" He picked up the cat and flipped her over, scratching her stomach, then quickly placed her back and stood so that she had no chance to protest.

Now, what had been so important about this day? He swept his hands over his eyes, trying to recall his life. Suddenly it all came back to him, hitting him like violent waves in an ominous storm. Today there was a masquerade to be held for his sister's birthday. Why his parents insisted on having these parties was beyond him.

Well, that wasn't until later, right now there was his empty stomach to mind. He quickly dressed in trousers and a loose blouse, grabbed a spare tunic, and began to decend the spiral staircase emmiting from his chamber, which was located in a tower-room.

The sweet aroma of fresh bread caught his nostrils inticing his senses. Of course, there were other things: Pastries, eggs, various breakfast meats, but he wasn't interested in these, for these foods had been on the breakfast table every day of his life. Feled was no commoner, he was the Prince.

Prince was only a title, of course. He still realized he was human, unlike his sister, who thought she was some special breed. She was only thirteen years of age today, anyways. What did she know? He grabbed a slice of bread as he thought this, then took a large bite.

"Get that cat away froom the table!" his mother demanded. He obeyed without argument, for he new she only let him keep Ellenya out of pity. Doubtless the cat had come down for the same reason as he; food. He filled a bowl with milk and set it on the floor in a corner, then watched her drink as he poured a glass for himself. He couldn't blame his mother for wanting to get rid of Ellenya, she was a strange cat. He had found her around the rocky shores when he was seven, where she was soaked and had seemingly been left for dead. The cat seemed rather young herself at the time. He was now sixteen and she hadn't aged a day past maturity.

His sister entered the dining table, her elegant dress dragging upon the floor. The girl looked absolutely ridiculous to him, so small and delicate, to fragile for the troubles of the world, and yet she eyed men and their features as though trouble did not exist, even at that age. To him, her mind was uncomprehensive of love's inconvenience. Love destroyed priorities and deluted the possibility of reaching a desired goal without complications.

Feora scowled at her brother's unfinished attire. He always ran around half finished with fastening his clothing. Feled quickly attended to his tunic as he caught her expression; lips half parted, ready to utter a comment on his appearence. She closed the gap firmly, glaring at him form the corner of her hazel eyes.

He snorted as she turned away, quickly retreating to the common room so that she could not scold him. A fire blazed in the hearth, warming the room to a comfortable temperature. The fire was necessary, for winter still clung to the dawn and the sea winds brought undesirable chills upon the flesh of a man. Feled sat down upon a couch and mused for a while, waiting for his father to wake, for none of the king's children failed to greet him in the morning. They were the marionettes of Valunde, the effigies of perfect offspring in a perfect family.

Ellenya, however, was the flaw, the imperfection that caused one to think twice. By now commoners who had visited the citadel more than once over an extended amount of time would have noticed the cat's abundant suppy of life, and so would spread the acquired knowledge for good conversation. The superstition that cats possessed nine lived aided in surpressing interrogations, but only some believed in such irrational nonsense. As for Feled, he could not help but question the phenomenon in his own mind.

[Elladan]

No doubt his cousins would be attending the party. He hadn't seen them since he was a child and he did not care to see them now. Of course, he wouldn't say that to their faces. Just as he began to muse on this his father walked in.

"Morning," his father stated cooly.
"'Tis" replied Feled, peeved by his meandering thoughts.
"Feled..." his father began in an imparative tone, then thought better of it, " well, be nice to your sister. It is her birthday, after all."
Great, his sister had ratted him out. Oh, well, he would live.
"I will," Feled replied in a submissive tone.
"Oh, good. Well, off to work then," and with that his father left.


Ellenya rubbed against his father's leg as he exited, then trotted over to Feled and leapt into his lap. Feled felt his anger instictively fade away and suddenly felt horrible. His father had done a lot for them, and off he went into his studies to do some more. The cat rubbed against Feled's neck, directing his thoughts towards her.

He puffed out a jet of air, ruffling her short fur as he did so. He always seemed to be in a bad mood in the morning, but he might as well get over it and get on with the day. He lifted himself from the chair, catching Ellenya just before she fell off of his rising lap. She flew out of his arms and perched herself upon a windowsill, looking out to the darkening skies.

"Ominous, eh?" he murmured, looking out the window himself. Ellenya only glared back at him, her large split eyes bright aganst her grey pelt. He shook his head, scruffed her fur, and left for the courtyards to take in the morning. The sun was still out, but black clouds loomed over the horizon brewing a nasty storm. His sister would be thrilled.
"Feled, you bum, what're you doing out here?" called a voice from behind. Feled whipped around, eager to match a face to the voice.
"Haldin?" Feled called uncertainly.
"Indeed, your magesty."
"I bid thee shut thy mouth, then."
"Or what?"
"The dungeons."
" And what force should drag me hence?"
" The prince that you hailed."
"He could not drag a chicken to the dungeons."
"But he could drag you!"
"I'm not a chicken!"
"No, your a rat."
"A rat?"
"Yes, now go back to your rubbish."
"Alright. The prince is now a crum of cheese upon a cold stone floor. I am back to my rubbish."
" Indeed. What sort of cheese, though?"
"The sort that you eat!"
"Fine, I am wine cheese."
"Wine cheese?"
"Yes, the cheese that you serve with wine."
"You can serve any cheese with wine."
"I know. I was once beside wine..." he sighed.
"But now you are rubbish"
"Eat me."
"Fine. I eat you. Now I am full of rubbish."
"Your always full of rubbish, Haldin."
"I know. Well, how is the masquerade coming along?"
"It's all ready, I suppose. Will you be attending?"
"Oh, I suppose. Wouldn't want to leave you alone and bored."
"Oh, no, not alone. Bored, maybe, but not alone. My cousin will be there. I haven't seen him in ages."
"Goody, another to taunt besides your sister."
"You don't taunt with her. You flirt."
"I do not!"
"I'm not starting this argument again. I'll see you at five then, eh?
"Indeed you will! Go on, go get dolled up. The morning is already half up!"
"Dolled? Well, you too, then."
They both nodded and departed. Haldin was a good friend.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Feled's morning monster had left him for the day, never sticking around to see the results of it's firey attitude and leaving the better half to suffer. Mother wanted him to wear something decent tonight. After all, his cousins would be attending, and in this sort of age marrying your cousin was an honorable act considered "keeping your blood." Feled didn't agree with the whole "keeping your blood" deal, but what was he to say to the hordes of people that did? Well, nothing. He would just keep his opinion to himself.

The boy opened up his wardrobe, eager to find some hidden costume he had not recognised before. There were things he had been given that he would just toss in there until it became useful, since he owned a good deal of clothing. He tossed several garmets aside, finding them unfit for the occasion. He did not think he own anything extraordinarily decent for a ball, since he had not attended such an event in years, being young and restless and having no use for dancing. He had to admit his opinions of these sort of things had changed last few years, but this thought was no use to him now. He had to find something...pleasing. Feled lifted up a ratty tunic, now too small for him, and threw it over his head, turning to watch it fall. As Feled turned back to dig something silvery caught the corner of his eye. What was this? He had certainly never seen it before. Turning back, he noticed his fathers boots firmly planted in the middle of his room.

"Having any luck?" Lord Estel inquired rhetorically. Feled answered with his usual glare. He was always quiet around his father. Quiet and gloomy.

"There is naught to be found in that wardrobe, boy," he said humorously, "come with me."
Feled followed his father with the appearance of reluctance, though he was truely eager to see what his father had in store for him.