First step towards the future

[Natal]

11 a.m.;
Curtea Domneasca;
Dara, Cnezatul Altai

Andrzej was looking at the Sea of Sindh through a window of the old Royal Palace, known in Altaian as Curtea Domneasca (Royal Court). The Palace was also known as the Demian Palace, because it was built by Dragan I and then used as the dynasty’s royal palace. The Palace was used as a museum during the People’s Republic and again during the Hetmanate, now, the palace belongs again to the Demians.

Now he and Konstantin Tomaszewsky the son of the ProNat General with the same name and also one of the few remaining Altaic boyars were waiting for the Arens to prepare for the ceremony in which a statue of Anastasia Nareath-Demian would be unveiled in the Heroes Square. They were also waiting for Tatyana to come after she ended the meeting with the mayor of Dara.

King Edvard V and his family arrived early this morning and in the airport while everyone greeted and were introduced everyone with everyone, Andrzej saw her, the youngest daughter of the Nareath dynasty. Adeliza. He heard of her but only knew her from other stories and photos, but he never believed her to be so beautiful. When they were introduced, he was astonished her name reminded him of another Adeline in his life. The “first” Adeline was also one of his best friends, knowing her since they were nearly two years old. His relation with Adeline was like a sinusoid. At first being friends for nearly all their lives, then the two became lovers for nearly a year but now, three months ago, the two of the decided to became just friends, with no “weirdness” involved. Maybe for them it was written to be just friends. Now he was waiting to see what would happen with Adeliza. While remembering all what he felt when he saw Adeliza in the airport, he also remembered an Altaic song that described the best his feelings:

“Ziua cand te-am vazut
Inima mi s-a urcat in gat,
Si n-a mai coborat,
Bate-acolo sus iar cand te sarut cinci batai in plus pe minut.”

Remembering this only made him laugh.

“Are they ready?” Tatyana asked as she entered the room.
“Not yet.” Kostya responded.
“OK, we’ll wait then.”
“So what are the big plans with the holiday and the rest?” Andrzej asked.
“The unveiling of Anastasia’s statue in the Heroes Square, two speeches about the two great Czars, one said by me and another by King Edvard, then we will dine together and I will try to make all the dinner be like a family dinner, not an official one and tomorrow our two families, would lay down two floral crowns at the graves of the Czars.”

After Tatyana finished the sentence, Andrzej started to play with a pen with a slight smile on his face, thinking of Adeliza

OOC:
"The day I first saw you
My hart climber into my neck
And never fell down,
It's beating up there and when I kiss you, five beats more per minute"
The song is Vama Veche - 18 ani.

 

[Arendaal]

Heroes Square
Dara, Altai

You must be registered for see links

was, by nature, a shy girl – which was something her parents encouraged. Her older sisters were more vivacious and opinionated by far. Adeliza was the one who smiled softly, blushed often, and acted as an intermediary whenever her siblings threatened to scratch one another’s eyes out. As she followed her father and their retinue out to the Heroes Square, she felt her cheeks flush at the sight of the crowd assembled for the unveiling of the statue of a common ancestor of the Nareath and Demian dynasties, Czarina Anastasia.

The Aren delegation, led by the formidable King and Queen, took their place besides their hosts on a platform specially erected for the ceremony. The crowd cheered and applauded in good measure as the Czarina Tatyana and King Edvard V addressed the audience in two very different, but equally rousing, speeches on the historic ties between Altai and Arendaal and their hope that relations would flourish ever more in the future.

Standing to her right, Adeliza’s sister, Isabelle, nudged her gently, smirking every time anyone made a comment on ‘future relations’ between the two states. Adeliza ignored her but each time she snuck what she hoped was a nonchalant glance at Andrzej. He caught her eye and smiled each time. And each time, Adeliza’s heart would begin to race and she felt a tingle run through her body. She wasn’t sure how well her attempts to look outwardly demure, and not at all flustered, were working, but she hoped she didn’t look as nervous as she felt.

The statue was unveiled. The finely carved face of the long-dead Czarina stood out in marble against the clear blue sky. It was an exquisite sculpture of a figure which the Altaians and the Aren alike held dear.

Czarina Anastasia had been a daughter of King [WIKI]Karl V of Arendaal[/WIKI] (also King of Goterike) and his second wife, [WIKI]Ekaterina of Serbovia, Queen of Arendaal[/WIKI]. Unsurprisingly, she had been beautiful – but what struck Adeliza was how much Anastasia looked like her. Adeliza shared her ancestor’s golden blonde hair, wide blue eyes, willowy figure and fine features. She remembered that, as a child, of all the portraits that hung in the Royal Gallery of Versailles, she had always thought that she looked most like the late Czarina.

“He keeps staring at you,” whispered Isabelle in her ear. It was a loud whisper. Adeliza’s eyes widened and she suppressed a giggle.

“He does not!” Adeliza insisted.

The Princesses’ mother, Queen Laura of Franken, shot them a stern glance. One which duly silenced them.

Adeliza hoped he had been staring at her. And she could but hope that, though some brilliant stroke of luck, she’d get to sit beside Andrzej at the dinner which was to follow the unveiling at Heroes’ Square.

 

[Natal]

After the ceremony, the retinue returned to the Royal Palace. At the ceremony, while King Edvard was addressing to the crowds with his speech, Andrzej and Konstantin both heard Isabelle’s “whisper” and couldn’t stop but grin. Now, both families returned to the Palace and were preparing for the dinner.

“So, the older sister is watching the young one,” commented Kostya while remembering the scene at the square.

“I will nee your help with this one, as we talked earlier.” Andrzej asked.

“Hm… How would sound if in 200 years, historians would write something like: Konstantin Tomaszewsky has again assured the world that the homonymous family is superior to the Dabrowsky bitches and Gorsky traitors and is showing the world that by a simple marriage the Tomaszewsky family is equally as important in world history as the rest of the royal houses.”

“You’re dreaming. I need your help in drawing Isabelle attention, not marrying her.”

“Maybe today I will draw her attention, but who knows what will happen tomorrow.”

“Ok, stop with the philosophy and…”

“My princes, you should come to dinner.” A steward called both of them.

As the two got out of the room they met with the Arens. Andrzej seated himself in such a way that Adeliza would seat beside him, while Kostya winked when he saw Isabelle and seated himself beside the older one of the two sisters.

Edvard was seated at the top of the table, wile Tatyana and Laura were seated on his sides, face to face. Beside Laura of Franked stood Adeliza and after her Andrzej. On the other side of the table, beside Tatyana stood Kostya and beside him Isabelle. The buffet was full of traditional Altai dishes. Andrzej made his move by helping Adeliza to fill her plate with her preferred dish while Kostya did the same with Isabelle and every time he caught her eye, he winked.

 

[Arendaal]

The food was wonderful and the table setting resplendent but Adeliza was having some trouble concentrating on anything besides Andrzej. The two hadn’t stop talking from the moment they were seated, whispering to each other and laughing at private jokes which clearly no one else at the table would be able to understand.

“It seems they can’t get enough of each other, doesn’t it?” a bemused Princess Isabelle observed to Kostya, who hadn’t stopped flirting himself for the last half hour.

Unfortunately for Adeliza, the dinner was over far too soon. The young couple was reluctantly parted as the Royal families retired to their rooms, her mother casting her a stern gaze to warn against any late-night shenanigans.

“Would you take a walk with me after the ceremony tomorrow?” Andrzej asked her as she was bidding him goodnight.

Adeliza’s words caught in her throat, just a little, before she smiled and managed an “of course”, blushing a deep red.

Isabelle laughed with glee at her sister’s shy exciement when Adeliza told her of their plans for the afternoon. “He’ll probably propose,” she teased her younger sister.

Adeliza giggled. “Iselin would have a fit if I did get married before her.”

Isabelle smiled knowingly, “She would,” she said with a strange look on her face, “but a little bird told me our big sister doesn’t plan to be unattached for much longer.”

“Who told you?” Adeliza asked, wide-eyed.

“Never you mind,” Isabelle replied, sweeping herself out of the armchair in Adeliza’s luxurious suite and heading for her own bed chamber. “All I can say is, I’m looking forward to this plan of yours. An Altai wedding is never a dull affair, I’m told.”

Isabelle grinned as she shut the door as Adeliza cried in protest, “No one mentioned a wedding!”

But she smiled to herself once her sister was gone and wondered what it might be like to be a Czarina herself one day.

 

[Natal]

Since the dinner ended, Andrzej could only think of Adeliza so, he had a daring move in plan, but risky considering how stern was Queen Laura. So, he went as quietly as possible towards the Aren dorms. As he passed through the hallway he recalled that, the guests were accommodated in three rooms, one for Adeliza, and one for Isabelle and another for the royal couple. As he opened the door, he stumbled in the threshold and nearly fell.

“Drace!”

But now he entered in a waiting room where there were three doors, but he remembered sawing Isabelle exiting the left one before the dinner and also remembered that during the dinner, Adeliza told him that her room is next to Isabelle’s. So, he entered.

Adeliza didn’t fell asleep yet, but she was surprised if not scared by him entering her room.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Come on, let’s have a walk, to see the garden by midnight.”
She liked it.
“Give me those jeans and that shirt.” She said pointing to some clothes put on the armchair.
He gave her the clothes and she began dressing with Andrzej rushing her.
“Come on, I stumbled and nearly fell when I entered and I even think I woke Isabelle or your parents with it.”
As she finished, he led her to the garden in the back of the palace, full of Palms, Roses and King Proteas. A perfect place for a couple in love.
Andrzej’s only problem was that the window from Adeliza’s parent’s room was overlooking the garden, but he hoped that the darkness would hide the two.

OOC: Drace=Fuck;

 

[Arendaal]

Adeliza giggled at the sight of her parent’s window. “If they catch us, we’ll be in so much trouble,” she laughed as the young couple hurried behind a palm tree to avoid being seen.

“It’s so beautiful here,” she mused, looking around the glorious gardens and breathing in the scent of roses on the night air.

She leaned against the tree and smiled up at Andrzej. “I’m glad you came to get me”, she said, her voice soft.

She was wearing a decidedly revealing satin slip, just the kind of thing a heroine should wear when her lover comes to whisk her away for a moonlit stroll.

Her breath caught in her throat when Andrzej kissed her. Her heart raced, and she couldn’t keep it from beating faster when he pressed her against his chest and his own heart was pounding.

After a few minutes, Adeliza broke off the passionate embrace for the sake of decency. If they did get caught, she wasn’t about to get caught doing anything too risqué in the dark with the heir of Altai. The tabloids would never let anyone involved live it down. Besides, she was a nice girl. And even if Queen Laura had never offered this advice to her daughters in so many words, she had taught them better than to give it up on the first night.

“Do you do this with every Princess who comes to visit?” she teased him, beginning to stroll through the garden. “Or does this make me special?”

 

[Natal]

“Only the special ones come here with me. And you are the first, so you’re the most special one.” He said immediately after she teased.

As the two continued the walk in the palace gardens they were surprised how beautiful the gardens were in the mix of plants from the southern and northern hemispheres of the World. It was the perfect place for a couple in love. During the walk he felt that every time Adeliza was in his arms he blushed and his heart was pounding, but he loved every moment. The hours later, the couple returned to the palace.

Sultan Fariid Diagist Temple

The Diagist Temple was brimming with people. The structure, like all Diagist temples were similar to the Muslim Mosques, but without any minarets. The interior of the building was full of images similar to the Christian icons showing Diagist ascended people often carrying in the left hand Bies, the black raven and in the right one, Ala the white raven. The Diagist religion saw ascended people as men that should be taken as example by living people for the fact that they chosen to sacrifice themselves for the nation they are part of and for the earth that fed them, but more importantly for the fact that they chose to live a life in which they did everything according to the laws of Diag, the Great Spirit. But in general, the concept was similar to the Christian saints. After priestess Dunayevskaya finished the sermon, in which she remembered Czar Edvard II and his wife Czarina Anastasia, the two royal families laid wreaths of flowers on the graves of the two past rulers.

Andrzej thought that he saw some tears in the eyes of the priestess when she narrated in the sermon the lives of the two monarchs. Of course, the stories of their lives were very much modified so that it will be show that the two lived by the Diagist religious laws. But there are also some things that have been concealed. Things that made the Altaic people ashamed especially after those things were done by one of their most beloved monarch. Czar Edvard II was known as an womanizer and that he had more than 15 bastards that most of them were killed by the ProNat by the orders of Czar Goran, Edvard’s first legitimate son. And also, Edvard was also known by the fact that he was killed by syphilis. Especially is death was something that made the Altaics be ashamed. Andrzej couldn’t understand why someone would choose to sleep with another woman beside Czarina Anastasia, especially after he saw how much Anastasia resembled Adeliza.

While Knyagyna Tatyana was talking to the King and Queen of Arendaal, Andrzej went to a walk with Adeliza and the two seated themselves on a bench behind an Oak. While the two shared their private jokes, chatted and sometimes shared a kiss but not without making sure they are not seen, Kostya and Isabelle were staying one near the other.

“So, it seems that we will have to prepare a wedding soon…” Kostya whispered to Adeliza after he saw that the couple shared a kiss.

 

[Natal]

The Aren visit unfortunately came to an end. The officially, the visit was to pay homage to Czarina Anastasia and her husband Edvard. Unofficially, the visit was also for the two princes to meet and to see if the two liked each other. Tatyana hoped that they will like one another, or be sympathetic one another or even love one another. But she didn’t know for sure. They will have to marry soon. She could only laugh for herself. She had married in Eiffelland just to live in an apartment. She couldn’t stop a smile on her face when she thought that some people would consider that life miserable, but she gladly remembered those years. From her first marriage, a marriage of interest, Andrzej was born. And she didn’t regret that marriage at all, but after some years, she became a widow and now remembering the years after the death of Adam, she thought that in her case, a marriage from interest was happier that a marriage from love. She loved at first Florian DeVesci. But after what happened in December, she still asks herself, why she remains married with a man that preferred to ran to his father, rather that defend his wife? How come she loved such a coward? This move also made her a hard-line feminist and she was convinced that a woman can surely raise her own children without such people like Florian. She was proud she didn’t fail in raising Andrzej and now she hoped that he loved Adeliza.

Andrzej knew for sure, he loved her. He didn’t know that his mother wanted him to love Adeliza, nor that the meeting wasn’t really for Edvard and his wife, but for him and Adeliza. He believed that her mother was looking at him to be sure that nothing happens between him and Adeliza. Actually, it was a bit strange, in the short pauses between the replies within her conversation with King Edvard and Queen Laura, she was looking absently at him.

“We’ll meet again in the summer?” he asked Adeliza. He hugged her decently enough to keep his mother and Queen Laura believes that it was a simple friendly goodbye. “I hope we will”.