Alistair Rourke's Story

"The moon smiles upon Atkana tonight! The great gods of old hold us in their favour! Rejoice!" Lilium stood tall in front of her people, chalice held high and a triumphant smile framing her face. The people sharing the feast with her cheered and hollered, raising their glasses with their queen. She nodded her acceptance of their praise before motioning with a flourish of her hand for silence. Her command was followed without fail.

"My people, the praise belongs to our might warriors." She had to bite back a condescending laugh. Mighty warriors? The ragtag bunch of scrawny soldiers were nothing more than cowardly bandits that had pledged their allegiance to Atkana in exchange for protection, fame, and gold. They were nothing more than opportunistic miscreants, and the mere sight of them littering her grand hall was almost enough to make her want to hurl. But her mask stayed in place and she nodded her head towards them, picture perfect proud smile on her lips. They had, after all, been the key to crippling Zylm and providing Atkana with the feast its enjoying now. "Atkana salutes you."

The people cheered and offered their respect for the group, and Lilium allowed them their chance to celebrate. She sat back down on her throne, smiling softly at the sight before her. This was what she wanted - for her people to live in happiness and luxury. If that meant they had to win using underhanded ways for a while as they built up their military strength, then Lilium would make sure that all was successful. Sipping from her chalice to hide the sinister grin building up on her lips, she let her mind wander to the ruler of Zylm. If she'd predicted correctly, he would be enraged but not stupid enough to launch an attack when they were in an obvious disadvantage. Her people could enjoy in peace for the day, as they should.

Tomorrow, the war would begin anew.

She turned to her side towards the seat reserved for the heir to Atkana and offered a kind smile. "Are you enjoying yourself, darling?" She had to hold back running a hand through her son's messy hair. He wasn't her little boy anymore. She knew that with the impending war, she wouldn't be able to shield him from the bloodshed. But he was strong and galliant, just like his father. She didn't doubt his ability to fight, and she felt pride swell up in her chest.

---

Alistair was incapable of matching the joy of the many others before him. The best he could offer was a wavering smile as they cheered and drank. He loved to see Atkana and his mother happy but there was a pit feeling that something were terribly wrong and only going to get worse even above the absence of his father. Momentarily he even took to blame the gut feeling on the food, but his mother, (particularly as ruler now), was a perfectionist and very intense. Things were either done her way or be beheaded. Now there was absolutely nothing to stop her ambitions or raise a second thought. He supposed she could have been quite the scary woman if he weren’t born and raised by her.

He raised his lesser chalice with a small smile to the end of his mother’s speech and almost brought it to his own lips when he caught scent of wine. He drew back eyeing the liquid substance and sighed out gently returning it to rest on the table, watching the people celebrate.
Are you enjoying yourself, darling?" He turned to her. “Yes, mother,” he responded. He inhaled bracing to say the next part. “This is a great celebration for our deserving soldiers. And a step forward to Atkana’s advance.”
Upon looking forward to the brave soldiers that had Atkana’s solute, he furrowed his brows. “They’re pigs!” he commented surprised, watching them stuff their face like it were their last meal. Immediately he regretted speaking illy of the soldiers. Their table manners undeniably needed polishing but they were the means of Atkana’s success. “Forgive me, mother,” he added softly lowering his eyes to his plate.

Lilium watched her son carefully, perfect mask in place. She knew of his discomfort, but she never brought it to attention. Doing so might raise even more questions in his mind - questions that could potentially destroy all that she'd worked hard for. It might also be the undoing of her relationship with her son, and she wouldn't allow such a thing to take place. She couldn't help the small smile that slipped past her mask at her son's outburst. At least, they still greatly agreed about certain matters.

She looked around, making sure that the celebration was still in full effect and that no one had been privy to her son's words. "No need to apologize darling," she assured, a warm smile on her lips. She lifted his head with a finger on his chin so that he would look at her and see the truth behind her words. "They are utterly deplorable," she whispered, "and I would very much like for them to be fed to the wolves, but we cannot have that. I'm sure you understand, love." She allowed a light chuckle and released her hold on him, settling back into her chair.

Somehow, the nagging feeling in the back of her mind about her son still continued to rise so she gave him another smile. It went against her better judgement as a mother, but she knew it would be helpful. She could only rely on such creatures for so long before they began getting ideas about asking for more in exchange for their services. "How do you feel about joining the soldiers in their training?" she inquired, gesturing towards the small number of more honorable soldiers. They were the ones with proper training, and Lilium trusted their loyalty to her and Atkana. They would take care of her son, or suffer her wrath.

He was put at ease when she showed her warm smile and he found himself smiling in return to his mother. However at the mention of joining the soldiers in their training, Alistair risked a glance to them and wiggled a little uncomfortably. It was no secret he did not desire to be a soldier, in fact would have preferred a life away from swinging all the weaponry around with carnage to follow. “Train with them?” he questioned to be sure of his mother’s expectations and intentions for him. Alistair had a compulsion to get people's intentions crystal clear, specifically when it involved him.

Training wouldn’t have been too bad but to become a soldier could change him. Turn him into a blind bloodhound that followed orders demanding bloodshed. Alternatively, he could grant mercy and allow surrenders but that usually had bad consequences to follow that could be at the expense of his life one day.

Different scenarios and thoughts kept rolling around in his head, all mostly emphasising on the bad idea it was until he remembered that this was his mother’s words it was coming from. They only had each other left and he’d do anything to make her happy and fill the abyss of his father. Alistair felt a new surge of purpose and confidence and nodded. “Anything the Queen wants,” he assured with a gentle smirk addressing her as her true title.

Even in a compulsion of pride and bravery; Alistair knew he'd be able to carry himself. For a man that preferred not to fight his skills were high. Or so he'd find out in training with the Soldiers of Atkana.