Thread: тσ cσмρℓεтε _____________ αη∂ яειηƒσrcε.  «« [Finnaholic and I.]

Lord Gottfrieds rule began when the Prince Nicholas was only seven years of age, and it was shortly after the previous Kings will delegated his position that he found some remarkable fault which he wielded to imprison the young King at the age of nine. It was with this movement that he solidified his place as ruler and began pushing for the crown himself, finding no suitable heirs in the immediate family due to the distinct lack of males and Solatrirs aversion to female rule. Shortly after his election as Regent of the Kingdom of Solatrir, Lord Gottfried immediately made use of his newly obtained power by hand selecting the most capable of his kingdoms knights to form the Order of the Empyreal Knights, whose head was a young and exceptional warrior dubbed Sir Vladilen. These youths were newly trained recruits in their prime who served under the previous king with infallible dedication and prowess, the perfect candidates for the Order. The Order quickly became an abominable force, a threat whispered in the night by mothers to their children when they misbehaved, a horror to the criminals and peasants alike. A group of armored knights garbed entirely in shining black armor and black cloaks with horrifying helmets sculpted to resemble shining horned skulls, they performed the very dirtiest of the Regents tasks these ranged from slaughtering rebels to assassinating Lord Gottfrieds personal enemies. Sir Vladilen rose quickly above his peers with his extraordinary talents in swordsmanship and bravery, capturing the attention of the Regent, earning him the position of leadership among them. Unbeknownst to Lord Gottfried, Vladilen formed a friendship with the imprisoned Nicholas which quickly bloomed into something more guard duty outside of his room became a privilege more than a chore. Vladilen was older than the Prince by six years, eighteen years of age when they first met. The Prince was housed in a cell that was like no other, a bedroom with barred windows to say the least though small and modestly furnished, it was comfortable and there was an abundance of books and toys to keep him mentally stimulated. It was not hard for the orphaned knight to form a connection with Nicholas, and when he became smitten with the prisoner he had the audacity to confess. To his surprise, his returned feelings resulted in a secret relationship that lasted for several long years that went undetected for the entirety of its duration. Vladilen stood at the impressive height of six feet at his prime, and his build was streamline though sculpted. His training left his arms, legs, and chest hardened with muscle, but in an aesthetically pleasing manner. His hair though perpetually hidden under his helmet was actually a vivid bronze, and complimented his sun-kissed skin. His uniform was decorated with embellishments that clearly highlighted his accomplishments as well as let it be plainly known that he outranked the others. The horns of his helmet held a more powerful curve and his armor was interwoven with shining silver trimmings. A great gathering of peasants stood gathered about the Kingdoms square, a great buzz of discontent rising over their heads as they milled restlessly awaiting the appearance of Sir Gottfried. Several members of the Order stood sporadically around the square, their weapons at their sides, helmeted heads turning in one direction and then the other as they surveyed the gathering with their faces hidden entirely aside from the cruel slashes of their mouths. The only one standing apart from them was Sir Vladilen, who had situated himself upon the stage, looking especially imperial astride a beastly black horse with his visor pushed low over his face. He moved only slightly when Lord Gottfried appeared as his elbow, robbed entirely in red and gold, his clothing encrusted with jewels that shimmered with each of his ungraceful movements. The speech began as any other, addressing the people and paying homage to Solatrir and their god, before he got to the meat of his spiel as well as his purpose for the gathering- to address the lingering problem that was Prince Nicholas and his imprisonment. He skirted for the longest time his proposed method of action, before he grandly threw his arms wide, his wrinkled but cruel face turned upwards towards the sky. So his date of execution is set. Prince Nicholas will be beheaded in this very spot tomorrow at high noon. And the people were left to look after him in stunned silence as a stricken Vladilen ushered him from the stage, thankful for the helmet that hid the look of horror that he was sure he wore plainly on his face.