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applesofdaventry · 11 months

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The Princess of Daventry, Rosella, is atop the mountain in the far corner of Daventry. She is waiting for the fearsome hydra to eat her, or, for a person to save her and slay the hydra. She is not holding out much hope for that.

Or: I have written some delectable King's Quest fanfic. The first part is under the cut. :)

Being tied up on a pole waiting for a hydra to eat her alive was the second worst thing Rosella had ever suffered through. The first, unfortunately, would always and forever be the shovel talk her father had attempted to give to her first crush a few years back. It was incredibly embarrassing on all sides and her father had to refer back to a scrap of parchment several times, and by the end she wanted to just go ahead and die. ...Even if during it he looked more energetic than he had in months.

It was uncomfortable, and cold, and the hydra’s roars were not pleasant to listen to. Then a storm suddenly formed. The wind howled. And thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. Lightning struck frighteningly close to her, and she screamed from the loudness of it. It struck again, and the hydra shrieked in pain. The hydra readied itself to take flight, but then lightning struck again. And again. With each strike the hydra shrieked again in greater and more terrible tones than before. Until it thumped against the earth from a final strike and became frightfully still. The freak storm had killed it. Well then, that was one of her problems solved. But now she had a new one.

“Hello?” someone asked suddenly, “Is, Is someone here? I heard growling and thumping, so I used my bottled storm and then I heard a scream.” Shuffling, in the sudden silence. The storm had gone.

Well then! There’s a solution to her being tied up. “Here! I’m over here, by the edge of the cliff. I thought that the hydra would have been my end! I need help getting untied.” She called back.

Slowly, from around the bulk of the hydra’s collapsed form, emerged an, admittedly, handsome young man. If you ignored how it looked like he hadn’t seen a bath in weeks. His clothes were tattered, and he had tied around his face some sort of ripped cloth that, even from this distance, she could tell were of far finer quality than his clothes. He had a hand touching the hydra. “Uh, I’m going to need you to tell me what direction to walk in order to do that. I don’t want to fall down a cliff again.” He started to make uncertain steps towards… the entirely wrong direction.

“You’ll need to go more left, oh savior mine.” She called. He turned in more or less the right direction, “That works,” started towards her, and when he drew near she gave him some further instruction. “You’re just a few steps now, really, and then you’ll be able to untie the ropes. What is your name? How did you end up on this mountain? Wait, did you say fall down a cliff again? Are you blind!?” She immediately winced at the last question, as it was rather insensitive of her. Are you blind? How rude of her. She was mentally castigating herself when the young man’s seeking hands caught her arm. They were rough and callused.

“Uhm, My name is Gwydion.” He faltered and then continued on. “I’m not really sure how I ended up on this mountain but there was a cave at some point, and.” He paused. “Yes. It’s a… recent development.” He cautiously feels out the rope. “I have no idea how to undo this, but I think I have a knife?” He starts to rifle through what seems to be an entirely unreasonable amount of pockets and then yelps. “I found it.” He pulls out an old knife and wavers. “Hm.”

The cloth on the front of his face was visibly stained and wet. It was clearly tied very tightly. The smell was indescribable. “Perhaps you could give me it and I cut the ropes?” Rosella allowed some faint humor to tint her voice, “I think I might have better luck with cutting the rope, Gwydion.” What was under that cloth? Gwydion, after a few moments of careful fumbling, pressed the knife into her hand and then stepped back. After a minute she was free. “Thank you.” She pressed the knife back into his hand. “Why don’t we head down the mountain and to the castle. I am sure that we will be able to figure out a suitable reward for you.” He cocked his head in confusion. Reading this on what she could see of his face, she elaborated “I am the princess after all.”

Gwydion startled, badly, and if it were not for Rosella catching his arm he would have pitched himself down the cliff. “Really? I have never see- been in the presence of royalty.” he course corrected himself quickly, maybe being blind was a recent development. Rosella started to walk, keeping a grip on his arm. He stumbled to keep up. They did this in silence for a few minutes. Rosella warned him of sudden drops or large amounts of rocks in the way. He continued to stumble a bit as she led him like this. He broke the silence, and did so very quietly. “...Could you lead me in a slightly different way? It’s just- I fear that if I were to fall I would take you with me, and the way you hold my arm.. it is awkward to walk like this.” He then ducked his head, as though in preparation for recrimination, though she could not understand why.

Rosella stopped walking to think about this. “Maybe if we held hands, and I walked a little slower?” She offered. He nodded his head and held out his hand. She took it. They started walking again, slower. There were a few awkward, nearly heart stopping moments, but they managed to get down the mountain within an hour or two. “The walk from here should be much easier from here.” She said, looking back at Gwydion. Whenever she had looked back at him while they climbed down he had looked worse and worse. She frowned. “Are you okay?” His hand was clammy, and his face was creased in what was likely concealed pain.

“I’m fine, …though I’d like it if we kept holding hands. I haven’t been this worry free about falling in a while.” He said. That first part was the worst lie she had ever heard, but okay. I guess.

“Okay.” They continued walking for a while, though Gwydion had started listing and stumbling. She stopped after a particularly bad one. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Rosella asked worriedly. “It’s just, you seem to be doing poorly. Are you hurt? The castle isn’t too much farther, so I could call a cart.”

Gwydion swayed where he stood. “I’m fine.” He insisted. “Look, I can make it to the castle fine.” As though to prove this he let go of her hand, took one step forward, and immediately crumbled to the ground.

#kings quest #kings quest 3 #alexander #gwydion #rosella #the hydra for like 10 seconds #blind au #fanfic #au #etc etc etc #anyway I wrote like half of this in a blaze of furious inspiration interspersed with a logic puzzle about orbs #we start in the middle as all good stories should #well technically its at the end of one story but shhhhhhhhh #well technically technically the ultimate climax (the penultimate being that. other incident wink)#this is only part one btw #i have enough juice for like several more chapters

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captmickey · 1 year

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“I think someone had a little accident with the finger paints.” + Graham and Valanice

“Pleased are we?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Valanice sighed. That was on herself, she figured. Asking a six year old a rhetorical question was bound to give her a six year old-like answer. Sitting on the counter kicking her small feet, Rosella hummed to herself as Valanice cleaned her hands, the small cans of paint pushed away as the guards and maids were in the midst of cleaning the young princess’s…

Art.

Well, she thought, at least it was Graham that entered and Number One. Stars know what would happen to the old captain… probably would faint then and there on the spot.

“What the heck happened here?!” Graham’s voice echoed.

Zards. Valanice lowered the rag and looked at Graham, smiling. “Hi, dear. Do mind your step, there’s still paint on the floor.”

“I can see that, as well as paint on the walls and carpet.” The king noted, muttering under his breath the exact same sentiments she had in regards to the captain. “Rosella, what were you thinking?”

“I think someone had a little accident with the finger paints.” Valanice answered on behalf of the princess. “Isn’t that right?”

“It wasn’t an accident. The walls were boring.” Rosella stated, rather proudly, at that.

“Boring?” Valanice asked, hearing Graham covering his face and trying to take a deep breath. “How so?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. Just is.”

Valanice and Graham looked at her ‘handy’ work, spotting the flowers and hearts and fairies and, what the two could only assume was, a dragon (or maybe that imaginary friend she made up with Kyle and Larry) along the walls in an array of colors. It would be one thing if it was on one wall… it was another when it took up all the walls in the room. Valanice would be more livid if she wasn’t impressed at the fact that Rosella was able to paint on all the walls.

“What’s that supposed to be?” Graham asked, pointing at the dragon/imaginary friend.

“A… a… a… a wyrm!” Rosella kicked her feet happily.

“A worm?” The king looked over his shoulder, a sly smirk on his face.

“No!” She giggled. “Wyrm! Dragons with no legs!”

“How… evolutionary.” Graham mumbled, continuing to look.

“And that? That’s supposed to be Number One?” He then pointed to the side where the guards were, all standing with their helmets on. Though their armors looked more like balloons.

“No. Well, yes. But no.” She shook her head happily. “It’s the Royal Guards, but not Number One.”

“Where’s Number One?” Valanice asked.

“There.” She pointed at the guard whose face was fifty percent mustache, a pink mustache, at that, standing next to a guard with stink lines. The two surrounded by piles of rectangles. Addendums, if Valanice was to guess.

Graham snorted and Valanice giggled. “Ah, I see the captain is with his second in command.”

“Yup!”

“Why does he have stink lines?”

“He’s stinky.”

“Stinky?”

“Too sweet.”

“I thought you liked the syrup smell.” Valanice chimed in.

“I do, but sometimes it’s too stinky. Especially after Pancakes Day.”

“Oh it’s a good thing he’s not here to hear that at the moment.” Graham chuckled and walked along the walls, talking to each guard and maid that were cleaning, apologizing on her behalf when he froze in place. Valanice wouldn’t have minded were it not for Rosella’s legs ceasing to kick.

“That one isn’t done yet.” Rosella muttered.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Valanice asked.

“You’re going to want to see this, Neese.” Graham mumbled, his gaze not breaking from that one particular wall.

Frowning, Valanice helped Rosella down and walked over to Graham, seeing what the two were referring to. On the wall, painted as best as a six year old could, was a depiction of a castle. Castle Daventry, to be exact from the various towers. Standing in front of the castle was a childish painting of Graham and herself, smiling and holding hands. Next to them was Rosella… standing next to someone.

Frowning.

“Sweetie, who is that?” Graham asked, his voice soft and gentle, kneeling down and looking at Rosella whose eyes were towards the floor as she fiddled with the fabric of her paint-splattered dress.

“It’s okay, I’m not angry or upset.” He placed a hand on her small shoulder. “Neither of us are.”

“You can tell us.” Valanice added, kneeling down as well.

Rosella hesitated, pursing her lips tightly. From the way her unwavering bravado shifted into silence, Valanice knew who the figure was supposed to be… and she knew Graham did too as he sat on the floor, letting both father and child be on totally equal grounds.

“Rosie?” Graham spoke up once more. “Is it supposed to be Alexander?”

The young princess nodded.

The two monarchs took a breath. They knew who it was, but seeing the confirmation still… stung. She was loud, rambunctious and inquisitive… but she was also mourning her missing brother just as much as they were.

“Oh, sweetie…” Valanice sighed, sitting down properly as well. “You miss him.”

Once more, she nodded, sniffling just slightly as Graham scooped her up and held her, disregarding the fact that some of the paint on her dress was still wet and undoubtedly was getting on his clothes.

“You’re not mad at me, right?” Rosella asked.

“Of course not. We miss him too.” Graham whispered, gently brushing her hair.

“What made you want to paint him?” Valanice asked, not to scold but… in hopes maybe she could voice her emotions better.

Rosella pulled back, wiping her tears with her hands. “I was bored… I painted. But then I got sad and… and…. And I think he’s sad.”

“He’s sad?” Valanice tilted her head.

The young princess nodded. “I started painting him… and I felt really sad.”

Valanice looked at Graham, curious what she meant by that but the questions died on her lips as when Rosella pulled away, what was left on Graham’s clothing was a series of polka dots. Quickly, Valanice slapped a hand over her mouth to try and stop laughing.

“Valanice? What’s wrong?” Graham asked.

“N-nothing. Nothing, dear.” The queen struggled to answer, her shoulders shaking.

Rosella raised a brow and looked to her father, seeing his colorful new look. Unlike Valanice, however, the young princess pointed a finger and bursted out laughing. Loudly. It was like that sudden wave of sadness vanished without a trace, like the lingering emotions of Alexander melted off of her and allowed her true feelings to show.

“Rosella, what has gotten into–” The king looked down, seeing what the girls were laughing about and blushed. “Ah, I see I got a promotion to court jester.”

Valanice knew she needed to talk further with Graham in regards to Rosella’s sudden emotions, to reprimand the princess even for making a mess in the first place, but for now, this sudden burst of laughter was what was needed.

#mickey writes #kings quest #this is.... a bit lengthy

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theadventurerslog · 1 year

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King's Quest III: To Heir is Human | Part 3

The Adventurer's Log

King's Quest III: The Heir is Human Part 3

Third and final part! Actually played same day as Part 2 because I couldn't help myself and jumped back in later in the day. This was sure... a time. This second part of the game has some not great stuff. Here we go.

It was pirate ship time in which I learned that main character Gwydion may be, but defier of gravity not so much.

I didn't mean to fall. The ladder just seemed to come to an abrupt end when I thought it'd lead into the crow's nest.

Anyhoo, with this pirate ship you have to avoid the crew members and the captain. If you're caught you'll be thrown back in the hold and have your inventory taken again. If you're caught again, you'll be made to walk the plank and die. Naturally I did so.

As an adventure game you would think there would be puzzles to solve. Things to do. Ways to help yourself. Nope. The grand solution is to wait for the ship to reach land which can take several minutes.

After a little wandering around and looking at things I finally just went back down to the hold so I wouldn't get caught. And waited. And looked at my magic map which does have a neat little detail of moving the ship to a different tile along its course as time moves on.

When I first looked the ship was in the second, I think, tile from the left along that red line.

I also went back to the mice and listened to them chatter about wondering what would happen to Gwydion. They figured the pirates would make him a cabin boy. The last one got fed to sharks for sport. They also gossiped about treasure that could be found on the land we're heading to so I made note of that. I attempted to talk to them but "The little mice totally ignore your attempted conversation."

Finally I heard the call of "land ho!" For points, I cast the sleeping spell which also helps in avoiding capture. If you do it before seeing land there's no one to control the ship and you die.

With the crew asleep I checked out a room that kept getting blocked off by a crew member before and got me a shovel. Then I jumped off the ship and swam to shore, nearly being eaten by a shark on the way.

I found the treasure the mice gossiped about for points. It was a chest of gold ingots and gems and stuff.

Then I found myself more windy mountain paths.

I reckon this sums up my feelings on that.

More walking along narrow paths and I did some teleporting with the spell. Ultimately I ended up at the top of a snowy peak with a cave.

Hmmmm indeed.

What could be in there? What could be around?

Ah. But of course the abominable snowman. And a rather brutal death...

Yikes.

After reloading I explored around and got grabbed again a time or two. There's a spot around the peak where you can leave, but the abominable snowman shows up constantly. I'm not sure if that's always the case or if it was bad RNG. Either way I had to deal with him. I used the teleport stone and it confused him. He wandered off I was luckily teleported to the exact same spot. Maybe that's always the case in that particular situation or I just got lucky. Not sure. Anyway, from there there's a path down to a rock face.

First step was to get to that platform below but I fell a few times. I tried the other side and it went even worse.

The deaths started getting snarkier in this half of the game and I have to say I appreciate it. At least make my deaths entertaining.

I did manage to make my way down and out to Daventry! Where I promptly fell down another cliff.

I continued on after that added death to my ever growing count and found a gnome sitting out in front of his home.

He welcomes Gwydion home and we learn Gwydion's real name is actually Alexander. He tells him Daventry has been suffering for years now since that despicable dragon came. We learn again that Princess Rosella is the next sacrifice. The King and Queen are suffering such grief they've locked themselves in the castle.

From there we can go to the castle and see it in poor shape with tattered banners and crumbling statue work. The moat is drained; what happened to the moat gators? The doors are bolted and unmovable and no one answers when shouting.

There's nowhere else to go so it's back to where we came out. There's a cave entrance that takes us to long stairs going up. They're the same stairs from the first game that you use to get down from dealing with the giant. Or use to get up if you don't get the magic beanstalk.

At the top is another screen and then dragon time!

I walked right on in there and you can probably imagine how that went. One roasted Gwydion, sorry, Prince Alexander, coming up.

I tried entering again, this time after using the invisibility spell. All is well until I tried untying Rosella.

Two royals, crispy fried.

So the real solution is to go invisible and put our final unused spell to use. It's brewing a storm time! Lightning bolts strike the dragon and it dies.

Boom crispy fried dragon.

Untie Rosella and he proudly tells her he's her long-lost brother, Prince Alexander to which she is understandably doubtful. Alexander says he'll explain everything later but for now "Let's go meet the folks!" which is a line that cracks me up for how out of place it feels.

If you look at her much awkwardness ensues...

Moving on!

To more awkwardness when coming right after that. I tried talking to her again.

I ended up talking to her more and it turns out she has a lot to say which I didn't know so I'm glad I did so.

I'm keeping the above screenshot for Reasons I can't get into until King's Quest V.

More pleasantries are exchanged and Alexander finds her to be 'not only beautiful, but very strong-willed and brave.' 'Admires that in a woman.'

Everything going well, except not. Because I got literally stuck. There's a transition part way down the stairs to the next flight of stairs. After transitioning to the next flight it would stick Rosella aright in front of me and because the stairs are so narrow I couldn't get past her. You can see it in the above screencap. I left and came back, I reloaded, tried using the mouse, I reloaded an earlier save and fought the dragon all over again. Nothing. After some searching around I found a bug submitted to ScummVM about and that the only way to get down was to use the numpad to go diagonally. I didn't know you could do that, but that worked. It would've been nice to have known that before for other spots too. So, it worked out, but I was getting immensely frustrated and worried I wouldn't be able to quite finish the game when the end was right there. Some kind of ScummVM issue anyway it seems and not really the game's fault.

Anyway, with that last trial done it was time to go home. We met back up with the gnome who excitedly ran ahead to inform everyone of the good news. We got to the castle and were able to enter now and find King Graham and Queen Valanice in the throne room.

Much joy and hugs were exchanged.

Graham explains that the magic mirror has been clouded since Alexander disappeared. Now as they stand there, the mirror clears! And the future looks bright for all.

Graham decides that his old adventurer's cap needs a new companion and throws it to his children. Rosella and Alexander both reach up for it and The End.

And so ends King's Quest III with a family reunited and the kingdom of Daventry saved once again.

Final Points: 202/210 I know at least one spot I missed points. Not sure about the rest

Deaths: 63 New record. I died a lot on that mountain...

Time: 3:41

Final Thoughts:

This game has got its ups and downs for sure. I quite enjoyed the first part up to the pirate ship (aside from the key on the closet). I was a little overly nervous of the time limit, so I wish I'd taken my time a little more at points--mainly the time before Manannan left. I didn't really end up having much happen with him.

That aside it's fun gathering all the ingredients and casting the spells. The understanding animals spell in particular is an extra bit of delight ripe for all the exploration.

Then you get to the pirate ship and things slide. Having to just wait for upwards of like ten minutes--the amount of time seems to vary?--is realistic but not fun. It's an adventure game. You do things. You solve things. Waiting that long is not only boring, it goes against its own patterns. And the ship just isn't that big. There's not a lot to do to spend that time and if you're not careful you could get killed and then have to wait part of that time all over again depending on your last save.

After that there aren't many puzzles left. Basically there's optional treasure to find, the abominable snowman to avoid, and the dragon to beat and that's it. You spend a lot more time with walking narrow paths and climbing things and trying not to fall. Sierra "platforming" and the game's not exactly good or elegant at it.

And the whole Graham and Valanice letting Daventry fall just feels kind of contrived knowing past actions and the general heroism! feel of the games

It's a mixed bag. I really like some stuff. Not so much other things. The game has more complexity, at least in the first half. The graphics are slowly improving. It's setting the stage for future games. It is a step ahead in a lot ways, but it trips in the final chunk.

#king's quest #king's quest III: to heir is human #KQIII #KQIII_Log #adventure games #sierra

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thedesignatedheroes · 1 year

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PSA: New Muse and Several Muses On Hiatus or Low-Activity

OOC: After realizing that I’ve esssentially neglected this blog (as well as other blogs), I figured that it was about time for a major muse change.

I’ve put several muses on hiatus and/or low-activity mode, and will be introducing a new muse: Rosella of Daventry from the King’s Quest series! I think she’ll be a fun addition to the roster. I’m still currently playing throuhg the games and/or watching playthroughs of the specific games where she’s a protagonist, so I’m completely up to date on her info, but I’ve already added her bio to the muse list if you want to learn a bit about her and will update it as I go!

Active (main muses):

Rosella (King’s Quest)

Leon (Pokemon Sword & Shield)

Iono (Pokemon Scarlet & Violet)

On Low-Activity (meaning I will rarely RP them) are the following:

Larry (Pokemon Scarlet & Violet)

Kirby (Kirby)

Ameri Azazel (Welcome To Demon School, Iruma-kun)

Clara Valac (Welcome To Demon School, Iruma-kun)

On Hiatus (meaning that I won’t be RPing them for the time being):

Laura (Tropical Rouge Precure)

Estelle Bright (Trails In The Sky)

Elodie (Long Live The Queen)

Marin Kitagawa (My Dress-Up Darling)

Princess Syalis (Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle)

Lily Shirogane (Aikatsu Stars!)

Mao/Hana (Aikatsu Planet)

Thank you to everyone for your patience! I really do appreciate it a lot. Hopefully the new muse and the muse arrangement I have here now will spur me to be a little more active on this blog from hereon. XD

And yes, I’ll be putting up a new blog promo/pinned post in a bit. Stay tuned for that as well!

#ooc #long post #psa #rp activity psa #rp psa #muse psa #muse: Rosella #muse activity psa #mun speaks

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starstruckpurpledragon · 1 year

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share ten different favorite characters from ten different pieces of media in no particular order, then send this to 10 people (anon or not, your choice) 🎥🎬📺

1.) Cisco Ramon - the Flash

The bestest, kindest, funniest, and smartest person on the show. He was the heart of Team Flash and it's not the same without him. He's loyal and loves his friends dearly. And, well, he's just so much fun and easy to relate to and gnc and I adore this guy. He'd be sooo much fun to be best friends with.

2.) Zelos Wilder - Tales of Symphonia

He flirts like breathing but it's a cover for his insecurities and the ptsd that comes with growing up as the Chosen One who might have to die for the world one day and also his parents hated him. Once he finally joins up with the party, that's the first time he's had real friends and it's a bit heart breaking really. He's also super queer coded and will flirt with the main character (Lloyd Irving).

3.) Estellise "Estelle" Sidos Heurassein - Tales of Vesperia

Fiesty, pink haired princess who is so awesome I named my dog after her. Will break a vase over a guy's head if feels threatened. But will also pick up a sword and kick ass with it too.

4.) Velvet Crowe - Tales of Berseria

The berserker for whom the game is named and also the main character, Velvet Crowe is on a roaring rampage of revenge against her brother-in-law and there will be murder when she's through. Soft spots include the small child she accidentally kidnaps, a certain cry-baby exorcist, an annoying witch and her familiar, an earth-spirit pirate who can't swim, and a war deamon who learns the hard way yak breath is gross.

5.) Leonard Snart - The Flash & Legends of Tomorrow

Master Thief who enjoys being a supervillain a little too much. Has a soft spot he does not want to admit exists for Barry Allen and a soft spot he's reluctantly okay admitting to for his sister. Actually hesitates to kill Barry when his sister's life is on the line. Goes with the Legends to figure out who he is after killing his own dad and winds up sacrificing himself not for the crew, but for Mick. A distinction the rest of the Legends inconveniently and immediately ignore.

6.) Yuri Lowell - Tales of Vesperia

A former knight who quit after three months when he realized the organization was too corrupt and a bad fit for him. Kills bad guys to the consternation of his best friend (Sir Flynn Scifo) who is a genuine good knight in a sea of shitty ones. Accidentally winds up in a position to stop two wars and also save the planet from an eldritch abomination of their ancestors accidental creation. Mostly because he's now also best friends with Estelle - together their trouble magnetism is legendary. (Flynn would like them to stop that now. Why can't his friends just stay safe for ten minutes?)

7.) Keladry of Mindelan - Protector of the Small

The second lady knight of modern Tortall, Keladry quickly learns as a page that she is held to higher standards than her peers by people who want her to fail solely for being a girl. So she digs in her heels and surpasses those standards anyway.

8.) Rosella of Daventry - King's Quest

A princess who has had much adventure in her life and enjoys it. Helps people where ever she goes and this time it's the princess rescuing the prince from danger. Twice. She also stops a volcano from erupting, turns an evil fairy into a baby, and saves her own father from death.

9.) Hiccup - How to Train Your Dragon

Disabled badass with a dragon who is also a disabled badass. Together they bridge the gap between dragons and vikings and make Berk a safe home for both to live. Hiccup dares to be himself when no one wants him to be and it turns out that him being himself is exactly what everyone needed most.

10.) Milla Maxwell - Tales of Xillia

Lord of Spirits who might drool a bit when she's hungry and there is something tasty smelling nearby. She's a total badass, a bit naive, and cares very much about making a better world for human and spirits alike.

I'm gonna skip sending this to ask boxes and instead invite anyone to participate who wants to.

#starstruckpurpledragon answers #favorite characters

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ayatai · 2 years

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Exhaustion

No. 29 WHAT DOESN’T KILL ME…

Sleep Deprivation

--------------------------

“King Graham?”

They all turned their head to the doorway where Ren stood staring, astonished.

“How, uh, are you feeling?” Ren continued.

“Better than I have in years! Certainly well enough to get out of this bed, at any rate,” Graham answered.

Valanice interjected as Ren edged closer to the bed. “Well, let’s see what he says first, dear.”

Ren listened carefully to the King’s heart. “I don’t understand how it’s possible, but your heart seems to be doing fine. Better than fine, considering that an hour ago, I thought it would give out at any moment.”

Graham beamed at Rosella. “That would be thanks to my amazing daughter. She somehow - and I would very much like to hear how - found a fruit with magical healing properties.”

“Ah - well, that’s a story I would also very much be inclined to hear,” said Ren, glancing at the princess. “But for now, King Graham, I think it best if you rest for the next day or so.”

“But - “

“Graham -” Valanice started to say, a slightly sharp note in her voice.

“All right, all right,” Graham said. “Though I don’t know how you expect me to sleep when my daughter and son are finally both home. I have so many questions!” His eyes had settled on Alexander, who tried not to shift awkwardly under the attention.

Ren looked over at Valanice. “I’d advise the same for you, your majesty. It’s been a long couple of days for everyone.”

“I’ll say,” Rosella said, punctuating her point with a yawn. “I’m exhausted. The whole thing with the dragon, then I spent the night being chased by zombies, witches, sentient trees - well, not chased by trees, exactly, they were trees, after all - “ She stopped as she realized everyone in the room was staring at her.

“Zombies?” Valanice exclaimed, her voice higher than it had been a moment ago. “Do I even want to hear this story?”

“I’m fine, mother, I promise. Not a scratch on me. Well, maybe a few scratches; I did cut my knee up a bit when I fell being hunted by that ogre- “ She stopped short again as Valanice started shaking her head. “Well. Time enough to tell all that later, I suppose.” She leaned over her father’s bed to hug him.

“I look forward to it. Get some rest, pipkin,” the King said. His eyes were starting to lower, despite his earlier statements to the contrary.

“Love you, sweetheart,” Valanice said as she hugged her daughter as well.

“You too, Mama,” Rosella replied as she turned to Alexander. “I wish I weren’t so tired. We have so much to catch up on and so much of Daventry to show you!”

She started to hug him. He should have been expecting it, but in his weariness, it took the young Prince by surprise, and he recoiled.

“Oh, um, sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. Good night,” said Rosella. Then, with a grin, she added, “Brother.”

Recovered from the slight shock of her sudden movement toward him, Alexander felt a ghost of a smile on his own face. “Good night, sister.”

“Rosella, wash out that cut on your knee before you go to bed, please.”

“Sure, Mama.” Turning her head so that only Alexander could see, Rosella jokingly rolled her eyes as she left.

Valanice shook her head. “That girl. It’s no wonder my hair’s turning grey.” There was no denying the weariness in her voice now.

“A beautiful grey it is, though,” Graham teased, and Valanice poked him, albeit more gently than she usually would have. “Ow!”

Ren spoke up. “If that’s all, your majesties, I’ll take my leave now so you both can get some rest.”

“I’ll rest soon, I promise, Ren. I just want to update Lord Bryant and make sure Alexander is settled first.”

“With all due respect, Queen Valanice, you can barely sit straight in your chair. I can update Lord Bryant on the King’s condition. And between Matilda and I, I’m sure we can get the… the Prince-“ He paused, his professional manner breaking for a moment on the word. “Anything he needs.”

Valanice started to protest, but this time it was Graham with the admonishment. “I know you don’t want him to leave your sight - because I don’t either - but you need rest, and I’m not about to let anything happen to him.”

A deeper, darker emotion seeped through the King’s jovial mood, and Alexander tensed at the sudden change as the King continued, “Ren, send for Captain Tamart on your way out, please. And then we will sleep, I promise.”

Ren nodded in understanding and looked at Alexander expectantly, who stood.

“Good night, Alexander,” Valanice said, with tears in her eyes again. “If you need anything at all, we’ll be here.”

“Well, really, it should be good day,” Graham joked as he indicated the light streaming through the window. “Is it even noon?”

“Honestly, I don’t even know anymore,” Valanice replied, yawning herself.

“Well, close enough at any rate. Good night, my son.”

Alexander followed Ren out, who paused to speak briefly with one of the guards, asking him to fetch Captain Tamart for the King.

Ren glanced at the remaining guard before asking, “Have you a room yet?”

Alexander waved briefly toward the direction of the room he’d eaten and bathed in earlier, and Ren started in that direction. Alexander followed, then took the lead.

Once out of earshot of the guard, Ren said, “I imagine you’ll soon grow tired of hearing this, but for what’s worth - welcome home.” He shook his head slightly and more to himself than to Alexander, said, “Dragon gone, you’ve returned, the King’s better - because of a fruit?… What a day.” He rubbed his face with one hand as they walked.

Alexander thought he looked in as much need of sleep as any of them. He stopped as they reached the door to his room.

Ren stopped as well, focusing once again on Alexander. “If there’s nothing you need from me, Prince Alexander, I’d better be off to find Lord Bryant.”

Alexander shook his head. “I’m fine.” All he wanted to do right now was find the nearest bed and collapse into it.

“I expect your father will have guards assigned to your room shortly. If anything comes up, just let them know.”

Alexander nodded and entered his room. Guards? Was he to be confined to his room then? He shook his head as he tugged off his boots. He’d worry about it later; for now, he was too tired. He laid down on the unfamiliar bed, still dressed in the strange clothes he’d been given. His head had scarcely touched the pillow before he was asleep.

#ayatai whumptober2022 #king's quest #ayatai writes

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clarislam · 10 months

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Book Review: "King's Quest: See No Weevil" by Kenyon Morr

What happens when Princess Rosella tries running a festival - only for things to take a deadly turn when weevils threaten to destroy Daventry? Find out in "King's Quest: See No Weevil" by Kenyon Morr! #KingsQuest #SeeNoWeevil #bookreview #KenyonMorr #reading

Cover of “See No Weevil” by Kenyon Morr I’m back with another book review, and this time I’m reviewing “See No Weevil” by Kenyon Morr! This is the third of three books associated with the King’s Quest game franchise. I was lucky to get a physical copy of the first book to read and review, but I obtained files of the last two books through a post on the King’s Quest fan-run Reddit, where a…

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#adventure #amreading #book review #fantasy #fiction #humour #Kenyon Morr #King&039;s Quest #reading #See No Weevil

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thewatercolours · 2 years

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For anyone who's looking for splendid King's Quest art and the occasional fic, may I turn you in the direction of @gerbiloftriumph? They've been posting lovingly-made content faithfully for five years straight.

There's warmth and sunshine, there's angst and endurance. There's an art series with illuminated borders tying King's Quest characters in to fairy tales. There's a NaNoWriMo length fix it fic for Chapter Four that's so much superior to the storyline of the game! There's lore in-jokes and "I spy"-like little bonuses in the art, and best of all, Graham has the most lovely character design.

The reason I am booster-posting them is that for some peculiar reason their posts don't seem to show up in the tags or searches (Tumblr algorithm, do I even want to begin to understand you?) There are other equally awesome King's Quest content creators (hello! you know who you are, and you know I love your work!) but their work is much more evident on Tumblr - just the way the cookie crumbled.

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fannyrosie · 3 years

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A Land Beyond Dreams Rosella of Daventry inspired outfit I could write a lot about one of my childhood hero, princess Rosella of Daventry, and my favourite retro game franchise, the King's Quest franchise, but social media are not really practical for that. Even though King's Quest VI is my favourite game (in which you play with Alexander, Rosella's brother), King's Quest VII is the one I played the longest, mainly because I played the previous ones with my dad, but I played the VII with my youngest siblings, and those who have played the series know King's Quest puzzles aren't the most easy, especially not for a 9 year old child with no internet. But being able to play with a female character (you play with Rosella in KQ IV and VII) was really important for child Fanny, as most playable characters were male back then (and still today). I remember wanting to be like Rosella and go on dangerous adventures. Thanks Roberta Williams for creating her Dress and earrings: Vintage Bustier: old Victorian Maiden Blouse: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright Shoes: Queen Bee Chocker: Baroque

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gerbiloftriumph · 3 years

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Of all the things Graham expected would befall Daventry following the loss of his son, he did not anticipate a Dragon Cult uprising, in which enemies saw the weakness of the kingdom and decided to blame it on Graham’s inability to protect Daventry, choosing to believe that sacrificing his other child to the dragon would rebalance and restore all that they had lost.

Or, I have a hard time accepting what happens at the end of the original King’s Quest 3 game for a number of reasons, as does the guy who writes the walkthrough novelizations. I have crafted a whole headcanon about Valanice protecting her family from a terrible cloaked dragon cult based on one line from the official guidebook:

"The queen may be warm hearted and full of kindness toward all, but when Rosella was to be sacrificed to the fire dragon, Valanice guarded her daughter’s door with naked sword as her protectress.”

See more about this headcanon, with quotes, below the cut:

When Gwydion-Alexander returns to Daventry at the end of KQIII, he’s faced with his twin sister’s near demise at the hands of a dragon. Specifically, she’s going to be sacrificed to it. Alexander frees her and they return home, and Graham is so startled and overcome at seeing both his children alive and well that he has a heart attack.

How did Rosella end up tied to a stake? Was she ordered to go by her father? Did she offer to go herself? Or, wacky and wild headcanon, was she kidnapped by a dragon cultist group that Graham and Valanice knew fully about and were helpless to stop?

It’s not like Rosella tied herself to that pole.

I’m basing all this off the walkthrough books by Peter Spear, using my copies of The King’s Quest Companion 3rd Edition (pub 1993) and the Authorized Player’s Guide to King’s Quest VII: The Princeless Bride (pub 1994). At least the companion has been stamped with approval by Sierra, with a quote indicating enjoyment by Roberta Williams, and the Authorized Player’s Guide has the same implicit approval. Thus, I’m going to consider these as canon. Feel free to try and curbstomp me later for ignoring the sacred original texts, but the sacred original texts’ limited vocabulary bank don’t know how to Cherish Goat or Yell at Birds, and what’s the point if you can’t do that?

First, let’s look at Alexander’s perspective. He’s an outsider right now, with no idea of what’s been happening in Daventry, and he’s speaking to a citizen who tells him what’s currently happening:

“The three-headed beast had demanded the sacrifice of a maiden, and my own twin sister, Rosella, had been offered as the kingdom’s ransom. Even as we spoke, she was in the clutches of the fire-breathing monster, and her time was running out. She would be cinders by sunset.” Alexander is listening to the tale being retold by someone who might not know what’s going on in the castle, but can see that Rosella is being offered nevertheless. The king and queen won’t let anyone in the castle, apparently because of the “responsibilities for their actions”--but how exactly does this random Daventry fellow know that’s what they’re feeling? But it’s a fair assumption: to think that they’re feeling guilty and refusing to let anyone in because of it.

Spear, in a brief summary of the games, goes further still, saying that Rosella had been “sent there by her--their!--father, King Graham.” Okay, fine, that’s very clear. Graham ordered Rosella to face the dragon.

But did he really?

Valanice’s direct account, as seen from inside the castle, says something entirely different:

Rather than Graham ordering Rosella to go to the dragon, the dragon has “demanded her sacrifice against the total destruction of all Daventry and its people, [and Rosella] returned that love by willingly going to meet that flaming doom.” Graham and Valanice are “devastated with loss” which would naturally have them shut the gates, as the outsider perspective saw.

So, who actually sent Rosella to the dragon?

Facts are thus: The dragon demanded a maiden. The Princess Rosella was that maiden, and Alexander had to untie her from a pole to rescue her.

Questions are thus: Did the dragon in his own wisdom and agency demand something, or is the dragon a dumb animal and people are speaking for it? Did Graham or Rosella decide this was the best thing they could do for Daventry? Who tied Rosella to the pole? Was it a Daventry guard, or was it a third party, one very loyal to the dragon, one who might be making demands for it, one who might have threatened the royal family before?

"When Rosella was to be sacrificed to the fire dragon, Valanice guarded her daughter’s door with naked sword as her protectress.”

Why would Valanice do this? If it was Rosella’s idea, or Graham’s idea, why would Valanice feel the need to stand before her door and keep her safe? Was she defending her daughter from Graham? Or was she defending her daughter from a party of evil foes determined to steal the princess and force her to stand before the dragon, as though her blood spilled on Daventry soil would lift the dragon’s ire and restore the kingdom which, in Graham’s grief over losing his son, was crumbling.

And how long has this possible dragon cult been haunting Daventry’s alleys?

Have they tried this before and were only successful when Rosella was turning 18?

or am i just silly and like the idea of dragon cultists singing hornswoggle’s praise

#it's a burning idea i've had for ages #King Graham #neese #rosella (king's quest)#kings quest #King's Quest #ch4 #i feel like peter spear himself miiiight approve; he has as hard a time accepting graham sent her to her doom as me #it just seems so wildly out of character as it stands #but it's easy to retcon games from the 80s

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captmickey · 3 years

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It's a bit early in the season for the prompt, but consider: young Princess Rosella has a brand new multicolored extravagent Harvest Horror (that is, Halloween) costume sewn by Graham (using his knight school minor in Creative Costuming), and she's "Boo!"ing everyone in the castle to grand effect.

Giggling can be heard through the halls of Daventry as a small cloaked figure scurried by, mischief plastered on her tiny face. Princess Rosella had taken it upon herself to give the people of Castle Daventry a proper scare for the Harvest Festival... or as she had delightfully decided to rename, Harvest Horror.

This, of course, could not have been done were it not for the amazing sewing skills of the king, her father, Graham the Compassionate, who had suddenly decided that he was to make for her the grandest of costumes.

One that neither father nor daughter could explain in three words or less.

What was apparent about the costume, however, was that it was able to blend to any of the drapes or carpets of the castle, permitting the young princess to hide and blend until the next poor victim walked past her. She had already claimed terror to the south and east hall, there was still the hallway going to the kitchen, north and west, and of course the hallway leading to her parents' office as well as the captain of the guards.

A busy schedule to be sure invoking the fear of everyone resided behind the castle walls.

She had managed to scare the maids, the butlers, the cooks and her tutors. She would go after her mother, but she appeared to have been nowhere in sight. Ideally, she would have loved to scare the town folks, but the costume would simply not do since it did not match her costume (a mental note she made for herself to tell her father). There was a small huff, she was running out of potential victims.

Rosella stopped in her tracks when she heard the sounds of various footsteps approaching, recognizing the sounds of steps belonging to Royal Guards Numbers One and Two (the latter only because of that sweet aroma he radiated).

Her eyes lit up and with a wave of her cloak, took to hiding by the drapes, suppressing her giggling as much as she could. The others in the castle were easy to frighten, almost too easy. The guards, however, were trickier. They were trained to be on high alert, hands always at the ready of their blades for anything out of the ordinary. And she was willing to bet all of her stuffed animals that they were not expecting a camouflaged princess.

Hold it… hold it… their voices were getting closer and closer, they were talking about something or another and from the sounds of it, was a third person. As to who, she did not care, all she knew was that it was another victim. Hold it… hold it and…

Now!

Rosella leapt, blocking their paths with her arms held high and giving the loudest grin.

"BOO!"

"ZARDS!!" Number Two screeched, jumping backwards into Number One whose stacks of paper works fluttered into the sky of the hallway, shoved forward by an unsuspecting Graham and forcing the three to stumble to the ground in an unceremonious, loud and tangled pile with the snowing paper landing all over them.

Rosella hopped in place beaming. "I did it! I did it! I…" she stopped, the smile disappearing, and quickly realized who she scared and what it entailed. "Oh no."

She gripped the hem of her cloak, hearing Number Two groaning and Number One undoubtedly letting out a string of choice words that were barely audible. Blue eyes looked her way, an eyebrow raised as he shifted his hat from over his face. "Rosella."

"Uh… hi, dad. Didn't see you there…?"

"Nor us you." Number One grumbled.

"Guess we found the little terror everyone was mentioning…" Number Two sighed, still shaken by the ambush.

"Is this what you've been doing with your costume I made for you?" Graham asked her.

"Um…" she blushed. "Maybe? Yes?"

Both guards looked at Graham, irritation radiating from underneath the helmet.

"You made her that costume, sire?" Number One spoke through gritted teeth, causing the king to now blush with embarrassment.

"Uh… yes?"

Rosella, not wanting to stick around and find out what happens next, sprinted off as quickly as she could, unknowingly tossing her father under the cart that is the guards.

#kings quest #mickey writes #I SWEAR I DIDN'T FORGET. I WAS JUST IN A MINOR RUT OF SORTS BUT HEY I DID IT!!

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yannosh51-blog-blog · 5 years

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LIVE Let's Play PC DOS - king's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride (jeu d'aventure en Point And Click)

LIVE Let’s Play PC DOS – king’s Quest VII: The Princeless Bride (jeu d’aventure en Point And Click)

Rosella de Daventry est une jeune princesse, et comme toutes les jeunes princesses, elle rêve de jolies fleurs, de petits (more…)

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#aventure #bride #click #point #princeless #quest

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ayatai · 2 years

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An Old Acquaintance

No. 13 CAN'T MAKE AN OMELETTE WITHOUT BREAKING A FEW LEGS

Dislocation

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Rosella reluctantly set down the pen she'd been using and rose from her desk. As much as she'd like to finish the letter to her brother, it would have to wait. Her tutor didn't appreciate her being late to lessons.

She passed by her brother's door as she walked down the hall, and her heart squeezed with a brief sense of loss. Alexander had been King of the Green Isles for nearly two months now. She was happy for him, of course, but still. She missed him; they had become quite close by the time he had set sail for the distant land. What was supposed to have been a visit had unexpectedly turned into a change of home for him.

As she neared the throne room, she approached two men she didn't recognize. But, judging by the resemblance, a father and son.

"Ah, Princess Rosella," stated the older man as both bowed slightly. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance again."

She must not have been able to keep the startled look off her face as she tried to remember the man because he continued with, "You were only eight, I think, the last we met, so no offense taken if you don't remember. King Antoine."

His voice was warm and reminded her of honey, and his broad smile suddenly jogged her memory as she curtsied.

"Yes! I do remember now," she said, glancing over at the young man who had not yet said anything. "Prince Leon, isn't it? Wasn't it you who released that snake in the middle of my birthday party?"

Leon had started to bow again as she said his name but stiffened at the mention of the snake. "Oh, well… yes. To be honest, I had rather hoped you'd forgotten that. I apologize for my ten-year-old self, and I can promise: no snakes in my pockets today!"

"Forgotten? That was one of my favorite parties. The guards had to check my pockets for weeks because I tried the same a time or two with a frog to get out of lessons."

Speaking of getting out of lessons…

"Well, snakes or no, welcome back to Daventry. To what do we owe the honor?" She asked lightly.

"Leon and I are on our way to Lycathia. Your mother graciously offered us beds for the night on our journey."

Rosella glanced over to Leon. A prince near her own age? Her mother would have leaped at the opportunity. And King Antoine could have taken a slightly more direct route to Lycathia.

Well, she could take advantage of the opportunity as well, in her own way.

"I would love to show you around the grounds if you'd like. It's changed a fair bit from the last time you were here." Mainly because they'd had to rebuild half of it after the dragon, but she didn't mention that part.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid my old bones aren't quite up to a long walk at the moment. Leon?"

"I would love to, Princess, but if Father isn't up to chaperoning…"

"That's no problem." She glanced around for the nearest guard and spotted Captain Tamart walking toward them. Not her first choice as far as partners-in-crime went, but he would do. "Captain Tamart here can chaperone, I'm sure."

"I'll see you at dinner, then. Have fun!" King Antoine said as he continued down the hall.

Rosella turned to Tamart as he neared. "Captain! How would you like to take a walk out to the lake? Prince Leon would love to see it."

***

They engaged in small talk as they exited the castle. Once Tamart had dropped back far enough to be out of earshot, Rosella turned to the Prince.

"I'm afraid I have to admit that, while I do love an afternoon spent on the grounds with good company, my intentions for the invitation were also… a little selfish. I, uh, was in need of a rescue from my tutor. To be completely honest, I have no intention of courting. With anyone, I mean, not just you," she added quickly, before he had a chance to get too offended.

"Ah. Well, I'm happy to be of help. I'm sure an afternoon spent in your company is worthwhile nevertheless." He paused, then added, "Your tutor must get as cross as mine used to if you've found yourself in such a predicament."

"I'd rather face the dragon again! I normally don't mind his teachings, but this past week has been horribly tedious."

"We heard about the dragon; I'm sorry you had to go through that. But - if I remember our last meeting correctly - while the other girls were running around screaming their heads off, you weren't phased in the least. I told my father that if you were still as fierce now as you were as a child, it was no wonder it ended up dead!"

"Well, that was mostly due to my brother, but thank you. You know, that snake turned out to be good practice; I faced off with another one in Tamir, except this one was venomous… But I should start at the beginning."

Rosella wasn't even halfway through the story when they arrived. The lake was mostly surrounded by trees, but one side butted up against a tall cliffside.

Rosella spotted a purple flower on a ledge partway up the cliff. "Ooh! Mother would love that." She waded in.

Prince Leon looked sideways at their chaperone in surprise.

Tamart just sighed and made a halfhearted attempt at reigning in his charge. "Princess, please be careful…"

"Don't worry; I've climbed almost to the top before!" She glanced back at Tamart as she reached the cliff and started upward. "Uh, you didn't hear that."

"She does seem to know what she's doing," Prince Leon remarked.

Dryly, Tamart replied, "I suppose it's better than a whale tongue."

Leon glanced at him, startled at the statement, but before he could ask for clarification, he was distracted by a splash and a sharp cry.

Rosella had almost reached the ledge when she slipped and fell back into the water below. She swore a few choice curses as she struggled to get her feet back under her. Pain radiated from her shoulder; she must have hit something hidden under the water's surface.

Both men were at her side in seconds.

"Princess! Where-?" Tamart asked.

"My shoulder."

Tamart tried to help her to the shore as gently as he could, but any movement of her shoulder caused her more pain. Once on solid ground, he had her sit while he looked at it.

"I think it's dislocated. Prince Leon, could you sit on her other side, please?"

Dripping wet, Leon did so. Then, knowing what was coming, he offered her his hand and let her squeeze it as tight as she needed.

Trying to distract her, he said, "Well, I suppose you'll have an excuse not to worry about that assignment for a while."

Rosella had just started to reply when Tamart pulled on her shoulder. The pain worsened.

Then it eased off, at least enough that she felt like she could catch her breath. "Tha- thanks. To both of you."

"Ren should still take a look at it,” Tamart cautioned.

Rosella nodded and stood to head back to the castle, Tamart holding her steady by her good arm.

They were almost halfway back when she realized Leon had vanished. As she looked around for him, he reappeared around a bend in the trail, even wetter than before. In his hand was the purple flower.

She laughed.

***

"Prince Leon, I have to say, I truly did enjoy your visit," Rosella said as they stood by Leon's carriage, which was set to depart any moment.

"Even though you ended up with a dislocated shoulder?"

She glanced down at her arm, still held close to her body by a sling. "Even so."

"I hope you can visit us sometime. I never did get to hear the rest of your story."

"I'd like that," she said, mostly out of politeness. Although - as far as suitors went, he wasn’t half-bad. “But after you hear the rest you’re not going to believe that this was how I ended up injured.”

"I look forward to it. Until next time, Princess."

#ayatai whumptober2022 #king's quest #sorry Leon #she's going to be running into another old friend soon #ayatai writes

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ayatai · 2 years

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A Sudden Storm

No. 1 A LITTLE OUT OF THE ORDINARY Unconventional Restraints

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Rosella tugged hard at her boot. The weather was perfect outside; if she hurried, she’d have time for a quick ride before her lessons. Her boot finally slipped on; she stood, heading for the door.

She had only just opened it when the floor beneath her shook, knocking her off balance. Lighting flashed through her bedroom window. Thunder crashed, muffling all other sounds as it reverberated through her head.

How could it be storming when not one minute ago, there hadn’t been a cloud in the sky? She tried to stand, but an intense pressure kept her flattened to the violently shaking floor.

The room descended into darkness as the light from her window vanished.

Screams echoing down the hall replaced the fading thunder. Then, finally, the ground stilled, and she could pick herself up off the floor. It was too dark to see, but she could hear the clanking of armor as a guard ran into her room.

“Princess Rosella?”

“I’m fine, but what’s going on?”

“I don’t - “

He stopped as another guard and Alexander rushed in, a lit lamp in the Prince’s hand. Even in the dim, yellowed light from the lamp, she could see how white and drawn Alexander’s face had become. Worry shot through her. Surely this couldn’t be -

“Are you alright?” Alexander asked.

“Yes, yes, but do you know what- “

“No,” he answered, his voice blunt as he darted to the window. Rosella and the guards followed.

At first, all was black, for not even the stars shone. Then a globe of flickering yellow appeared. It was far too weak to be the sun, but the light it did emit surrounded them haphazardly, shining brightly in some areas and yet nearly nonexistent in others.

A second light flared, allowing Rosella to make out blurry blotches of grey. What on earth was going on?

A massive shadow appeared in front of them, one that almost appeared human. Except - the figure was far larger than even the giants that had once inhabited Daventry.

Stranger still, the horizon started to change, began to rise upward. As it lifted, the shapes beyond sharpened to reveal not the countryside that had been there mere minutes ago but a cavernous room she’d never seen.

Looking up, she finally understood the strange light reflections, at least. A glass dome that had enclosed the entire castle was being lifted and set to one side. The figure holding it was indeed human but so immense it blocked most of their view.

“Shining stars…” muttered one of the guards behind them.

Her mind reeled. Someone had shrunken them down so that they could take their entire castle. The magic that would require…

And magic required a wizard. So was this…?

She glanced at her brother. He seemed to have gone even whiter than before, but relief showed clearly on his face. No, not Manannan, then.

For a moment, she was relieved as well. But they were still kidnapped, miniaturized, and trapped under a glass dome.

Now what?

#ayatai whumptober2022 #king's quest #as far as i got with 5; moving on to 6 tomorrow #kq5 #ayatai writes

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ayatai · 2 years

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Nightmares

No. 31 A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Comfort

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Rosella had just started to drift off when a noise woke her. As she opened her eyes, trying to place it, she heard it again. A small cry of some sort. It sounded like it was coming from the other side of the wall behind her.

The room there had remained empty her entire life - until a few hours ago. Her mother hadn't even had the chance to request the staff open it up; they had it done almost as soon as the announcement was made.

She sat up, torn between her worry for her brother and respect for his privacy. As she debated, she heard him again, louder this time. Shrugging on her robe, she walked quickly to her door and out into the hall.

The two men guarding her brother's door glanced at each other and then back at her as she approached. They were elite veterans - older, more experienced knights than typically would have been saddled with guard duty. Apparently, Captain Tamart wasn't taking any chances regarding the Prince. Rosella approved.

"Should you be in there? Is something the matter?" she asked.

They looked relieved to see her. The one on the left - Michael - spoke in a whisper, as if he were afraid of waking his charge. "It was the same last night, Princess. The Prince… well, he seems to be afflicted by nightmares."

Nightmares? She could empathize well, for the horrid things had plagued her own sleep over the past year. And she didn’t expect they’d improve anytime soon - not after what she’d just been through.

She shook her head to rid it of the memories.

Another cry came, and Rosella pushed the unlocked door open. "Alexander? Are you all right?"

He was sitting in bed, the blankets and pillows tangled around him. His eyes were open but unfocused. Her heart hurt to see that same look from the day before on his face, the one of terror.

"Hey, I don't mean to be a bother, but I wanted to make sure…" She wanted so badly to curl up beside him and hug him tight, but this time shew knew it was better to leave him his space. She settled for sitting gently on the side of the bed, at a loss for what else she could do to comfort her distraught brother.

Alexander's mind finally cleared enough that he could focus on the person who'd entered and said something. Rosella. He must have woken her; he braced himself for whatever was to come.

"It's okay, it's okay, you're safe here. You're here now, in Daventry. Can you take a deep breath for me?" Rosella murmured, not even sure what she was saying, just trying anything she could think of that might help.

She wasn't angry with him? He tried to follow her instruction, but his breathing was still too ragged. He dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands, trying to distract himself from the last remnants of the nightmare.

It wasn't working; the more he tried to calm the fear and sorrow, the more it threatened to overwhelm him again.

He needed that mixture, the one the physician had given him; he was willing to try anything at this point if it helped him feel less miserable.

It was on the desk across the room, though, which felt as if it might as well have been on the other side of the castle. He pushed at the blankets and started to rise.

"Alexander? Uh, where are you going?" Rosella asked, unsure if he was in any state to be on his feet.

"Bottle… bottle on the desk."

"I'll get it, I'll get it; you'd best stay in bed." She shook her head as she walked over to grab it. Already she was starting to get the sense that her brother needed a serious lesson in asking for help when he needed it.

The bottle was easy enough to find, along with the spoon beside it; Alexander kept his room neat as a pin, unlike her room. From the looks of the handwriting on the bottle that she could barely make out, it had come from Ren. The dosage instructions she could at least make out.

She was relieved to see Alexander had listened and climbed back into bed. She poured some of the contents out. Based on the smell, she was glad she wasn't the one taking it. It didn't seem to bother her brother at all, however, as he swallowed it.

"There, that'll help, I'm sure. Do you want me to stay until it starts working?"

Alexander didn't respond at first. His thoughts still seemed to chase each other in circles. He hadn't wanted his sister to see him like this; he had hoped he could keep the nightmares secret.

As she had said, he was safe now. Manannan, Davis, the dragon - all were gone. Why was he still so afraid? How long would it take for the nightmare of the past seventeen years to be over?

"Alexander?"

He looked at her. His initial impulse was to say no; hadn't she seen enough already? But she knew now; strangely, her company was comforting, at least a little. Seeing her sitting on the edge of his bed reminded him that this was a big, too-soft bed in Daventry, not the tiny cot he'd spent so many nights on. That there was someone who cared that he'd been crying out in his sleep, instead of yelling at him for it. That he wasn't alone, not anymore. Made him feel… safe?

"If… if you don't mind."

"Of course not. You know, I get nightmares, too."

"You do?"

"Yep. Mostly about the dragon, but other things, as well. Do you want to talk about yours?"

He shook his head. That he most definitely did not want to do. "I'm feeling a lot sleepier now, actually. I'm good, now."

Rosella nodded; his breathing had finally evened out, and he did look drowsy. The medicine must be kicking in. "All right. Sleep tight, little brother."

"I thought we were twins…" Alexander managed to say, even as sleep started to take over.

Rosella smiled. "We are, but I was born two minutes earlier than you. So, I'm the elder twin."

"Two whole minutes, huh?" Alexander turned over in bed and said, "Well then. Good night, big sister," and then he was out.

#ayatai whumptober2022 #king's quest #ayatai writes

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