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Guards of the Castle Amber, decorated in their finest armor and holding their pikes, stood at attention as Prince Vaelus passed them by on his way to the Queen's Chambers. Eileen had been given her own wing of the castle to call her own, a 'gift' of love from her late husband, but it rang hollow against the knowledge that it was far from the king's own chambers where his many mistresses were known to frequent on a regular basis. A gilded cage to put mother in, Vaelus had thought. A method to keep her away and out of mind for the old king. It was completely like that unfeeling bastard, and no wonder that the Queen had chosen to stay away at the hour of Olin's death.
The Queen's Wing was a familiar place for Vaelus, much more a home to him than the rest of the castle. The guards there even nodded to him, breaking protocol slightly to show that they regarded him - not Bator - in the highest esteem. The Queen's Guard claimed loyalty to Eileen first, and Amber second. In an ideal world, those two things should be one and the same, but Olin had not made if feel that way for over a century.
He entered the room with a knock, hearing his mother's voice summon him inside. She was seated in her favorite chair by the large window overlooking the Vale and the Forest of Arden. She was not alone, as Prince Jules, Vaelus' half-sibling and Castellan of Castle Amber was also standing in the room, not far from where Eileen sat.
Prince Jules was a special case in Vaelus' mind. While he was sired by Olin and therefore a bastard child, he was also the son of Queen Eileen's sister, Paige, the Queen of Ulmf, the Golden Circle Shadow from where his mother hailed. Vaelus, upon hearing of his father's tryst with his Aunt Paige, had been furious, but Eileen had calmed Vaelus, and even beseeched her son to take the young Jules under his wing. Eileen loved her sister dearly, and the circumstances for Olin's amorous intentions towards Paige were partly the fault of Eileen herself. After Bator had been born, Olin had gone compaigning for many years, distracting himself with warfare and wenching. In order to entice the king back to her own bedchambers and to avoid a divorce, Eileen had needed to be creative and seductive. Olin's interest in the queen returned when both Eileen and Paige had turned up to his chambers one night, hand in hand. Within a year, Vivianna was born, and soon after the twins Vaelus and Svaltus. Paige eventually returned to Ulmf after an extended stay in Amber, but fifty or so years later, Olin was feeling nostalgic and visited her secretly in her own shadow and was very insistent about spending the night with her. Jules was a result of that night.
The story had been difficult to hear for Vaelus, but it was probably the most vivid example of how much of a cad his father could be. For the love of his own mother, and sympathy for his Aunt Paige, Vaelus had made an exception in his own mind for Jules, and considered him like a brother. Jules, for his part, viewed Vaelus like his only true brother and was loyal to him through and through.
Eileen sighed as Vaelus entered. "I suppose you've come to tell me he's dead then? Yes, it's written on your face. I don't need the blood of Amber to see it."
The queen then did something neither Jules nor Vaelus expected: she began to tear up, holding back sobs as she did her best to maintain as much of a regal expression as she could. Eventually she dabbed her eyes in a handkerchief. Despite the way her face contorted in mixed feelings of sadness and anger, Queen Eileen was beautiful. Immortal like the Amberites, she still appeared as a maiden of incredible beauty, her hair like spun gold, her eyes blue like the sea.
"He was an utter arse," she said at length. "But still, I did love him. He could be amazing you know. When we first met it was like a dream. Charming, compassionate, thoughtful, it was like I was the center of the universe. His was a charm that no one could resist. No one. If only... if only he could have just remained that way, like it was in the beginning."
Her thoughts trailed off, and she blew her nose. Then with her other hand she motioned for Vaelus to come closer. "Come on, give me a hug," she said and gripped her favored son in her embrace. "I'm so proud of you, you know? You're the best parts of him, none of the bad."
The Queen's Wing was a familiar place for Vaelus, much more a home to him than the rest of the castle. The guards there even nodded to him, breaking protocol slightly to show that they regarded him - not Bator - in the highest esteem. The Queen's Guard claimed loyalty to Eileen first, and Amber second. In an ideal world, those two things should be one and the same, but Olin had not made if feel that way for over a century.
He entered the room with a knock, hearing his mother's voice summon him inside. She was seated in her favorite chair by the large window overlooking the Vale and the Forest of Arden. She was not alone, as Prince Jules, Vaelus' half-sibling and Castellan of Castle Amber was also standing in the room, not far from where Eileen sat.
Prince Jules was a special case in Vaelus' mind. While he was sired by Olin and therefore a bastard child, he was also the son of Queen Eileen's sister, Paige, the Queen of Ulmf, the Golden Circle Shadow from where his mother hailed. Vaelus, upon hearing of his father's tryst with his Aunt Paige, had been furious, but Eileen had calmed Vaelus, and even beseeched her son to take the young Jules under his wing. Eileen loved her sister dearly, and the circumstances for Olin's amorous intentions towards Paige were partly the fault of Eileen herself. After Bator had been born, Olin had gone compaigning for many years, distracting himself with warfare and wenching. In order to entice the king back to her own bedchambers and to avoid a divorce, Eileen had needed to be creative and seductive. Olin's interest in the queen returned when both Eileen and Paige had turned up to his chambers one night, hand in hand. Within a year, Vivianna was born, and soon after the twins Vaelus and Svaltus. Paige eventually returned to Ulmf after an extended stay in Amber, but fifty or so years later, Olin was feeling nostalgic and visited her secretly in her own shadow and was very insistent about spending the night with her. Jules was a result of that night.
The story had been difficult to hear for Vaelus, but it was probably the most vivid example of how much of a cad his father could be. For the love of his own mother, and sympathy for his Aunt Paige, Vaelus had made an exception in his own mind for Jules, and considered him like a brother. Jules, for his part, viewed Vaelus like his only true brother and was loyal to him through and through.
Eileen sighed as Vaelus entered. "I suppose you've come to tell me he's dead then? Yes, it's written on your face. I don't need the blood of Amber to see it."
The queen then did something neither Jules nor Vaelus expected: she began to tear up, holding back sobs as she did her best to maintain as much of a regal expression as she could. Eventually she dabbed her eyes in a handkerchief. Despite the way her face contorted in mixed feelings of sadness and anger, Queen Eileen was beautiful. Immortal like the Amberites, she still appeared as a maiden of incredible beauty, her hair like spun gold, her eyes blue like the sea.
"He was an utter arse," she said at length. "But still, I did love him. He could be amazing you know. When we first met it was like a dream. Charming, compassionate, thoughtful, it was like I was the center of the universe. His was a charm that no one could resist. No one. If only... if only he could have just remained that way, like it was in the beginning."
Her thoughts trailed off, and she blew her nose. Then with her other hand she motioned for Vaelus to come closer. "Come on, give me a hug," she said and gripped her favored son in her embrace. "I'm so proud of you, you know? You're the best parts of him, none of the bad."