INT.    THE VISSAI THRONE ROOM.    DAY.

… 5’5–

height comparison.

oh my god hhhhhhhh

if what he has read about royals and their peculiar lives,            he was sure that in some other time, or with some other royal, this would have been a capital offense: embarrassing a prince on another land, or dirtying their clothes by sending them tumbling to the ground. in the back of his mind, the young wolf was expecting some hidden executioner to come out of the grass or the rocks and hit him through the neck and his head will be rolling on the floor.

but then again, his brothers have also often told him of the relationship between vissai and feranthor-- how the kingdom on the mountains supported the establishment of the night's watch. not only as a group that will protect the kingdom from the dangers of the unknown. but also as a sanctuary for the lost, banished, or those with nowhere to go.

perhaps the royals of vissai are just different from the stories he read.

with another chuckle, ansegar then approached the prince ... unfastening the dagger that was hidden on his lower back, and handing it to him.    "   if you don't want to learn now, then at least take this.   "    he says, placing the dagger on the prince's hand before he could even say anything else.    "   it's not the most elegant looking. but it's made of drakon scale ... stronger than most metals of the earth. just whip it out and it should protect you from most things. you do know how to use a dagger, right?   "

with that, he then turned to the direction of the prince's ride.    "   alright. show me your mighty steed.   "

"i-..." dusting himself off with a petulant huff, he isn't very good at presenting himself as low-brow. he was decidedly a lover, not a fighter, but the importance of good self-defense training wasn't lost on him. "am fine."

exhaling sharply, he decides to salvage what was left of his ego, shaking his head. "i believe it prudent to return before dark. come, you can ride with me."

"   i know. but it was still quite funny.   "           ansegar says, as he watched the other man stand up and begin cleaning himself off. a naughtier part of him wanted to knock the other off again with a swift swipe of his leg-- to show that warriors doesn't usually spend this much time grooming themselves in battle, and that they should accept the grime and dirt of it with honor. but he stops himself. perhaps later ...

"   please. that's nothing a little unicorn drought and dragon's blood salve can't cure.   "    he continues. admittedly, he's never met a changeling before. they were rare even in the night's watch. and looking at the other man now, he doubts a little facial scar would hurt his appearance. if anything, it might make him look better. walking back to the rack of weapons, ansegar skipped the swords and the daggers and instead picked up a staff.    "   how about this for me? no blade. no wounds on your pretty face. what about you?   "

"   you didn't have to knock me on my ass to prove your point.   "   although paric's tone is simply teasing. he grabs a hold of the man's hand and lifts himself up with some help. then he brushes his off, in case there are any leaves clinging there. the changeling's appearance means everything to him, so he also puts on a charming smile. that he at least knows how to do. this whole fighting thing, not so much.

“   do you think that wise? i might cut myself and my face is too pretty to be that intimate with a blade.   ”   he snickers softly, wondering if he can find a way to best him. hmm, which weapon?

"   oh, no. protective is just the way she is since i saved her.           and i'm afraid i can't really shake that off. so, i guess in a way, that is my fault.   "    ansegar says, which received a proud squawk from gunna, making him smile wider. looking back at the wide assortment of jewelry around him, ansegar took the shiniest one he could find-- a simple chain made of metal he is not familiar with, light in weight but sturdy to the touch, twinkling like diamonds even at the smallest hint of light. after paying for the item, he then began trying it to one of gunna's feet.    "   though, i should say ... the soot and the dirt are really doing your face a huge disservice.   "

once the jewelry is secured, he raised the arm where gunna was perched on ... and with a click of his tongue, the eagle was airborne. up and up, to the summit of the wall. gunna returning with the jewelry was simple but effective message to his brothers: the fact that she returned means that he's still alive, and the craftsmanship of the jewelry means he's in chasque ... not too far from home. satisfied, he faces the other man again.    "   that you are. i'm sorry again. now, i feel like i should make up to you somehow.   "

and at his question, ansergar simply nodded before pointing at the peak of the wall in the distance, and the small community of his brothers that can be seen on it.    "   oh. i'm from there.   "    he says.    "   it's my first time to be out here ... or at least, the first time i'm by myself. and you? do you live here?   "

🔨           *           ﹕ㅤㅤ     thank the gods, old and new, for how the eagle's talons kept on missing him by a hair's breadth, though it did not stop arkelos from flailing like a man swarmed with bees⸻ as if he could just swat the sheer nerve of the creature away.        ❝         away ! get off me, you winged devil !          ❞        he barked between startled huffs, voice cracking somewhere between outrage and desperation, the crowd jostling around him with their laughter and gasps. the blacksmith faced roaring fires, sparking steel, and the sharp hiss of molten metal every day, foolishly had very little fear, but this ? this was humiliating. fortunately, arkelos found his footing again once the bird's owner appeared, settling on the other man's forearm, a gleam in its eyes that he could only describe as smug satisfaction, like it knew it had won this round. and arkelos had never been as hungry for roasted eagle as he was now. he could only stare at the bird for a few moments, breath ragged, his hands planted on his knees as if holding himself upright took an incredible amount of will.        ❝         protective ? do i really look that much of a brigand today ?          ❞        arkelos chuckled as he turned his attention toward the other man, skin smeared with soot from his day at the forge, understood see how a stupid bird could mistake him as some bandit from the badlands of old varlinnis. maybe he should have taken a bath before venturing out into the market for something to sate his appetite. and perhaps, arkelos had always been a forgiving creature, utterly incapable of letting his frustrations be more than fleeting.        ❝         but i'm fine. still in one piece, aren't i ?          ❞        said with a small smile, standing a little straighter, hands smoothing the fabric of his smoke-scented shirt.        ❝         though, i gotta ask ... you're not from around here, are you ? it's just quite rare for chasquans to have pet birds.          ❞        especially when the expanse of their colonies were beneath the ground.

EXT.   SOME OPEN SPARRING AREA.   DUSK.

"    what ? i did say your form was all weird. just showing you how that can be dangerous.   "           ansegar says says, giving himself the pleasure of a laugh first before he reaches a hand out for them to grab. hey, he really did try to hide his amusement, attempting to turn his smile into something that looks like encouragement instead. but seeing them flat on their ass was really funny.

"   come on . we could do one more round before the sun fully sets.   "    he continues, when they have caught their breath.    "   you can even use weapons this round, if you want.   "

open starter. @colosseumbred

EXT.    HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL GROUNDS.    NIGHT.

"   whoa ...   "    ansegar says, craning his neck back ...           so far back that he almost fell over, as he tried to look at the entirety of the lights above them, with his expression nearly mimicking it as well-- bright and awestruck as he was bathed in color. all he could remember about ritrinc's harvest moon festival are from stories his brothers would tell him-- from the housekeeper and his run down of the festivals history which he clung to as a child, from the new arrivals who would indulge the curiosity of the child, and finally from the scouts who would bring him gifts of food and trinkets from the festival stalls. and when he was old enough to see over the wall, all he could see of it was the faint view of blinking lights in the distance, but it would still imagine what it would be like to be there.

and from all of these, his young mind has built a picture of what the festival must've looked like ...

... and to his surprise, the real thing was even better than what he could imagine. and this realization made the boy euphoric.    "   you've never brought me here before.   "    ansegar says to them, as a statement with no hint of sadness or disappointment. he knew why he wasn't allowed to leave the wall until he was old enough, or strong enough. the words of his mother and his future still ringing in his ears. but still ... it would've been nice to be here when he was younger.

before he knew it, he was already lagging behind. so he quickened his steps to catch up.    "   so, uhh ... what do you usually do here?   "

closed starter for @bladewandered.

ansegar morningstar.           the bastard prince of lysain.      born and raised in the night's watch.      written by mo.

marcus rurtherford, gay, cis male + he / him → isn’t that ansegar morningstar? i’ve seen them wearing the crest of lysain / feranthor. i hear they’re 26, but they’re also a half-seer. they’ve risen up the ranks to become a bastard prince of lysain / night's watch trainee. they seem to be kind & brave, but also self sacrificing & impulsive. if you look closely, you’ll see their aesthetics include a sword on a young boy's hand, feet dangling over the border's high wall, drifting dreams of a mother singing him a song.

full bio soon.

ansegar is a bastard prince guard in training on the night watch. he was born and raised there in secret after his mother, a seer that was impregnated by the king of lysain, showed them visions of her son being a great warrior and receiving great favor from the old god, but this will only come to fruition if he was raised away from his family, who will kill him the moment they find out his true origin and his claim to the throne.

even though it is against their code, they also can't risk angering any kind of god, or letting an innocent life die. so they kept the child, and soon enough, he does prove himself to be a formidable warrior. at the age of 12, he can already take down one of their men. and when he reached 18, he is already just as strong as their most seasoned fighter. he is yet to swear his life on the night watch. even though he is happy and content about his life there, there are still so many parts of himself that he needed to find before he decides on this new life.

so he convinces his brothers to let him leave and find himself. find his real family, or see if there are better paths out there for him. and though they are afraid due to his mother's prophecy, they can't also force the boy to stay, especially since he hasn't formally sworn.

ansegar left with a million reminders to be careful. now, he's wandering the six kingdoms by himself.