qveenpandcra-blog

[qveenpandcra-blog]

ofthes‌:

“it was only a sprained ankle, and my father took me to our best healer as soon as we were back in bergia,” theseus explained to him as he lifted his head. the queen was noticeably radiant as always, glowing youthfully despite her age. theseus had always been jealous of the bergian princes for having a mother so grand, but over the years, pandora had become like his own parent as much as she was a queen.

as he rose, he snapped his fingers for one of his servants to step closer with a mahogany chest in hand. “i was at a new store the other day and came across this beautiful sable fur shawl,” he said and opened the chest to retrieve the lustrous over-wear. it wasn’t easy to find furs like this, especially when most of the sables were becoming rare as trapping season ended. “i thought it would be a perfect gift for you, mothe—” theseus stopped himself, head bowing in embarrassment. “your grace.” 

SONS OF NOBILITY ALL HAD THEIR ROLE TO PLAN in pandora’s hopes for the future. in the perfect world pandora dreamed that these sons would soon marry her own, solidifying bergian legacy that the pryors had worked hard to maintain over their centuries in power. theseus was apart of that dream, a bright young noble of the marchant name, true to bergia and someone with so much to offer. it was those values that pandora looked for in potential suitors for the princes of the north yet all of that was slipping through her fingers. “well theseus, i am pleased to know that you are well enough to take the time to visit me here. a gesture worth remembering.”

it was clear that theseus still needed a bit of assistance even with the ankle being mostly healed, servants traveling with him and doing the heavy lifting of toting this chest around. often pandora was on the receiving in of gifts from nobility but with theseus, he was more than just a typical noble. as the shawl was unvealed, pandora was impressed at not only the quality but the thought theseus must of put into this gift as well. “don’t look down, my sweet boy. i’ve told you, it’s okay to call me that. i am mother to many, but you are special. you know this.” pandora encouraged him to look up, as she reached for the sable, cloaking it over her busty frame, covering the white gown she wore. “i love this, i love my gift. thank you, theseus.”

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ofthes‌:

after the recent events in valtolia, the master houses of bergia seemed busier than ever to mend their losses. theseus understood that a lot of bergian blood had been spilled there, and the casualties were far heavier than one could hope to compensate with coin. the marchant family had been active in aid, pouring money into whatever could be fixed by monetary means.

while his father was busy with that, theseus paid the pryors a visit, thinking it patriotic to at least make sure that they were unharmed. for the most part, they seemed to be. he sought pandora in the throne room and wobbled down on one knee, being careful with the splint around his ankle. it turned out he’d actually sprained it during the attack but thankfully it was the only injury he’d sustained besides some minor cuts and scrapes. “your majesty,” theseus bowed his head in the presence of her grace. “i’ve come to see that you are well.” 

@qveenpandcra

THE ATTACKS HAD BROUGHT OUT A SENSE OF UNITY throughout the kingdoms, despite the underlying current of mistrust over how exactly manticores invaded valtolia. pandora had caught wind of the council, ensuring that only bergia’s finest would be apart of it to get some answers that would sate the thirst of all those who loved ones had been lost. it was busy time, but the queen still found balance to entertain those in the royal court, especially anyone in the marchant family. her cousin had died many years ago, leaving damocles a widower and the children without a maternal figure.

“oh, theseus, you are too kind. i am well in spite of everything. you look a little bruised...your father told me of your injuries. how are you?” pandora found herself more nurturing to those who needed it and with theseus already suffering a loss of a parent, pandora sought to fill in that role as best she could. she also knew what it felt like without a mother in your life at a young age.

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ariston-pryor‌:

Ariston had finally awoken from the sleep he had been in. He was in and out of consciousness when the doctors and mages did what they could to repair his arm. Right now they had it wrapped up in clothes, and had it in a sling, he wasn’t sure what it looked like, but they had instructed him not to remove it until they told him to do so, and on this matter he was willing to listen to other’s for once rather than do what he wanted. Part of him also didn’t want to see his arm, and what it looked like under the coverings. 

The first person he found himself going to see would have been what he thought was the last. Though it was the person he had wanted when the attack was happening, when he was still on the ground, weak and vulnerable. Right now the second Pryor prince was shirtless, not wanting to waist the time to get a top with the help of his gentleman in waiting. When his mother finally saw it was him, he bit his lip, fighting back the desire to cry. Though it was probably obvious on his face. Standing there awkwardly he finally spoke, 

“Mother.” 

THE NEWS THAT ONE OF HER SONS HAD BEEN INJURED brought more hope to the queen than some might would expect. injured meant alive and alive meant not dead, which for pandora was a win that day bearing witness to so much loss. whatever injured sustained could be dealt with and they could recover, but death was permanent. pandora had already buried one to many sons and vowed never to do so again. looking into the eyes of prince ariston, pandora could feel the weight he had been carrying, the tension shared between the two of them, all the stress in that moment didn’t count nor did it matter. this was her son looking for his mother, so with open arms, the queen embraced him.

“ariston, my prince.” pandora sighed, bringing him close, not wanting to cause any more pressure to his arm, but still grateful that his injuries had not be more severe. “how are you feeling? they tell me you were quite lucky in the grand scheme of things.”

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meteredbrilliance‌:

for @qveenpandcra

Few currently active in Bergian politics had witnessed the mazelord in his youth. Mercury was a bumbling thing, all long limbs and elbows, having years to adjust but growth spurt after growth spurt was almost fast enough to be disorienting. Pandora had known him then. Before they were ever meant to be queen, back when the Aerie was the young noble’s home and the war was everyone’s focus, keeping the country of one mind. With no siblings of his own, Mercury was oft escorted to the courts or to other Houses for education, with the Labyrinth occasionally hosting some of his peers in return. But that was long in the past.

Now, Pandora was queen, and Mercury was making a life away from the war table and the battlefield. Gratefully, he’d filled out, his robes now gracing his form rather than his body swimming in them. A servant tapped his shoulder to whisper to him, and from them Mercury learned of a rather important visitor – or, perhaps, the most important he’d host in quite a while. The lord rose, leaving his steaming mug of mulled wine at the table by his chair, and moved to intercept his guest where he believed they might be wandering.

THE LABYRINTH WOULD ALWAYS REMAIN ONE OF BERGIA’S TRUE GIFTS bringing people far and wide across metia looking to conquer it. it’s myth and legend knew no bounds as tales of it being haunted or holding a beast within it’s depths often grew larger than the maze itself, serving as not only as protection for the mulciber name but also the perfect spot to keep something hidden. mercury and pandora go way back, knowing him before the titles and tragedy, pandora prided themselves on being able to navigate the maze with more ease than most. an expert the queen was not, but she knew enough to place something within it’s walls as a mean to keep it safe for when the time was right. now more than ever, pandora recognized the urge to retrieve said treasure before it was too late.

“mercury...” pandora eyes shifted to one without sight, watching as her knight continued to dig without avail, knowing something had to be awry. with few knowing the maze as the lord did, pandora had a feeling that what she had buried here long again didn’t just grow legs and disappear. 

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princesshelenus‌:

Helenus just nuzzled against the other’s chest for awhile. Cadmus was safe, and Helenus loved him, but no one came close to the strong safety that Helenus provided. Did the princess show some signs of perseverance? Maybe. That wasn’t something he was thinking about at the time. “You promise, mama?” It was silly to ask that his mother promise that she never left him, but he needed those kind of lies in the moment. There would be a day Helenus wouldn’t have Pandora, but hopefully that wouldn’t be anytime soon.

“I’m tired…. I couldn’t breathe when they first attacked and Uncle Persephone saved me,” he whimpered softly. “He carried me all the way to the castle after giving me my medicine.”

PANDORA KNEW HOW FRAGILE HELENUS REMAINED EVEN as a young adult at the age of 19, he was still very much the princess pandora had protected and nurtured from a child. the queen had done her best to ensure that helenus kept his spirits high and was true to himself but the insecurities of his health and stature compared to some of his brother’s always got the best of him. with this attack, she feared he’d be set back even more.

“what i promise is to keep strong and through that strong, sweet princess, you can conquer anything.” pandora never gave her children fallacies, even when others felt that they needed them. growing up in bergia taught the queen that the bitter reality of life sometimes swept up promises and left them in the cold. what she could do was give helenus hope and the sense of perseverance which was much stronger than any promise. “i am forever thankful for your uncle for keeping you safe. you’re home now. you can relax.”

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stonecoldbergianking‌:

hearing that nicename come from his wife’s lips brought a smile to the king’s features. a small one sure, but one of the first smiles he had in a long time. he winced to himself slightly as he was pulled into her embrace, but the pain slowly melted away as he too wrapped his arms around his love’s figure, pulling her close to his body as he buried his own face deep within her neck. he inhaled her sweet scent he had grown quite fond of, the scent alone calming the king from everything that was happening.

“i patched myself up. got a doctor to look at it just in case. you learn a few things here and there apparently.” the king said, pecking the queen’s neck softly as he held onto her. “are they all safe? our boys…” he knew that some could handle themselves, but still the fear of something happening loomed over his head.

PANDORA AND HERACLES ALWAYS MADE A PROMISE to one another to be husband and wife despite all the fodder thrown their way and the titles they had to hold in life. father and mother, king and queen, both of which were important and they’d never resent but they belonged to each other as well their sons and the people of bergia. as pandora rested in heracles’ arms, she could feel him rest in her embrace as well. they could have lost each other today, they could have lost their sons, and with the bodies of fallen bergians, they did suffer still yet. all was not lost nor would be forgotten and they would get to the bottom of it all.

“i’m glad, my king. you can’t be the beacon of strength if you don’t take care of yourself as well. a day of rest, for the both of us. these people need their loved ones but i can postpone for a day. let us relax with our sons, all with scars from the attack, some more emotional than physical but still yet. we can mourn privately and then resume our duties?” pandora suggested, something rare for the simple focused queen, but together they could conquer anything.

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cadmus-pryor‌:

Cadmus stepped farther into the room as he was allowed inside. Seeing Pandora was a comfort, although that was not a feeling he had often. Watching his brother’s queen, he let his eyes wander over their body without shame. What good was such a useless emotion? With everything he had done in his life, shame would only get in the way of obtaining what he wanted. Being allowed close to the queen was rare for him. Often, he felt as though he was being avoided. With anyone else, that would have been unworthy of note, but Pandora would be his someday and so he needed to get close to the queen. As the gown drew back to reveal a well developed thigh, he coughed. His focus had to be on treating the queen not getting ideas right now. There were much more important things to worry about.

 Nearing the queen, he settled on his knees so he could inspect their ankle properly. Gentle fingers took hold of Pandora’s foot, turning it slowly. “I seen no swelling,” he stated, “how badly does it hurt to move?”

THEY WOULD ALWAYS HAVE A WEIRD RELATIONSHIP THAT NEITHER WOULD ever be able to define in a way that made sense to anyone else. they king would be the closest to understand it since he knew of his brother’s machinations and duplicitous nature but even then, the lengths of cadmus’ mind were far beyond anything heracles could fathom or pandora herself. this dynamic kept him at bay from completely going off the rails and doing something far worse than he had before. pandora always felt the invisible leash he was kept on would protect her family but cadmus still had no idea how much pandora had put together on the budding relationship the man shared with the princes. 

another battle for another day, perhaps.

“a pinch here or there, sometimes a sting. though i don’t want it to get worse if untreated. you are the doctor...” pandora insisted, wriggling the foot before him, dangling just more than the toes in front of him. if this would sate his urges and keep him away from her boys, it would be a sacrifice a mother would gladly make. none of them were equipped to handle cadmus’ alluring vortex of horror and danger. “do we need to retire to a more private setting for you to examine properly?”

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cadmus-pryor‌:

Cadmus has spent the hours of the attack after finding shelter working to stabilize the wounded. For hours upon hours, he had rushed back and forth, dealing with the cries of people in pain. Normally, this would have been perfectly exciting for him, but as the time wore on, he began to grow exhausted. There simply weren’t enough doctors and too many patients to deal with all at once. Nobles wanted their family members treated first and for the commoners to be left to die.

Truth be told, he didn’t care either way which of the two social classes was saved. What annoyed him was the constant screaming in his ear to move faster. Some patients, unfortunately, could not be saved and he was sure at least one noble would blame him or Bergia in general for it. Sometimes, however, his lack of empathy became useful. He could concentrate without feeling anything for his patients. They were puzzles and bleeders and needed to be healed enough to survive before he moved on to the next one.

Finally, finally, the number had begun to die down as people were either finished with treatment or died. Walking through the hallways, he needed to get away from the room of dead and dying. There was nothing he could do for those being loaded into the carriages. “Were you expecting someone else?” he sighed.

Seeing Pandora was a comfort. He knew the object of his…he wouldn’t call it affection, rather inevitable possession, was not dead. “Were you injured?”

ADMITTING WEAKNESS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT A QUEEN, least of all pandora pryor, would ever do with just anyone. a frozen wall of fearlessness and resolve often protected pandora from the emotions that they felt would make them weak in the eyes of blood thirsty nobles and other kingdoms looking to spot an opportunity to exploit. though with everything that had gone down in the past twelve hours, pandora held a different view on how to handle situations. normally cadmus was not someone that the queen would bring too close into the inner circle. cadmus had always been dangerous and unpredictable yet pandora found a way to keep the man on a long leash. the collar fastened around his neck was very much only visible to the queen herself but cadmus could be controlled if given the right motivation. and even with all they knew of his secret dealings and how close he had gotten to the princes lately, pandora was genuinely glad to see that he was unscathed in the manticore massacre.

“cadmus... my ankle... it feels sore, perhaps sprained or twisted. do you mind?” pandora pushed back the gown, exposing the ankle in question along with a healthy bit of thigh to the devious doctor. pandora wanted to ensure that everything was fine with their body, but cadmus had worked wonders out in valtolia to save lives. perhaps he deserved something for his good behavior.

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princesshelenus‌:

Helenus was dressed in a pale pink robe, his other clothing from the attack having been ruined from the blood everywhere and his assistance to Cadmus. The first thing he wanted when he got home, after changing into clean clothes and washing any traces of blood from his hair and pale skin, was to find his mother. His parents and older brothers brought him a comfort that no one else could, and he took relief when he saw them and they were safe.

He was quiet as his mother gave orders, unsure what he was to do with them, until it was clear his mother realized who it was. Quickly, he ran into the other’s arms – burying his face against Pandora’s chest and weeping softly. “Mama…” he cried. “You’re safe. I’m so happy…”

PULLING THE YOUNGEST PRYOR INTO HIS ARMS, pandora brought helenus the comfort and sense of safety the boy was so clearly dying for after this attack. of all his sons, helenus was the one the queen had the most worry for during this ordeal. knowing that he was protected and safe gave him the motivation to cross the portal back into bergia, even without knowing the whereabouts of the crown prince and his husband, the king. helenus never thought that he was capable to handle such trauma yet his presence in this moment proved he was far more durable than they imagined.

“i am safe, son. don’t worry. it would take three times the manticores to ever separate us. how are you feeling?”

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stonecoldbergianking‌:

everything happened so fast. a fun festival that he was enjoying with his loved ones turned bleak and miserable within seconds. the king did all he could to help his people as well as others from around the many kingdoms as the once lively streets were soon riddled with death and despair. the king wasn’t about to back down and hide. he had a family to protect, as well as the people of the kingdoms. he did the best he could with that knowledge he had of the beasts. one almost besting him himself, but his quick thinking was what saved him. sure, he did suffer from a puncture from the beast’s claws. though that was something he would keep to himself. he almost lost his family that day. he was one of the lucky ones.

so many people weren’t as lucky as he was.

still, he had to push forward and be the beacon his people needed in this time. just like that, that wall of his was back up. that wall that kept most people away from him, for their own good perhaps. but when he saw his queen giving orders about the bodies, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge in his heart. so strong, a true inspiration to her people. and of course, to the king himself. he slowly approached pandora before she realized he was there. “forgive me love, i hope i didn’t startle you.”

SEEING THE KING ALIVE AND WELL BROUGHT SENSE OF CALM over pandora, watching heracles approach her looking like he had been through hell himself. in all the chaos, it was hard to pinpoint where everyone was and pandora had no clue where the king was for most of the attack. achilles had swept her away to safety, hoping the guards could force the queen through the portal to safety but pandora stood her ground, refusing to leave until she could place her sons who were less than inclined to fight off the manticores. once given that assurance, through the portal she went. it was warming to see that she was not a widow, closing heracles in her arms, pulling him tighter than any other embrace they had shared in quite a few years.

“hp! you’re safe.” was all she could muster, nuzzling her head into the nook of his shoulder. he smelled terrible, but he smelled of war and battle, a scent she hadn’t gotten a whiff of in almost three years. something seemed off with him, a difference was there, albeit subtle, but overcome with happiness the queen didn’t dwell. “are you well, do you need to see a doctor?”

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AS PANDORA LOOKED DOWN AS THE MANGLED BODIES of fallen bergians, a strange and foreign emotion bubbled inside him. not since his eldest son died violently had this overwhelming sadness washed over the queen of bergia. this wasn’t sadness for him, his family had made it through the worst of it all, coming home and remaining unscathed by the violent attacks of the wild manticores. 

some of the nobles were not so lucky.

nobles from house gaunt, rookwood, and even pruitt had all fallen prey to the vicious beasts in valtolia. even with the bad blood between pandora and alizia pruitt, the queen could bury the hatchet long enough to bring back the body of their loved one. although he wanted to, he knew blaming valtolia was the least of his worries. bergia wasn’t a place of sunshine and rainbows, attacks happened on their snow covered soil as well but they were well versed in how to handle such monsters. but the details of the tragedy were all lost to him as a tear threatened to drop from his face, the footsteps behind him rushing them away. one deep breath and diamond exterior hardened those emotions the queen began to spout off orders. 

“take the bodies to the east quarters to load up into the carriages. they can’t stay here all night. we will leave in the morning to deliver them to each house and end in at the crescent. alizia will be expecting me.” pandora turned, the sheer white evening robes swishing behind him as the other person in the room revealed themselves to not be who pandora was expecting. “it’s you!”

-- ** open to any bergian nobles (or whoever this could make sense for).

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hallowedlegends‌:

the joust had been worse than a disaster. achilles had been hopeful that the event would help smooth over relations, that it could be a chance for bergia to poke it’s head out of its shell for once. he had been so wrong, foolish even, in that hope. the joust had only made things worse. was that the point of all of this? had the valtolians orchestrated this whole event as some kind of play at taking down all the other kingdoms in one fell swoop?

achilles had tried to save as many lives as he could, as was his nature. he wasn’t the kind to just leave people behind and to save his own skin. at some point, one which he couldn’t even remember if he was being honest, his strength had failed him and he had stumbled through a portal back home to bergia. while the crown prince wasn’t wounded in any way that could be deemed fatal, he had wounds nearly everywhere that would certainly scar without the magic touch of their mages to seal them closed. still the prince was exhausted from fighting and lifting and running, worn down by the turn of events. achilles didn’t even notice his mother at first, too busy lifting away ruined clothes from his body until she spoke. just great. he could already tell the queen was pissed off at him.

“hello mother. didn’t know you were there.”

THE GOWN PANDORA HAD WORN TO THE JOUST was completely ruined from the tragic events that took place. from the muddied residue covering the train, to the rips in the seam and thigh, ending with splashes of blood from fallen nobles and knights as the manticores freely attacked all of metia. it would serve as a reminded of what took place, but pandora would never view it again. now in the chambers of her son, she stood before him in a simple robe from what she normally would wear, still pristine as ever in all white, although the front wrap struggled to contain her busting bodice.

there were many layers to any queen, yet pandora kept her’s buried so deep, it was rare even heracles could reach them. though after today things just seemed to boil over and the loss suffered by bergia seemed to strike her differently. knowing that among the bodies she insisted were brought back from valtolia, her own son could be apart of them fueled a fear she had long buried. but to think that achilles ran into the fire instead of away from it only made it worse. 

“where else would i be? the last i saw of you, it was watching your back as you ran toward those violent creatures. a stup--, achilles...look.” she moved from the shadows, approaching her son with carerful precious, trying to contain herself but still needed him to understand. “i understand the desire to help, the thrill of a fight, but this was foolish... you could have been killed. so many today were. you are no mage, no witcher, and despite your proficiency in battle, a manticore is no easy feat. do you know how much it pained me, enraged me to watch you run away from safety to save those southerners? even now seeing that you’re safe, i still want to slap some sense into you.”

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PANDORA WAS FURIOUS, RAGE STILL BOILING WITHIN her body from the series of events that lead her to this moment. she never wanted to go to valtolia for the joust, but decided it could be good for them. a step in a direction of diplomacy for the reclusive bergians that stayed in the north and tended to their own kingdom. 

MANTICORES. fucking manticores!

and coming from a bergian born who had seen more than her share of the beasts that riddled metia, pandora was aghast. she saw fear wash over the faces of the guests at the joust, some clouding their judgement, others fueling their escape, all of which sparking a fight or flight instinct in the people of metia. pandora was not afraid to fight, but manticores were out of her depth of combat and any reasonable human would recognize that, however achilles seemed to miss that. her son, the crown prince of bergia and heir to the throne refused to back down from the fight. instead of ensuring their legacy, he risked far too much to save the southerns from demise with little thought of his well being.

the mother in her was proud that he was such a selfless man willing to sacrifice for the helpless, yet the queen in her, the piece that had to think of the future of their country, knew that it was a reckless decision that could have cost the kingdom another prince.

“i was wondering if you’d even make it back alive... with all the mangled bodies i’ve seen today, a piece of me wondered if you’d be amongst the corpses.” pandora stood from out of the shadows of achilles’ room. the mother knew this would be the first place achilles would come if he made it back to the castle okay.

@hallowedlegends