The Adventures of Thomas: Every Tale Has a Beginning

[CallmePrismatic]

King Heworth slouched in his great throne, settling himself in for the talk ahead.

He was an old king, and his body was as old as he was, if not a bit longer in years. His being ached as the elderly tend to do, but his was not the anguish of the wise and sheltered prince who suffers from atrophied joints, but the creaks and groans of a warrior who has long ago forsaken the battlefield.

"Ahh, Thomas, yes, I have a task to ask of you." His voice was gravelly and hoar, as if every minute of his life had etched itself into the vocal range. He looked over Thomas and began."

"Our kingdom, my kingdom, was not an inherited one, as you know. My father did not speciify a successor, and in the aftermath of his death me and my brothers were forced to battle for the throne. This is basic history, I wish for you to help me write future's scrolls." As he finished the recap of the past he produced a small necklace, and hanging from the necklace's end was a brilliant signet, worthy of the king who held it. "The war was ended long ago, but the bitterness persists still. I have not spoken to my eldest brother in eons, and my youngest fled, but I refuse to assume the worst. I am an old man, yes, but I refuse to be a doddering fool. The future of our kingdom rests within the good graces of my brother's lands. I do not want to enter the afterlife with spite and anger left in my mortal coil."

With a creak, both from the throne and his aging joints, Heworth stepped down and placed the signet into Thomas's hands. "Take this to my brother. Tell him that he can have father's signet, and all I want is peace and good relations between our lands. The travel may be rough, but I would entrust this request to none of my other knights Thomas. Make me, make your kingdom, proud."

[Squishy Cheeks]

The young prince entered. His hair was dark black and sat like a wet mop on his head. He wore thick rimmed glasses and had plug like earings. He wore an old style black tight tunic with a symbol resembling a white cross. He wore torn sack like brown trousers as was the style with the youth of the kingdom. His belt was a length of studded leather. He also possesed a metal ring in his eyebrow.

"Does this mean I'm not inheriting the throne anymore,ot that I really care about that anyway? Just go on father and pretend I don't exist. No one understands me. I'm going to write a poem about this."

[Bailey]

A nearby attendant scurried off and came back with a piece of parchment and a quill pen.

"Your writing materials, my lord."

[Raiden]

Thomas bowed before his king, and gently took the signet from the elderly man's hands.

"Of course, my majesty. I'll do my best to serve you."

Giving one final bow, he turned and briskly left the room. Once he was sure that he was out of sight of the king's view and that of his attendants, his smile left.

"Delivering a necklace? How troublesome. Of course I'd be chosen for the quest. It's not like I'm jumping and ready to leave home. I'd rather just stay in my living quarters and read. But, orders are orders."

[GARUD]

One of the fat, pompous nobles waddled to the throne and asked,

"I, your greatness, suggest that the young man that bears the signet takes with him a guard. The road to your brothers kingdoms is perilous and filled with danger. I would suggest, M'Lord, that you use my personal agents. They are just as strong as your guards, but they are payed more, so they have higher morale. They will try to jump cliffs for me, if I asked it of them."

Baron Tibel bowed floridly, hiding is smug look quite effectively. He was a schemer, and had planned that the King would be poisoned and Thomas would be assasinated in the trip. The signet would be retrieved and the scheming noble would use it to ascend the throne and start a tyrany. I'm so clever!

(OOC: Trust me to play the guy no-one likes. Now people, foil him dammit!)

[Astral Harmony]

Princess Allura stayed hidden as Thomas passed by on his way out, then turned and watched her father and brother from just outside the throne room. "There he goes again, trying to destroy the ruling family during its weaker hours," she said, now staring critically at Baron Tibel.

She stepped away from the wall, poking at her left cheek with a silk gloved hand "I better try and put a stop to this attempt, too. Hmmm...I wonder who I should send out to keep a watch on that guy?"

[CallmePrismatic]

"That won't be necessary Tibel, I prefer to trust men whose loyalty is not laid out on a bartering table. In my experiences there will always be someone with deeper coffers and crueler intentions more than willing to negotiate a new deal for mercenaries. No, I think I will trust Thomas just fine, but feel free to endow him with some of the treasures of your family's own, deep, armory." He looked out the doors of his throne room and saw his daughter. Smiling he let the matter lie and left the further machinations of Tibel in his daughter's hands, and the capabilities of Thomas.

"Now, my son, I believe you have misread my intentions in sending Thomas off. You will always inherit the throne, and my kingdom. The signet, always a mere ornament, will make sure that when you do ascend to King, you will have a powerful ally and trading partner in my brother, your uncle's, kingdom."

Heworth sighed. At times like these a small but very persuasive voice in his mind derided him for not being lecherous in his youth. Oh, the times he could have cast his royal seed into the throngs, the temptations of the countless slaves and citizens running past his head. Surely if he had been less stalwart, a rugged knight-errant or aspiring squire would reveal himself as the rightful heir, but he had been in love with the most beautiful maiden in the land and had remained ever vigilant in his devotion to her, and for his troubles he had been given a son who seemed intent on creating problems for the sole purpose of having problems. True, he loved him more than the World itself and would take no other, and he was fully certain that over time the young prince would shed his inflicted-pathos and take up the mantle, but oh how much simpler things could be.

The only relief in this realm was that of the impending peace and good will, no doubt in his mind that Thomas would prevail.

[Inbred Chocobo]

A servant boy, probably no older than 14, came half running, half jogging towards Thomas. "Sir, I have readied your horse, and your supplies are all ready. You can set out at any time." The young lad waited there for his reply. When Thomas got a closer look, the kid seemed more of an aspiring squire more than a servant.

[MC43]

"My lady! There you are!" A voice called out from behind the princess. "You are crafty my lady," an older man approached her. Her hired attendent and overprotective watchdog. "I see you have snuck out of your room again to evesdrop on your father's affairs. You must stop doing that my lady, especially sneaking out from under my eye, for if anything was to happen to you... oh I don't dare to think what would become of me..."

[Raiden]

Thomas smiled at the young energetic lad.

"Thank you young one. I'll see you again upon my return."

After making sure that the signet necklace was resting safely around his neck, Thomas followed the boy out to his horse. All his supplies were resting on horse.

"Nice. Thank you."