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Post by Queen Sunrunner on Sept 30, 2005 1:13:27 GMT -5
Suncatcher paced the halls, her face tight with tension. She'd visited her mother after Rain's homecoming, but things didn't seem good. Sunrunner just wasn't coping very well at all. Perhaps after the locket was returned...yes...then things would get better. She'd just have to manage until then.
She continued to walk the halls, lost in thought.
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Post by Crescent on Sept 30, 2005 1:40:10 GMT -5
Starshine had not had a good day. The arrival of his brother out of the blue - with the princess, no less - had rattled him badly. He had been thinking of the whole affair far too much, and it had now entered his mind that perhaps the royal family was not so pleased that the reckless young princess was in such close contact with a rogue stallion. And it set him into thinking how it would reflect on him as Skydancer's brother.
All these thoughts made him decide on approaching the royal family carefully, and hence when he saw Princess Suncatcher walking along the halls, he stopped. He simply watched her in silence for some while. He had been living in the castle for several years now, and watched the princess grow. To him, she had always appeared like the most sensible of the whole family, and her beauty and grace were something that made Starshine both admire her and feel that he was not worthy enough to go anywhere near her. Now he felt he had to, however. He wanted to make sure that his brother's possible bad actions wouldn't reflect badly on him.
He stood there, around the corner, gathering courage, for some while, before finally daring to step out to the hallway. He cleared his throat.
"...Your Highness?" he asked with a polite, deep voice.
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Post by Queen Sunrunner on Sept 30, 2005 2:18:18 GMT -5
Suncatcher paused as she took in the stallion who stood before her. Unthinkingly she smoothed her expression into something more neutral, training taking over, and her mind sought for a name. Just because there was something wrong didn't mean she had to show it. Rulers were supposed to be strong...capable...on top of things...and as of this moment, sadly, Dream Valley was pretty much on her shoulders.
"Starshine." She smiled, though the expression didn't even near her tired eyes. Suncatcher knew him, vaguely--as she knew everyone who lived in the Castle. He was some ten years her senior if she recalled correctly, and generally well thought of. No, she corrected herself. Quite well thought of. "May I help you?"
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Post by Crescent on Oct 1, 2005 1:42:55 GMT -5
Starshine was pricked by a gush of warmth when the princess showed she remembered his name. He had always had the highest respect and admiration for her, and it warmed him to know she in fact had taken notice of him enough to recall his name.
Her question, however, got him a little nervous again. He shifted his hooves and looked down, then gathered his courage again and met the princess's eyes, as reliable look on him as ever.
"I had hoped... to speak a word with you, Your Highness," he answered carefully, respectfully. "About... my brother." Foretelling her confusion, he quickly rushed forward: "You have not met him, I think. He left Dream Valley a long time ago, when you were very young, and I was not in the castle at the time. But he has returned now, and in company you must know very well. His name is Skydancer... he escorted home your gracious sister Princess Rain."
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Post by Queen Sunrunner on Oct 2, 2005 4:43:53 GMT -5
"Ah." The phrase was short, clipped. "Yes, she told me she came home with Skydancer. Rain was entirely too coy about it." Suncatcher frowned. She wanted to believe the innocent, of course...wasn't her sister simply too young for any such foolishness yet? No...no, Suncatcher decided with an inward sigh, she wasn't. Too young to understand it, yes, but not to get into it. Ponyfeathers!
"Please tell me that they're merely friends and that Rain just has silly notions in her head...?" And gracious wasn't the world Suncatcher would use to describe Rain right then! She loved the girl dearly, she did...but Rain was also a marigold in a bed of daisies. Where Suncatcher herself was steady as the Heir was required to be, Starcatcher was quiet and studious, and Kenaz was...well, odd at times, but even at his worst wasn't half the bundle of mishcief Rain had always been.
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Post by Crescent on Oct 2, 2005 5:44:45 GMT -5
Starshine shifted about a little nervously. Now he wished he would have questioned his brother instead of sending him away like that.
"Oh... I... cannot say, Your Highness," he said uncomfortably. "My brother and I... are not in the best of terms, Your Highness. That is what I came to tell you." He slunk his ears back and looked rather sheepish. "I haven't had a connection to him ever since he left the valley twenty years ago. But he has always been... reckless and rather unpredictable." His face lightened up a little. "I can find out what is really going on for you, Your Highness."
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Post by Queen Sunrunner on Oct 3, 2005 3:26:56 GMT -5
Suncatcher sighed softly. "If you could find out, I'd appreciate it. In the meantime I'll happily seize upon the excuse to stall telling mother anything!" She smiled slightly. "Truly, I don't think Sunrunner will be Queen that much longer, Starshine. She's ruled too long in peace to take anything else well now. Perhaps if this resolves quickly and quietly she'll be fine--but after, should any trouble come?" She shook her head. "Nobility she was born, yes, but she was never raised to rule--Flutter Valley is a much different place to reign, in any case. Perhaps you don't need to be rasied to it there, but Dream Valley is a different kettle of fish all together!"
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Post by Crescent on Oct 5, 2005 14:45:55 GMT -5
Starshine nodded soberly as he listened to her speak. He, too, worried for the queen. But he was less dismal of the future, as he saw a very able princess right there before him. He smiled gently and bowed his head slightly.
"I am sure, Your Highness, that there is no reason for Dream Valley to worry over its future, even if our beloved Queen must step down from the throne." His eyes were intently, meaningfully, on her. "There is a most able replacement at hand."
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Post by Queen Sunrunner on Oct 8, 2005 1:16:12 GMT -5
"I hope so," Suncatcher said quietly, before she caught herself and smiled. Appearance, Sunny...appearance! She met his gaze and found herself suddenly nervous, her tail suddenly flicking to one side. "I mean I can't possibly be bad, can I?" Oh, hell.
Suncatcher mentally waved goodbye to her cool, Competant Heir exterior.
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Post by Crescent on Oct 9, 2005 2:52:22 GMT -5
Starshine smiled, not really minding the faltering of the princess's royal appearance. He had every confidence in her in any case.
"I am sure you will be a good Queen, Your Highness," he said. "And I have watched you for many years now, mind you." He smiled as a thought came to him. "You look like you might need a little rest from royal matters for now, Your Highness. Would you honour me by joining me for a little walk? I shall do my very best to distract your thoughts."
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