The peace that formerly reigned in Terra Nova has eroded, now little more than a memory. War ravages the continent. Disputes divide kingdoms; ideals divide families. The quest for power consumes absolutely and indiscriminately. None are immune to its allure.
Who will rise and who will fall? Only time—and ambition—will tell.
UPDATES
05.26.2023
2 month character creation hold for all existing members begins 6/5/2023. Ended 8/5/2023.
10.29.2023
Change in how times flows. Was 4 IC seasons, now only 2 IC seasons per 1 OOC year.
5 whole years of Heir Apparent goodness! When I started the site, I knew I was hunkering down for the long haul, but I never could have predicted the numerous twists and turns this roleplay site has seen. Hundreds of plots, characters, and members have come and gone, all leaving marks on the site. I am so very thankful for those who have invested. Because you keep coming back, keep getting on, and keep writing, Heir Apparent has the legacy it does today. Three cheers to us!
Her normal days consisted of her being around Sylas or the Dresmondi. It was her job now as it was, half of it. But it held both halves of her heart. Arynn Frey and Dresmond. Her people and the people of the man she loved. It was still such a strange thing, to find herself almost... committed to just one person. The two had a bond. Sylas was not one to go around shaking hands, let alone welcoming people into his bed freely. Kezia, while resting easily in his bed, had actually never 'slept' with the Prince. But that was neither here nor there.
Today, she was wondering around the capital. Raiden perched up on her shoulder and his tail wrapping her neck. Watching and commenting on those they interacted with. Less Dresmondi were found in the capital but it wasn't unheard of. Some ventured in, some kept to the familiar wagons. Both were fine in Kezia's opinion. She was still unsettled by the silent slaves that wondered the kingdom. Because she felt like they were just reminders of what could have happened to her. Staring at two who were silently in the shadows, she got lost in thought as she stood in the street.
Verula had stepped out of her shop for the day, entrusting it to the apprentice she'd recently taken on in the last few weeks. He was a quick learner, a little more content to be behind the counter than working the glass itself but still passionate about the craft. All in all, he meshed well with her schedule and hadn't complained much at all. If anything, he asked constant questions. And he even let Laxi sit on his head in a nest of curls. It was stupidly adorable.
Meandering through the streets until something good to eat jumped out at her, she saw one of the Dresmondi folks hanging around looking a little out of it or maybe a little lost? Either way, Verula approached but was careful not to startle her. "Hey, you doing alright?"
Kezia almost didn't hear the woman, but when a body lingered nearby, she realized that the words had been spoken to her. She blinked a few times before she turned her head and focused on the Arynnite. "Oh," It left her as she looked down suddenly, and then around her as if she was remembering exactly where she was. Yet she couldn't help the glance she gave back to where the two had been in the shadows. Yet they were gone now. Nothing left behind to even know they had been there.
"I was just distracted. I'm fine," She answered easily as she tried to shake off the thoughts. Perhaps she needed to press more about... well the why. Now that she had started to truly settle in, maybe she needed to try and figure out why things worked they way they did instead of just accepting them and moving on. "I'm Kezia, this is Raiden." Who proceeded to chatter his teeth in greeting to the taller woman. "We are a senator for the Dresmondi."
Verula didn't know much, or anything, about the Dresmondi beyond that some were here to stay. Which meant she wasn't entirely surprised by some of them being made senators. Everyone had representation after all.
The plural 'we' used with the singular senator was odd but perhaps it was a cultural thing. "Pleased to meet the both of you. I'm Verula, a glassblower."
It was an odd thing, a we with a singular. But that was the funny thing about Dresmondi who had dyr's. They were a we and yet a singular all at once. A pair. One of the same. A soul split in two, which was a bit more of the Arynn Frey thing to say she had come to learn. Though at the woman's occupation, her head slightly tilted. "A glassblower?" She wasn't sure she knew exactly what that was.
Verula wondered if they'd even had glass over in Dresmond, or if Arryn Frey was the first time any of them had seen any glass. It was a weird thought, for a place to not have something that was so common for her home. "Mhm. My designs and pieces are usually made by blowing air into the molten glass before it cools."
Kezia found herself rather curious on this thought. This way of making things. She had used plenty of glass now being in Arynn Frey for so long. Especially since she had taken up her spot in the Prince's bed. But she had never really thought about the how before now. "That must be hard. I have used glass items but never known how it was made." She admitted with a smile, shaking herself out of the dark thoughts. "What all do you make? A bit of everything? Or do you specialize in something?"
Verula gave her a warm smile in return. Glassblowing was hard, especially when she hadn't had an apprentice for so long but it had been worth it. So very worth it to build her craft and style from the ground up over the years. "It is hard, has been hard, but it is so satisfying to be able to make something with your own hands, whether others appreciate it or not."
At the question about what she made, Verula reminded herself mentally to not be long-winded about the topic. "I specialize in a type of unbreakable glass, in that so far nothing has broken it. As for what I make, predominantly decorative pieces fill the shop I own but I make much more interesting things on commission."
Long winded answers were things that Kezia would love to hear. She found herself buzzing from one person to another naturally. At times, the old Kezia could be found. In the way she smiled, the way she eagerly shook hands or embraced the other Dresmondi. In the way she danced when it wasn’t formal.
But they didn’t last long, which is why she relied on others to give her something to focus on. “Quite amazing. How Arynnite’s all have different ways of using their magic. Where is your shop at?” She asked, glancing around the area they were standing. Except as she did, her eyes halted on the slaves, silent in the shadows, always working. Never smiling.
Verula noted the other woman's interest with a warm smile. Not everyone was always interested in the process behind her glass pieces, simply just an overview of what enchantments she had on her glass and would make their selection accordingly. Some wanted colors, some wanted some soft light radiation, and so on. Unless it was a commission piece, in which the customer was only interested in only what applied to what they were seeking for her to make.
"It's closer to the outer edges of the city, so that I have more open space to work. Would you like to see it?" She offered to the Dresmondi woman, and though she saw her staring at the slaves, she didn't comment on it. It was a common thing, something she didn't see the point of commenting on.