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!
It had been a few days since the announcement. While she and Odina had shared words, it was mostly in groups and others. But for the most part… it had been silent since the announcement. Too quiet for Norah’s liking. She’d rather have woke to fire raging through the kingdom to the silence.
It was unsettling. So after a letter to the Captain Commander, she set out with Deimos at her side, to meet up with the new Governess. Hopefully the two of them being able to meet without being bombarded by others or prying ears. Norah said her greetings to those she had come to know throughout the kingdom. Even a few smiles coming from her, though since the last heims, those smiles never seemed to reach her eyes.
Upon arriving, she knocked and announced herself before entering when prompted to. “Governess, good morning.”
Post by Odina Ellis on Sept 17, 2023 19:26:17 GMT -5
Odina wasn't really a fan of her new dwelling but they had insisted she live in a more Nevermeren home. Still it was more secure she guessed. The Governor was anxious as things had died down far to quietly since the announcement and with Warren's concerns it all made sense but she couldn't go around watching everyone, she needed their trust or...
A knock.
"Please enter Lady Carter," Odina called out, she sent P'ol with one of the Elders, "I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to speak with you but I'm glad you arrived..." her blue eyes couldn't help but bounce between Nora and her wolf.
Norah entered the home and looked upon the woman… the Princess. Not that many knew that fact, but an Ellis. It was a curious thing, especially with the history. Odina was living proof of that history, and Cambria of all places. It sparked her thoughts on where the others had gone… if they had died.
“Taking over as a leader for a whole kingdom doesn’t exactly mean you have free time.” She said casually as her and Deimos came to stand in the room. Odina’s brilliant blue eyes flickering between the two of them. “I didn’t want to bombard you as I’m sure the Cambrians would be eager to meet with you. But I didn’t want you to think you are alone here either.”
Post by Odina Ellis on Sept 21, 2023 18:28:59 GMT -5
"I appreciate that, more than you know," Odina would stand and cautiously approach Norah, eyes still on her large creature, "Besides the Elders and @rina the rest have been cold receptive towards me all I'm sure think I am traitor," the weight of it drew a sigh, "I have been feeling lonely so again thank you...may I?" she was asking if she could pet her pet...
Norah watched the way she approached, slowly, cautious, and her dark eyes flicked to Deimos at her side. The size of a horse rather than any wolf that would be found in the mountains, with amber eyes that were far too intelligent to be just an animals… she felt a sense of pride swell in her. She made him, a lot smaller the first time and then…
A sudden memory rocked her then and there. The blood moon, Deimos dying… Ravin appearing and giving her more of a sacrifice to get Deimos back. Bigger, the him that stood beside her now. Her eyes, suddenly soft and full of hurt and yet love as she looked to her summoning. He was a piece of Ravin that she didn’t know she had. Swallowing hard, her hand sank into the thick hair of his neck before she was nodding heavily at Odina’s request.
“As long as he’s okay with it,” she said, her voice heavy and those amber eyes moved to the princess. ‘Go ahead, little one.’ that dark voice would speak directly to Odina.
Post by Odina Ellis on Sept 27, 2023 8:00:47 GMT -5
Odina gasped when she heard the chilling yet accepting voice that came from her beast, with permission given Odina stepped closer to the large creature extending ringed fingers toward the fur. He was warm and soft (well the fibers of hair were surely as course and rough as a wolf's) as she stroked down along his neck, "He's beautiful," she finally spoke breath held and full of wonder, "I've never seen such a more amazing creature in my life lady Carter," she hesitated to look him in the eyes, "but you are beautiful, wh...what is your name?"
Norah’s lips twitched as she startled, knowing almost everyone was taken back by it the first few times with him. It was a strange thing. “He can’t read minds… but he can speak into them.” She offered, hoping that Odina wouldn’t try and to do such a thing but she seemed on top of it.
“He is beautiful.” Her own fingers sank into the thick fur at his shoulders. He was Norah’s pride and joy. ‘Deimos,’ he answered, pushing his head a bit more into her hand. Summoning or not, he enjoyed the attention from a witch. And he could sense that magic within her. “He seems to have liked me and chose to stick around.” She teased the summoning more than anything.
“The others will come around. Just need to show them that while cooperating with Nevermere it doesn’t mean we are trying to take away their beliefs. Yours.” Norah didn’t for a moment think that Odina didn’t still believe what she had been taught growing up.
Post by Odina Ellis on Sept 27, 2023 21:27:54 GMT -5
"Deimos," Odina whispered his name back, "Mine is Odina Ellis," she coo'ed back to him as she scratched behind his ears and down under his chin. Norahs words were encouraging yet Odina worried brow, "Before my departure to come here, something alarming was passed my way...or perhaps I boldly assumed what it meant," she looked at Norah still petting the horse sized wolf that made her look tinier than usual, "you can take it for what it's worth, I fear my nephew wants to begin removing children...daughters...from their Mothers to bring back to Nevermere to do what I can't say but but perhaps be molded or papable with the way Nevermere is," she looked once again at Deimos, "I don't have a good feeling about it, how they will react because if it's like the announcement," she sighed.
Last Edit: Sept 27, 2023 21:28:11 GMT -5 by Odina Ellis
Norah watched the two, her gaze almost casual as Deimos allowed such pets. His head turning into her hands but his eyes would cut to catch Norah when he could. A clear connection between the two, and Norah gave a small smile at one point before Odina voiced what she knew and her concerns.
Norah had not heard such a thing yet, then again she had not returned home in the recent times. Her monthly trip home was approaching but it wasn’t always a guarantee. To take the children… “Surely it would be because of recent events would it not?” She asked, tipping her head slightly.
“With the brandings… focused on those like us…” because while she was raised Cambrian, it was Nevermeran blood that ran through her veins. “He has not told me anything of this. Do you know if he had a time he thought to do such things? Maybe we can put together an alternative so they children are not pulled from their mothers to cause such a… civil issue.”
Post by Odina Ellis on Oct 3, 2023 14:48:14 GMT -5
Odina turned her focus from Deimos but she hadn't stopped petting him or scratching behind his ears, "Commander Usher was the one who told me in a round about way and its being done exactly because of Isolde's failure to comply," she looked Norah in the eyes, "but he said nothing of an end date but I did offer a suggestion one I felt would keep the peace, why not bring whatever they plan to do here? Why take daughters from their Mother's? Why poke a timid already frightened bear?"
Norah might have been watching the interaction between Odina and Deimos, but her mind was a kingdom away. Where would all those children even go? Without mothers… fathers possibly not even known… did the King have a plan for all of them? She reached out to brush her fingers into Deimos’ fur out of a habit for comfort. Especially lately.
“I think it will be ugly either way.” She wasn’t saying it to be cruel. But her voice remained flat and like her mind was still processing her thoughts. “Take the children, remove them from the threat of being branded. Risk absolute rebellion from the women of Cambria.” At least over their daughters. “Leave them here but move more of Nevermere here… you risk the loyalists here turning their eyes to all of the children. To you.” Dark eyes flicked up. “To your children.”
It was a risky situation. Tricky. “I’ll speak with the Captain Commander when I go to Nevermere next. See if he has any more information or ideas. Or if he’ll listen to my… concerns.” She stared at Tara for a moment. “If we proposed bringing it here, where would you place it? To offer protection? What would you tell your people?”
Post by Odina Ellis on Oct 13, 2023 8:17:02 GMT -5
Odina felt horrified and even she couldn't hide her concern, unlike the proper lords and ladies noble or commoner the princess hadn't been raised to conceal her feelings or mask them. She had been robbed of that.
"I would put it outside of the village," ever since her meeting with Sigyn all Odina could think about was ways to maintain peace while bridging divides between the people, "and we wouldn't have to detract from soldiers for security either is there not summonings that could be interminable to changing in and out? Curses perhaps against the ill willed? And I would tell my people...," she stopped speaking, "I.. I..don't know," biting her lip she did look away from Norah and she returned her gaze to the large wolf then stepped away from both, "dammit," she was pacing, "These aren't my people they despise me now that they know the truth, as if I wasn't mostly an outsider being raised here now they have zero trust and now thinking I'm half Nevermeren and Cambrian it's worse," she was clearly frustrated.
Odina...Tara...in either sense of the names she knew she wasn't meant to lead a kingdom, in Nevermere that would have fallen upon her brother and in Cambrai she was just a face they dealt with. Her nephew had plunged her into a rising deep end and the Princess Governor was slowly drowning unaware of how to swim or float.
"Why did he think I could do this? Why did he put me here? I'll be damned if I do and damned if I don't Norah," she scratched at old burn marks on her forearms as she paced, clearly working herself up further, "but if I picked the lesser of the evils bringing whatever was planned here would be easier..."
It was never a good sign to watch someone start to pace, at least not with the tone that entered Odina’s voice. The doubt she felt for herself and she felt that her people had turned their back on her. That they disliked her new appointment. “Anyone who would have stepped in behind Isolde was going to be disliked,” she commented as she watched the governess pace back and forth and back and forth…
Until she started picking at her arms. That was when Norah stepped forward and grabbed Odina’s arms, making her come to a stop. Her hands small, delicate from years of painting and writing notes, from potion making and not from swinging weapons like the other Nevermeran’s that were there. She wasn’t defenseless, but she looked the part.
“I won’t let you fail.” Because Odina, of Nevermere blood, failing meant that Norah had failed as well. She hated to fail. “So, I will talk to the captain commander. I will see what other plans have been thought or brought forward. We will look at the spot you speak of for where this place can be set up. Edge of town… I’m not sure they will go for summonings protecting it. The moment the witch needs it… it’ll come her way. Or if she tries to call forth another one. But curses are possible, but resources will have to stretch there. But if the brandings don’t stop, Odina… I won’t have anything to stand on with the King.”
Post by Odina Ellis on Oct 17, 2023 18:02:05 GMT -5
Norah stopped her from her worried pacing and Odina was thankful for that, glad she wasn't actually picking at the spots on her arms after all, and she believed it when Norah said she wouldn't let Odina fail.
"The brandings will stop, I've spoken to my new Witch Doctor, Sigyn she was standoffish but we've discussed a great deal," Odina hesitated for a moment but felt she needed to let Norah in on part of some of their conversation, "how much do you know about curses? Particularly ones about perhaps bonding ones word with another? Where if one betrayed the other...you know...death?" she waited with baited breath.
Norah nodded about the brandings, glad to hear that the new Witch Doctor (whatever that meant, as Norah never quite understood it…) was on board as well. But the next question put her heart in a vice grip. Her eyes widening slightly as her hand naturally curled in on itself, brushing her fingers against the raised scar on her hand.
Ravin.
She felt sickness rise in her gut, knowing nothing could bring him back. Nothing. And the hollow part of her heart spread as she asked, “why would you need such a thing?” It wasn’t a no. And who else would know curses, then the daughter of the famous cursemaker in Nevermere?