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 the most trying week of Calvex’s young life and he still hadn’t had a chance to really sit down with his feelings of grief. At the moment it was all still anger and anguish but he couldn’t even begin to start to let those feelings turn into the healing that grief could bestow.
Today was no different. Yesterday had been the day of the funeral. His parents were now underneath six feet of earth and his sister had been unable to see any of it, her body still heavily bandaged. The healers weren’t sure her eyesight would ever recover. It didn’t look likely.
Last week his world has been rocked to its core. This week it was time to take action.
He hadn’t bothered to make an appointment. He simply showed up at the office of Simon Mikaels with a demand to speak with the military advisor, even if he had to wait there all day.
Post by Simon Mikaels on Nov 17, 2022 18:53:20 GMT -5
Simon had been attending to matters elsewhere when the message was delivered: Calvex Covington was waiting for an audience and intended to do so as long as it took. Simon was quiet for a long moment before asking the messenger to tell Count Convington he’d be along shortly. Kelton, his assistant, helped him tie up the loose ends of his research before escorting him to their meeting.
Though blind, Simon had learned to navigate the halls of the castle with relative ease. It wasn’t long before they arrived at his office. His presence was announced to the Count who was, supposedly, inside. Simon wouldn’t be able to see him of course, but all the same, he’d dip his head respectfully.
“Count Convington. My condolences for your recent loss.”
Simon knew loss couldn’t even begin to cover the gravity of the man’s grief, but what else was there to call it?
Calvex couldn’t even manage to take a seat while he waited. Instead he paced the room anxiously and kept glancing at fine looking clock as if the time really mattered. He never even fully comprehended what the numbers told him but rather looked at it out of habit.
It wasn’t terribly long before the Military Advisor arrived and was introduced. Cal immediately halted in his steps to face the man and returned the respectful decline of his head, though he knew Simon wouldn’t be able see the gesture.
He cleared his throat at the condolences. “Thank you,” he said, because what he else could be said under the circumstances.
“And thank you for seeing me. It is because of what happened that I wished to speak with you. While I was not present for the attack, my sister-“ His voice caught in his throat and tears stings the back of his eyes as he cleared his throat again. “My little sister was there. She is insistent that this was the work of a gifted.”
Post by Simon Mikaels on Nov 19, 2022 20:01:48 GMT -5
Words sprung from the boy’s mouth in a torrent. Simon blinked, catching up as he digested what he’d just been fed. A gifted. This wasn’t the first time he’d spoken to someone claiming foul play, pointing fingers at gifted boogeymen who were never identified or found. But none of those people had been Calvex Covington. He was a good boy from a good family, and Simon would give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Please,” Simon gestured generally, “Have a seat.” As soon as Simon’s hand rested on the edge of the desk, Kelton quietly exited the room and shut the door behind him. Simon sat across from Calvex, his milky eyes absently directed toward the far wall.
“So, your sister—” Simon would begin, fingers laced together as they rested on the desk, “What is it that she saw?"
Calvex was feeling a bit to antsy to sit down so he stared at the empty seat for a moment before finally forcing himself into it but it wasn't without movement. Unable to hold still, he bounced his knee as he did his best to remember everything that Genya had told him about what she'd seen.
"Well, she said there were two people, both of the wearing some kind of animal skull as a mask. They had attacked our parents. Genya-" his voice broke as he tried to imagine all she'd gone through that night. "She said our parent's jaws were gone as though they had simply fallen away into nothingness. The attackers then set the carriage house on fire and by the time they left and Genya managed to make it to my parents sides they were already nothing but bones, even though the flames had not even reached them..." Cal was staring off into space at the wall behind Simon's shoulder, his eyes filled with flashes of imagined images of that horrific night.
After a moment he shook his head to focus back on Simon. "A gifted is the only reasonable explanation for something like to happen," he said, his voice filled with anger and insistence. "This matter is worthy of a serious investigation at the very least."
Post by Simon Mikaels on Nov 28, 2022 19:20:42 GMT -5
Simon wouldn’t see Calvex’s fidgeting, but he would hear the break in his voice. The tension in his body was palpable, and as the boy relayed his sister’s account of events, Simon could almost swear he felt the temperature in the room drop. It was chilling, chilling to the core, but Simon wouldn’t let fear be the master of facts.
“Investigation, yes,” Simon agreed. For a moment, he thought to bring up the recent discovery of Marquis Paccoretti’s body, but he decided against it. There was no need to draw conclusions just yet.
“Your sister—” Simon continued, countering Calvex’s anger and insistence with measured calm, “How has she been getting on since the fire?”
Last Edit: Nov 28, 2022 19:21:02 GMT -5 by Simon Mikaels
It was probably the one question that would sober Cal's anger and he felt the anguish, grief, and guilt flood through his veins. He should have been there. She shouldn't be the one suffering alone, and yet she was. Maybe that was part of the reason he was working so hard to make up for it now.
"Poorly, my lord," he replied. "They say she'll never walk again, nor regain her sight." This made his gaze linger on Simon a little longer before pulling his gaze away to glance out the window as he continued to speak. Simon seemed to be doing alright without his sight, but Genya had lost so much more as well.
"She also lost the hearing in one ear and-" he cleared his throat. "Her face and upper body is horribly burned...she's only sixteen Duke Mikaels...the chances of her finding someone to wed seems impossible now. She lost everything." Tears welled in his eyes and though he couldn't be seen he was still trying to keep them from falling.
Post by Simon Mikaels on Dec 8, 2022 11:15:11 GMT -5
Simon, who wasn’t a man easily swayed by appeals of emotion, did find his heartache for the young man and his sister. He better than anyone understood just how life-changing a physical ailment, a disability, could be. Simon had lost his eyesight when he was in his prime; a young man, poised to take over his father’s army, a promising soldier with a bright future. That had all been snatched away from him.
But to be a woman, one who had value in a well-placed marriage, the stakes were even higher. A man in Simon’s position had more advantages that allowed him to bounce back. . “I understand,” Simon said—a confirmation that he comprehended the gravity of their situation. He couldn’t hope to fully understand the depth of Calvex’s grief, so he couldn’t pretend to. “If there is any doctor, any treatment she needs access to, name it and I will make sure she gets it myself. In the meantime…” Simon said, “I’ll take the matter through the proper channels. Though first I’d like to sit down with both you and—Genya, was it? Hear her account firsthand, I'm sure you can understand. Perhaps…” Simon added before Calvex could respond, “I can call upon you at your estate.”
Simon doubted Genya was eager to be out and about. The benefit of Simon’s attendance was that he couldn’t look upon her, eliminating what he was sure was a still embarrassing variable. Adding salt to a raw wound that had not yet healed—and perhaps never would.
Cal nodded in understanding. Of course his own account would only be helpful to an extent. Genya had been the one to witness it so of course they would need her to tell her story. "I understand. We would welcome you anytime, my Lord," he said, praying the man would make it enough of a priority that it would be sooner rather than later. After all, there were murderers out there, who knew how many more victims they might claim.
"Just name the day and we will be prepared for you." He would have to prepare Genya for the meeting but he was sure that she wouldn't disagree. She might even find some sort of hope to speak with someone like Simon, even if their disabilities never came up.