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!
Imani was walking around Gilead with Azia. Isiah was with her father, so she would use the time to spend some one-on-one time with her four year old daughter. The girl just wanted to play most of the time, so they would do that. Imani didn't mind making a 'fool' of herself in the village anymore. Mothers often times got excused more easily for acting silly than men. They were just entertaining their children.
So the woman was playing tag with Aiza. All kinds of cheerful sounds escaped from the little girl's mouth as she ran around the village, kicking up dust and stopping people in their tracks when she ran right in front of their feet.
Imani followed Aiza around and when it was her turn to run away, she would be slow on purpose so the girl didn't feel discouraged. Eventually the both of them sat down giggling and took a moment to catch their breath around the campfire.
In the distance, the Parabolti warrior spotted @ferrul. They didn't know each other very well, but she knew he had lost his wife during the battle against Lorendale. Her husband had died during that battle as well, so she somehow felt like there was a connection between them, solely based on this mutual loss. If he looked their way, Imani would smile and wave. She knew he was a warrior as well, but she didn't really know much else about him. If he didn't like the Parabolti women, she would surely find out when/if he decided to come over, and what he would say to them.
Ferrul had finished the morning's training of Krimm and Razeen, with his youngest daughter Lyrna at fourteen, tending to the boys Shigen and Dennar. As the sun reached its height, they were all heading toward the stream for water. Two figures darted in and out from some of the villagers and Ferrul thought it was a good way to teach children how to stay alert. His ebony gaze soon found the Parabolti, Imani as she seemed to be teaching her daughter something active.
Good. That was good mothering to keep the child fit and moving instead of just mindless chores. A bored mind made a boring woman. Ferrul smiled and waved back to the woman as the got closer. He turned to look at Lyrna and she brought her younger brothers with her to gather water and fill up the water skins. Hmm. He wondered if she was teaching her daughter to be a woman warrior too.
When they were close enough to speak without shouting,
"Afternoon. Some of my family and I are stopping to eat the noon meal. How old is your daughter?"
He wasn't much for small talk and that was pretty much the best Ferrul could do on short notice. His oldest sons sat down a few feet away and began sharpening and cleaning their swords, but he remained standing for now.
Ferrul smiled and waved back, which put Imani at ease. Sometimes she was too eager to say hello to people, and not everyone was as much of a talker as she was. Aiza got excited when she saw the man walking towards them with his children, and Imani gently placed a hand on the kid's arm to tell her to stay calm. The little girl always wanted to make more friends. Ever since she had played with Kaalim's kids, she kept asking her when they were going to visit them again.
"Good afternoon", she replied cheerfully. "Aiza is four. I have an eleven year old son, but he's training with his grandfather. He doesn't want mom to teach him." She laughed. It was mostly a joke, because Isiah really didn't mind training with his mom all that much. Sometimes he just wanted to train with his grandfather. The mother looked at Ferrul's kids. "And yours?" They all seemed a little older than Aiza, at least. The girl was curiously looking at Ferrul's son, who was sharpening swords.
It would be nice to sit together while they ate their meal. Just some casual banter, if Ferrul and his kids liked that. A sense of community. She loved to talk to people.
She looked to be a smiley and cheerful woman, who obviously took good care of her children as well as being friendly. Ferrul nodded to her answer and offered his own children's ages. Well, the ones that were with him.
"I am Ferrul Brawleyson. Sharpening his sword is my oldest Krimm, is fifteen with Razeen who's thirteen. My second oldest daughter is gathering water, Lyrna, she's fourteen with my two youngest boys. Shigen is nine and my youngest is Dennar at five."
He looked over his brood proudly, and watched with a small smile as Krimm caught Aiza's eye for moment, and kept on with his chore. The whetstone never paused in its ringing strokes, despite acknowledging the little girl. The other teen boy was checking over the shields for damage but he clearly had his eyes more on Imani than his chores.
Lyrna looked askance at her father before bringing her little brothers near the group now. Closest in age to the girl, both Shigen and Dennar blatantly stared at the two females, their eyes full of curiosity. The young teen girl smiled shyly at the woman as she set down the filled water skins, close enough for everyone to have a drink. She looked over at the bag of food and then to her father's face, again a silent question. With a large hand, he lifted the heavy bag and pushed it forward to her to start doling things out. She was so shy that Ferrul hoped Imani and her daughter could help her out at least by being around her.
Last Edit: Jun 23, 2023 15:00:00 GMT -5 by Deleted
Although she vaguely knew him, it was kind that he introduced himself. "Imani", she said with a smile after she had looked at his children while he introduced them. His youngest boys were a bit older than Aiza, but would be potential suitors once they got older. She was sure there would be plenty of men in line to marry Aiza. She was a smart kid, and you could already tell that she would become a beautiful young girl. She gestured for Aiza to come back to them after Lyrna had approached with the young boys by her side. Ferrul's daughter offered Imani a bit of food too, and she gratefully took it. She would share it with Aiza, because she wasn't planning on freeloading and taking their food. "Thank you so much, Lyrna", she said with a motherly smile on her face. "You're a very kind girl." Aiza sat down next to her mother and looked at Lyrna, Shigen and Dennar. "I like your hair", the little girl said cheerfully while holding out a hand to touch Lyrna's hair. Imani gently took her daughter by the wrist and refrained her from touching the girl's hair, unless the girl didn't mind. "Aiza really loved braids and thinks like that. It's the first thing she thinks of when she sees hair."
Ferrul made a point of looking down at the food instead of directly at his daughter, only watching her indirectly. Lyrna smiled back shyly at Imani and blushed at her kind words, ducking her chin down. In a voice as quiet as a butterfly's wings, she replied,
"You're welcome." her answering smiled was small but pleased. She tried to be a good girl, but sometimes her shyness made it so hard for her to talk to others, even within her own family.
The tall man watched Lyrna, as concerned for her well being as his sons, though he wasn't the kind to say such things freely around other men. He loved his family and he still grieved for his dead wife and sons, making his current children all the more precious.
Lyrna worked up the courage to look at both Aiza and Imani and whispered a thank you. Sitting by her father's foot, she was surprised that the child reached out to a stranger so fearlessly. Even a child was more bold than she! The hair braiding reminded her of her own mother Agena and the elaborate hairstyles they'd come up with sometimes.
Ferrul felt the need to speak up for the daughter that offered no further words to the ventured comment.
"Lyrna helps her mother with braiding every night. She's very good at it."
Believing he'd given Lyrna a proper nudge, he went back to eating.
"Thank you." Lyrna finally answered Aiza before turning to her own food.