Ch4 - Celebration

One person's cause for celebration is another person's reason to mourn.

Tynan and Brand were both reading a long document.

Purpura was standing behind Tynan, dressed semi-formally.

Behind Brand was another Vulkaan, his foreign adviser.

The two were reviewing the written peace treaty.

It had been the adviser's jobs to write the document out.

Needless to say it had been rewritten a few times.

Both of the princes had discussed certain parts, changing their minds.
Or wanted an agreement reworded slightly.

This was, hopefully, the version that would be signed.

They'd been reworking it for nearly a week.

It had to be signed today, because Brand had promised his people a formal announcement today.

Tynan hadn't wanted him to, worried it put to much pressure on everyone involved.

Finally Brand stood tall, "I think it's perfect.

And the handwriting is exquisite, did you two get a professional to write it out?"

Brand's adviser looked to Brand, then Purpura.

"Actually Damiaan wrote it out this time."

Brand looked to each of them, then Tynan who seemed in contemplation of the document still.

"Did you know your adviser had such pristine hand writing?

I am impressed."

Tynan was lingering over the document before he looked to Brand.

"Hm? Oh, yes. I was well aware.

His hand writing is actually easy to read in any language.

I often have him write out documents that need to be in another language."

Brand nodded, "I would too.

So, how's the treaty look to you?"

Tynan looked to Brand, "It does seem perfectly executed, and iron clad."

Brand nodded, and took a small writing utensil.

Tynan did the same and the two signed on the bottom of the document.

The two stood back, examining it.

"Beautiful." Brand said finally.

Tynan simply nodded, and looked to Purpura who looked bored.

Even if Purpura's fake job was foreign adviser, politics bored him to no end.

Tynan looked back to Brand.

Brand looked to his adviser, who nodded and hurried out.

Then Brand looked to Tynan.

"The celebration will be something to behold.

This version of the treaty sounds more like a unifying treaty.

I read the passed ones and they all sounded like the treaty was the only thing keeping the two kingdoms from the brink of war."

Tynan nodded, "That is true.

But after these centuries, the treaty is more symbolic than anything else.

We've been trading and prospering, there is very little tension anymore.

Besides, our parents wrote those treaties."

Brand smiled, "Yes, that is true.

A symbol of a new generation."

The two shook hands, before a sage entered.

The sage approached and began chanting over the scroll.

Both kingdoms needed a copy, and a sage was the best to create a perfect copy in the Heartless kingdom for their records.

After the sage finished, he gently rolled the scroll to be taken to the Vulkaan's archives.

The two princes spoke of other topics as they exited the room.

They mainly spoke of the difference in the generations.

They couldn't speak completely openly, but the implications were there.

They knew they lived in a time that was more peaceful, and they wanted to keep it that way.

Even now their parents encouraged mainly pointless battles.

Large amounts of territory hadn't changed hands in over a century.

It was all inches of footing, or a small camp.

People died for such little gains.

The two princes eventually came to a large window.

Two servants opened it, and they stepped to a balcony.

Outside the courtyard was packed with Vulkaan, and their servants.

Tynan had his princely smile on.

Purpura and Brand's adviser waited inside, watching.

Purpura knew the smile Tynan had.

It was fake, a smile he'd mastered long ago.

A smile that swayed hundreds, and could charm people with minimal effort.

But Purpura knew that it was hallow.

He'd seen Tynan use that smile on anyone from visiting princesses, to prisoners of war.

It was an empty promise of kindness and sincerity.

A trick his parents had taught him, to trap people intro trusting him.

Tynan would unconsciously use it on Purpura, but knew it didn't sway him in the slightest.

Brand began an impressive boast about the greatness of peace.

After a bit, he brought Tynan into the speech, before 'officially' announcing the treaty had been signed.

Once the words left his mouth the people erupted into a roar of excitement.

Their cheering was so loud, Purpura couldn't even hear the rest of what Brand said.

The two finally left the balcony, and they exchanged words before Brand walked off.

Once the two of them were alone, Tynan let out an exhausted sigh.

"I didn't realize one peace treaty would be so exhausting."

Purpura gave a bit of a smirk.

Tynan continued, "I can understand why she made these treaty good for so long.

But also not too long. Have to keep the treaties relevant, without being annoying frequent."

The two began to walk.

"What have you been up to anyway?

I swear every time I look for you, you've vanished...

Wait, does it have to do with that secret?

I'd been so absorbed in the treaty, I nearly forgot."

Purpura chuckled, but nodded.

"It does?

What are you possibly doing in Vulkaan Territory that's such a secret?"

Purpura smirked, as Tynan examined his face a bit.

"Am I ever going to guess?"

Purpura thought a moment.
What was the chance that Tynan would guess, that he was following orders from the god of time?

That Tynan was destined to kill his own mother, and such a thing caused the destruction of peace as it was known.

And that in trying to prevent such a thing...

Purpura had discovered that Tynan's mother had secretly traveled the world, having been here and in Kelpshin territory trying to conceive?

Purpura shook his head no.

There was no way that Tynan could possibly ever guess any of that.

Tynan groaned in annoyance.

"See, this is why you need to be able to talk.

So that I can torture information out of you, properly."

The two stared at each other a long moment.

Then Purpura walked away, Tynan watched confused.

Tynan then realized what he'd said, and groaned annoyed

"Damn it!

Why would I even say torture?

Stupid, stupid.

Decades trying to find a cure for his mutism, and then say if he wasn't mute you'd torture information out of him?!"

Tynan groaned again, "This is why he wouldn't take the angel's tear.

Cause you're a sadistic a*****e, and he knows it!"

Tynan then paused realizing there was a servant standing behind him.

The servant was wide-eyed watching Tynan essentially, talk to himself.

Tynan sighed, then stared the servant down. "Tell no one, understand?"

The servant nodded, then Tynan smiled. "Good. Now, shoo."

The servant run off, and Tynan sighed again.

After two weeks, the two were preparing to leave.

Tynan was sitting in the carriage, and Purpura was helping a servant load up their suitcases.

Once finished Purpura entered the carriage as well.

It wasn't long before they started towards the portal to leave.

Tynan sat back, "I don't think I'll eat for a week.

There was so much food, and everyone wanted me to try different stuff.

I'll definitely have to do some training when we get back."

Purpura pointed to himself.

Tynan looked to him, "You want me to train with you?"

Purpura nodded.

Tynan thought on it a moment, "Why not?

There's an excellent training area in the castle.

It's for my private training, so no one would bother us."

Purpura shook his head and pointed to himself.

Tynan sighed, "I can't stay away from the castle for too long.

I need to be back home for a bit, at least a week.

Then we can go to where ever it is you train.

I promise."

Purpura didn't like it, but knew he couldn't really fight Tynan on the issue.

To push too hard might be revealing.

So he gave a slight shrug, pretending to not care.

After a bit the carriage paused, and they knew they were at the portal.

Tynan didn't have to exit, the Heartless Empire was much more 'open boarders'.

They welcomed new blood into the land.

Eventually the carriage moved again.

Once they were thru the portal, Tynan reached his hand out.

Purpura took it and the two vanished.

They appeared inside the Heartless castle, in Tynan's room.

The carriage would catch up eventually.

Tynan stretched, and went to a cabinet.

He went thru taking out some 'training' clothes.

Neither could wear their assassin clothing, just in case someone did bother them.

Tynan tossed a few things to Purpura, who examined each with little interest.

Eventually they both got changed though.

They walked out of his room, and began thru the corridors.

"Ah, you have returned to us."

They both stopped, and Tynan turned about.

Standing was the queen, her hair in a elegant bun today.

Tynan gave a small nod, "Yes. Just a bit ago, we were going to the training room to work off some of the food from the celebration."

She examined Purpura, who was still acting as adviser.

She then stared Tynan down.

"Training with one of them is useless for you.

Perhaps you should summon that assassin of your's."

Her expression seemed knowing, but Tynan didn't acknowledge it.

"If I was hoping to improve my skills, an extremely talented and quick whited opponent would be best.

However, I simply need to work off a bit of food.

And since patient Damiaan was with me, he agreed to simply help me with a light exercise."

Tynan and the Queen stared each other down a bit.

Finally the queen answered, "If that's what you think is best."

She then turned about and left.

Tynan's fists were clenched, and Purpura gently touched his shoulder.

Tynan unclenched his fists, and the two walked on to the training area.

Once down there, Purpura simply grabbed a punching bag and hoisted it up.

Tynan began light punches, before he started talking.

Tynan spoke partially to Purpura, and partially to himself.

As he spoke he punched harder, for he was talking about his mother.

Purpura was examining some of the other equipment in the room, not really listening.

Tynan needed less for someone to actually listen, and more to just speak his mind.

When there was suddenly a flurry of power, and Tynan shouting.

Purpura looked back to see the punching bag shredded to pieces.

Tynan looked furious.

Purpura grabbed another punching bag.

There were plenty.

"Don't bother." Tynan said, removing the pieces of the one he'd destroyed.

Purpura shrugged, and set the bag down.

Tynan spoke, "She had this deep seeded hatred of nekos, that I do not understand.

It's something beyond considering nekos weak.

She usually taunts 'weak' species, but she wont even speak to you."

Purpura shrugged, he didn't care.

If she didn't talk to him, then he wasn't expected to talk to her.

And a lot of the people who talked to her, either became like Tynan. Angry.

Or were killed.

Since, his version of angry involved blood rage, he was content to be ignored.

Purpura wondered if he should spend the entire week nearby.

Do his best to keep distance between Tynan and the Queen.

But would that make Tynan question his intentions?

Or worse, make the queen question him?

He kept looking thru the equipment, Tynan kept talking, but his mind was elsewhere.

He needed some sort of long term solution.

He couldn't follow Tynan around for years, he had things to do.

Was there any way to patch up their relationship?

Was there even a relationship to patch?

Perhaps there was simply a way to eliminate whatever the 'trigger' was.

But he needed to figure out the trigger first.

At least he had a year to try to figure it out.