insurmountable | everybody's challenge turning into mine / and overcame adversity

Let's go.

[The determination in his voice is unwavering, because they'll find them no matter what. They have to. Childe spurs his horse on, galloping as fast as it can back towards the castle. His eyes scan the treeline, and even into the woods themselves...they couldn't of gotten far.]

There!

[He spots their horse, far off the trail that leads to the willow tree. But where are they?]

Oh no...prince, tell me you're not seeing what I'm seeing...

[No where. Not a speck of them to be found.]

[Finding the horse, even all alone, is still better than finding nothing at all. Aether quickly jumps down from his own horse and kneels down to look for any footprints on the ground.]

Don't worry, they couldn't go too far! [Hopefully.

Aether takes a frantic glance around, then tries to follow the tracks.]

It... looks like they went this way!

[And off they go, searching for their two lost companions. But why did those two wander off? Did they want to give the prince and his knight some time for themselves?

Aether suddenly stops in his tracks, his eyes wide, before he covers them and turns away. His face is bright red.]

I-I... found them...

[Elise and Luke seem to be getting along really well when Aether spots them... They are lost in a passionate kiss, embracing each other closely. Just how on earth is he supposed to interrupt them now?]

[Childe quickly dismounts, letting their horses graze on the grass in the area while the two take off. He can also see the tracks on the ground, two pairs of footprints that lead off into the woods. He's behind Aether a ways, spotting a large tree that the prince has seemed to of been staring at for a moment before he turns around, embarrassed.

What a bright shade of red...]

You did? Where-

[He finally steps forward enough to get the right angle to see Luke and Elise, in a tight liplock, and even Childe's face burns a bright red as he turns with his prince.]

I'll admit, I didn't think they'd take to each other that quickly. Uhh...

[What are they supposed to do? They have to go, the king is waiting.]

Let's go together. Wait, that will probably just embarrass them more...I'll do it. Luke isn't the type to jump headfirst into things like this, so I wonder if the princess's passion overtook him...he will be less mortified if I catch him than if the prince does. As for Elise...

[He looks to Aether first, before he goes. He has no idea how she'll react, will Aether have an idea???]

[Aether didn't expect this to go so well so fast either. In a way it's good! On the other hand, right now it's all very awkward. Especially since they need to act fast.]

I don't know how she'll react... Good luck...

[He watches Childe go, while trying not to focus on Elise and Luke. Thankfully, by the time the knight gets closer, the pair pulls away from the kiss. The princess is wearing a loving, dreamy look on her face, her cheeks bright red. She's smiling in this silly love-drunk way that makes her even more charming than usual.

But she is also the first to notice that the two of them are being approached. A sharp gasp escapes her lips when she spots Childe.]

S-sir Childe! W-what...? Didn't you go ahead with the prince?

[Her hands cover her cheeks now, eyes try to look everywhere but Childe or Luke.]

[Oh good, he's glad that he doesn't have to break their kiss, relieved when they finally break. He does feel a little bad that they didn't have the privacy they wanted, but they really need to go so...]

I did, but there's something that's come up, princess.

[He gazes to Luke, concern in his eyes. The squire instantly understands what's happening, and he turns to Elise, to comfort her.]

It's okay, we just need to go right now. Something's come up, and I'll make sure you are safe and sound. I swear on my honor! Come princess, allow me to help you stand.

[Luke stands up, offering his hand to her.]

We have a few things to discuss on the way, you two, [Childe says, walking with them back to their horses. Meeting back up with Aether, he begins to explain.] The king and your father are looking for us. I may have told them that Luke was to be your personal knight, princess. Can you guys play along?

[The princess' eyes grow big, but she nods and accepts Luke's help. As they approach Aether, the prince gives her an apologetic look, embarrassment still visible on his face.]

I-I see... We're being challenged so soon, but it's okay. We'll make it through.

[She tries to sound optimistic and she first grabs Luke's hand to encourage him, before she's shyly reaching for Aether's and doing the same for him. Then she realizes she doesn't have a third hand to also give Childe's a squeeze and that is enough to make Aether smile.]

Right, it'll be just fine.

[Once they're all prepared to return to the king and Elise's father, Aether turns to Childe.]

...If they ask why Elise is riding with Luke, what should we say? That it's just for horse riding lessons?

[Aether poses a good question. The knight's thumb finds his lip, thinking. He's got to come up with a plan, and quick. There's plenty of good explanations for this, he's sure. He already gave them a sort of half-ass answer already, and they bought it, sort of...]

I think we should stick with the reasoning I gave earlier. That Luke was simply charged with protecting her, and to your point, we can throw in because she lacks some horsemanship is why she was riding with him. Luke, [he says, turning to his squire,] you wouldn't mind giving the princess riding lessons as well, would you? That might give us some more...versatility, let's say, to deal with this in the future.

Of course, Sir Childe! I'd be honored!

[The squire turns to Elise, looking proud, and yet somehow sheepish at the same time. Childe laughs inwardly- wow Luke, at least learn a poker face here.]

Alright, then it's settled. Let's head off.

[Finally reaching their horses, they all mount and take off- to confront the king.]

Edited 2022-06-19 15:26 (UTC)

[As everything is talked over they all make their way back to the king. Aether can't help but feel nervous, yet he tries to look as natural as possible.]

I apologize for the wait! [He says the moment both his father and Elise's father appear in sight. The two turn to face him and their gazes quickly fall onto Elise and Luke. The king's brow is raised.]

Luke has been teaching the princess about horse riding and at some point they decided to take a small break.

[As those words are spoken, Elise quickly nods.]

Yes, that's correct! Sir Luke has been very kind to me!

[A small blush creeps on her cheeks and she tries not to look at the squire in question.

At the same time the king remains silent, expression unreadable, but Aether could swear that his father is suspecting something.]

[Childe looks at Elise as she speaks, his anxiety rising as she blushes. Elise no, now isn't the time to get all flustered! The knight tries to keep as much of a poker face on as he can, cursing her for being that adorable, really. It's working out in their favor, but this is not the time and place.

His eyes then flicker to the king, and he has the same idea Aether has- not buying it. One bit. Childe manages a small gulp, he can't let this get out of hand or he's going to be out of a head.]

Aha, yes, when push comes to shove, it's important that the princess be able to ride a horse. Luke has fine horsemanship, I wouldn't trust anyone over him.

[He nods at both of the fathers, and Elise's father claps a heavy, hearty hand onto Luke's shoulder.]

That's wonderful to hear! You make sure you protect my daughter with your life, squire, I'll be counting on you. Say, when does this young lad get to become a full fledged knight? I can tell just by looking at him that he's got the skills.

[Luke nearly jumps in surprise, not knowing what to say, so he chooses to be silent, smiling back nervously. Childe, who is sweating mild buckets, is thankful for Elise's father. Like father, like daughter, as they say. Don't they?]

That's a great question. Your Highness, [he says with a sly tone,] when does our dependable young squire here get the honor of being knighted anyway?

[The atmosphere feels tense as the king continues to be silent for another moment. Then, he finally closes his eyes and speaks up.]

I shall keep an eye on him. If he proves himself in his new duties, then I shall have the knighting ceremony prepared.

[He then glances at Childe, before addressing the princess.]

Princess Elise, if you ever feel that this squire is not fulfilling his duties or that there is something else you are not happy with, then please, do not hesitate to inform me. I wish nothing more but for you to feel welcomed and comfortable here.

[Aether is pretty sure this confirms that the king knows something is up, but he leaves Elise to decide if she wants to continue on like this or not. The princess nods quickly and the king doesn't say anything more. Once again, he gives a look to Childe, then to Aether, as if in warning, before turning to Elise's father.]

Let us go. We still haven't hunted anything today.

[Aether feels a small dose of relief. If his father will allow this madness to exists as long as Elise is happy, then it should be fine. They all want the princess to be happy, after all.]

[The king's glance feels like a sword that goes through his heart. Childe is unafraid of most things, but even he realizes the weight of a king who has their eye on you, and not for a good reason. Having to be on his best behavior isn't usually an item on his to-do list, but it is now. He has a sinking feeling that the king is onto them, even if he may not know exactly what it is yet.

But at least he's safe for now. Nodding, Childe turns to the other three, a grin on his face.]

You heard the king. We're to hunt now, so let's get going. Princess Elise, if you don't want to, you aren't required to come. But I think hunting is quite an experience, and you might even like it.

[Why he's suggesting this, who knows. Only he'll be able to tell what his true intentions are.]

[The princess perks up a little.]

Oh, I have trained with a bow a little... I think I would like to give it a try!

[That's quite unexpected, but Aether nods with a soft smile. As they are on their way, the prince decides to ride closer to his father, hoping to talk some more to him.]

Father, I...

[The king raises his hand up to silence Aether, then he gives a heavy sigh.]

I know you have princess' best interest in mind and I hope you will never stray from that path. And neither does your knight.

[Aether presses a hand to his heart.]

You can rest assured that we will not. I swear on my own life.

[The king gives his son a surprised look, but eventually his gaze finally softens. Aether also relaxes and just when they're about to continue the conversation, the princess points at something in the distance.]

I think I can see some rabbits ahead!

[Childe rides far enough away that he doesn't hear the conversation between the prince and the king, but his eyes glance over just in case. It looks to be going well, and he'll rest assured that Aether has made sure his father is calmed about all of this. It's one of the prince's many talents, as he is a far better diplomat at the end of the day than Childe ever will be.

He's also impressed at the princess's sharp eye- even he hadn't seen the creatures up ahead. Undoing the bow attached to his horse's saddle, he slows his horse and lets it trot quietly over to Luke and Elise, handing the bow and arrows over to her.]

Here princess, show us your skills. Luke, hold the horse for her.

[As soon as he hands it off, he backs up to Aether, looking over to the prince with a glint in his eye. She said she's trained with a bow, right? He's not sure how much she's trained or how well she shoots, but if she's happy, then everyone's happy, right?

Luke hops off the horse, holding the reigns for Elise, looking at the rabbits that don't seem to notice them yet. They graze on some grass, unsuspecting.]

Edited (i added more nps) 2022-06-19 22:13 (UTC)

[Aether also watches with curious eye, wondering how well the princess will do. Elise takes the bow from Childe, then settles into the right position to give a shot. She focuses for a moment, eyes sharp on one of the rabbits. In this very moment she looks like she's a professional at this.

Finally, she shoots. The rabbits flee in a hurry and Aether tries to see if Elise's arrow has reached any of them. Soon it's clear that one of the animals lies there motionless. The king and Aether look absolutely impressed, while the princess gives her own father a proud look.]

You're truly amazing... [Aether says and at that Elise blushes and looks away.]

Ah, no... it's nothing, really. I'm sure Sir Childe would be able to do just the same!

[The king seems even more assured seeing the two interact like this. Meanwhile, Aether snickers in his mind, because he knows how bad his beloved knight is with the bow.]

[The knight only laughs a little nervously, because where he's confident he may of hit the rabbit himself, there was no doubt, no hesitation on the part of the princess. It was far enough away, hidden enough too that he would have had a lot of trouble, considering how his bow skills aren't quite up to par with the rest of his weapon expertise, but she...wow.

His eyes are wide with shock. Now that the rabbit lie still, she nailed it exactly where she should of. It never would have had a chance to escape under her eye.

He glances over to Aether with that same expression, before turning back to the rest of the party. This is exciting.]

Yes, of course. I'm honored you have that much faith in my abilities, princess. I suppose we'll have to have a little competition now, shouldn't we? Now that the bar has been set so high. What do you all say? It'll surely make our afternoon worth it. We can go off in pairs, our two kings of course can pair together, myself and the prince, and then the princess and the squire.

[Because Elise needs a damn handicap. He hopes that everyone can see this clearly. It's not even just because he wants to be with Aether, this time.]

[Aether's eyelids lower slightly and he smiles.]

You've found yourself a worthy opponent, Childe. This definitely sounds interesting.

[He looks to his father, seeking approval and the king shrugs, then finally smiles.]

So be it. May the best hunter win.

[Elise seems a little overwhelmed that she's suddenly taking part in the competition, but she's quick to nod, looking eager to show her skills.]

I'll do my best!

[And so each pair goes their own way, hoping to prove their skill... Aether honestly doubts anything else may happen here. Childe seems really eager to win.]

[Finally, a moment of respite in this tense situation, it seems. Childe joins Aether by his side as they trot away on their horses, letting Elise keep his bow for the contest. They'd really only need one, as it would be difficult and dangerous to be shooting at multiple targets at the same time.

As soon as they are no longer within earshot of the others, Childe's shoulders finally sink downward in an exhaustive sigh.]

I really thought your father was about to have my head there. I really owe Elise one.

[It's as if the stress was radiating from Childe, coming so close.]

And now, I must think of a way to defeat her in this contest...who would have thought she was such a good shot.

[Aether can see how stressful it was for Childe. He's not surprised at all. His poor knight could lose his life if things went wrong. The prince reaches out to pat the other's shoulder. That's the most he can do as long as they're on their horses.]

We both owe her... But also I spoke with my father. I have sworn with my life that Elise's happiness will be most important to us.

[His smile is tiny, but there's no happiness in it.]

If something goes wrong and my father would want your head... then he'll have mine as well.

[What would be Aether's life without his knight, anyway? If Childe was to die, then Aether would follow him.]

As for how to defeat the princess... [He perks up.] How about we try hunting boars?

[The knight's eyes widen for a moment. He can't just say that and move onto the topic of hunting just like that. Childe shakes his head, backing this conversation up to that before he even dares think about hunting any boars.]

Wait just a moment. I won't have you losing your head in case I lose mine. You have to live on, and I won't accept that answer from you.

[He's beyond flattered that Aether would say such a thing with conviction, but he could never allow it to happen. Is it romantic? Yes, but Childe's selfishness stops at a certain point. That is definitely one of those points.]

Is that understood? Or else I'll be coming up with a plan to get us both out of the woods.

[Which, knowing Childe, will happen anyway.]

[Aether can't hide his surprise hearing Childe say those things. Then his eyes soften, fond and loving. As chaotic as the knight is, it was obvious he would never accept both of them losing their life. Yet, the prince can hardly see himself moving on without Childe by his side, living with the thought that this love was the other's demise.

He's not going to say any of that though.]

We're not going to die. My father is already suspecting something, but I think... he'll let it be as long as we make sure that Elise is having a happy life.

[He smiles softly, squeezing his knight's hand.]

And that's what we're going to do. She's going to be loved and cared for. That's what we all want anyway.

[Life may be more complicated than this. Who are they to guarantee that the princess won't have her heart broken at some point? Or that she'll grow tired and unhappy of hiding the truth from everyone?

But Aether wants to stay positive, he wants to believe that this crazy plan will work. But more than anything, he wants to finally be with the person he loves the most. He doesn't want to regret loving and being loved... and now, in this very moment he thinks he can follow Childe anywhere. Even to death.]

[He appreciate's the prince's optimism, and the knight squeezes his hand back. However, Childe still wears a worried expression...that wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, at least about his father.]

You know, the king already suspecting that there's something going on isn't exactly reassuring. Not that I've known him to be an unkind man, but...

[Maybe he shouldn't dwell on it for too long. Childe sighs, looking to the sky and saying a little prayer to himself that this all works out the way he's planned it. He'd much prefer that he can stay with Aether until they grow too old, but there's much work to be done to assure that.

But they'd see it through, he knows it.]

Though, I guess a good place to start to keep the king off our backs is to let Elise have her fun today, right? Let's hunt some boar before we fall too far behind.

[And before his anxiety about the whole situation decides to skyrocket again. He's got a contest to win.]

[Maybe Aether has some more optimism towards this, because it's his own father they're talking about. Surely, the king would recognize how committed his son is to making everyone happy.

Aether keeps on smiling softly. He wishes so badly to spend the rest of his life with Childe by his side, to grow old together with him. He can tell his knight is anxious and he wants to sooth his nerves. Maybe the challenge of hunt will be enough to take the other's mind away for the time being, and later they will figure something out, how to survive this, how to make things right.]

Let's go. I happen to know a place where boars can be spotted.

[He gives his knight another squeeze of the hand and an encouraging smile.]

Oho~? Lead on, Prince.

[Reluctantly letting go of the prince's hand, Childe grips the reins of his own horse to follow Aether wherever he leads him into the forest, refocusing his mind at the task at hand. This was a competition, and he'd like to win it, though he realizes that he might be out skilled. Surely he can find a way around it.

When they come upon some boar, Childe's eyes go wide and his horse slows, as to not scare them. He gestures for Aether to hand him the bow that's attached to his horse, wanting to take the first shot. When it's handed to him, he raises it, takes aim-

-and fires, hitting the top of the boar's back, not quite where he was aiming. It runs, blood trickling down its body, much to Childe's dismay.]

Let's chase after it, it can't outrun us. We can finish it off then.

[They have swords.]

[The right spot isn't too far and Aether can't help but grin seeing how Childe focuses on the new task. The boars suspect nothing as they approach and the prince hands the bow to his knight, observing him as he makes a shot.

...As expected, he still needs lots of practice with the bow and he misses the mark, making the boar bleed and flee in panic. The knight and the prince waste no time to chase after it. However, the animal ducks somewhere into thick bushes, trying to vanish from their sight. The traces of blood are the only thing that shows them the way.

Aether stops his horse and makes a small unhappy sound.]

I guess we have to take our swords and go on feet from here to catch it.

[Thankfully, the board won't be able to go too far, but the lush greenery effectively obscures the path ahead. Aether can't quite tell what awaits them on their way.]

...Let's be careful.

[Sighing, Childe dismounts from his horse to wander towards those bushes that the boar had run into, barely seeing the blood that trails across the greenery. The knight frowns, making a mental note to go back to basics later and practice his archery once again, cursing himself for not having mastered a bow quite yet.

He doesn't see the boar at all however, meaning it still had a lot of fight left in it despite still striking it with an arrow. He starts forward, determined now to track the boar down, and bring it back for dinner. It won't get away.]

Hm, I'm not too worried. No matter whether it's a natural obstacle or a beast that gets in our way, I'll take care of it. You see-

[He says, before Childe lurches forward and nearly falls down. His leg sinks into the ground, and before he knows it, his other legs stumbles forward to balance himself out, also sinking downward.]

Aether...

[He's knee deep in mud that's suctioned him down into it.]

Could I perhaps get a hand...

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