Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK II - Scene XVIII

The Tunidan prince arrived in Brynnyfirdia, his ship looking very much out of place on the craggy coast of the Free Sea. Colm greeted him warmly as he stepped onto land. It was cold on the approach to the island, but the cold wind that now sprayed Prince Reach's hair and nipped his skin felt slightly more biting, and stopped his body from feeling the nerves that might otherwise have troubled him. A sense of purpose steadying him on the rocky wet terrain. Still, all awareness of the weather was quickly abandoned as a further person came into view.

Prince Estorie, his nephew, and the King of Tunid's son, looked much taller and more adult than he had the last time he'd seen him - when the very Brynnyfirdians he was now negotiating with had attacked his homeland unannounced. When he himself had given the order to escort the young prince to safety. A decision he quickly came to regret. In this moment though, the cherished, once-boyish prince looked healthier and stronger; his features visibly weathered by the gusty climate that Prince Reach was now experiencing for the first time.

"They've even allowed you to have a sword, I see," noted Reach, as he assessed - with both emotion and relief - the robust appearance of his much missed familiar.

"He's one of us now," joked Colm, cordially, with a half-paternal air. The manner of the old Brynnyfirdian further putting the mind of Prince Reach at ease.

As the two reunited family members embraced it was clear that all further negotiations would be a mere formality. As both parties headed inside, each felt a natural inclination to indulge the visit - to drink and to feast before getting down to more serious talk. Yet, in spite of this urge, both sides understood the pressing seriousness of affairs. Making hospitality a luxury that was at a premium. With the Harbour Lands on the brink of falling, and the ripples of mainland power ever-widening in the waters, seconds were precious. So drinks were few, and talk was plenty.

At daylight the next morning Prince Reach returned to his ship with a happy alliance secured ..and the secret of black powder in his numb fingers. Whilst Prince Estorie remained on the island he'd now grown so accustomed to - masking his longing to return to the island of his birth with mature measure.