Whitney Writes…

The throne room was empty. Save for the boy king, his father, his step-grandfather, and his siblings. Rolund I still sat upon his throne, but he was leaning heavily to one side in order to watch his siblings playing across the room. Jaga was screeching as Ah-Hareem gave her golden ponytail a tug. Unar was bossing around Gudstar and Rolud II – yes, the King Rolund had a younger brother, also named Rolund; no one had been quite certain what their mother had been thinking, nor why their father hadn’t overruled her.

His father was snapping his fingers at him. “Pay attention, my boy,” he said sternly, “we need to figure out a plan to keeping the Stormcloaks in check.”

“It may not be possible, this one thinks,” Murdan was saying softly. “He had your wife’s entire reign where he was free to do as he pleased. She never attempted to control him, and he’s used to it.”

“It makes him dangerous,” Ralof growled.

“It means you cannot be soft,” Murdan said. “I know he was your friend before, but you let him get away with things with Fadiya that Rahim would have never allowed.”

“Why can’t we just plan an expedition?” Rolund I asked with a wistful sigh, leaning his cheek against his small fist. He was watching his brothers hunting their sisters from across the room, wishing he could play, too. Because he was so enamored with watching them all, he missed Ralof’s and Murdan’s eyes meeting above him, the wheels churning in their collective minds.

“What if we send Ulfric on an expedition?” they both said.

Inktober 2024, Prompt #24: EXPEDITION🧡🖤👻🎃