The King without a Crown

by the Crisses

Following the burial of Drendel, King Celee refused to take up the crown. He left Sednil in regency and went on a personal crusade. After being raised by and betrothed to Drendel, her loss was too great for him. After a short period of insanity and violent mourning, he sought out his father, to finally confront the man who had not ever been there for him, or his mother. Lupei mourned Drendel, having known her for many years before Celee was born, having known her in the days of Sidhe splendor before the Unmaking, and having more recently spent time with her through Nightwind. He had not needed to meet and know Celee, there were no better people in the world to raise his son, and knowing them, he knew Celee. His way was to wander and never stay in one place long, but that was not Celee's mother's way, or Drendel's, and it probably wasn't Celee's, he said. Lupei and Celee came to an understanding, and Lupei gave Celee a suit of golden chain mail.

Celee was addressed King without a Crown and King Celeglas of the Golden Armor by the Southern militia. He briefly looked after Nightwind, comatose after the shock of having nearly died with Drendel in her sleep, and counseled with Amethyst and Lupei about the war and militia in the South. He left before Nightwind recovered, so the two had still not truly physically met each other yet, but he felt he knew and trusted Nightwind through knowing her through Drendel, and he sympathized with the diminutive pale elf after her disability following Drendel's death, and left with many regrets and reservations about leaving Amethyst to head the militia in Nightwind's absence in spite of her own mourning for her sister. When Celee finally returned to rule his kingdom, he was far less innocent and easygoing. He had been through too much, seen too much. He kept Drendel's policy of never lording over her people; he was equal with them, a friend, and a mentor, not someone to look down upon others. But he also returned with a firm resolve to keep the enemy off Kerri soil.

Nightwind

Brenhani