Again I'll be using Scots Gaelic for the elven language, just to make everything clear. I apologize for any mistranslations that may occur.

***

Context: Thirteen-year-old Prince Scott Major is attending the annual meeting of the (at the time) nine empires

***

I was awoken by a large CRASH coming from the nearby bedroom window, and I jerked awake, sitting straight up to peer around the room at what had created the noise. 

The walls were painted sky blue, the bed centered in the room, directly across from where I sat was a bureau with a mirror over it, and I immediately yelped, getting scared by my reflection.

Finally, my eyes landed on the open window. The open window that I had shut the night before. My gaze followed a girl as they staggered to their feet. "You really need to put a stool under there-" she said, holding her head. Their raven hair rippled down their back, a blue sheen shining wherever the sun hit. They quickly pushed their glasses up on their freckled nose, one of their pointed ears twitching.

"O mo Aeor, na biodh eagal orm mar gu 'n robh mi 'n am chadal!" I said, taking a quick breath to calm myself down.

(Oh my Aeor, don't you scare me like that I was sleeping!)

The girl tilted her head in confusion. "I got...half of that." She replied, raising one of her dark eyebrows. 

I sighed, rubbing my face as I attempted to translate what I had exclaimed in my head first. "I said," I started, annoyed from both being waken up and having to use this much brain power this early. "Do not scare me that way-" It was hard to tell what I was saying unfortunately, my accent masking my words like smoke. "I was trying to sleep."

"Well, the sun's up, now it's your turn!" The girl said cheerfully, putting her hands on her hips. "It's the weekend and I don't have school so-"

"Wreeeeeeeeen." I groaned, drawing out her name as I rolled onto my stomach to bury my face in my pillow, blocking out the light streaming from the now opened window.

"Scooooooooooott." Wren replied, and I felt as she sat down on the edge of my bed, going to rock me back and forth, but I swatted at her.

"Leave me alooooooooooooooooone."

"No."

"Feuch?"

(Please)

"Also no." Wren replied, pulling me up by one of my stubby golden antlers that just poked out from me hair.

"OW, WATCH IT!" I snapped, sitting up and glaring at her, before crossing my arms with a pout.

Wren rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop it."

"I will stop when you stop crawlin' through me window!" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at her.

Wren sighed, adjusting her glasses again. "For the last time, Scott, it's my not me." She said, using the matter-of-fact tone she always used when she tried to correct my language.

"Me." I repeated stubbornly.

"My."

"Me."

"My."

"ME."

"MY-"

"Mo phrionnsa? A bheil thu gu math?" Came a voice, muffled slightly, from the other side of the door. One of the many servants my parents had instructed to tend to me. Let's just say it was thoroughly annoying.

(My prince? Are you well?)

My eyes widened, and I swore quietly under my breath, before shoving Wren off my bed. She took her cue and dove underneath the bedframe to hide just as the elven servant opened my door.

"Tha mi gu math, tapadh leat." I replied, sitting up a little straighter. "dìreach air iongnadh"

(I'm fine thank you. Just surprised.)

The servant raised their eyebrow. I had attempted to learn all of their names but failed miserably so I had given up. Instead, I addressed them as sir or ma'am, which greatly seemed to annoy my parents. One because it wasn't elvish, and two, it was as if to talk to them as if they were my equals, which they were, was a crime. "Bho dè?"

(From what?)

"Uh - dìreach an uinneag." I lied, glancing towards the open glass out onto the roof.

(Uh- just the window)

The servant looked surprised, and immediately crossed the room to shut the window, their long blonde braid swishing behind him, before turning and giving me a short bow. He straightened up, before speaking, "Do mhòrachd, tha a' bhanrigh ag iarraidh do làthaireachd."

(Your majesty, the queen requests your presence)

"Màthair - tha a' bhanrigh ag iarraidh m' fhaicinn?" I asked, blinking slightly. Rare was it that either of my parents specifically wanted me. I believe they think me a failure, though I can never be too sure. They seem to change their mind every day about how they felt about me.

(Mother- the queen wants to see me?)

"Tha. Tha dùil riut ann an seòmar na rìgh-chathair." He responded, before swiftly stepping out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

(Yes. You are expected in the throne room)

Wren quickly climbed out from underneath my bed, frowning. "What do your pàrantan want with you this early?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Despite her little knowledge of the elven language, which was typically spoken in the royal family and the higher classes, they understood some bits, at least enough to understand that my mother and father wanted me.

(Parents)

"No idea..." I murmured, slightly anxious at the thought. I preferred to stay either in my room, or the library where I could be by myself- unless of course I got dragged out by Wren. I glanced at myself in the mirror, and I looked a mess. Bedhead, the bane of my existence. "I should be present...able, was it?"

"Mhm." Wren said with a proud look glinting in her eyes. "You're getting better!"

I smiled widely. Ever since I had met Wren, she had taken upon herself the task to teach me the language of the humans, and the lower classes of elves like herself. I had known the basics back then, but not nearly enough to communicate a full conversation with her. And in return I had begun the hard task of teaching this stubborn girl more than the basics of the complicated elvish language.

How I met her you ask? She broke into the palace gardens while I was reading. Now, she wakes me almost every morning by scaling the wall and through my window. For context my room is on the third floor. It's a miracle my parents, nor my servants, have caught her yet.

I got to my feet, and Wren instantly stood in front of me. I looked up at her. Yes up. She's about two inches taller than I, and sometimes it made me want to strangle her. "Lemme help..." she said, going to mess with my hair.

"'Lemme'? Is that some new weird human slang-?" I asked, confused, batting at her hands as she tried to fix my hair.

"It's just- an abbreviation." she grunted, trying to hold my hands back but at the same time trying to fix my hair.

"Whyyyyyyy?" I whined, finally giving up on stopping her as she fluffed my bright cyan hair in some places, flattening others.

"Because you're going in front of the rìgh and banrigh. Remember what happened last time they called you and you just rolled out if bed?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

(King. Queen)

I gave her a blank look. "I'd rather not think about it."

"Exactly."

After ten minutes if arguing, I was finally ready. 

I was nervous. Wren always tells me it's strange that I was scared of my parents. She says she and her mom talk all the time. If I were allowed to leave the palace, I'd love to meet Wren's mother. But it was looked down upon, in this elven culture, to have children without being bond (or married as those human's call it) to another. So, Wren and her mother were looked on as inferior, which was completely unfair. One if the many things I hoped to change if I ever became king.

"I'll be here when you get back!" Wren said, before crawling underneath the bed. At this point she lived in my room. I sighed, before exiting my bedroom and into the hall. I stared at the ground to avoid making eye contact with any of the paintings lining the walls, those of my ancestors and former ríghrean (Kings) of the empire.

I slowly descended the stairs into the entrance hall, fiddling nervously with the golden earring I wore in my right ear to show my status. Prince. Or as we say here, prionnsa, though I prefer the human word.

I stood in front if the large ornate doors to the throne room, guarded by two of the Rivendalian gaesgeach, a chosen few who were to protect the royal family with their lives. 

One, specifically to the right of the door, jerked his head in a nod-like bow, before opening the door for me, the second following suit. The open door revealed a grand hall, nearly twice the length as the entrance. A velvet and gold embroidered carpet made its way to the platforms where the thrones sat, marble pillars lining it with a gaesgeach between each, sword at their side as they stared straight ahead of themselves like statues.

I looked up, meeting my parents' eyes across from me. My father sat regally in his throne, his dark brown hair swept over his face before being braided down his back just underneath the golden band that formed the base of his crown, the crown of Rivendale, his violet eyes stern as they surveyed me. No emotion entered his expression as he laid eyes on me, though his posture relaxed the slightest as if he were glad I had finally arrived. My mother on the other hand smiled softly as she set eyes on me, her own pale blue eyes happy behind the lenses of her golden rimmed glasses which matched the golden circlet she wore, her blue hair just a bit lighter than mine tumbling over her shoulders in elegant curls.

"A h-uile boghadh airson a ' Phrionnsa Scott!" Came a voice to the left of me and I jumped as it echoed throughout the hall. In unison, all twelve of the guards stationed in the room bowed, and I took this as my cue to shakily walk between them up to the throne.

(All bow to Prince Scott!)

As I reached the platform, nearing the end of the carpet, I bent down on one knee, bowing my head to stare at the ground and my shoe. "Mo rìgh agus a' bhan-rìgh..." I said in a quiet, shaky voice which made me even more nervous and embarrassed then I had been before entering.

(My king and queen...)

"Eirich, a mhic." My father's voice boomed throughout the throne room, and I had to refrain from flinching at the loud noise.

(Arise my son)

Slowly, I got back to my feet, carefully looking both Rohan, my father, and my mother Pandora in the eye, before back into my father's face. "Car- Carson a tha thu air mo ghairm?" I asked, trying to remember the proper way to speak with them in such a formal setting.

(Why have you summoned me?)

"Mar a tha fios agad, tha an t-Earrach a' teannadh dlùth, agus ann an dhà latha tha coinneamh bhliadhnail na h-ìmpireachd air a chumail anns a' Grimlands." Pandora began, her arms resting on the edges of the ornate marble throne she sat upon.

(As you know, Spring is fast approaching and in two days there will be the annual meeting of the emperors held in the Grimlands)

I nodded in reply. I knew of this meeting, where my parents would leave for a few days to meet with the other empires to discuss trading routes and exports. But what I wondered is what that had to do with me?

"Uill, tha sinn air co-dhùnadh mu dheireadh mar a bhios an ceathramh co-là-breith deug agad a' dlùthachadh gu bheil thu sean gu leòr airson siubhal còmhla rinn.." My father continued, nodding slowly as he spoke. "Bidh e math dhut tighinn a choinneachadh ris an fheadhainn a dh' fhaodadh tu a riaghladh ri taobh latha air choireigin."

(Well, we have finally decided as your fourteenth birthday approaches that you are old enough to travel with us. 

It will be good for you to come and meet those you may rule next to someday.)

My eyes widened as I began to realize what he was suggesting. I had never been allowed to leave the empire, the city even. Heck I was hardly allowed out of the palace. And now they wanted to bring me across the world...? No, just no.

"Ach-" I started, panic spreading quickly into my expression.

(But-)

"Chan eil 'achs', Scott. Tha sinn a falbh aig dol fodha na grèine, dh' àithn mi do d' sheirbhisich gu math a phacadh air do shon. Bidh sinn air falbh airson còig làithean" My mother said, her eyes narrowing the slightest bit to give me a stern gaze.

(No 'buts' Scott. We are leaving at sunset; I ordered your servants to pack well for you. We will be gone for five days)

I knew it was no use. So, I sighed, nodding my head, before I bowed again, quickly departing from the room. As soon as I had made it down the hall out of sight, I sprinted up to my room, panicking. Five days. Five whole days away from my home. I had never gone away for an hour from the palace. I had never spoken directly to a human either. Actually, I'm not even sure if I had ever seen a human in person.

I entered my room, quickly locking the door behind me. I had communicated to my servants before that I preferred to handle my own things, which they found strange. But they obeyed, and my parents didn't need to know.

"So? How'd it go?"

Wren's voice startled me as I whipped back around. I had been so stressed I had forgotten she was still in here. "I- uh- nooooo." was all I managed to get out, before faceplanting onto my mattress. As you can probably tell by now this was a common occurrence.

"Oh, what is it this time?" Wren asked as she sat crisscross beside me.

"They are taking me to the Grimlands." I said, my voice muffled by my mattress as I attempted to bury myself in the sheets.

"WHAT?" Wren half-shrieked. "You're leaving me!?"

"I do not want to go!" I protested, looking up. "They are making me! Apparently, they would like me to meet the other royals..."

Wren looked thoroughly upset. "How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"Five days." I replied miserably, resting my head back onto the mattress. "Aeor cuidich mi... I am going to die."

(Aeor help me...)

"No, you're not. You're being a little bit dramatic." Wren said, placing a hand on my shoulder to try and lift me up. "I overexaggerated. It's only a few days-"

"But the humans! What am I supposed do? I can hardly speak their language-"

"To do." Wren corrected.

"EXACTLY!" I cried, sitting up before burying my face in my hands. "And then their children will be there as well...Marbh mi a-nis."

(Kill me now)

"I have no sympathy for you. I have to talk to other people my age every single day. You get to stay in your room to study-"

"And I would like to keep it that way, thank you." I cut off, glaring at her.

"School's actually fun sometimes- You heard how they changed the system here to be more similar to the human's a couple years back, right?" Wren asked.

"Yes...? How is this relevant-?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"It's not I just thought about it-"

"Oh Wren..."

"Back to the subject! You. Will. Be. Okay." She insisted, shaking me back and forth with each word.

"BuT wHaT if I aM NoT?" I asked, my voice vibrating as she shook me.

"You will be, I promise." Wren replied, finally relenting her obnoxious shaking. "Need help packing-? I already know you're not gonna let your servants touch your stuff."

"You are correct." I answered. "And if you would like."

I got to my feet, brushing myself off as my wings ruffled behind me. Wren ruffled my hair as well one last time before grabbing one of the many bags I had. I had never used any of them before, so I didn't have any idea as to why I owned them, but they were there.

Carefully we packed some of my nicest clothes. Again, I hardly used these, yet I had so many. I just wished for once I could wear a t-shirt around the palace and not get reprimanded. They were so much comfier than the elegant robes I was forced into.

I had read about few of these other royals. I knew of King Benedict and Queen Victoria of the Grimlands to which we were headed, and of their son and daughter though I had forgotten their names. I had heard of the Kings Andrew and Jonathen of Gilded Helanthia and their daughter, and of course the Queens of the Overgrown. I had walked into my father once ranting about the last two, yet I had no idea why he had such a problem with same-sex couples and rulers. But to be fair, my father got angry over many things humanity was involved in, so I tried not to take notice...

We had finished minutes later, and I straightened up with a small sigh. "They will be here in a moment to..." I grimaced. "Get me ready. You should leave."

Wren sighed, nodding. "I know- I'm gonna miss you while you're gone."

"Miss me? You always complain about me-"

"You know what I mean. Get over here." She said before pulling me into a hug. I yelped, before I hugged her back. Truth be told I was going to miss her as well. I wish she could come with me. Yet my parents didn't even know of her existence, and if they knew she was sneaking through my window every morning and every night, she'd be in the dungeons faster than I could protest.

"I will see you in a few days?" I said, my voice muffled by her shirt.

"You know it. I'll be through your window as soon as I know you're back!" she answered, pulling away and patting me on the head. 

"Why are you treating me like this-? I am not even that much younger than you-" 

"Ten months." Wren grinned. "And because it's fun- see ya!" she added, before climbing back out the window, waving to me as she began to scale back down the building.

It was sundown. I had spent the last few painstaking hours getting 'all dolled up' as Wren called it. I don't understand why it took them two whole hours to mess with my hair. It doesn't even reach my shoulders, and I would mess it up almost immediately anyways.

I stood at the entrance to the palace, right in between my mother and father, frozen to the spot. My eyes were fixated on the ground, my hands folded in front of me as the servants loaded our things into the carriages that would take us to Eastvale. It was a twenty-hour carriage ride. No wonder we'd be spending several days there. And I had to spend those twenty-hours in the same carriage as my parents, pretending to be all prim and proper as a prince should be. How fun...

Finally, once the carriages were ready, the large stags hooked up to the front to pull us, we were ushered towards it. "Thig, a Scott." My mother insisted, gesturing for me to follow with her gloved hand.

(Come on, Scott)

I sighed, before following in their footsteps, entering the carriage. We sat across from each other, my parents sitting on the same side. I stared into my lap to avoid looking at them, closing my hands around each other to stop them from shaking.

"O, bidh e ceart gu leòr. Chan eil ann ach beagan làithean." My mother insisted, reaching her hand out to take mine. "It will be good for you." she added in the language of the humans, smiling at me. "You hardly ever meet anyone your own age."

(Oh, it'll be alright. It's only a few days.)

"...I know Màthair." I replied, squeezing her hand lightly as she held it out.

(Mother)

We sat in silence for the rest of the ride. I couldn't sleep for any of it. My mother did at one point, resting her head against the back of my seat, but my father didn't. You could cut through the tension in the carriage with a knife, the hours we sat alone.

But slowly, in the late afternoon of the next day, I gained enough courage to move and peer out the window. We were riding through rocky mountains and cliffs, terrain I had never seen in person before. The land was bare except for fields upon fields of lush wither rose gardens. The Grimlands...and we stopped as we approached Eastvale's gates.

***

OoOoOOoOoh cliff hanger.

But yeah, that was my attempt at writing a oneshot :)

If y'all like it, I'll do a part two of the actual meeting- and bring in some of the other emperors as kids! But only if people actually read this.

ANYWAYS- I had a lot of fun writing Wren actually- very good character. Unfortunate she's not in the series. Maybe I'll one day write about what happens to her.

Also, feel free to ask any questions! I know since this was in a different timeline it may be a bit confusing- especially with all the translations. So again, feel free to ask about anything you may be confused or have questions about!