[color=lightgray][h1][center][color=9354FF]Ryn[/color] & [color=ab274f]Prince Wulfric[/color] - Part II[/center][/h1]
[center][b][u][color=red]FLASHBACK:[/color][/u][/b] Sola, 27th[/center]
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The docks. A deceptively simple phrase for an area which spanned almost the entire length of Sorian’s coastline. Thankfully, following where the old fishmonger had pointed - straight south - did not have the pair searching for too long. On Lovers Lane, the multi-storied brothels stood in muted colours, their paint flaking off, dulled by the light of day where the cover of night might have lent them an air of mystique. Yet, the pleasure district was not abandoned; many peasants had dwellings nearby, and activity was teeming. The clanking of pots and pans was audible through a cracked open window, a launderer was hanging out clothes to dry, there was a mother nursing her babe while smoking here, a father carrying a child on his shoulders there, an old woman haggling at a stall over yonder, workers leaving from night shifts or yet on the way to their jobs all around.

The mill they passed was already in full swing, and the farmers too were toiling away on their fields. They took to the south, treading the narrow, muddy paths between the houses. Stone was supplanted by timber here, the poorer fishing families unable to afford construction sturdier than their wooden shacks. Their planks were weathered, rot beginning to take in a few places, newer boards dotting the walls where those too ruined had to be replaced. Salt lined their edges as heavily as the scent of brine permeated the air.

Mostly women, elders, and small children mingled by the cabins. They were preparing equipment for the fishers, processing caught fish, and performing other small menial tasks. Stopping by for short chats proved more fruitful than Wulfric would have imagined. Not only did they get more precise directions, they also learned that recently, pirates were becoming more of a problem. After a long stretch where sand was becoming more common than dirt, hissing quietly under their boots, they reached the docks. Wood groaned and creaked under thudding feet as men went here to fore. Labourers carted crates, sacks, and bales of supplies and merchandise. Fishermen were going out on their boats, taking with them nets, traps, and fishing lines, or coming back with their haul.

[color=white]“MOVE, ‘e need ‘ese done by ‘alf past!”[/color] A harried supervisor split his time between counting boxes, helping carry the occasional one, directing workers, and ticking off items on a small stained notebook, worn and yellowed from use.

[color=ab274f]“Need help? We’re looking for work,”[/color] Wulfric approached, helpful smile in place.

The supervisor glared at them, a rebuke on the tip of his tongue. But after a second thought, he said, [color=white]“Aw, ‘ell. Y’r fit, ‘ealthy, and sober. Names?”[/color] The pair introduced themselves. The man jotted their names in his notebook. [color=white]“Alrigh’. ‘ired, now MOVE!”[/color] He waved vaguely in the direction of a stack of crates, then towards one of the moored ships.

Bemused, they went to it. In the midst of a shipping rush, there wasn’t much leave for chatting, but Wulfric still introduced himself as Adel to their new, temporary coworkers, learning their names in turn. Then, it was a cycle of loading, carrying, unloading, and back again. There were ups and downs in activity, and whenever things slowed down, the prince strategically built familiarity with the labourers.

As hours passed, the sun rising ever higher, Wulfric was unpleasantly reminded how multiple layers and heat didn’t mix well. It wasn’t as if he was about to strip, unlike some men, who walked around bare chested. A tunic with a jacket wasn’t worse than wearing armour for the day. Still, it was a different beast entirely to pick up, carry, and drop off boxes of varying sizes while utterly exposed to the sun. Even the water they had access to from a rare few wooden water barrels was awfully tepid. No convenient streams here, nor any shades to rest in. They weren’t so lucky that it’d be a cloudy day, either.

[color=white]“OY, Del!”[/color] That was Jim, who had taken to shortening his assumed name to three letters. [color=white]“Jacket’s naught ‘elpin ya wi’ ‘is ‘eat!”[/color]

Wulfric rolled his eyes out of the man’s view. [color=ab274f]“I know. But I’d rather sweat like a swine than get [i]rashes[/i] from the bloody sun!”[/color] he called back. It was a valid reason, and a true one. Not the main one, which was keeping on his disguise. 

A snorting laugh followed. [color=white]“Rash? What, ya ‘ave-a sun allergy?! Oo–ooh, do ‘e ‘ave a [i]vampire[/i] walkin’ round ‘ere?”[/color] He laughed to himself foolishly. There was some chuckling, and many headshakes. Those who were superstitious hushed Jim, fearfully making a gesture to ward off imagined evil.

[color=ab274f]“Do you see me burning up, you idiot?”[/color] More muted laughter followed, but thankfully, the supervisor noticed the distraction, and urged them to, [color=white]“Get back to it!”[/color]

By the time lunch hour crept on them, the prince’s tunic was soaked front and back. The borrowed jacket hadn’t escaped being marked by sweat, and neither had his trousers. His hair was uncomfortably sticky. He really, [i]really[/i] wished for a shower. Fresh water was limited, though, only enough to splash his face, neck, and wash his hands. [i]Without[/i] soap, because apparently, that too was considered a luxury. How dreadful. No wonder diseases were more prevalent here.

Surprisingly, lunch wasn’t only fish. The fishing families exchanged part of their bounty for produce from the farm across the street. Fish could be made into good fertilizer, and in return, they received flour, eggs, milk, vegetables, and (if much more rarely) meat. 

So, besides the fried fish, there was also a vegetable broth, a slice of bread, and a piece of cheese. Those with families in the area sat down by their shacks, others used the docks, the crates, or the handful of chairs scattered about. Plenty of folk were amenable to talking, and Wulfric learned all sorts of mundane details. What kinds of lives they led. The differences in earnings between long-term labourers or fishers versus the short-time hires. Which time of the year was better, and which was worse. How much they caught, who they supplied, who managed the operations. 

Acting as a prospective employee, they got the idea he was after a quick buck. He received several vague warnings, and a few cryptic clues. Now, he wasn’t looking to uncover the smuggling the old fishmonger had hinted at per se - there were more effective ways to crack down on crime - but he was curious how much these peasants were involved. Though most were oblivious, there was enough general awareness about [i]something[/i] going on that they couldn’t be completely unaffiliated. A couple of unknowns like them weren’t going to get anything more concrete, however.

Towards the end of lunch, Wulfric sat down next to Hendrix. He was intending to share his findings, but then, a stray thought stopped him. Glancing at the count, he remarked, [color=ab274f]“You can fit in well just about anywhere, can’t you?”[/color]

He blinked. [color=9354FF]“Do you think so? … Thanks!”[/color] Ryn smiled at the prince before turning his gaze to the people around them. [color=9354FF]“It might be because of my family. They have strong opinions about experiencing all walks of life.”[/color] The good and the bad. For both survival and understanding. 

[color=ab274f]“I do. Had I not known how recently you had attained your status when I met you, I doubt I would have guessed. I realize it is a skill borne from experience and effort, but you seem to adapt with natural ease,”[/color] he noted. From what Hendrix said, it appeared to be a family tradition of sorts. [color=ab274f]“You lot have an unusual approach.”[/color] Wondering whether the use of ‘they’ rather than ‘we’ when the count had referred to his family was incidental, he prompted, [color=ab274f]“How is it from your point of view?”[/color]

Dark eyes remained on the people as their owner asked, [color=9354FF]“Meaning?”[/color]

[color=ab274f]“Do you agree with it? Would you recommend it as a rearing practice? Or have you been following along with your family’s expectations, and it’s happened to work out?”[/color]

A soft hum, like a bee considering a flower. [color=9354FF]“Yes. Not really. More or less,”[/color] he answered. Then, elaborating: [color=9354FF]“Understanding comes from experience, and yes, my family shaped that belief. But recommend it?”[/color] His mouth twisted slightly. [color=9354FF]“Not... all of it.”[/color] The count faced the prince fully. [color=9354FF]“Do you know what it feels like to starve?”[/color]

Wulfric, who had been watching Hendrix throughout, gently swayed his head from left to right. [color=ab274f]“I see. They subjected you to suffering so you might [i]understand.[/i]”[/color] He suspected the intended lesson and the reasoning behind the act were radically different, and yet…It was an unexpected commonality between his family and the count’s. [color=ab274f]“Why go so far? Was the idea there that by doing what they did, they might further understanding in the world?”[/color] If it was, it required the appropriate amount of influence to pull off.

Ryn tilted his head. [color=9354FF]“... So ‘they might further understanding [i]in the world[/i]’? What do you mean by that?”[/color]

[color=ab274f]“Well,”[/color] Wulfric brought his hands together, gesturing as he spoke. [color=ab274f]“One of the basic ideas of society is that we need some agreements - or rules - in place to ensure the group’s survival. Thus we subject ourselves and each other to laws; if for no other reason, the average person will be deterred from harmful actions because they wish to avoid punishment. It is similar in education, and in rearing. With the goal of shaping the desired character or conduct, teachers and families will implement negative or positive consequences for certain behaviour. Because we are closer to beasts than we would like to admit, we tend to deal in what we are most receptive to: pain and pleasure. Whip a child if they disobey, do what they shouldn’t, or [i]not[/i] do what they truly should, and reward them if they do well. That much is not uncommon, yes?”[/color] The prince didn’t really give him a chance to reply.

[color=ab274f]“But according to your family’s creed, if we take it to its ultimate logical conclusion, each and every one of us should experience a variety of suffering in a controlled amount, preferably in childhood when we are at our most impressionable. In theory, that would lead us to understand that suffering is undesirable, thus we would avoid causing it, and possibly even work to undo it wherever it exists. Since your family is unable to induce such changes in the whole population, they are doing it on a smaller, more manageable scale. Perhaps each person in your family is raised in this way. Or perhaps one person per generation is selected to minimize casualties, as it were, and [i]you[/i] were the sacrificial lamb placed upon the altar of their moral superiority.”[/color] His voice had grown rather dry towards the end, and he raised an eyebrow. [color=ab274f]“So, am I anywhere close, or are my assumptions entirely erroneous?”[/color]

[color=Dimgray][i]Sacrifice.[/i][/color]

[color=9354FF]“Are you worried if my family starved me on purpose when I was little?”[/color]

[color=ab274f]“That is one way to summarize it.”[/color]

Ryn gave Prince Wulfric’s arm a gentle, reassuring pat. [color=9354FF]“My family kept me well-fed, I promise. The worst they ever did was insist I eat my vegetables—”[/color] He stopped short, considering. [color=9354FF]“Actually, I take that back. The worst was making us finish our cousin’s cooking attempts, because heaven forbid we waste food.”[/color] Sheer blue irises peered at him, and after a beat, a nod followed.

Even as he laughed, Prince Wulfric’s earlier words about understanding through suffering niggled at Ryn’s mind. [color=9354FF]“Adel, can I ask you something?”[/color] he ventured. [color=9354FF]“Is that what you think this whole trip is about? Some kind of... suffering-based enlightenment lesson?”[/color]

[color=ab274f]“You may always ask,”[/color] Wulfric told him sincerely.

The actual question produced a perplexed blink. [color=ab274f]“No, of course not,”[/color] he shook his head, bemused. This time, it was the prince who was drawn to observing the people mingling about. [color=ab274f]“I am quite fond of this trip. It reminds me of learning excursions from my childhood. Though, as I am sure you can imagine, those were far more curated experiences,”[/color] a faint smile appeared like the flicker of an ephemeral mirage. [color=ab274f]“If anything, I wish I had done this sooner,”[/color] he admitted. [color=ab274f]“There is still so much I do not know…”[/color]

There was an unexpected gentleness in the prince’s [color=ab274f][i]“You may always ask.”[/i][/color]

His gaze traced the sharp lines of Prince Wulfric’s profile—the aristocratic nose, the stern set of his mouth that seemed carved from marble. When that faint smile appeared, it softened what was usually stark, and Ryn could not help but mirror it.

[color=9354FF]“Glad to hear it,”[/color] he said, following Prince Wulfric’s line of sight.

Women mended nets in pools of sunlight while sharing gossip. Children darted between crates and barrels, their laughter mixing with the calls of dock workers directing cargo. Not far from where they sat, a weathered fisherman guided his son’s small hands through the motions of a sailor’s knot. The salt-laden breeze carried snatches of life with it.

[color=9354FF]“You weren’t completely off the mark earlier,”[/color] Ryn said into the comfortable silence that had settled between them, [color=9354FF]“but it’s not about suffering. It’s about experiencing all of it—the bitter, the sweet, and everything in between. If you walked away from this seeing only the hardships... well, you’d miss half the story.”[/color]

Wulfric nodded slowly. The idea was to taste life wholly, to appreciate it for what it was, neither denying the worst of it nor overlooking the best. Yet– [color=ab274f]“For me, it is key to strive for improvement,”[/color] he imparted softly. 

[color=9354FF]“I expect nothing less from you.”[/color]

At that, an amused chuff ensued. [color=ab274f][i]“Good,”[/i][/color] he proclaimed. The labourers were finishing up with lunch, gathering up on the docks once more. [color=ab274f]“Philosophical discussions aside, it appears it is time to haul more crates.”[/color] Brushing off as he stood up, he beckoned the count to follow, and they soon rejoined the others.

Having eaten and rested, work resumed. By mid-afternoon, they were done for the day, and collected their pay. A meager handful of silver and copper after the lunch fee was subtracted. The standard pay for a day hire off the street, as Wulfric had learned.

Pocketing the money, he stretched, andturned towards Hendrix. [color=ab274f]“Let’s see about that well, hm?”[/color] Earlier, he had inquired with the housewives about the water situation. Rather than taking showers, the inhabitants here usually cleaned themselves by rubbing their bodies down with a wet rag. They didn’t wash their clothes daily; when changing into nightwear, they would hang out their attire, airing it at night. Since the dockers had such a shortage, Wulfric decided on a trek to a nearby water source.

The well squatted in a small courtyard between buildings like a sullen toad, its weathered stone topped by a wooden crossbeam. A pulley wheel sang its one tired note from it, and the thick rope showed the wear of daily use.

The air hit them with an unsettling odor that grew worse with each step. It was not the usual well-smell of damp stone and mineral-laden water. This smell suggested that something had crawled down there to die, and then several of its friends had followed to express their condolences in person.

Ryn leaned over the rim. [color=9354FF]“You might be better off dirty.”[/color]

[color=ab274f]“Indeed.”[/color] Wulfric peered into the well, narrowing his gaze at its depths as if he expected to find an actual corpse down there. Whatever was fouling up the water was not immediately obvious, however. [color=ab274f]“Rather than haunted, this is contaminated,”[/color] he referenced one of the rumours the locals had relayed regarding the well. [color=ab274f]“Unless we are going on a well inspection expedition, or take a trip to the nearest source of running water…”[/color] Raising his shoulders, he began unbuttoning the borrowed jacket. He passed it to the count to hold for a moment, and stripped off the sweat-dampened tunic in short order. 

[color=ab274f]“Hmm, much better.”[/color] Smiling, he rolled his neck with the ease of someone who knew he looked good, and was used to being admired. Motioning to Hendrix, he retrieved the article of clothing he had previously worn as a second layer, and donned it as his first and only covering. [color=ab274f]“I will have your jacket washed before I return it to you,”[/color] he assured in case the count was worried what state it might end up in by the end of the day. [color=ab274f]“If someone truly does try to make trouble because of [i]this[/i],”[/color] he motioned to the tunic he carried in his hand, [color=ab274f]“I may as well give it to them,”[/color] he joked. He might have ditched it by the well, but he happened to like his tunic well enough not to leave it to a pitiful fate at this rot-infested watering hole.

[color=9354FF]“We could ask around,”[/color] Ryn gestured at the surrounding houses. [color=9354FF]“Someone here might be willing to share.”[/color] Though he had no idea how well they purified their water. [color=9354FF]“And maybe they can tell us more about the well. It’s possible that whatever contaminated that well is also in the other wells in this area.”[/color] This was not unusual for settlements near shipping lanes. The ships came and went on the waterway, and what they dumped overboard went places—into the earth, into the groundwater, into the wells.

[color=ab274f]“Ask? Surely no one will entertain us.”[/color] Too, he wanted to protest that he would know if there was contamination as widespread as the count suggested. However, he had not even suspected until this day that access to water was in question for a part of the population. [color=ab274f]“Oh, very well. I suppose we can try.”[/color] 

They went from house to house, asking for water or any nearby sources of it. They learned the one well they had been at was the worst, but there were other suspect ones. The slum denizens mentioned a variety of troubles and explanations for them when questioned for the specifics. Like in the fishing area, most people were used to collecting rainwater. There were one or two wells in use, and a couple which were usually avoided. If push came to shove, water would have to be gathered from the western river or the nearest stream in the forest up north. As for the issue with the wells, the inhabitants attributed it to everything ranging from a corpse chucked into one, ghostly grudges, plain old misfortune, a clogged up sewer, to careless waste disposal.

In the end, they found a tired middle-aged woman willing to give them some water. For a grand total of one silver, she let them stay at her house for as long as they needed. When Wulfric expressed his surprise - they [i]had[/i] been turned away by several others - she just waved her hand with a scoff. [color=white]“Naugh’ worth stealin’,”[/color] and [color=white]“Bad sort don’t knock,”[/color] was her reasoning. While they were boiling the water, the prince had time enough to chat to the woman. Not that she had much to say, aside from paranoid mutters that they should watch out for [i]them[/i]. With some coaxing, he learned bits and pieces of her life’s story. Her husband and son had got involved with a gang; the former had been found lying dead in a ditch, the latter had disappeared. The woman was convinced this same group of people had taken her youngest daughter, too. She wasn’t keen on saying anything more, however, and the prince didn’t push it.

The first thing Wulfric did once the boiled water cooled down enough was to remove the borrowed jacket, and wash himself. There was no soap to spare here either, and he outright refused to touch the filthy scrubber, cleaning his upper body with merely his hands. Had they been at a stream, he might have considered stripping entirely, but as it was, there was respectability to keep in mind. [color=ab274f]“Are you fine as is?”[/color] he queried, noticing Hendrix was content to sit there and watch.

[color=9354FF]“Hm? Oh, don’t mind me.”[/color] A teasing smile curved along Ryn’s mouth. [color=9354FF]“I’m comfortable right where I am.”[/color] He punctuated this with a wink. 

A sly smirk spread across the prince’s features. Unexpectedly, a part of him was pleased at the count’s attention, even though people appreciating his good looks was ever-so common. He merely shook his head, however, and subtly checked whether their host was paying attention – she was not, absorbed in knitting by an open window.

Realizing he should probably give a proper answer, Ryn added, [color=9354FF]“I’ll wash up at the end of the day.”[/color]

[color=ab274f]“Suit yourself,”[/color] Wulfric chuckled, but didn’t comment otherwise. He was done washing up as it was, only the chore of laundering the tunic left.

[color=9354FF]“So. Adel, what’s your impression so far?”[/color] The question was deliberately vague—safe enough if overheard, but they both knew what he was really asking.

[color=ab274f]“The access to fresh water is abysmal,”[/color] he replied immediately. [color=ab274f]“The resources which shouldn’t be scarce - and in this country, aren’t - are so here. I consider that a result of mismanagement, so I will endeavour to correct it.”[/color] He hadn’t had much to do other than soak his garment, so he stepped out, and set it to dry on one of the laundry lines connecting neighbouring buildings. He perched upon the doorstep, keeping an eye on the alley while talking to Hendrix. [color=ab274f]“When I thought about those plagued by poverty - if I thought about them at all,”[/color] which admittedly, he rarely did, [color=ab274f]“I considered it either an inevitability or a lack of effort on their part. But I have realized that even performing [i]more or less[/i] honest jobs,”[/color] he referred to their work at the docks, [color=ab274f]“the idea of having savings is, well. Rather improbable.”[/color] He stared into the distance, as if looking at something far away yet which he could see right there.

[color=ab274f]“The way I envision this kingdom, those who show dedication will have the chance to succeed. Talent will be recognized and rewarded, while ineptitude will be corrected or managed appropriately. If a woman is fit to lead, why not have her be a commander, or a queen? If a man is well suited to household duties, why should there be any shame in that? If a commoner demonstrates the qualities of a noble, why not elevate them?[/color] He inclined his head in the count’s direction. [color=ab274f]“You had a point when you criticized me for relying on chance to find potential. To allow circumstances such as these to squander it would be a waste,”[/color] he gestured at the slums with a wave. [color=ab274f]“It is shameful that in a nation as prosperous as ours so many should be dying due to thirst, hunger, exposure to elements…crime. I suppose it is self-evident, but if people’s very survival hangs in the balance, their spirits will eventually be crushed, and their talents will never see the light of day. At the very least, they need the opportunity to live a decent life. Only then would everyone contribute to the kingdom as they are meant to, and anyone could find their rightful place.”[/color] He turned towards Hendrix. [color=ab274f]“So? What is [i]your[/i] impression?”[/color]

[color=9354FF]“If the prince is going to try to make things better around these parts, I think it’d be a smart move to work on the water infrastructure prompto.”[/color] Ryn said, [color=9354FF]“Lucky for him, I heard that there’s a Varian count from Erwynn that wants to help out with that kind of stuff. So, once they get things moving people’ll be getting clean water in no time.”[/color]

[color=ab274f]“True enough,”[/color] Wulfric offered a nod. Someone who was willing to help, even if he wasn’t directly affected…How nostalgic.

[color=9354FF]“Aside from that… These are some hardy people! And they’re pretty open to outsiders all things considered, don’t you think?”[/color] Ryn subtly reminded the prince of their earlier talk about not being too fixated on the negatives. 

[color=ab274f]“Indeed. It would be interesting to see them involved in such restructuring efforts, would it not?”[/color]

[color=9354FF]“That it would.”[/color][/color]