She, Who Is Kissed By Fire

[Javert 5573]

Spoiler

None of this art is mine and credit is due to the original artists. I want to tell a story with this post, and nothing more.

The Warrior's Soul

 

Ludwig von Audrick and his wife, Adelaide von Audrick

 

Ludwig stood on the balcony of the Von Audrick manor, cigar in mouth. It was not unusual for the Waldenian to stand upon the balcony and have a cigar ever since the end of the War of Wigs and subsequent Brothers' War, but this evening felt different. His mind was ablaze with thoughts of his family. His Sons, his Daughters, and of course, his beloved wife Adelaide. 

 

It wasn't uncommon for Ludwig to think of his Wife and Children. They were dear to him, as any respectable man's family would be. He had worked his hardest to provide comfortable childhoods for his and Adelaide's children since the day they were born in Louisville, and especially following the fall of Haverlock. With the wars being over, Ludwig could return to his life of being a devoted Father; but things were difficult. Ludwig was a warrior and had been so all his life. North, South, and West across Almaris had Ludwig travelled to fight. He would not admit it to anyone, not even his beloved wife, but the adrenaline that the warrior felt when in battle was unmatched. It made him happy. Over time, it had become his unhealthy coping mechanism.

 

Resettling into civilian life was not easy. Ludwig found himself travelling many days and nights outside of Karosgrad, even travelling to the different far-out nations of Almaris. One day, upon his return, his beloved Wife had confronted him about his wanderlust. All this time, Ludwig had been ignorant. He had been leaving Haense for weeks, even months at a time to travel. He was ignorant of what it was doing to his Wife, his Children, all of whom Ludwig had promised to devote himself to. The words his Wife said left their mark. They were not harsh, for his wife did not attempt to berate or belittle him. They were not insulting, for her words were gentle and kind as they had always been. Still, the words his Wife spoke cut deep into his soul. Her words were...sobering.

 

There and then, Ludwig made a promise to his beloved. He would no longer travel, unless it was with her and their children. He would no longer seek to fight wars that were not his. Once Ludwig had walked onto the balcony of their house that night after speaking with his wife, he noticed the beauty of the sun setting over the horizon. He felt drawn, pulled even. He descended from his balcony, and walked out to the beaches of Karosgrad.

 

Before long Ludwig's paintings became more complex, detailed. More full of his emotions. Ludwig had finally found something that he could allow himself to indulge in as a healthy coping mechanism. Soon, his paintings moved on from images of Karosgrad sunsets and onto things he loved and enjoyed. He began with drawing armored figures with greatswords, and when his ideas for knights in shining armor passed, he looked to the one thing he loved the most;

 

Adelaide.

 

It began slowly. He started by memory and made simple sketches, then began sketching as she worked through the day. Handling their children, doing chores, even reading a book; Ludwig had done a sketch of it. Whenever she asked, he played it off as meaningless drawings he did to pass the time and hid them from her when he could. Yet one day, when his wife lay sleeping in the morning sun, he again drew a sketch. This time, he left it at her side so she may discover it when she awoke. When she looked upon it, she embraced him. She told Ludwig how she adored it, and how she would marry him time and time again if he allowed her. Ludwig felt warm at her words. His lips curled into an infatuated smile as he gazed upon his wife, and he told himself how lucky of a man he was to have married her.

 

Not long after, Ludwig requested that his Wife pose atop a stone fence near the port of Karosgrad. As she did as he requested, Ludwig withdrew a canvas and began to paint. As he did, he realized that all his sketches he had done from memory and without her attention did not compare to what he saw before him. Her beautiful green eyes gazed up at him lovingly, and her lips curved into the gentlest of smiles. Her red hair glistened against the bright morning sun as if her hair itself were kissed by fire. To him, she was nothing short of Angelic.

"She, who is kissed by fire. She is my world, my stars, my sun, my warmth. Without her, there is no light in my life. Without her, my world is cold" - Ludwig von Audrick

[esotericas 1559]

Adelaide von Audrick thinks her husband is a simp.

Adelaide von Audrick does, however, also love her husband dearly. Soon the walls of the Von Audrick home fill with her husband's art, each piece carefully framed. Adelaide keeps the dearest sketches to herself, tucked into pages of books or pockets of dresses, so that she might come upon them once again at some later date.

Edited April 23, 2022 by wowsirss
javert made me

[PixlHoopa 177]

Aldrich von Audrick giggled as he looked over the paintings, clapping for his father's work. He scribbled on a paper, a nice stick-family portrait on the countertop. He was no artist, but like his parents, inherited the love of familial bonds.

[CopOwl 1668]

Adele Emma Ludovar observes Ludwig's paintings plastered all over the walls of the Von Audrick residence whenever she visits... They remind her of Matyas's books which he used to dedicate to her when they were younger; before all of This. And it is only when staring at some of the paintings of her mother does the familial resemblance between Mother and Daughter really stick out to her. She was always the one who looked like Anya, while Amicia was the twin that looked like Johann. But she had accepted that this meant nothing to either of her close family and that her father would never treat her different as his daughter because of Anya.

But now... Amicia could marry freely. She may have been intended to marry Frederick, but she chose to do so. Adele was being denied.

And it poses the worry in her mind that her feelings might forever be entwined with her Mother's foul fate, despite the happy ending she eventually garnered.

[StrongBear 1185]

Perhaps the eldest son, Adrian von Audrick noticed his father was home more often then usual but yet he continued with his usual routine, get up early, stay out later, only to repeat the day after -over and over again. However, he did notice the painting, looking at it with such awe until he went on with his day.

[TaytoTot 1168]

Annette von Audrick admired her parents' relationship! She ran down the halls of the family home, her fingers gracing over the painted canvases.  "Mein husband and ich vhill be like zhis one day!" She giggled to herself, thinking of her poteintial future.