State of Affairs: Antonidas

Queen ??? - This is Antonidas’ wife, and as a result they are unsurprisingly very close to one another. She is one of the very few that get to see between the cracks of the Pyroar’s facade, and as such is one of the few precious comforts that he affords himself. He is incredibly protective of her, and will not allow a single word to be ill-spoken of her. Even in public settings, the two are rather lovey-dovey, though they have been seen having lover’s squabbles over the state of their three sons, particularly that of their youngest, Lancelot…

Prince Lancelot - This is Antonidas’ youngest son, and perhaps more importantly the heir to the throne. While Antonidas wishes that he could say that the two were actually on good terms, the reality is anything but that. Thanks to how hard he was on his son during Lance’s younger years, the Meowth has grown resentful towards his father and communication has broken down drastically. Seeing arguments over very simple requests is very commonplace in the castle. However, more recent developments have led to a very slow, but steady rebuilding of the two’s ‘friendship’.

Prince Raijuun - This would be Antonidas’ middle child, and the scourge of the royal guard. If there was ever a relationship more strained than Lance’s, it would be Zayne. Infamous for causing trouble and making life hard for the guards, Raijuun gives Antonidas a horrible reputation by proxy of being his father and being incapable of controlling his son’s destructive, devious behavior. The Pyroar often finds himself having to make public appearances at ruined market stalls, trying to talk his son out of being exiled-- even if he himself isn’t too opposed to the idea at this point. The two only became more distant once Antonidas elected to choose Lance over him to become the future king, driving a massive wedge between the destructive thief and his father.

Prince Zayne - People say that parents are not supposed to have a favorite child. Apparently they didn’t tell Antonidas though, as its crystal clear that he loves his firstborn more than any other. This is Antonidas’ eldest child, and was the man’s original choice to become king. However, his son had bigger ambitions of becoming one of the best and well known knights in the kingdom-- and he was also shrouded in controversy, being a part of the Pyroar’s original marriage. Despite all of this though, the two are remarkably close. While it may be a bit of bias kicking in (he is his son, after all), Antonidas would trust no other more to help protect the kingdom from abroad. This had the unintended side effect of having to send Zayne away to House Duskmaire undercover, where he occasionally receives letters from. He cannot possibly be prouder of Zayne, but not a moment passes by in his growing age where he doesn’t worry about the Luxio’s safety. He isn’t even sure if his son IS a Luxio any more…he hopes to get to see him again soon, ideally safe and sound.

Orphelius - Orph is Antonidas’ head guard, and more than that is the man’s oldest friend. Orphelius had been assigned to him as his personal guard back when HE was a Litleo and Orph was still a Vibrava. As a result, it should come to no surprise that these two are thick as thieves. Whatever Antonidas cannot tell his wife, he is usually more than willing to tell to the Flygon. As he has gotten on in years, he has continued to rely on Orphelius, going so far as to appoint him as head of the royal guard and even allowing him to continue the tradition of being the personal guard for the next-in-line. While it is usually unwise to mix your work and personal life, Antonidas has found it to be a rather important rule to break; he couldn’t really imagine life without the kind words and support of his childhood friend.

Kuri and Kreid - These two spiders are members of the royal guard, and have been grouped together for the sake of convenience as they are brothers. Antonidas doesn’t drop his facade for the royal guard, save for Orphelius. As such, Kuri and Kreid are subject to the Pyroar’s harsh words and stern orders. Kreid in particular tries very hard to appease his king, and Kuri finds himself taking far more of the yelling when it comes to orders. He appreciates the work they both do, even if Kuri tends to slack off and Kreid tends to try TOO hard…

Ophelia - Ophelia is another member of the royal guard, and is perhaps the one that has gained the Pyroar’s interest the most. Untrusted by most of the other guards, Ophelia has tried her best to prove to Antonidas that she deserves to be there-- and has found common ground thanks to the two’s shared fire typing. While she is subject to the same facade as the other guards, he tends to treat her with a modicum of kindness more than her peers. It is speculated that he sees a lot of Orphelius in the Larvesta, and secretly hopes for her continued success in the guard.

King Xymar - This is the king of House Duskmaire, and the two are NOT on good terms at all. Given that he launched an all-out fight against the other 3 kingdoms, it really isn’t shocking that Xymar and Antonidas are not exactly friends. More interestingly, though, is the fact that the two used to be great friends during their time as princes. Antonidas isn’t entirely sure what exactly changed when Xymar evolved, but the man’s disposition and attitude changed drastically as he became a Typhlosion. Antonidas has always wanted to ask him what happened to the cheerful Cyndaquil he once played with in the castle corridors, but for now? He has to keep the interests of his own kingdom in mind first and foremost, and that means staying at odds with someone he once deeply cared for.

Queen ??? - This is the queen of House Silverreach! The two interact fairly frequently, and Antonidas has sent more than one gift to the woman as a sign of their renewed alliance against House Duskmaire. While the two don’t go nearly as far back as his relationship with ???, the queen and Antonidas do appear to be on friendly terms. She is, however, not close enough to see the Pyroar without his infamous facade, and Antonidas does his absolute best to keep things to strictly business. There is currently a point of mild contention between the two, that being the matter of why none of his sons have evolved…but hopefully that won’t drive a wedge between the two.

The Royal Alchemist’s Court - This section has been consolidated into a single block for simplicity’s sake. Antonidas, like the other kingdoms, knows very little about House Rosewind’s exploits. They supply things to the other kingdoms, but Antonidas has not had the fortune (or misfortune?) of interacting with the current ruler of House Rosewind. As such, he has an uneasy alliance with them, but can’t really make a solid opinion on its kingdom’s residents or ruler.