~+^ Prologue ^+~ -
Sunday, March 20, 2011 -
The HeartStrong clan are known to be all about love. Their economy is based on jewellery, chocolates, flowers, little trinkets, potions and anything that has to do with love. It isn't only their income that's tied to love; their rite of passage to being accepted as a man within the clan is also about love.
And it is during one of these rites, held at the end of every year, where this story begins..

"Will Lucius, Son of Lucian, step forth?"
A crowd of hundreds of people watched solemnly as a slim man with long, black hair walked up a stage carpeted in romantic-red and adorned with gold and silver ornaments. It looked more like a wedding than a ceremony to mark one's coming of age.

When the slim man finally stopped, he was in front of the town's Chief Priest who was garbed in a royal purple robe. The chief priest eyed him with a look of disapproval before asking quietly, "This.. This is what you wear for your rite of passage, Lucius?"
"What are you talking about, Garrow?" Lucius' face gave off an exaggerated look of puzzlement, "I always dress like this!"
"Yes, like a man who just got out of bed," Garrow looked up at nothing in particular as he bemoaned, "Your mother got you some formal wear, if I recall. Where are they?"
Lucius shrugged in reply and the chief priest decided to let the matter rest.

As he raised his voice, Garrow announced, "As is the clan's tradition, Lucius has reached the age where he must prove himself a worthy member of our solidarity. He is to leave this place and return only when he finds himself a wife!"

The crowd roared with approval, "[Aye!]"

Reaching for a small, leather sack, the chief priest proclaimed, "Take this small fortune, venture out into the world and find a woman to love for life, Lucius, son of Lucian!" He handed the sack to Lucius who accepted it with two hands, bowed to the crowd and walked off quietly.

"Will, Ulysses, Son of Laertes, step forth?"

The ceremony continued for the many other men who had just turned sixteen. They would all be given the same small fortune, 50 gold coins (Think: free-food for 5years), and they would all be cast out from this town for one purpose; to find a suitable life-partner.
Harsh?
Maybe but the men of the HeartStrong clan believe that love is what granted them immense wealth and happiness.

After the ceremony, everyone roamed about to visit the many wooden booths that had been set up all over the town; each booth would be giving out free food and drinks of all sorts. This was, after all, an annual event and the HeartStrong were certainly wealthy enough to be spreading their riches. The atmosphere was merry with bards and buskers scattered all over. Walk from one end of the town to the other and you would hear the melodies change fluidly without awkwardness of any sort.

Lucius grabbed an armful of strawberry danishes from a wandering waiter and stuffed his mouth with one of them.
"Very elegant," a woman was laughing at him. She was slightly shorter than Lucius with shoulder-length hair dyed brown, "That's my son, always the gentleman!"
Lucius turned around, "Ugh, why must you do this to me?"
"But this might be the last time I get to make you blush!" the woman took a danish from Lucius' carefully balanced stack and took a bite out of it, "Dahlia makes such wonderful pastries, wouldn't you agree?"
"All right, what are you here for?" he knew his mother well; she would not engage in idle chatter unless there was a pressing need.
"Why, I just came here to talk to my son before he leaves!"
"No, you came here to nag at me."
"Well, yes and no," the woman took a step back with her hands to her back and looked down, "You do know how important this is, right? The woman you bring back home will be with you till you die. Literally." It was not a joke. Amongst the HeartStrong clan, the price of divorce is death to both parties. This is how strong their belief in '[Till death do us part]' was.

"I know, mother. I know," Lucius shoved another danish into his mouth. For now, this was a festive occasion. But he would soon be thrown (Well, not exactly 'thrown' but it felt that way to him) out of town and be forced to find a wife.. At the age of 16.

He would have to leave without any belongings save the very clothes on his back and that small fortune..
This post was made @ 5:36 AM