Farewell, I've gone | Glowfic Constellation

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When the Other appears, Krak Wawelski is 1. His father's city, Krakow, has been a relatively calm island in the sea of warfare that has covered Europa for generations. Between the Winged Hussars, the Trumpets, and Krakow's reputation for being inexplicably resistant to Sparky siege, ordinary people love it and enemies look for softer targets. The Other does not care; things get worse, and Krakow is full to bursting.

He is 3 when the Heterodyne Boys pass through. Things improve, as they tend to where Bill and Barry pass. But his parents grow more worried. And the chaos the Other has created has emboldened raiders; the Polar Ice Lords aren't attacking Krakow yet, but they are pushing "foraging" mercenary companies ahead of them. One way and another, the city is attacked several times a month.

He is 4 ("Four and a half!") when the Heterodynes disappear and the Other stops attacking. The raiders don't seem to be discouraged. When he is 5, the Polar Ice Lords threaten the city. The Prince and Princess stay to defend the city; their parents and children try to flee in secret.

This only partially works.

His siblings are caught by raiders, who don't care much for ransom when their salaries are coming from the "new ownership". Krak was the second son, and is traveling with his great-uncle's wife. To the best anyone can later determine, they are the only royals to successfully flee.

The defense does not go well. The Ice Lords give control to one of the hireling companies they used, and no one with authority is left alive. The news reaches his aunt and him in Prussia; they visit a local prince and formally witness that he is Prince-in-Exile and she his regent. They receive other news: Klaus Wulfenbach has re-appeared and is establishing order from Transylvania outward. Krakow is well beyond his current borders, but they travel to his headquarters and request aid and protection. When the new Castle Wulfenbach is launched, Krak is in the first class of students.

As the pecking order on the castle develops, Krak is near the middle. He's technically the sitting prince of a significant family, but it's still in enemy hands for several years, and besides, he doesn't even slightly have the Spark. He's bright enough, but not driven, and his contributions are usually throwing cold water on a bad idea rather than suggesting anything excitingly novel.

He studies engineering and dueling, like anyone aboard, but his focus much of the time is on statecraft. The Baron has visits with him every few months, starting when he is 8, when the Baron begins plans to take back Krakow. Krak knows that he will be prince in fact as well as name when he reaches majority, and feels a strong duty to the city.

By the time, 15 months later, that city is integrated into the Wulfenbach Empire, his aunt is sick. He has kept in touch with his aunt by letter, but they weren't close, and she is living with her siblings, not anywhere nearby. He aches for his family, sometimes, but by the time he's ten the others aboard the Castle are more family to him than his blood. He visits Krakow a few times, once with his aunt, but she is too ill to be regent and he is mature enough to know he can't run it. He visits for a week or two about three times a year, but the guildmasters and minor nobles from out-of-town branches have the city running, and he can't fix the broken defenses. They have a nice ceremony and give him the traditional sword of the prince, but he is a stranger.