The short stories I am writing (and have been writing in the last few replies) are events happening between the two first updates (since Maika is the ruler in the first update and Sofia in the next, due to the timespan). I am just trying to grow an impression of my nation.
Sofia smiled self-confidently. It was at the yearly tournament where all the young men and women who had reached 18 years during the past year contested against each other. They were riding in full speed and catching smaller and smaller rings on their lances, and they had reached the final part of the contest. Only two contestants remained; herself and a boy from a neighboring village. His name was Rasun, and his straw-coloured hair was blowing in the wind as he charged towards the place where the small iron ring hung, lance lowered.
Sofia was sitting on her horse, the small metal ring already caught on her lance. On her saddleknob were the larger rings she had caught; one was of carved wood, one in copper, one in stone, and the largest was in tied-together flowers. It was customary to give this largest ring to someone you cared for.
A clanking metal sound made Sofia refocus on the tournament, and she saw Rasun's lancetip clank against the rim of the metal ringing, missing it only narrowly. He quickly stopped and turned around, as cheers emerged from all around. Everyone was looking at Sofia, but she was only looking at Rasun. He tried to look sad, but a small smile found its way to his mouth. He had missed the ring on purpose. The smile disappeared before anyone else noticed. Sofia nodded silently at Rasun before turning her attention to the crowd all around her.
Rasun rode his horse, decidedly slow, towards the stand where his family stood. His father had a tear in his eye, so proud was he of his son. His little sister was staring at him with a gaze that gnawed right to what was in his mind. She knew him better than anyone else. He smiled a disarmingly relaxed smile at them and shrugged. He was just about to say something when he heard the gasp of the crowd behind him.
It was as if everything moved slower. As soon as he heard the noise, his stomach clenched together in expectation. He dared not turn around to see if what he had in mind was happening. Time was moving ever slower, before finally he felt the soft bump against his shoulders as the ring of flowers landed around his neck. He smiled as he turned around, already knowing who had thrown it. Sofia was still mounted and in her armour, beaming at him with a mix of overjoyed happiness and firm determination. Her lips quickly and silently formed the words "You are staying here", and he begun to rode back towards her, shrugging. Behind him, he heard the gasps of his family, but did not look back. He rode up next to Sofia, their mounts facing opposite directions.
With the same determination as before, Sofia grabbed him around the neck with her left hand and pressed his lips against hers. She completed the earlier sentance, whispering into his ear: "... Forever." Rasun looked back, smiling at his parents who were now both crying of happiness, and his sister, who was beaming at him. He made a reassuring gesture with his left hand, before picking up his own ring of flowers and placing it around Sofia's neck, returning her kiss. The tournament square exploded in cheers.
