ｔｈｅ ｐｒｏｐｈｅｃｙ ｏｆ ｈｏｐｅ [ｃｌｏｓｅｄ]

[Aniki]

⊱ 𝐴𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑
the highsword heiress ♢ female ♢ twenty-one ♢ location: port to rooms to meeting room ♢ mentions: ♢ tagged: the other heirs
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Amara gave a small nod to each of the other heirs as they said their greetings. The one that surprised her the most was the Vemoux heir. The two of them rarely interacted with one another, so having him greet her with a small smile was a bit of a shock. She did her best to not show it. She did her best to control her smile when she turned to Leo. It had been so long since they had seen one another. She requested parchment and a quil from one of the attendants so that she could take notes of the meeting. Once she had everything settled she looked over to Maajida.
"Yes, my family has always been collectors of stories. I have taken on the role of scribe. It will be my honor to go through your archives and share any information I have gathered over the years." She did her best to keep her voice calm, but inside she was jumping up and down with joy. The idea of getting her hands on another's library was a dream for the little bookworm.

Amara made notes as the meeting continued. Her eyes dancing between those around her and her parchment. "I would advise that we hold off on the declaration of war until we have all of the facts. Storming in without proper information will only end with disaster. I am not sure about you, but I will not let my people go in blind." She looked over at the Vemoux heir as she spoke. She knew that his family had a history of bloodshed. Whether it was always justified or not she could not say for certain. She hoped he did not take her words as a slight. If anyone was to lead them into battle she would want to have him leading the charge.

➼ 𝐾𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑅𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑑
the second ravillard son ♢ male ♢ twenty-four ♢ changeling ♢ location: forest of the lost ♢ mentions: tagged: caoimhe & nevar
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To say that he was surprised by both girls' reaction to his introduction would be an understatement. It wasn't as if he was trying to flirt or anything of that sort, but rather trying to figure out what they were doing so far from the castle. Unless they knew the area well it could be easy to get lost in an unknown forest. He would be one of the ones requested to lead the search party if they did go missing due to his tracking skills. He was a bit shocked by how the redheaded woman so easily dropped the Sternchaser name. That caught his attention. Then the other one was quick to sass him.

'These two are spitfires for sure.' Keir thought to himself. Before he could get another word in, the redhead took off like an arrow dragging the other girl with her. Blinking a few times, Keir watched them go before something deep inside of him told him to follow. Keir learned long ago to always listen to that little voice whenever it told him to do something. He took off after them and quickly caught up to them. Keir nearly crashed into the back of the redhead when she stopped suddenly. He was about to ask her what all of that was about when he felt the shift in the air.

"What the bloody..?" Keir's sentence was left hanging in the air as he looked around. The ruins caught his attention first. He approached them slowly as if he would scare them away. He ran his hand over the cold stone, his fingers dancing over the runes that were carved into the stone. "I've seen these markings before." Keir didn't realize he spoke aloud.

[Espeon101010]

Nᴇᴠᴀʀ Rᴇɪɢᴀɴ

【Female】【22 years】【Healer】【Forest of the Lost】【tagged: Caoimhe, Keir】

The red-haired girl shuffled closer to Nevar, clearly sharing the minimal trust between two women being approached by a strange man in the middle of nowhere. "Exactly, Lady Sternchaser has always preached discretion." Lasy Sternchaser? This girl was certainly...honest. Nevar fought the urge to bury her face in her palms and instead made a mental note about the relation. Nevar couldn't be sure, but it was possible that this new acquaintance was in a similar situation as herself, serving one of the noble families. They may meet each other again in the future if that were the case. Keeping her gaze on Keir, Nevar was caught off guard by the young girl's exclamation and even more so when her arm was yanked off towards some unknown destination. With a surprised exclamation of her own, Nevar found herself being dragged through the forest, attached to a blur of red. The surrounding scenery blurred and branches whipped past her face, snagging her hair and shirt every now and then. Nevar doubted the young Sternchaser associate even remembered that there was another human attached to her. The look in her eyes had a single focus and it was on something Nevar couldn't see. The world shifted and blurred around her for a second and Nevar felt a pit form in her stomach. Now she would surely be unable to return-she was completely disoriented with this mad dash through the woods.

Was that man following them? Nevar could hear multiple people running, but she couldn't be sure if that was just her and her new friend or if the pair still had unwelcomed company. Her question was answered when the redhead came to a dead stop and Nevar had to throw herself to the side, stumbling for a few paces before regaining her balance, to avoid running into the taller girl. Anger and disbelief bubbled up inside Nevar. How could someone be so reckless as to race off in a random direction and carelessly drag someone along with her? "What was-" She was interrupted as the man she had hoped to have been left behind almost ran into her companion. The sudden silence between the trio made Nevar aware of the changes around them. The trees seemed different, their bark didn't match those she had passed during her walk. The air was also off like it was charged with energy- or danger. As Keir muttered to himself and examined the ruins before them, Nevar straightened her tunic, putting back to the way it was before that mad sprint through the underbrush. As she looked around, however, Nevar felt that pit in her stomach deepen. The ruins looked more than out of place-they looked absolutely foreign, And not just from the other side of the country but somewhere farther beyond that. Keir's soft voice sounded more than thoughtful. Troubled? Perhaps he was angry with them. It was hard to tell just by looking at his back. "I don't suppose you would care to tell us where you've seen them before?"

[Speak]

ｃａｏｉｍｈｅ ❦ ｆｒｅｅｍａｎ

[gender] female [age] twenty-two [role] lady in waiting [ location ] ??? [mentions] [ tagged ] nevar, keir

Momentarily entranced by her surroundings Caoimhe forgot that she'd asked a question at all, her mind felt hazy as she tried to think of why this place felt familiar. Each time she thought she'd grasped the memory it would slip through her fingers and back into the haze of her mind. Her feet moving of their own accord towards the great stone structure Caoimhe felt herself reaching out to trace the runes carved into the stone face. "Me too..." she mumbled under her breath, the energy that surrounded this place was so powerful and yet the young woman felt if she spoke any louder, that everything around her would disappear. Reaching further up the wall her eyes fell to the mark that peeked out from under her sleeve, pulling the fabric down there it was a mark that echoed the runes too closely to be a coincidence.
All at once, the fog lifted from her mind and perhaps for the first time she was really seeing the man that stood beside her. She'd seen him before and yet every time it had been like meeting him for the first time. The earliest memory she could recall however was being in someone's arms safe and staring at a child with the same curly auburn hair and blue eyes. "Deartháir," the word was out of her mouth before she'd realized she said anything before she had even processed what it meant. All this time, at all those stuffy balls she could remember seeing Keir even chatting with him a time or two, but after every interaction, those memories would fade away. Even twig....Twig! Along with her memories of the man standing beside her were other memories, memories of creatures that came from the forests and hid in the meadows. Twig had been a childhood friend, they had never talked but in a way, she knew exactly what they were saying. Why until now was that so hard to remember?
Almost afraid to see Keir's reaction, Caoimhe turned back to their other companion, "It just looks familiar....I can't really make anything out." she admitted sheepishly. Truly taking in their surroundings for the first time Caoimhe couldn't tell where the trees ended, it was as if the forest stretched on forever. Perhaps a silly comparison but she recalled fairy tales about fairy forests with no beginning and no end, in those stories the foolish humans to wander in never came out on their own. The very idea sent a chill down her spine, she couldn't be stuck here forever, her lady needed her. "Perhaps if we look.....we crossed over a log right? Maybe if we find something similar?" the proposition sounded silly but really, what else did they have to go on? Twig had disappeared into the brush as soon as they'd arrived so they were no use at the moment and hopefully Twig was the only being around them at the moment. Despite her mounting fear, there was another sensation that accompanied it, excitement. Gathering her skirts, Caoimhe looped the fabric between her legs and tied the two bunches in front of her waist, a little messy but it'd have to do, with her skirts out of the way now the young woman's eyes landed on the nearest tree. Turning back to her companions she flashed them a smile "I'll try to get us a better lay of the land." she declared before turning to the task at hand. Finding initial hand holds wasn't easy but it wasn't long before the lady in waiting found her rhythm.

ｌｅｏ ❦ ｒａｖｉｌｌａｒｄ

[gender] male [age] twenty-six [role] ravillard heir [ location ] castle, meeting chamber [mentions] johala, maajida [ tagged ] amara, fae king

Breathing out a soft sigh of relief that his point was made Leo's eyes briefly flickered towards Lady Sternchaser who seemed to have taken his comment for an insult. Giving her only a curt nod of acknowledgement Leo knew when it was best to engage and in this instant disengage. Perhaps in his haste, his words had come off more snide than he intended but that could be dealt with later, Johala was a shrewd woman so any attempt to placate her would have to well crafted indeed. Making a note of it Leo turned back to the task at hand and Amara's promise to look into the lore to see if they could glean anything useful. "If you think my assistance in this would be a help A-Lady Highsword, I'd be happy to lend an extra pair of eyes." Leo added a smile briefly crossing his face.
Sobering up quickly as the topic of conversation was once again moved back to war, at least Amara and Crown Princess Maajida seemed to share his sentiments of how reckless a declaration like that would be. War it seemed was inevitable but they needed time to prepare, an enemy as in the shadow and unknown as this one would be difficult from the outset, no need to make it worse. Perhaps in that time he could talk to his brother, Keir might've been young when the Ravillard's had taken him in, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be able to remember at least a few things.
Before Leo could rejoin the conversation however a sudden chill went down his spine, the temperature of the room suddenly plunging, straightening in his chair the young lord went stiff as he caught the briefest of movements in a shadow beside the fireplace. What had been a normal shadow was now a tall thin man, his ears extended to delicate points, the most striking feature was the man's eyes one ice blue and the other a dark brown, both cold and piercing.

"Well isn't this a sight, such a grand gathering and all because of a few minor mischiefs" The mocking clear in his voice as he circled the table seeming to evaluate those at the table. "Don't worry about getting up to greet me, I'll waive the formalities just this once," with a wave of his hand the Fae King stopped just behind the dark-haired man, "and I would advise that we keep this peaceful for the time being, after all, I've been courteous enough to let some of your friends enter my domain." his gaze flickering from Sternchaser to Ravillard and finally placing a hand on the Vemoux boys shoulder.

The horror of his realization turning his blood to ice Leo shot out of his chair "Is my brother unharmed?" he demanded his voice hardened by a wave of anger often unseen in the Ravillard heir.

"Everyone is unharmed, I could not lie to you about that" The King explained, "Once we're done here they will be able to find their way back"

The warning was clear, and Leo lowered himself back into his chair. How on earth had he gotten into this chamber? Were the guards still outside? Was Keir safe? His mind was reeling, but most of all the young Ravillard had to admit even to himself that no amount of facts and logic could explain the man who suddenly appeared. The very air around him was charged with a kind of energy that Leo had never encountered before.

"Now what I came here to do was to offer a deal," The Fae King began a smile spreading across his face, "You see this has been fun, trying to drive you out of your homes, but I need things to happen faster." With a wave of his hand two objects appeared on the table a small orange fruit, a sword with an ornate gold hilt and gold inlaid into the fuller. "Find these two objects in the otherworld and I promise I will cease all curses that are currently plaguing your land and once and for all separate my realm from yours." A deal perhaps too good to turn down. The Fae smirked at the disbelieving faces, "A deal struck with my kind is....sacred, if you fulfil the conditions of the deal I will be forced to hold up my end of this bargain so," Holding out a slender pale hand the King grinned, "Do we have a deal?"

[Aniki]

⊱ 𝐴𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑
the highsword heiress ♢ female ♢ twenty-one ♢ location: port to rooms to meeting room ♢ mentions: ♢ tagged: the other heirs & the fae king
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As expected there were a few bumps along the way, but slowly the meeting was going somewhere productive. Each house seemed to agree that, yes, something must be done. They were still debating exactly how their plan should go about when the temperature in the room dropped out of nowhere. A chill went down her spine when a strange man appeared out of nowhere. It didn't take her long to figure out who he was. She read about him throughout her childhood, she knew the legends backwards and forwards.

The Fae King.

His voice was deep and melodic. With a voice like that whispering promises of riches and other worldly pleasures, if one did what they were asked, she could understand why so many people were swayed to do his bidding. She felt her heart clench at the threat directed towards Keir. Amara looked over at Leo, he looked so broken. She wanted to run to him and hold his hand but under the piercing gaze of the Fae King, she found it hard to move.

Her eyes narrowed when he spoke of a deal. While she was sure the others in the room knew that making deals with Fae was a bad idea, Amara wasn't sure if they knew why it was such a bad idea. It could lead to imprisonment or worse death depending on the deal. The fact he didn't say what he would do if they were not able to find the items told her everything she needed to know. They would not survive whatever he was planning. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, Amara stood up (much to the surprise of the whole room) and met the Fae King's gaze.

"Oh powerful King," Amara read that Fae loved to be praised and begged the Gods that it was true. Given the arch brow and the smirk that was forming she could tell that once again her beloved books were correct. "I speak for this room when I say while your deal is fair," she winced at the looks of betrayal and the raised voices. "You have yet to state how long we have to complete our end of the deal. Before we strike the deal, I would like to know two things: one, will you play the game fairly, as any king would, and two, what you will get out of it. You have told us what we shall receive if we win. It is only fair that you do the same." The longer she talked the more she could see the rage building up within him. By the time she finished the whole room could practically see him shaking with it.

A tiny slip of a thing, a mortal no less, knew not only the ways of his kind but also how to talk her way through a deal with them. The Fae King wasn't sure if he was impressed by her boldness or wanted to kill her. By the surprised looks on the faces of the other mortals in the room, it was clear that they didn't think she had such a thing in her. 'Interesting' It had been at least a century since a mortal had the gull to talk to him in such a manner. Taking a deep breath, he let out a chuckle. Everyone in the room jumped at the sound of it. "You are a smart little thing, aren't you?" The Fae King looked her up and down clearly enjoying the way she blushed as well as the way the male heirs in the room glared at him. "Tell me, girl, what is your name?"

"I will tell you my name when you tell me yours." Names were a finicky thing when it came to Fae. They were more than willing to come up with a name for a mortal to call them but to give away their True Name put them in danger. Once someone got hold of their True Name they would be able to force the Fae to do whatever they wished. "I see you know quite a bit kind, little girl." Amara wasn't sure but she could have sworn she saw a flash of pride in his eyes before they became cold again. "Very well. I will give you two moons to complete your hunt. If you have yet to do so then you are mine. Mine to do with as I please. Whether it is to end the bloodline of your house or have you live out the rest of your life as my servants." As he spoke he slowly circled the table until he was standing between her seat and Leo's. He took her shaking hand in his and lowered his lips so that they were barely touching the back of her hand. "You have my world, little girl, that I will not intervene in your hunt." With that he kissed the back of her hand. When he let go of it, Amara could feel a slight tingle there. A promise had been made. One that he could now not back down from.

"It looks like my business here is done. I shall take my leave." And like that he was gone. The room went right back to how it was. Amara let out a shaky breath as she slumped back down in her chair closing her eyes as she tried to calm her racing heart. Once she felt like she could breathe normally again she peaked up to see the other heirs staring at her with a mix of expressions.

[memichoo]

×

𝚖𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗 𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚡

〈 male 〉〈 24 years 〉〈 " vemoux heir " 〉〈 meeting chamber 〉
〈 mentioned: - 〉〈 tagged: other nobles - fae king 〉

𝚊𝚜--suddenly as the press of war had presented itself, the conversation steered in a related but different direction that had maverin breathe a subtle sigh of relief. he had done what was expected of him and now the spotlight had moved on. his people- his knights- were undeniably intelligent, but it was unmistakable that their raw talents lie in the art of action. they would most certainly have a place in this research, but the burden of acquiring knowledge is easily shared between kingdoms. besides, the heir knew what was expected of him- saw the way the other nobles' eyes darted to and from him like wary prey, heard the rumors whispered behind his back as he passed. the vemoux family were the guardians of honor, and that included the dark side of justice no one liked to take notice of. his name had to bear the hollowness that follows acts of justice, the dirty work behind the noble appearance. if that meant being seen as a vicious monster far too eager to spill blood, maverin was willing to pay that cost. after all, his humanity was a worthy trade for the safety of others. and so he declared his eagerness for war, ignoring his hollow chest and cold fingers and bile stinging the back of his throat. he was almost envious of the others, who did not have to concern themselves with their family legacies as he did. who did not see their father's disappointed sneer as he did. who did not have to be monsters.

as they began to discuss researching their enemies- the first logical step to take- within archives and histories, maverin settled back against the hard press of his chair and clasped his hands in his lap. he was content to simply listen now, to disappear as best as he could whilst observing. after all, he could not offer anything different than everyone else, and other families were far more specialized in such tasks. only the heavy weight of a gaze drew his attention from his lightly scuffed boots, and he slowly lifted his head to meet lady highsword's gaze. she had echoed what the majority of the nobles seemed to support, but he was mildly surprised to see her subtly direct her statement towards him. it shouldn't be surprising, he supposed, given his reputation. the sting of such assumptions had long since grown unnoticeable, and the knight instead found himself bitterly amused. it was difficult to offend him anymore, and he doubted the slim lady had the intention of doing so. they were not familiar with each other past polite greetings and formal conversations, and so he couldn't imagine that she would hold a personal grudge against him. the dark-haired man offered her a nonchalant smile, a simple lilt of his lips that warmed his face by a fraction, before looking away again. once again he felt like an outsider, one who did not belong amongst these respectable nobles. such negativity and insecurity welled up inside him like an inky plague, furrowing his brows before his expression smoothed out again. it was of no matter. not now.

maverin instead distracted himself by observing the others, noting their interactions and expressions. most, he was surprised to find, seemed as uncomfortable as he felt. and others seemed nervous in a different vein, he noted as he watched the ravillard heir address the lady highsword. the innocence of it was unexpectedly sweet, and he found himself lightly smiling. oh, how he would love to tease leo about that. the brief warmth he felt from the observation abruptly vanished as an oily coldness chilled his skin, a lead ball forming heavily in his chest. something was wrong. his instincts tingled acutely, and he knew better than to ignore such warning bells. the heir straightened in his chair, settling his feet flat on the ground. movement by the fireplace caught his gaze as an indiscernible form slipped from the shadows. the walls of the room seemed to press unbearably closer. his heart thumped wildly in his chest as the fae king himself appeared out of thin air, and he was momentarily worried his alarm was tangible. but when he glanced down, his hands were still and his face remained impossibly calm. it took every ounce of control in him not to bristle with the king's insolent tone and his close proximity to any of the nobles. when the heir felt the slender hand of the king firmly pressed upon his shoulder, his eyes glowed like unholy molten fire and he nearly bared his teeth. his dark gaze bore holes into the wall as he stared straight ahead, his chin held high and unwavering. the sword weighed heavily on his hip, begging to be unleashed upon the king, and yet the knight did not so much as dare to breathe. as much as he wanted to slit the fae king's pale throat- and as easily it would be, this close- even he knew that doing so would be catastrophic. not just for him and the nobles, but for the entire realm.

through the roaring in his ears, maverin managed to process the invasive king's silver threat. the horror of such a statement registered as soon as leo erupted from his chair, being much bolder than mav had ever seen him in his alarm. the knight would be impressed if he were not so concerned for the other noble's safety. it seemed that the king had come alone, but he was clearly a force on his own. and how had he even infiltrated the room? the heir cast a brief glance towards the door, searching for telltale signs of violence or disturbance through the crack but unable to find them. he didn't know whether the guards were still conscious or even breathing, and he didn't know if that even mattered. if this king could appear in this room within the blink of an eye, perhaps a handful of guards were not enough. a true stillness settled over him. this being was magical- he could feel its presence tainting the air, taste its tangy charge. who knew the full extent of its power? his tongue felt like it was coated in ash, but he managed to swallow hard and instead focus on the king and his offer. the sudden appearance of two objects on the table caught his attention: a simple orange fruit and an ornately gilded sword. as lovely and tempting as the sword appeared, the fruit intrigued him more. what did these objects have in common? and why, exactly, did an all-powerful king seek their assistance in finding these ordinary objects? the deal was delightful, impossibly alluring, and yet maverin hesitated. all his instincts screamed at him that there was a catch they were too dull to take note of.

not all of them, apparently. the heir watched in surprised and thinly veiled respect as lady highsword stood and addressed the fae king with lavish and careful words. smart girl, he widely grinned, mapping out her plan as it unfolded. he admitted it, he had not expected such bravery from such a slight little thing, and he found his admiration grew with every clever word she spoke. perhaps they were not as easy to manipulate as anticipated; their knowledge of the fae were limited, but it seemed their arsenal was not woefully empty. still, the reaction of the king drew the knight's gaze and soured his unexpected enjoyment. the fae's slender hands were trembling with rage and a primal sort of fury sharpened his features. he almost took on the appearance of an animal with his sharp angles and inhuman eyes. and yet when he spoke, his voice was as smooth and rich as decadent chocolate. a sickly sweet trap designed to lure in the unexpecting. the dark-haired heir bared his teeth at the abrupt sound of the king's laugh, his hand subtly straying to his swords hilt. he did not plan to use it- did not even know if he would be able to- but the firm weight felt familiar and comforting in his hand. he waited with bated breath as the king continued, golden gaze intense. he did not dare speak a word lest the fae's patience wore thin. the creature seemed impressed with lady highsword's response, and disgustingly bold towards her. he narrowed his eyes at the king's languid gaze and the closeness he apparently felt entitled to, bile once again bitter on his tongue. never once in his life had he felt so infuriatingly helpless.

it was a bitter relief when the king finally drew the deal to a close, taking with him the charged static of the room and the vile oiliness his very person seemed to exude. as soon as the heaviness left the room and the air became easier the breathe, the knight pushed back his seat and prowled the length of the room. his jaw clenched as his sharp eyes thoroughly inspected every crook and shadow, and yet he could not find any remaining threat in the room or outside the door. the king had left as abruptly as he appeared, leaving no trace. dissatisfied, he returned to his seat and stood behind it, his shoulder uncomfortably burning where the fae king had touched it. the deal was a tantalizing offer that disguised a rotten core. to be at the complete and utter mercy of such a creature would be hell, and he simmered with fury that such a condition was forcibly agreed upon. that loathed feeling of helplessness returned. although his expression remained tense, maverin sent a cool nod towards the highsword heir. "very admirable if I may say so, lady highsword," he offered a rare compliment. the heir then let out a heavy sigh, his rapid heart slowly calming itself. "the breach of security is concerning but it appears that the threat has temporarily vanished. we are safe, for now- thanks to lady highsword, of course. in the meantime, patrols should be increased and frequent, leaving no corner to itself. should another incident like this occur, such a happy ending cannot be guaranteed," he declared, sticking to what he was familiar with. if he were to attempt to unpack the magnitude of what had just happened, he feared he would lose composure. security, at least, was familiar. "I would advise everyone in attendance to travel with personal guards from this point onward and avoid dark and secluded areas. do keep your guard up at all times. your welfare is my utmost concern." he settled his gaze on each noble at the table, relaying the seriousness of his request. although he doubted any of the nobles would be attacked after being given such a task, he did not trust that creature one bit. if he could so easily appear out of nowhere, they were practically sitting ducks. another thought occurred and he sent a glance towards the door. "is anyone aware of just who- besides keir- stumbled into the fae king's territory?"

[Quetzaloe]

Maajida Astamont
Age 21 Role Astamont Heir Location Castle, Meeting Chamber Mentioned Leo, Alburi, Johala, Maverin, Amara

Maajida sat, stunned and afraid, as the fae king came and went. At one point, their eyes had met and it had inspired a feeling akin to someone reaching into her and pulling her soul out of her body. It had left her feeling cold and clammy, eyes prickling from a sudden dryness.

Shivering, she rubbed at her arms and took in the room around her. Lady Highsword had handled and situation with bravery, honor, and wisdom. Maajida made sure to smile at her as genuinely as she could muster herself in the moment. "You have my thanks, Lady Highsword. And my apologies. It seems you've given us an advantage I know I could not have, because I've none of the knowledge of fae trickery you seem to have gained."

And better yet, Amara had seemingly unsettled the infernal creature. This would be dangerous, as it meant she'd drawn his attention, but it could be an advantage to them as well. She could throw him off his game, they'd have to play their cards carefully, but even small shifts in the ground could topple a castle.

She nodded to Lord Vemoux. "Further apologies, for the security breach. We clearly failed to anticipate the lengths of magic and the stubbornness of the fae to see us in person. We'll try to prepare more thoroughly in the future."

She'd been about to add more when she was cut off by an odd....groan? from Lady Sternchaser. The woman in question had her face buried in her hands, though her skin was flushed. Maajida was to her feet instantly, thinking that there had been some unseen altercation, some strange magical malady, when the woman spoke, voice displaying an odd arrangement of emotions that caught Maajida off guard. She was not aware that the icy heir had emotions.
lll

Johala Sternchaser
Age 26 Role Sternchaser Heir Location Castle, Meeting Chamber Mentioned Leo, Maajida, Maeverin, Amara, Caoimhe

Johala sighed, which quickly turned into a groan, as the fae king made his exit. Wonderful. Lovely. Really. She'd never loathed a man more surely in her life.

And Johala had loathed many men.

"Apologies," Johala vocalized, face still buried in her hands "Particularly to you, Lord Ravillard. There's no doubt it's my Caoimhe keeping Keir company, and more likely than not it was her that led him in. She's prone to wandering, although typically she's able to handle herself well enough to avoid trouble."

Her thoughts bounced in her head as her cheeks flushed hotly. This whole situation was a mess. Not only was she worried for her lady in waiting, but the whole monologue had left a bitter taste in her mouth and a sinking in her stomach. A quest??? A mystified, glorified scavenger hunt, nonetheless?!

It simply wasn't something she felt comfortable doing. This wasn't her place, wasn't her will, to go galavanting around unknown lands with unknown people. But she wasn't about to belong to this fae king either. Johala belonged to no one, save herself.

[Kotayle]

𝕬𝖑𝖇𝖚𝖗𝖎 ♛ 𝕬𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖙
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𝕬 𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖊𝖞𝖊𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖈𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖘𝖊𝖊
⦉Age:25⦊ ⦉Gender: Male⦊ ⦉Orientation: Bi-Curious⦊ ⦉Location: Meeting Hall⦊ ⦉Tagged:Maajida⦊
𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖞 𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍 𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖊𝖗𝖞
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___Alburi had been listening intently, his gaze sort of downcast as he processed all of the information, until he was snapped out of his concentration when he heard a low rumble from the table. Sarakshi, his wolf had gotten upset over something, but he couldn't imagine what it would be- did she really not like it when the Ravillard heir spoke that much? he wondered in amusement, a small smirk coming to his face. Alburi knew something was wrong however, as the massive white wolf barreled out from under the meeting table, he could hear the wolf's claws scraping the floor as she spun around, but all Alburi noticed was the chill in the air, so he thought, it was what had set her off. "What in The Gods names- did someone open a window!" Alburi practically growled out of frustration, standing once more and turned a few times, as if to detect a breeze. Of course, the cold that had began to set into his bones was not one caused by a draft. The chill set in deeper as he went to face the sound of the foot steps that had apparated out of thin air, and instead of being met with his usual constant foggy windowed vision, he was met with the first face he had ever seen.
___Alburi had been blind since a child, he hadn't even laid eyes on his mother and father, not clearly anyhow. The heir sat back down as he momentarily locked eyes with the fae king- realizing how powerful his magics must be, if he could be seen by someone who could not. The whole thing was shocking- Alburi couldn't help but wonder... did all people look like that- more or less anyways. As he resisted the urge to feel his ears, noticing the points of the fae king, he instead gripped the paw like carvings of his arm rests, his lower lip nearly bleeding from biting down on it so hard as he too avoided looking at the first thing he had really seen in his life. It felt like the room had been swirling around him, he was losing his grounding, he couldn't force himself to speak, even if he could come up with something worthwhile to contribute. Once the fae king left and the temperature returned to normal, Alburi jumped slightly as Sarakshi's cold, wet nose pressed to his hand. The blind heir exhaled a breath, his shoulders deflating as he set his hand on her soft, fluffy head.



𝖁𝖆𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖓 ☠ 𝕬𝖉𝖔𝖗𝖓𝖔
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𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖒𝖆𝖉𝖊 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖆𝖉𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖕𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖚𝖗𝖊
⦇Age: 28⦈ ⦇Gender: Male⦈ ⦇Orientation: Straight⦈ ⦇Location: ship/Astamont Castle⦈ ⦇Tagged: Amara⦈
𝕸𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖕𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖔𝖋 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖒𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘 𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖚𝖗𝖊
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___Vaeron had grown tired of pretending to admire artwork in the halls, he felt like he was probably providing the free labor of a new mote, luxuriously placed inside the castle of the Astamonts. Indifferent, the pirate made his way back to the doors, wanting to peer into the room, but resisting the urge solely based on the guard posted outside, watching him. I'm in my bests, what are you looking at, he thought silently, suddenly beginning to feel self conscious all over again. Amara had been a whole new world, someone he felt himself falling for, quite fast... but it was times like this, where he felt he may not fit into her world. An eye brow rose as he heard the growling and barking coming from within the room, the temperature seemed to drop even, and it was only getting colder. Vaeron wouldn't- no couldn't be bothered with manners anymore, Amara was in danger, and it was his job to protect her.
___"S'cuse me mate," he muttered, dipping slightly before extending his knees so his body could shove the armored guard aside, allowing him entrance to the room. He clearly had been too late- whatever happened seemed to have happened quickly, and Amara had looked distressed. As always, as he made his way across the room, Vaeron stood as straight as he could, which is what he was always taught- to appear as large as possible- he walked over to her Amara's quietly cursing under his breath. "I left you alone for an hour, and this is what happens? No wonder you hired me, you're not leaving my side, again," he shook his head as he squat down, now almost at eye level with the Highsword Heir. Mostly out of instinct, and not paying any mind to the others in the room, Vaeron reached out and pushed a few fallen pieces of hair out of her face before gently moving her chin to face him. "Amara, are you hurt?" he asked, slowly feeling eyes on him gather, to which he promptly removed his hands from her.
___This was not the ship, they were not at sea, and he knew there were certain formalities that he probably just destroyed in such a public setting. Vaeron straightened himself and cleared his throat, facing the others and dipped his head. "Apologies for the intrusion, I couldn't help but overhear- and - well it didn't seem safe," he tried to excuse the behavior. By the looks on everyone's faces, it seemed as though he was right. Vaeron couldn't help but wonder his his suspicions were correct, the energy felt familiar, but how would they all feel if they knew what he was. He glanced at Amara over his shoulder. Would she mention the things she learned on their voyage? he wondered. "Miss Highsword, please allow me to escort you back to the ship," he finally spoke, offering his arm, in the appropriate manner one would to someone of her standing in society.

[Aniki]

⊱ 𝐴𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑
the highsword heiress ♢ female ♢ twenty-one ♢ location: the council room ♢ mentions: keir, caoimhe, maajida ♢ tagged: maverin & vaeron
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The room was filled with an eerie silence. No doubt the other heirs were processing what just happened. Hearing the voice of Vemoux jolted Amara out of her racing thoughts. She couldn't help but color slightly by his praise. Amara wasn't used to Maverin speaking to her. They would be polite when they were forced to socialize together, but other than that they rarely spoke to one another. Just as Maverin and Maajida were starting to talk about increasing the castle's defensive, the doors of the council room burst open. Before she could ask what was happening, a voice that she had come to love filled the room. Looking up she gave Vaeron a shy smile. He was scolding her in front of the other heirs! Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment. She glared up at him, but the glare melted into a soft smile when he crouched down to be eye level with her. His eyes danced around her face looking for any signs of injury. She leaned against the hand that was now cupping her cheek. A cough came from next to her and she jerked away from his hand. It seemed that Vaeron also realized where they were since he dropped his hand from her cheek as if it burned him.

Amara covered up a smile when she noticed just how uncomfortable he now looked. She wasn't sure why she found it endearing how bashful he now looked under the stares of the other heirs. "As much as I would love that, I am afraid we still have much to talk about. It seems that there is still much to talk about." She gave her companion a soft smile. She wanted to go back to ship or if she could convince him to the castle library. Somewhere that she could break down. She was coming off of an adrenaline rush after all. She could feel her walls starting to crumble.

She turned her attention away from Vaeron to the rest of the heirs. Clearing her throat, she dove back in. "The Fae King will stick to his words, so I am sure that Keir and Caoimhe will soon find their way out of whatever maze he has put them in. I would assume they will be back before nightfall. If not then I am sure we can release the hounds to try to find them." Amara really hoped that Keir was alright. Finding trouble was as easy as breathing for the young man. If something had happened she wasn't sure if Leo would ever be okay again. Speaking of Leo, she looked to her right to see how he was handling everything. His body posture was stiff and he was clenching his jaw.

Amara nodded along as Maverin spoke about new security measures. The moment he asked the group to travel with their bodyguards she bumped her shoulder against Vaeron's side. After this, she was all but sure that he would not let her out of his sight.

➼ 𝐾𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑅𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑑
the second ravillard son ♢ male ♢ twenty-four ♢ changeling ♢ location: forest of the lost ♢ mentions: tagged: caoimhe & nevar
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Keir continued tracing the runes that were etched into the stone. The soft glow had faded from all the runes except one: the one that matched the mark on his wrist. "Deirfiúr," the word rolled off his tongue as if it was second nature. He looked up when he heard Caoimhe whisper something similar. Before he could ask her about it, his vision went dark. He could hear the sound of giggling children, a voice telling them to behave, the sound of a babbling brook... Then came clips of what he could only assume were memories. Part of him knew deep down that they were his, but they were filled with faces and places that he had never seen before. The one that stood out the most was the flashes of a young girl with curly auburn hair and the same blue eyes that were filled with mischief.

As soon as it all came it went away, leaving him dizzy. Keir leaned up against the stone trying to get his barrings again. His head was killing him - it felt so much like he had been out all night with the lads - and his ears had a soft buzzing in them. Through narrowed eyes, he watched Caoimhe bunch up her skirts. It took him a moment to figure out what she was doing. He wanted to offer to help her, but he was still confused. He had a sister. A sister who was now climbing up a tree to figure out where they were.

Keir pulled himself up and went to dust off his pants, but decided that it was hopeless. It wasn't as if most of his clothing had grass or dirt stains on them. The forest around them was still humming with energy which made his heart race. Taking a long, deep breath he felt himself come to life. This was where he thrived. He was sure that his sister would see something once she made it to the top of the tree, but he wanted to do something as well. Whistling out a simple songbird tune he waited to hear a response. It didn't take long. It was not quite what he was expecting.

The same blasted raven that called him into the forest in the first place flew to the closest branch to him. She cocked her head to the side as if it was sizing him up. "Of course it is you that comes," Keir glared at the bird. He knew it was irrational to be sour towards the raven, but he could blame her for all of this. For leading him into the forest in the first place. "Wait a second... I know you!" He took a step closer than another one when he was sure she wouldn't fly away. To anyone else, she would have looked like your typical raven. Her feathers were an inky black with a slight tint of blue and she was the typical height, but he could see that there was something different, something special. He was close enough that he reached out and stroked along her breast. She ruffled herself up but did not move away from his touch. He felt it at first. She hummed with energy. 'You remember now.' It wasn't a question. He nodded dumbly. 'We shall test. What is my name?'

"Kiera." She seemed pleased with this. Giving him a nod before flapping her wings. 'Good. You must be careful here hafling. There are eyes everywhere. You must be wary. He will hear about you. That you remember. Very dangerous.' She gave him a pointed look before taking to the skies. Keir took her words to heart. Going to the base of the tree that his sister climbed he shouted out. "Have you seen anything?"

[Espeon101010]

Nᴇᴠᴀʀ Rᴇɪɢᴀɴ

【Female】【22 years】【Healer】【location: Lost】【tagged: Caoimhe, Keir】

Keir didn't seem to have heard her question. In fact, it appeared that he had lost track of his surroundings, completely absorbed in the ruins. A soft murmur of words carried on the wind to her ears and Nevar saw the once wild and bright-eyed girl also appeared to be lost in a trance. The two were seemingly lost in another world- one she knew nothing about. The other girl's sleeve was pulled back and even from where she stood, slightly removed from the other, two, Nevar could see there was something on the young lady's wrist. So...she was not only a child who acted without thought and with reckless abandon, but also the sort of character that would brand herself with ink. Interesting, though she likely shouldn't be surprised. The most shocking part was that this fiery-haired individual served Lady Sternchaser. The hushed moment soon ended. Her posture suddenly changed and it was like every fibre of her being had been reawakened. She said something, though Nevar didn't quite catch what it was. Everyone seemed to pause for a minute: Keir just as lost as Nevar's new companion, and herself who had no idea what was happening between the two.

The redhead turned to look at Nevar "It just looks familiar....I can't really make anything out." Her self-conscious tone hinted to the healer that she perhaps was more than an impulsive child. "Perhaps if we look.....we crossed over a log right? Maybe if we find something similar?" Nevermind. She certainly still had an immature air about her. "I don't recall. Did we cross a log? Everything from that sprint is a bit of a blur for me." Nevar didn't want to be mean to the other young lady, but she was undeniably cross at having been forced into this situation against her own will. Well, at least she wanted to do something about the mess she had dragged them into. Getting a view from up a tree was not a bad plan. As the stranger gathered her skirts, Nevar considered offering to climb the tree herself since she was more properly dressed for it, but thought better. If Nevar fell from the tree and hurt herself, it was unlikely either of her new acquaintances would be much help. Even Nevar had to admit that the energetic girl was quite a good climber. It didn't take her long to make significant progress. Though Nevar knew just what could happen if one fell out of a tree from a height such as that. She had helped mend several broken bones over the years for children who had dared to climb higher than their peers. That always led to some entertaining lessons in natural consequences. "Be careful not to fall. I don't want to have to treat an injured person while also trying to get back home." She called up the tree, her gaze following the coarse bark of the trunk up towards the sky.

Nevar had had her fair share of patients during her time as a healer, but once she had begun working for the Vemoux family, their son Maverin had been her most constant patient. Even before he had started serious combat training, he would often come to Nevar after his confidence had gotten him into trouble. There had been several occasions when Mav had climbed higher than he should have and fell trying to get back down. Perhaps Nevar should thank him for all the practice she got from healing his injuries, but in reality, she would prefer he not get injured, to begin with. The thought of Maverin brought the young healer out of her reverie and back to the reality of their situation. The three of them were lost in a completely unknown part of the forest, in fact, it was likely that they were no longer even in the same forest she had entered earlier that morning. What would happen if they were unable to return? What would Maverin do? What if he got hurt and she couldn't help him? The thoughts began to pile up in Nevar's head, making her heart begin to race as her worry began to build. Was she really going to have to trust two complete strangers to get back home? She wasn't one to easily trust others when it came to important issues such as this. Unfortunately, she had no say in the matter and knew she would need to do her best to get along with the other two- at least for the time being. She glanced over at Keir as he spoke to a raven. I suppose that's not the strangest thing that could happen. Nevar stayed where she was at the foot of the tree the red-haired girl had climbed and simply observed Keir's interaction. Once he came over to the tree as well, she sighed as she uncrossed her arms. "So you follow people in the forest, you know Lady Sternchaser's friend, and you can speak with birds. I suppose everyone has surprises up their sleeves." Extending a hand out to the strange man, she did her best to not look too serious. "It looks like we'll be stuck together for a while yet." The thought of giving him her name right away still made Nevar uncomfortable. However, she did want to know who the other girl was. If she could get that answer, then she would at least tell them her own name. "So you know that whirlwind?" The healer glanced up the tree to where their third party member was climbing, even higher now than before. "You wouldn't happen to have remembered her name now, after that whole hushed business the two of you had, now would you?" Whatever had transpired between the two when they had first arrived was clearly something private and Nevar had no intentions of intruding on their personal lives, but she wanted to know who she was with at the very least. It wouldn't do to tell Maverin she had gotten lost with someone Lady Sternchaser knew and a man named Keir- he would likely find her lack of information distressing more than anything.