Ah Araxes. She was supposed to be in the Night Court, to expand her position and allow herself to do her sagely duties, but her little heart never seemed to be satisfied when it came to exploring. She was always the ever eager sort, one that wanted to learn new things, so it was no surprise that she was gently kicking pebbles astray as she wandered a dirt path. It wound through the trees, and her ears flopped forward, ever alert as she walked, and finally allowed herself to emerge from between tree trunks. There, before her, sprawled a wide open plain, the sun dancing bright enough to make her blink in surprise and cause her wings to flutter.
They even curled a little, resting over her head as if to shade some of the harsher UV from her corneas. When she finally adjusted to the brighter environment, they pulled away, white feathers ruffling and carefully tucking in against her head once more.
Careful steps were taken, and she meandered out in to the plain, emerging fully from the trees before trotting forward. Part of her knew she had been here before, but it had been a brief stint, just a walk through. She hadn't had the time to enjoy it like she was now, her hooves dancing under her and her eyes lighting up as she released a soft giggle. Perhaps she could gather plenty of herbs here and take them back with her back to the structure of the Court, place them in jars and dry them, hang them. Everything necessary to begin her life as a sage truly.
Tossing her head, the thick braid moved wildly, flopping over her nape as her forelock got in her face, and she only puffed out a breath, moving a stray few hairs from her nose so she didn't sneeze. In the daylight this place was beautiful, pocketed with flowers and wildlife in the distance.
Breathless.
@Reichenbach || fff I finally got them a thread omg
The Night King was rarely in his chambers, or even within the Castle that was supposedly where Court meetings and other political things were supposed to happen. He was not a man built for the indoors, for the confinement of stone and mortar - he performed his "meetings" under the stars, preferring the openness of Vitreus Lake or the Prairie to the cold, enclosed walls. He could be found regularly wandering all corners of Denocte, sometimes camping out alone for the night beside a slow burning pile of embers, haloed by the stars and moon that had crowned him.
He was returning from one of these outings as he crossed the prairie, dancing playfully upon his neat, hard hooves to some internal tune. He exuded warmth, smiling pleasantly at any Denoctians he passed, trailing the scent of woodsmoke and night jasmine as it lingered within his boundless ebony curls. He was still far and isolated from the bustling Court when he spied Araxes, silver gaze lingering upon the sweet mare for a moment before he changed course.
"Araxes!"
Was his melodic greeting, bouncing from his throat as he trotted closer. His smile was bright and easy, a pleased expression raising his brow as he noticed her considering the many plants available around her. In truth, Denocte needed more Sages, so when she had arrived a year ago (he'd been hanging out with the pack of orphans he called his own) and chosen that pathway... he'd noticed. He was glad of the attention now, glad that he could know members of his Court by name and by passion.
"Anything worth bringing home?"
He asked, gesturing toward the abundance of plants around them with an easy smile.
The sound of her name caused the little mare to lift her head up, wings ruffling as she recognized the tone, and a smile graced her lips. "Reichenbach!" He was one of the few that tended to not stare at her wings, and because of that, she freely allowed them to move, flapping a little as she turned her attention toward her friend, and Sovereign. He had come in to the position of power not too long ago, and honestly? He deserved it.
Her pink lips spread in to a wide smile, and she almost danced on her hooves, her wings giving a wiggle and tucking in behind her ears again as she released a soft giggle. It was always so nice to see him; he was a delight to be around, and she was lucky enough to call him friend. "There's plenty, it looks like! I should have brought some sort of bag with me though." Even if she hadn't, bringing the herbs back would be easy enough. Thanks to the minor telekinesis that all in Novus had, she could carry a great big bunch of them with her back to the Court and to her home to prepare them.
A bag would have made it easier though and she could have gathered a variety. Ah well, a thought for next time. She'd have to get one.
Still, she lifted and lowered all four legs in a soft rhythm of a small dance, grinning all the more at Reich despite herself. "You were out again, hmm? Did you find another nice camping spot?" She knew he had a tendency to keep away from the bustle of the Court itself, and really? She couldn't blame him in the least.
Araxes' returning smile was enough to widen Reichenbach's own pleasant grin, sweetening the air around them and making the day warmer, lovelier. There had been a time, once, when Reichenbach had looked upon Araxes with more than a friendly eye, finding beauty and decadence within the soft whorls of her skin, the gentle, open nature that called to him - he'd made excuses to run into her, grinning wildly each time he'd been lucky enough to do so. But Araxes was too much woman to be tamed by one man, and Reichenbach was too jealous a man to see anyone else touching her satin skin. So he had accepted that he and Araxes were to be friends - and good ones at that.
He nodded his head slightly as she spoke, a low hum of agreement emanating from deep within his throat.
"Perhaps we can keep an eye out for one when the traders come - or take a wander through the markets and see if we can find one there."
Now that he was King, his pockets went deep - and once again, unlike a traditional Sovereign, that wealth was getting shared and given to all of Denocte. His silver gaze followed Araxes as she danced, a graceful, gentle shifting of her dainty hooves and he smiled, warm and sweet, like milk and honey.
"I did. Perhaps next time you would like to join me?"
There was something reassuring about Araxes, about the fact that she knew his tendencies and likely his faults - that she wasn't looking at him as if he were a king, expecting him to perform as one. Like most in Denocte, she'd known him before he'd been crowned - and stood now as a welcome, familiar reminder of who he was defending, of each facet underneath his care. Reichenbach paused a moment, his bright eyes narrowing slightly in consideration before he said;
"You know, Araxes, if you were to be a Sage in the Court -" he avoided using the term 'Champion', it seemed too brash a word to speak when it came to discussing something so delicate "- you would have access to all of the records kept within the Castle, use it to learn more about Novus, about the history of our Court." He finished smoothly, knowing that if she asked, he'd show her the records himself and let her use them all she wanted - regardless of whether or not she was in a regal enough position to do so. There was a long pause as his gaze flicked to the dark stone building that was supposed to house both himself and the rest of the Court.
There was a fondness in that open heart of hers for her Sovereign, a warmth that bloomed through her entire body on more than one occasion. Bumping in to him was certainly a highlight of her day most times, to see a familiar face that she held such a warmth for deep down. Had she been one for monogamy (or rather, if she were one to be taught to understand it), perhaps he would have been the one she would be with. Alas, no one seemed to teach her what it was or what it meant, or how it worked. So instead, she merely took it as friends between them. Once upon a time, if things were different... well.
"Yes please. Granted, perhaps the market is the best place to go at the moment." He nose wrinkled playfully, wings stretching and giving a small flap as she let out a soft laugh, setting herbs down at her hooves gently. She'd pick them up after the conversation; after all, having a bunch of leaves floating between them as they spoke would be a little.. odd.
There was a perk to Araxes as she heard him, and her eyes half closed as she smiled more, wrinkles at the corner of gentle lips, and she nodded. "I would love to. It's always lovely to spend time under the stars. I like the Court, but there's always something about the stars and sky at night that keeps calling to me."
There was a pause, and her interest was piqued almost immediately at what he offered, and she felt the hitch in her breath, her eyes widening. Her flaw, for the most part (other than her startlingly massive heart) was her curiosity, and she felt herself almost humming from the thought of having so much at her hooves, so much to learn. "I... I would love that Reichenbach! I.. oh goodness," she gasped, dancing on her hooves a little, letting out a soft sound that was almost a squeal, her ears pushing forward as much as they could in her eagerness.
"Could I be a Sage of the Court? I always want to.. well. Help. I want to make sure everyone is in good health too."
Reichenbach grinned openly at her enthusiasm, the warmth between them blooming and obvious. Of all the things that defined Denocte and it's citizens, it's diversity was what had originally made Reichenbach fall in love with it - as a child, an orphan, he'd been exposed to such a wide range of characters, both savoury and unsavoury, residential and foreign. He'd grown to adore the differences between the people who shared his homeland - and when Araxes had arrived, beautiful and foreign, with those darling wings shyly extending about her dainty face... she reminded him of why it was Denocte that grasped his heart, not the beauty and wildness of Solterra or the resplendence of the Dawn Court.
Positioning Araxes in the Court was a culmination of those feelings, the perfect reflection of what and who they were.
"Well, you won't just be a Sage... I'd like you to be the embodiment of the Sages - The Champion of Wisdom"
He paused, his argent gaze locked upon Araxes' intelligent face, watching for her reaction. She was young, but that was, in part, why he wanted her. Too many old scholars hoarded their wisdom, seeking information for their own use and gain... Araxes was not like the ancient scholars. She was bright and fresh and new, willing to share and learning for the sake of learning. She was insatiable when it came to knowldge, and even more so when it came to helping people.
"Would you do me the honour of serving at my side?"
He grinned, half joking, strangely nervous as he awaited her answer.
The words her Sovereign uttered had her pausing, one ear tilting while her wings ruffled, and she drew in a breath, feeling it stutter in her chest. While internal reactions were one thing (the warmth in her belly, the shiver down her chest), her eyes went comically wide, wings extending a moment as she attempted to grasp what he had just said. "M-me? Champion.. Champion of Wisdom? But but... I'm... I'm not like those scholars. They know a lot more than I do," she started.
She wasn't turning down the offer, she was trying to understand.
If she could blush, she would, but as it were, instead the feathers on her wings rose upward in reaction, making them look fluffier and poofier than usual, and she felt her heart skip a beat at his words. For a moment, she could only look at him in stunned silence, before the smile began to break over her face.
It was a slow thing, but it felt like it would stretch all the way up to her ears and beyond if it could. "I... I would love to, Reich." She swallowed, her head ducking as her legs lifted and lowered, and she almost danced on them again, feeling so.. well, she wasn't sure what it was. "I'm so honored! I.. I'll do my best! I'll learn everything and share it with everyone! Even.. even those old stuffy scholars that don't like to teach anyone." She huffed at that, as if she hoped that they heard it. Granted if they had been there, it wouldn't have stopped her from saying what was on her mind.
Before she could stop herself, she almost danced forward, face pressing against Reichenbach's neck before she drew back, smiling more and letting out a giggle. "Thank you, so much... for this chance."
There was no way to avoid looking at her darling wings as they spread, her eyes wide (were they really that pretty? Like storm clouds in the night sky) and bright. Reichenbach watched her in slight amusement, pleased to see the excitement spreading through her body like wildfire. He couldn't help but to release a warm, low chuckle at her reference to the scholars - those dusty old men that preferred the company of books and scrolls to real contact.
He felt a warm flush go through him as she darted forward, pressing her pretty face against his broad neck. His smile was a little bashful as she stepped back, the warmer, sweeter part of him ready to scoop her up in a full embrace. If he'd had hands he would have been rubbing the back of his neck - instead, he simply grinned at her, glad for the contact.
"Come, now"
He gestured, dancing to stand beside her and nudging her in direction of the markets.
"Let's see if we can't find our new Champion of Wisdom a bag for all her scrolls"
