Rhone watches her quietly as she comes forward and it is not missed that she seems hesitant. At first he is unsure if she is hesitant to sit next to him, or it has something to do with the fire that flickered just a few yards from him. Everyone had their fears, many of his go untold, but he has to acknowledge that others also have similar fears. He had once ruled a whole kingdom atop a volcano. Fire does not scare him anymore. However, he knows some do not like fire. Some have had their lives destroyed by a single ember gone astray. Perhaps she is scared of the fire. For a moment, he wonders if he should put it out as a courtesy.
He listens quietly as she began to tell her tale. Dusk had not been what fate had in store for her and he should respect that. Fate controlled all things and it seemed like they could not speak out against it. He did not hold it against her to follow her heart. He had done the same when he left Hoof Prince, leaving behind his kingdom and his family. He sighs. His past had a way of coming full circle and he wonders if he was to pay for his misgivings by tormenting himself over and over again.
He looks back to the fire, clearing his mind of thoughts of the Rajputs, the North, Arianah, Dierdre, and all his children. He does not have time to mourn his mistakes now. "Fate has a funny way of doing things like that." He spares her his story about how he was once a powerful king. He does not tell her he was once a father and a lover. He does not tell her of all the mistakes he still owes penance for. Tonight is not about him.
He tells her that he was on a walkabout, a journey of self reflection. "…or to simply remember who you are and who you strive to be." He had come to Novus longing for something more. He wanted to right his wrongs, to correct his mistakes. He felt as though he had failed in this journey and he needed some time to self-reflect. But alas, she did not need to know the hows and whys. He was just glad that she was still alive. It seemed as though she was his only friend still left on Novus.
He listens about her journey to Night, her reasoning being that they needed healers. Dusk was so well-known for those gifted in medicinal ways. He admired her for lending aid. Dusk and Night had always been friends so it was a natural place to gravitate towards.
But what saddens him is that she left because Dusk felt like home. What was she running from? "I am sorry home is not a pleasant memory for you." Perhaps he is assuming too much. Perhaps he shouldn’t have said anything at all. Then again, he understands her. He understands that feeling of home and belonging. He understands the pain it brings. Perhaps he should not have said anything at all.
She asks him if she has missed out on any life events and he chuckles lightly. "No. I am still unwed. I have no lover or new children…" at least not here in Novus. He briefly thinks back to his children and he wonders if they are okay, if they remember him at all. It was a different chapter of his life, a painful one. "I still reside in Dusk with no real plans to change that." He supposed things could happen. There were whispers of Night and Dawn needing soveriegns and there had been talk that maybe he would be a good choice. Leadership was something he was good at…but something he had left behind. That was not his life anymore, at least he didn’t think so. "So really, nothing has changed." he chuckles, trying to lighten the mood. He presents her with a soft smile, trying to betray the uncertainty of his words. Was it a good thing that nothing had changed? Perhaps it was time for a change.
@Luvena
