just breathe through me
we'll keep the fires alight
we'll keep the fires alight
Dawn breaks. Damp dew clings stubbornly, soon to be chased away by the heat of the afternoon sun.
The cascade of colors rise with the sun, piercing the dark streets of the markets and illuminating the world around them, stirring it into wakefulness with the song of birds and gentle murmur of hungover voices. Soon, these silent streets will be bustling with life once more. The hours of silence here were few and far between, as the Night Court seemed to be nothing but a true self-fulfilling prophecy.
The busiest Court in Novus, people had called it. Isra knew well by now that such a statement wasn’t a lie.
The Sun Daughter moved through the streets of the market, stepping nimbly off of the main thoroughfare and giving a polite nod to those she passed by. Best to enjoy the simplicity of taking a stroll in the streets while she could, before everyone knew her. Word would arrive soon enough, be it by rumor or by her own tongue that evening, but Israfel desperately wanted to be the one to tell Luvena the results of what had happened.
Her heart clenched uncertainty within her breast, stuttering and nervous as gilded, cloven hooves guided the new Queen of Denocte towards a humble clinic. The revelation within Veneror still clung to her, stealing her breath, making her muscles quake and tremble with nerves… But it was fine. It would be fine. Wouldn’t it? It had to be.
This.... This affection, this fond adoration, it had been a very, very long time since she had felt it to such a degree. It was poisonous, rotting her veins and cloying her thoughts and made it terribly hard to function. A simple task became that much harder, because inadvertently, the ivory woman’s mind always cast itself back to this clinic, shunting itself back to thinking of its inhabitant and wondering how she was doing, what she was doing, if she needed anything…
Heaving a breath, Israfel rolled her eyes. “You’re a fool, Isra,” she muttered bitterly, contrite and chastising, gritting her teeth firm enough that it nearly hurt, before she relaxed her jaw.
Love.
She was in love. With Luvena.
With Luvena.
… Fucking hell.
Despite her plethora of complicated thoughts on the matter, however, Israfel still found herself standing outside of the wooden clinic door and hesitating. It was the right thing to do, she consoled, letting her thoughts bolster her confidence even though it wavered like a filly taking her first steps, She won’t be mad. She’ll understand.
Right?
Heaving a breath, the Sun Daughter gave a gentle knock upon the clinic door, took a step back, thought about it, and then took a second step away from the door before waiting. She stood at attention, shoulders tense, wings held primly and properly, the joints tired and fatigued from her flight from the Steppe. Was it too early? Would Lu still be sleeping? Should she have brought coffee? Did Luvena even drink coffee? No, no. She was a ‘tea-person’. Abruptly, the Sun Daughter’s expression wrinkled with a grimace. Of course she would fall in love with a ‘tea-person’. Maybe flowers… Fuck, she should have brought flowers. Isra grumbled quietly to herself for a second in disappointment at her lack of foresight. She had even stopped in Eluetheria on her way home, and there had been tons of wildflowers.
Oh well.
Maybe just bringing ‘herself’ would be a suitable enough gift.
