[P] tightropes

[Rhoswen]

Rhoswen ►

Rhoswen's granite-washed gaze studied her brother's face behind a mixture of amusement and ambiguity; who knew how a man so volatile as Reich would react to the news, especially when (much to her indignation) it was no secret that Raum had been in her favour, of late. But, it seemed the Night King felt only joy, and for this his sister was relieved. It had not occurred to her that perhaps Reich would have been pleased his niece or nephew would not, by heritage, carry any Solterran blood; though a citizen of Solis' court, her own lineage lay long within the line of rich Denoctian merchants, not a single drop of Day in her veins. This, in itself, did not bother Rhoswen, for she knew that blood was not always the architect of ones heartsong, nor their allegiance - her life was a testament to such a fact. More than anyone Rhos knew what it was to feel suffocated by the expectations of faith, of loyalty, and still she bore the intangible scars of timeworn chains around her threadlike ankles. Above all else, regardless of whether motherhood agreed with her or not, Rhoswen knew she would never force her offspring to endure the struggle she knew so well. This child would be free to choose and follow her own path, be it Day or Night.

"I hope it's a girl..."

The auburn-haired beauty mused, smiling at the thought. Often she had pondered upon the sex of the babe within, curious and impatient all at once. In the end, Rhoswen decided she had no preference when it came to boy or girl - as long as it was healthy, she would be content. (Happy was a stretch, so in contentment she settled) Either way, the child would not face an easy youth; caught between the cold shoulders and grappling hands of two courts at odds with one another. She did not envy the journey her little one was set to withstand.

Still aching from her long journey, Rhos began to move into Reich's bedchamber, if only to rest her protesting muscles - when she heard the words - "It's a good thing Raum is returning — you can accompany him home." - causing her to pause momentarily, her fine angular ears lacing back into her mane as his statement hung heavy in the air. Silence reigned. And then, she pushed on, brisker now, her mind racing with a flash of hot irritation that manifested itself in the whipping of a thick sanguine tail around delicate hocks. To the window she paced, gazing out over the courtyard below - of course, the King's quarters would possess the most beautiful view out over Calligo's kingdom, stretching as far as Vitreus Lake. All this grandeur, all this wealth and power and all for what? Nothing had changed, they were all still as blind and selfish as the day she had chosen to leave this godforsaken pit of feathered assassins and glittering fucking stars. With the embers in her chest truly alight, Rhoswen snapped her head toward Reich wearing nothing short of a blistering glare. The air had turned sour, quite suddenly.

"Do you think now that you are King you possess the jurisdiction to order me back here? I am not just another of your lowly subordinates." she seethes, eyes flashing like a summer storm, "All this time and nothing has changed, has it Reich? Solterra is my home."

@reichenbach 0-100