He sought her out in the darkness, his silver form flickering in hues of orange and gold as the lanterns shed their light — she must have come here, his savage Davke Queen, and in truth he had a question to ask her... a boon.
Tinea Swamp was a filthy place, and he would not have come if he hadn't been so eager to find Avdotya... and yet even now he peered down at the swampy earth with distaste, holding up a hoof as he scowled — no matter how beautiful the Terrastellans tried to make this place, it was still just a swamp.
Lorca released his scowl and peered around him once more, golden gaze coy and sharp... there was plenty of fun to be had at a festival, and certainly a lot of secrets to read upon the parchments tied within the sighing trees around him. Moving further into the swampland, Velorca paused to peer at himself within the surrounding waters, still and mirror-like.
His soft lips curled into a vain smile, for his skin was made of satin steel, and his bones cut from the finest porcelain — he was adonis, beautiful and golden eyed. He was a viper clothed in arrogance, standing alone underneath the lantern lit dome of swamp trees.
She had left an ember, and with luck, it would blossom into the wildfire she savagely desired. Florentine had served opportunity on a silver platter, granting the desert mare her chance to plant seeds of paranoia atop the delicate veil of peace weaved in the wake of Maxence's death. Now it was simply a matter of waiting. It would not belong before a pair of prying eyes discovered the folded parchment, and like an obedient cur, would deliver it to authorities. in short order
There was a small curl on her lips at the thought of it all, but it also generated a pang in her chest that spurred her need for the Davke's return. Though the cogs were coming together, Avdotya yearned for their time to finally arrive. Novus - and more importantly Solterra - would soon see a piece of its history reborn from the sands, and with it would come vengeance in all its raw power.
With that image still present in her mind, the viper had suddenly caught herself in the presence of another. She paused sharply at the sound of moving water, ears flat and her eyes aglow with their usual vehemence. There was a stillness that followed, pushing her to wade further into the cold waters and find whomever it was that lingered so close... she need not risk potential witnesses. Yet as it turned out, Avdotya stumbled upon a familiar face: Velorca.
She nearly laughed at the sight of him in a swamp, but curiosity trumped whatever shred of gaiety that existed in her mind. He was here for a reason and as she slowed to a halt, her gaze bore into him intently. "Whatever it is you have to say, I presume it must be of importance." She then barked, showing no hesitation in the interruption of his moment of pompous admiration. The stallion had plenty of other methods to feed his ego as the evening went on, anyways.
He almost didn't hear her arrive — almost. Davke were famously quick and quiet on their feet, Avdotya even better than most... but this was a swamp, a squelching, sloshing swamp. Velorca continued to admire himself, keeping the corner of his eye keen on her scarred figure for a moment before slowly turning his razor boned head. A smile curled upon his velveteen lips as he set his golden eyes upon her, a constant reminder of what they were trying to achieve and what would happen to them if they failed.
He cared little for her strict tone — it was Avdotya, a woman not known for simpering smiles and gentle words. So he simply drawled,
"There is something I wish to obtain to aid our cause... an object of great power."
His voice was quiet, a sensual purr as he continued.
"If I acquire this object, there is potential for repercussion from it's current owners — I seek..."
He hated the word he was about to say, his contempt for rules and regulations turning bitter in his mouth as he uttered:
She lifted a sharp-edged brow at his proposal, unsure of what item he spoke of. Novus held a great many treasure close to its breast, most of which hadn't been seen in decades; however, given Velorca's cunning, even those buried by time itself were left vulnerable to theft. Regardless of what it was, Avdotya was not prepared to step in the way of the man's path. It was somewhat surprising to her that he had even bothered to ask, really. "By all means," she purred, "ruffle some feathers." She cared little for hurt feelings and bruised egos, especially now that their plans were growing ever closer to fruition. They were about to rile a nation - potentially more if Solis smiled upon them - what was one more soul?
Her interest soon returned to what exactly it was that Velorca had set his sights on, and the subtle look of curiosity returned to her face. "What is it that you wish to take?" She inquired, voice low so as not to attract any attention of any potential passers-by. At this hour, she assumed most would have trickled into the more rambunctious of festivities, though one could never be too cautious. Not when the topic of their discussion was sensitive to the wrong ears... of course, stripping a meddler of their tongue was no difficult task for a pair such as Velorca and Avdotya.
In that moment of her concern for witnesses, the viper could have sworn she'd heard distant scrambling among the maze of cypress trees. She curled her neck around sharply, ears forward and eyes biting in their stare. By the time she'd pinpointed a particular direction from which it came, the cold winter air had fallen silent. Shame, she nearly felt a prickle of excitement at the thought of a chase.
Her response had his supple lips curving upward, a cunning plan already taking form within the many passageways of his mind. He had not been completely certain that his Queen would approve — and yet here she was, with a carnal desire for flesh and blood and revenge.
The fact that his Queen cared for neither political correctness or harming inter-court relations pleased him immensely, and allowed him to tell Avdotya exactly what he was intending on stealing. He leaned forward, lips barely an inch from her ear, his elegant throat bared and vulnerable;
"The Relic of Tempus"
The words slipped from between his teeth, sultry against the winters touch. Lorca pulled away, grinning.
At the distant noise he straightened, dipping his graceful head in a slight bow before retreating into the murk of the Swamp, golden eyes glowing through the gloom.
@avdotya highlight the blank space for his whisper <3
Her interest piqued at Velorca's mention of the Relic of Tempus. She knew little of the artifact, but there were whispers of its powers that had once crossed her ears- powers that would undoubtedly bolster their cause if he were to obtain it. Doing just that, however, would prove difficult to achieve... but if anyone could do it, Avdotya imagined it to be the sly man standing before her. "You know who holds it, then?" She was curious to know which Court hosted the relic's keeper, for most had already harboured an unstable relationship with Solterra. To pull another delicate thread from any one of them would put a satisfied smile upon her lips, but Denocte would be a sweeter taste on her tongue. Seraphina was already struggling to mend the damage Maxence had dealt, it certainly wouldn't take much to topple what remained of the peace.
Desires put aside, Avdotya's gaze shifted back to where she previously thought she had heard the clumsy stagger of footfalls. "If I am being honest," she began quietly, her voice no louder than a hushed murmur, "you are not the only one out to disturb relations." Her fiery eyes met his own golden pools and an uncharacteristic grin found its way to her face. If only she knew that her note was already on its way to the young queen, Florentine.
"I left a promise back there... and how unfortunate it would be if the wrong pair of eyes were to find them." The piece she hung within the branches was vague, and intentionally so; it was meant for any passerby to think it had somehow been addressed to them. Much of Novus already walked on eggshells, it would not take a lot to create suspicion among the populace and the more hackles she could raise, the better.
