rises the moon

Atlas

Can rest his weary bones The weight of the world All falls away

The woman had been in Xaila for a very short while. The journey went surprising well; a bit too well if you asked her. She had longed for a bit of excitement along the way. Perhaps even some set backs-so the trip would take even longer. For that would mean her stay would be extended- and she'd have to go home even later than planned. That was what she wanted for a while, but now-now that she was settled. Home, was all she could think about. This land of sand surely was very beautiful and nothing like she had experienced before, but-it didn't compare to Lemuria. Even the royal residence failed in comparison to the estate Ophelia had grown up in. White the tall marble pillars, and enchanting statues of her ancestors. All accomplished adventurers in their own right. The castle had nothing on that, not in her mind at least. It all just recently dawned on the moon elf that her home-would never be that again. She could visit the place, sure, but she would always just be a guest then. Her new home would be with Balaemor, and whatever house he would decide to live in. Right now, that was with the Aerendyl's. But he could easily purchase a new residence with the money his father left him. And if he did; would she get a say in it? In where she was supposed to live her out her days? Where she was supposed to bring children into the world? Or would he just throw any opinion she would have on the matter into the wind? He certainly had the right to do so. Gods, she was just making herself crazy with all these thoughts. While all the things she had to do, what was expected of her. She wasn't sure if she could do them all. But letting her family down-would be even worse. She just, wanted to live like she did before. Before this engagement. She wished she never had caught the eye of Cassiel;Aerendyl. But it was too late to go back now. So the woman had decided to have fun while she could in Xaila. So far removed from her soon-to-be husband. It was a promise she had made to herself. And one she kept up reasonably well. But these bouts of somber thoughts who occasionally creeped was just something she was unable to get rid of. No matter what she did. Ophelia sighed. As she sat on a stone railing. Overlooking the courtyard. The moon elf wasn't that high up. A fall from this height certainly wouldn't kill her. Wound maybe- but definitely not more than that. The woman strummed her lire while she sang. There was no one around. It was nighttime, after all. She couldn't sleep, and so she decided to busy herself with performing her newly written song. Her band had praised it when she played it for them. But somehow-she wasn't sure if they truly meant what they had said. She was their leader, their lead singer. Someone who you wouldn't exactly be quickly critical off. A soft breeze blew through her hair when she sang the chores of the song. Nights were so peaceful here, so calm yet warm and inviting. It was one thing this land had over Lemuria.

The song she sings + Headcanon voice

「R」

everything I've ever let go has claw marks on it

The life at the palace suited him far less than at the oasis. And he bet that every man in the Crimson Dawn would echo those thoughts. Once you have been that close to the source of your power, it was like a maddening drug. Because once you've felt yourself at the most possible strongest version of yourself, everything else paled in comparison to that. Live at the oasis was also much informal. You would not have to attend the queen and her family to every single meeting, appointment and walk. You would not have to stand guard beside closed doors, never at ease. Even keep watch while they were sleeping. Altaïr was now also forced to be in close contact with the royal family, his tasks as general expanded what he used to do: the planning, the responsibilities, the autority he was given. It was a blessing and a curse.

But for now his tasks were easy, keep watch on the sleeping castle. Him, and a few guards underneath him command. Altaïr played with a small ball of fire between his fingers, trying to fight the utter boredom this task came with. He longed for a smoke, but it was also inappropriate to do so. He leaned against one of the sandstone pillars, looking out over the empty courtyards with barren mountains illuminated by moonlight in the background. It was completely silent, peaceful. Not a single danger on the horizon.

And then he heard it. Somebody was.. singing? A frown formed on his face and he stood straight, the ball of fire between his fingers disappeared. He moved his jaws while he pondered, but everything only slightly out of place caught his interest. He didn't think it was a hazard on the royal families life, but he went to investigate anyway. And as he approached the singing and he started to distinguish words, he noticed it was pretty. She was some siren calling, but she was a far way of from the sea.

When the sun elf went past the corner, he saw the source of the bewitching song. And what he saw.. he did not expect. Hair, so white, it seemed spun out of moonlight, pale skin that would burn in seconds if she would expose it in the Xailan sun and he would bet that she would have the most blue of eyes. She could have been a siren, if those tales were true. What was a moon elf doing in the royal palace? He did not believe he had ever seen one.

Altaïr did not want to interrupt her singing, but he was basically obliged to. Because after all, he was horrible with confrontation that was not brute force. So he approached slowly, trying to catch her eye a bit awkwardly. ‘‘Excuse me, miss?’’ he spoke eventually. ‘‘I'm sorry to cut you impede-’’ he continued with narrowing eyes. He was truly sorry to cut her short, because he would not mind to just sit and listen for a while. ‘‘But I need to know your business here.’’

altaïr
faez

I never had the chance to be soft. I was always bloody knuckles and shards of glass. I wanted people to be afraid of hurting me.

Atlas

Can rest his weary bones The weight of the world All falls away

She plucked at the strings of her lyre, like she imagined her music was able to pluck at the hearts of those who heard her music. Her clear voice guided the melody she fingers were able to produce. Into the night. Ophelia noticed that she started to lose herself when she got, the longer she went on. Everything else didn't seem to matter, only the lyrics and the way she sang them. Her face was full of emotion, each syllable she uttered. She was so invested in her craft that she didn't even notice that someone approached her. Quite foolish, since a man like him was hard to overlook. He spoke, the stranger. Just in time, for her song had run out of lyrics. And her Lyre went silent. Meaning that it was over. Or, well, it was over for now. Perhaps she would write more words for it one day, but. Not today. Ophelia fluttered her eyes to the man, he was a guard. That was obvious, something that was also clear was the fact that he wasn't just any guard. The moon elf had heard of the crimson dawn, he must be one of them. One of their leaders, she was willing to bet. He certainly did look the part. The man continued on, apologizing for interrupting, but he insisted on knowing what her "business" here was. "No, I'm sorry, I-" What was she sorry for? She couldn't say, but perhaps she distracted someone with her singing. Or maybe she wasn't allowed to be here at night? "Didn't mean to overstep, If-if I did." The woman stood up, placing her instrument on the ground for now. "My names Ophelia, I'm here with my band- I've been hired by the palace to perform at upcoming events." Did he know? She wasn't here long, just a day or two, so it wouldn't be strange if he didn't. "But you'll probably want to see some paperwork, no? I- don't have it here with me. But we can go back to my chambers and I'll show you the proof to back up my claims." Oh! Gosh, did she really just invite this man to come back to her rooms with her?

The song she sings + Headcanon voice

「R」

everything I've ever let go has claw marks on it

Altaïr had truly interrupted her from her music. She had seemed to be in a sort of a- a trance. But as she turned her face to him, she indeed had those blue eyes which he expected. She had this ethereal veil hanging all over her, and he wondered if it was all moon elves, or just.. her. And before he knew it, she had sprung from the balustrade and rambling her apologies and why she was here. Maybe it was because he was a guard in uniform, it caused this sense of authority people just listened to. Even if he wasn't carrying a weapon, most were wise enough to not defy a Crimson Dawn guard.

But when she just bluntly asked him to her chambers, he held up his hands. ‘‘That won't be necessary,’’ he responded immediately. He was no stranger of being hit on. Xaila was much more relaxed with those kind of things anyway. He had heard of the strict rules and traditions across from the borders. He never bothered to really think about them, but tumbling with an moon elf while he was on duty, would be frowned upon. ‘‘I heard you singing, I believe that you were hired.’’ Altaïr looked back up to her with a bit of an awkward excuse for a smile. ‘‘You are very talented indeed. It is no surprise your name have traveled this far.’’

altaïr
faez

I never had the chance to be soft. I was always bloody knuckles and shards of glass. I wanted people to be afraid of hurting me.

Atlas

Can rest his weary bones The weight of the world All falls away

She was happy, he didn't take her up on her offer. Well, she didn't mind it if it was all strictly business, she had nothing to hide on that front after all. But still, it could be interpreted the wrong way. Especially here, Xailans were known for being-loose. In a way-she envied them for it. Being able to love who you pleased, how many you pleased. Something like that would never be allowed back home. At least not among the moon elves. There, duty and tradition came before-well, everything. When the man said he believed her, she smiled and nodded her head. She was glad that he didn't question it further. ‘‘You are very talented indeed. It is no surprise your name have traveled this far.’’ She was often complimented on her talents, by both and low and high-born men. And in that time, she was able to sense who truly meant it- and who didn't. Because despite her talent, she wasn't able to reach everyone with her songs. But she knew he had been truthful in his words, and she appreciated that. Honestly was a virtue after all. "I thank you for your kind words." Her voice sounded, gentle and sweet. "But I do say it was certainly worth the long journey, for Xaila is everything that was promised." It really was, everything she could ever want or need was provided for her at the castle. The food was, deletable. The land itself; a marvel, the desert was so vast yet so breathtaking. And the people; oh they were wonderful company. The woman chuckled and looked down, before she spoke again. "Though, I suppose I can't be that good if you haven't heard of me before." She teased him.

「R」

everything I've ever let go has claw marks on it

Altaïr hated small talk, only because he was so terribly bad at it. Just talking without an achievement or really meaning was so tiring. He wanted to be nice, he wanted to know more about this elf, because she was like a fish out of water in the desert. So he was somewhat relieved that he did not scare her away, or that she was nervous, because her mouth started moving soon. She talked about Xaila with a lot of praise and Altaïr tilted his head to the side a small bit. ‘‘You were promised sand and heat, weren't you?’’ he joked at her. Because that was what it was. He was curious about the land she hailed from. He had never seen a leafy tree of green hills. But he was destined to stay by the Royal family's side. Unless they decided to travel up north, he was stuck here.

The moon elf showed that she indeed was not scared, as she started to joke soon after. He had to force down a grin, biting on his lip for only a second. ‘‘I apologize,’’ he said. ‘‘I'm afraid that my knowledge about music is very limited.’’ Altaïr look the woman up and down for a second, then at the instrument she had been playing. ‘‘But I do recognize beauty when I see it.’’ A bit of a bold remark. Maybe she would scare her of, with his foreign customs. He knew the rules in the other Kingdoms were.. much stricter. But, well.. he was always honest.

altaïr
faez

I never had the chance to be soft. I was always bloody knuckles and shards of glass. I wanted people to be afraid of hurting me.

Atlas

Can rest his weary bones The weight of the world All falls away

‘‘You were promised sand and heat, weren't you?’ She chuckled as she cast her gaze downwards. Focusing on her dainty hands, and slim fingers. That she interlocked. She wasn't exactly promised heat and sand. For it was a given. She knew that these things would come in abundance in Xaila. But so far, she didn't mind it. "Oh yes, I went to see a fortune-teller, you see; just before I left, and she told me all about it." Ophelia said in a playful tone, continuing the light-hearted conversation. "She also predicted I'd have a rather interesting conversation with a handsome guard. But so far that prophecy has yet to come true." She said with a smile while her winked at him. She wasn't sure if this could still be considered as innocent banter. Or if it could be classified as flirting. She didn't intend for the latter, but. She also just couldn't help herself.

The conversation shifted direction, she questioned her own reputation since he'd clearly had no idea who she was. It was meant as a joke, of course, and he took it as one. Though he did apologize. ‘‘I'm afraid that my knowledge about music is very limited.’’ The woman nodded. For she totally understood. He was probably much more well versed in the art of the sword than any instrument. And she wasn't- that well known. Well, she might have been once, but. She'd been out of the loop for a while. Thanks to her engagement with Baleamor. He always forbade her from preforming. ‘‘But I do recognize beauty when I see it.’’ Her gaze meant hit. Okay, this-couldn't be considered as banter anymore. Or even be in some gray area. He was chatting her up. Something which was totally inappropriate, of course. And yet, she loved it. For it was okay here, the rules back home didn't apply. And her soon-to-be husband wasn't here anywhere to hear it. "I'm sure you do." She mused while she crossed her arms. An amused look playing across her features. For she was really enjoying herself. "I am also sure you'd do more than just recognize- if the beauty would let you."

「R」

everything I've ever let go has claw marks on it

First, he didn't think she was joking. He would not be terribly surprised she had seen a fortune teller. The Rizal family was everywhere, weren't they? He even knew one of them in their mids. The sorcerer families were of dirty business anyway. But when she continued to tell him about her prediction about talking to handsome guards, a small smile tugged on the corner of his lips. Okay, funny girl. He saw how it was. She was bold and chatty and easy to talk to. ‘‘I could introduce you to one of them,’’ he noted without missing a beat. He waited for a moment, and then extended his hands towards the delicate frame of the moon elf. ‘‘Altaïr Faez, general of the Crimson Dawn.’’

And then this woman really was giving another definition to bold. They were long past talking about a song. She would fit in with the locals at any given moment. She was direct, her aim very true. The assumptions she made of him.. he did not know if he was supposed to be flattered or.. Was she looking for some easy fun? He was on duty, by Xeion. So after a moment of tense air, he let out a chuckle. He ran a hand through his dreads. He really craved for a smoke right about now. She was being inappropriate. She was like the total opposite of the siren song she had just sung. So he leaned on his elbow on the balustrade, thinking. ‘‘I'd appreciate it,’’ he slowly responded. ‘‘Maybe even enjoy it.’’

altaïr
faez

I never had the chance to be soft. I was always bloody knuckles and shards of glass. I wanted people to be afraid of hurting me.

Atlas

Can rest his weary bones The weight of the world All falls away

When he introduced himself, she smiled, "Altaïr Faez." She mused, while she took his hand in hers, and shook it. His hand was callous and rough to the touch. Nothing like her dainty ones. The conversation went on and. Oh- She went too far, didn't she? Gods, it was so hard to tell sometimes. What was too far and what wasn't? She had wanted to test the waters a little, create small ripples. Not waves. The silence between them was awfully painful, and the woman just wanted to- leave. Go back to her rooms, and forget about this whole encounter. But then he responded, more favorably than she thought he would. She smiled but looked away from then. "Not today though, another time perhaps." She said then, reeling herself, and the conversation a bit back again. She noticed he had placed one of his elbows on the railing of the balcony. She positioned herself next to him. But did keep a respectable distance. Her blue eyes, fell over the view of the inner courtyard. It was beautiful, of course. "I'd like to take you up on your offer sometime. General" She then said when her eyes fluttered back to the man. She had guessed he had something to do with that Crimson down order she had heard so much about, she had even guessed he probably held a high rank. But the general? No, Ophelia would've never come up with that one in her own.

「R」