Laughter almost bursts from her lips. Pretty? Her? Unaccustomed to compliments Cerva immediately looks away as her chest tightens. Her breath catches in her throat and she shakes her head slowly at first but then quicker. ”No, you must be mistaken or your vision is failing you,” she manages a humored laugh as though that will ease the sting of her self-proclaimed truth, ”I’m quite the boring, plain Jane.” Nothing like mother with her body riddled with everything associated with spring, and nothing like father who could do anything he possibly wanted to himself. Cerva’s body is almost rigid underneath Magnus’ stare and her mouth opens to speak again but no words fall. She purses her lips shut again and funnels her attention on a single daisy nearby in attempt to muster her strength, as fleeting as it is.
His kindness isn’t off-putting, but it almost startles her how gracious he is. It seems to be a rare quality, or at least in her experience it is. Perhaps it is due to her upbringing in the Valley or the mere awareness of how much darkness looms over their world. Grateful, she manages a shy, ”Thank you,” before pausing and following his eyes to the distance where there had been cacophonous voices only hours prior. Cerva’s shoulders ripple in a shrug. ”There are often heated debates when it’s related to a kingdom,” there is confidence in her voice this time because she just knows how exactly kingdom residents can be when their home is jeopardized. ”It happens,” a smile stretches across her lips as a means to disprove the need for his apology. ”If you don’t mind my asking though, what was everyone getting heated about?” On one side this is her home and she is curious as to what lies in the land she is about to tie herself to, but on the other, Magnus could perceive her as too new, too innocent, to the Gate’s ways to disclose the information; nonetheless, it never hurts to ask.
With the sun at her back and the kingdom opening in front of her Cerva glances up at Magnus and nods slowly. ”A tour around would be lovely,” hesitation holds her in place long enough for her own poison ivy to wrap around her legs. Rooted at first she considers her next actions, her future decisions. This probably isn’t where father (or mother) would want her. Do they want their daughter in the Gates versus her birth home in the Valley? Her heart patters against her chest as she looks back across her shoulders then to Magnus again. ”Show me your favorite spot,” the ivy releases her and she moves into the embrace of the kingdom, finally making her first confident decision.
Cerva