"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
I will run the streets and hostile lands, I will touch the rain with all I have
I will breathe the air, to scream it loud. My feet will never touch the ground.
She’s been busy. But there are not enough excuses (business, her son, getting caught in the sway of instinctual life, thought processes, exhaustion) that can amount to the regret she feels for her kingdom. She has disappointed them and she knows it. Her heart is heavy and her soul is guilty as she walks through the Gates. The mother tree waves slowly in the distance, but even its cheerful sight cannot brighten Camelia’s emotions.
The whispers of her childhood are perhaps the only residents still left behind. She hears an echo of a laugh in the distance, but when her eyes turn in the direction of the noise there is nothing. A ray of sunlight falls between the fronds of a willow tree and creates the illusion of her younger version and Mast’s younger version pestering each other. The Gates is nothing more than dimming hopeful dreams and mirages of memories and it is all her fault.
Heaving a heavy sigh that shudders on the edge of a sob, the queen of endless memories leans against the familiar husk of a healing tree (only a few burn scars from the wildfires remain, the mother tree helping with the majority of the healing process) and closes her eyes to attempt to clear her wandering mind.
After all this time he finally sees his princess again. After the fires that had swarmed the kingdom, Rocinante had taken to keeping away from others. Hiding in the shadows and on the outskirts of the lands keeping intruders at bay and watching the goings on of daily life with a careful eye. Things had not been the same since the terrible tragedy. Chiefly in that he had lost his charge. With Camelia's absence, he had grown panicked and depressed constantly on the look out trying to find the princess he so dearly loved who had grown and become queen. He had seen her in flashes as she waltzed carefree around the kingdom but she was always gone before he could reach her. An ethereal nymph floating on the edge of his daydreams. But today was different.
He scents her briefly on the wind and his heart races as his giant hooves rip deep furrows into the earth in his haste. This time he will not fail her. How long ago now was it that he had sworn to serve her? Now all he could hope for was forgiveness. He weaves his way among the towering oaks and other flora that are the distinction of the Gates and beelines towards the mother tree. If there was anywhere that the sweet, innocent girl would be it was there.
In his furious dash he nearly misses her. She is not quite to the mother tree, but instead leaning heavily against one much smaller but near enough to have taken full advantages of the mother's healing capabilities. He does not miss the sag in her shoulders or the heavy sigh that passes between lips made for laughter. The mighty titan feels his heart sag with her. How much of this ache could he have prevented if only he had been more diligent, more courageous, more present. He can feel the flower that she had woven into his mane so long ago tickling behind his ear and it's memories warm him, giving him the strength to stand once more before her.
The warrior shakes the dust from his coat and walks towards her. As he stands before her he can see the sadness that lingers in the sunlit pools of her eyes. A sadness never meant to burden one so pure. With a gentleness belying his size he plants a small kiss on the top of her head before dropping to one knee. He bows his head briefly to her. From the ground he gazes at the princess, and though he has no words, there is no mistaking the love and pride that shines in his eyes.
05-04-2015, 09:45 PM (This post was last modified: 05-04-2015, 09:46 PM by Fiasko.)
fiasko
What is she doing?
Fiasko stands at the kingdom border, lone eye peering out at the world beyond the Gates. It’s been so long since she last ventured out there. Too long. Despite her attempts to be more useful to the kingdom, she has done nothing, and accomplished even less. Her one attempt at recruiting had been a failure, and her attempt at stealing, while successful, had been pointless.
She is useless. So useless.
Sighing, she turns away from the border and heads back towards the centre of the kingdom, back towards the safe and familiar Mother Tree. She needs to change, that much is clear. But how? She’s been trying to change for so long, and while she has been progressing, it’s been frustratingly slow. But what else can she do?
She knows, deep down. She needs to get out there. She needs to put herself out there. But she’s afraid. And really, how can she spread her wings in the outside world when she’s afraid to approach the family she has here in the Gates?
Speaking of which …
As she nears the Mother Tree, a familiar face comes into view, nestled into the shade of another small tree. Camelia. Kaelie and Finnley’s daughter.
She’s seen the young mare from afar many times, going about the business of ruling the quiet kingdom. So far though, she’s been too afraid to approach. And that needs to stop. Steeling herself, she marches herself towards her adoptive sister (though … does Camelia even know they are adoptive sisters?). When she’s only a few metres away however, she finds that Camelia has already been approached by a stallion she does not recognize. She’s too close to back away without being awkward, so she plasters a smile on her crooked face and steps up. “Hello there, I’m Fiasko.”
As the words fall out of her mouth she becomes abruptly aware that something is wrong. There is an unmistakable sadness on the dun mare’s face. Fiasko’s gaze drops awkwardly, unaware of how to handle the situation. “Are … are you alright?”
He is as guilty as any of them for the way the Gates have stagnated, perhaps more so given what this kingdom had done for him. Had she not given him a new life in the face of death? Had she not nurtured him, groomed him, and shaped him into the stallion he was today? Though perhaps not the kingdom directly, but the members that this kingdom made had saved him. Without Kaelie and Finnley, its quite hard to tell where he would be now. Whiling away the hours in the Meadow, probably, a host of unknown children to his name. The realization of it all crashed into him like a wave to a shore, and he was suddenly ashamed of himself. It was his promise to himself and his kingdom, his duty to see this place thrive! And now he had a lot lost time to make up for.
The sound of hooves on ground do not pass him by. It is become almost a foreign noise as of late. He pushes his head into the wind, his nostrils quivering as he decoded the various scents that clung on the passing breeze. His queen, his princess, mother to his first child. Her sweet scent, like lilac and jasmine, was the first and foremost that caught his attention. With a childish toss of his head he swung into motion, tracking towards the center of the kingdom. Soon he arrives, but he is not the first. He slows to a jog, approaching with an easy smile on his face. But the smile quickly fades as he sees the sadness clinging to the shoulders of his queen. It is easy to see, almost palpable, and he longs to pull her into his chest and shower her in kisses. If he could he would take her sadness away, absorb it into his own flesh and make it his burden to bear. But he was no magician. And they are surrounded by their kingdom mates, so he holds himself back, his brown eyes searching hers frantically. He nods to the draft stallion beside him, knowing him by sight and name but having never spoken. He smiles at Fiasko, a recent acquaintance. But his eyes and his heart are reaching for Camelia. “Camelia…” he says, his pain for her lacing his voice. “What’s wrong?” he asks, keeping it short and simple. But he longs to say more, to tell her he loves her and that it’ll all be alright. He’s here. He loves her.
