The Reuniting

The male and female standing in front of him spoke in turn, as if rendering reports, or some other official business. Neither seemed to have noticed at first. It wasn't until they were dismissed that they acknowledged her each with a small bow of their heads to her before departing. The deadly looking duo, he with his crimson hair and eyes, her ice blue eyes staring into one's soul, they had an air about them that would cause one to steer clear. Malfius spun slowly on his heel as he spoke "I began to wonder if you would ever wake. That perhaps you had fallen under the curse of the keep." His voice was deep, and threatened to rumble the stone beneath her feet "I am glad to see you are up and moving"

It was unexpected, the sudden warmth that spread through her body when his focus suddenly turned onto her as his two subordinates exited the room. Taking the uninterrupted opportunity to observe him again from tip to toe and back again as he spoke, she questioned herself mentally over how she could have ever mistaken him to simply be a statue. Seeming to break herself from her musing,

"You could have come checked on me and attempted to rouse me were it truely such a thought. I don't feel as if I turned to stone at any point."

The words were quiet, lazy. Clearly taunting but not carrying the malicious bite one might expect. Rather it sounded almost like a hint of what could be called playful challenge laced them. Shifting easily on those long, bare legs to lean forward towards you a bit more,

"Fear not that I dare chastize you. I'm merely poking at you for a reaction. You were clearly reconnecting with your people and your castle. The important business."

The smile never crossed his lip, but it shined in his eyes as he took a single step forward "Truthfully, I only recently arose myself. I found myself to be in a dream, that I wished to remain in. It is only now that I realize, tis no dream" he glanced over his shoulder at her mention of his Commanders and the smile finally broke through to the corners of his lips "More accurately that was personal. Those two have been with me for a very long time. Loyal to a fault. Crymsun, and Azura. As for important business, that would require the Keep to be active"

Her steps were slow, cautious, yet dangerously beautiful. Somehow tempting you to reach out and draw her into you, much as one would water when dieing of thirst. She drew close enough that it was the scant air itself that separated your clothed bodies from meeting. Arching up on tip toe, she would run the pads of her fingertips lightly over your lips before bringing them to hers. Running them across her own then, her eyes fluttered shut. Tongue darting out to flit over the area, it was almost as if she were tasting you in a sense. Eyes still closed,

"You're seeing of them again, speaking with them this no dream, of that much I can promise you. Your Keep will be active again, just give it time. I hope you did not mind that I borrowed one of your tunics. It was closest to what I thought might fit me as with my new... Alterations, my own will not. I had no desire to be rude and walk out naked should you be entertaining."

With his hands clasped behind his back he leaned down and whispered quietly "It suits you in my opinion. Such a shame, you being the conversationalist that you are. Tell me how often, truly, did you wish that I could speak back to you?" His head tilted and his smile was genuinely warm.

It was a careful smile, a neutral one when you leaned in to ask that question of her. Her head tilted slightly when your breath played over her flesh, looking as if to maybe offer up more of it. Catching her lower lip between her teeth and working at it thoughtfully for a moment, a habit you had only seen her do rarely in the twenty years,

"It smelled of you. I'm not sure how with the time it's surely been since you last wore it, but it did.  How often though ? More often than I suppose I like admitting."

He straightened and looked around thoughtfully "And do tell me" he turned slightly to take in the whole room "Why is you are so certain the keep will return to its former state" he looked at her once more his horns giving him an almost draconian features to his movements "Not that I'm disagreeing"

"I don't know how I know. Just that I do. It seems right in a sense. I can hear it..."

Shaking her head slightly, she scrubbed a hand back through her hair. Moving through the room, fingers idly tracing the walls and other things,

"I can hear them stirring. Restless and humming almost. It's as if they're waiting for something."

He watched her move through the room, addressing it like a long lost love. That was what brought his eyes over to the space next to his throne. Most overlooked it, not realizing what was meant to have been there many, many years ago. He brought his gaze back to her long before she would realize he had looked anywhere but in her direction. "Do you believe in Destiny?"

"Destiny ? Was not destiny for a girl to marry a boy, a would be king ?"

She hadn't turned back to look at you when she spoke the words, though there was a bit of bite that you might not have expected to hear.

"They murdered my family. Each and EVERY one of them. They murdered the servants. They overlooked the girl that ran. Was that my destiny ? Was yours to become stone ? Lost to time ?"

She shook her head softly, her wings fluttering softly with her agitation. By the time she had finished speaking, her head had dropped. One hand still rested on the wall, the fingers of the other knotting in the tunic of yours she had stolen to cover herself.

"One might say destiny has never given me a choice NOT to believe in it. I just don't know what my Destiny is anymore."

He felt it. The pain. That she was enduring. He made up his mind in that moment. He hadn't attacked. He hadn't even gone to retrieve her. She had simply disappeared. He had thought they changed their mind. Decided to go another route. His anger rose to the fore front, and the Keep responded, to both of them. His anger, her pain and the Balefire roared. He looked at as it died down and that was that "I made no such move. I was told you would come to me" he turned and looked at her directly "Destiny. One can't fight it, but it merely brings one to the precipice. What you do once your there is your choice" he straightened himself "No matter how you may view me, good or bad, you won't stop what I do next" at that moment the doors opened up and Crymsun came back into the throne room. Approaching Mal with a raspy voice "My liege. How may I assist you?" Malfius didn't hesitate "Do you recall the accord that had been struck years ago?" Crymsun thought for a moment before answering "Milord, I assume you speak of the Accord of the Lady?" "The very one" "The family that had promised their daughter to the keep, in exchange for nothing." Malfius shook his head "No, not for nothing." He looked over at her "It was in exchange for her safety" he looked back to Crym "Find out exactly what happened to them. Go alone, and silently. Make none aware of your intentions, and bring me your findings" Crymsun nodded to his Lord "And what is the urgency of this request?" "You will drop all other tasks, and see directly to this post haste. The fact that you are still standing here frustrates me slightly" Crymsun bowed his head with a fist over his heart "My liege. Give me 24 hours. I will return with what you ask" and he was headed for the door off of his heel.

"I was supposed to. On the first full moon of my sixteenth year. Father had wanted it sooner, but Mother said that was how it needed to be. I remember overhearing the conversation between them. They thought that I was asleep. Father didn't argue when Mother said things in THAT voice. I always knew that there had to be some reason... We were both rulers to be, you and I. Betrothals like ours didn't happen without reason on both sides. I just never knew what it was. I suppose I was young enough to hope..."

She shook her head and fell silent, whether she had noted the roar of the baelfire, an unknown. She did wait silently until Crymsun had disappeared again before continuing. Though now her words had fallen so quiet that even within your own keep, you'd have to fight to hear them.

"I don't hate you...Or view you as... I don't know how I view you. The girl I was ? I was pleased when Mother promised that you were handsome. I was equally pleased when Father promised you would be a good husband. Someone who would care for my people the way i would care for yours. That girl was foolish enough to think that her betrothed would realize she hadn't gotten lost among the corpses. The carnage. That he'd come find her. That girl died a long time ago. You shouldn't send him though.... I have my speculations. I think I've had them for a long time. It's too late now though. Something comes ? Can't you feel it ?"

His shoulders relaxed as she said that last "I was beginning to think I was touched in the mind. Yes. I feel it. Someone has incurred the wrath of a God. And seems to have brought them to our doorstep." He looked to her once more "Mayhaps we go introduce ourselves. And show them the error of their ways"

"You did notice it."

Her sigh of relief seemed to match your own movements as some of her pain seemed to fade away. Whatever door had started to be opened in that unexpected outpouring was closed as she turned to face you. There was a bit of a feral cast to her features as she extended a hand to you.

"Then let us go dance, My King."

The dark look she received back from him spoke volumes. She may not have realized it but she was feeding right into his thoughts. He took her hand graciously, and before she knew it they were off the ground, her own wings with a mind of their own, at least until she got with the program. Up, up, up into the sky. It wasn't long until they found her. The woman who stood suspended in the air above the city as if she stood on a rooftop. She watched them approach and remained, the old fashioned silver helm under her arm, and spear in her hand were Greek in nature. He spied her eyes and knew immediately calling out "And why would the great Athena of Olympus come calling to our city?" She simply smirked "That is none of your concern, and if you are even a fraction as wise as I am, you will remove yourselves from the situation." Her next words were vicious "Or I will" Sere would feel the aggression that spiked through her new found King. He was ready for what was going to come next.

For a moment she was selfish. For a moment she simply let her hand remain in his and relished what could have been. What should have been. Yet when they reached the sky, they stood separate, ascended separately yet together towards the woman who sought to take from this city what had never truly been hers to claim.

"But I think it is their right, Grecian."

The voice that responded was female, carried on the breeze, seemingly disembodied at first. But when finally it became 'corporeal' it was in a fashion visible, but still intangible. Darkly cloaked, darkly swathed, those eyes glowed with power. With true blooded power.

"Tis the right of any who wish to fight for this city that they may."

Flinging her incorporeal arm out, one might think it was to make an attack at Athena herself. However, a ring, a matched set would appear, one on the King's hand and one on his Queen's. In their mind's they would simply hear,

"This is the last of what I have to give. When you need it, simply reach and it will come. As I am the Daughter of the Morrigan, the Goddess of Three, I give unto you the last of what I am. Mold it as the need calls."

Physically, that darkness merely smiled.

"Tell Paddy that I'll miss him. That I'm sorry I couldn't stay. Tell Abbi that her Aunt will always be watching over her. But fuck do i love pissing in uppity bitches cheerios."

With one last look at the pair that stood ready to do battle, that darkness simply erupted and shot towards both of them, arrows loosed that hit the rings and was absorbed into them.

The energy would rocket into the rings, soaring through their bodies before settling into the rings, coiling, dancing. Weapons quietly awaiting their unleashing.

Serephyna would look at Athena then, some part of her aching over the unknown woman's words. Athena would recognize her as the Princess that had been stolen so long ago. The woman that the Council had dared try to mold into their own weapon and nearly succeeded.

"You'll have to go through us to get to them."

Athena smirked and placed her helm upon her head, and it was at that moment Malfius struck. His speed was blinding, even for Athena to follow, and the blade in his hand was not there the second before, nor had he been wearing one. It's ethereal golden hue suggested some sort of fae magic. If he had only been a half a second faster, he'd have made it past her shield. But just as quickly as he had attacked he retreated back to his former position, blade still in hand. His smirk confused her though. It was when she finally truly readied herself that she saw it. One lone hole in her shield. Right where he'd struck. She looked at him in shock and he spoke "Just so you are aware that we are not bluffing"

She didn't say a word, didn't utter a single thought as she watched her King move like a flash of Golden Lightning. Then so swiftly he was back at her side again. Or was she at his ? Did such details really matter ? No. She didn't need to say any words for her agreeance of his to be known. She watched Athena, her face a neutral mask.

"What calls you here, Athena ? The Promethean isn't enough for this sort of force. As for leaving, I've never been anything but loyal. You'd deny me being here ?"

Her words were simple and seemed to ring of such truth, of such conviction. As if she were now going to show her true colors and turn on you Malfius. And yet, something in your gut told you to trust her.

Athena chortled in response "Bold of you to assume that I'm here for you, or the lowly Promethean. She matters not to me. And you even less." Athenas speed was certainly godly, but her Spear never met its target. It hung in the air, straining to move forward, being held back by a simple rapier blade. His chest took up Sere's vision, and his voice filed her senses as it rumbled "You mistake your place and disrespect us by invading our city. You further disrespect me by threatening harm to My Queen." He could feel it, the Balefyre. It was roaring. "For these crimes, You will suffer the Way of the Dancing Saber." He glanced over his shoulder at the would be Goddess "I suggest you flee". Athena eye filled with rage "Lowly Fae! How dare you step in my way!" The spear retracted and impacted with enough force to create a small Shockwave, but again it never met its intended target, once again being held at bay by a simple golden rapier, that hung in the air as if an invisible defendant stood between her and them.

"They were options of reasons, Goddess. If ever bold I've been, it was in service of the Council. While she matters not to you, she does matter to them. While you may be a Goddess, you are but one and they are many. They're going to realize eventually that they don't need you."

Whether her words were the reason for the newly attempted attack or not was unknown. While she was as prepared as she could be, it did in fact never reach her. Something about him calling her His Queen in front of another, regardless of who it was, not to mention defending her ? It evoked an odd feeling in her that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She'd come to it later.

Her rage filled roars filled their hearing as she continued to assail them with fruitless attacks, one after another. The Dancing Saber was there to meet her at every turn, every thrust, every slash. Malfius looked down to Sere and smirked "And I thought God's were supposed to be stronger than this"

"They are. When they're not letting rage fuel their actions."

The words were quiet, a deadly seriousness to their tone that hopefully was not lost on him. It's why even with al the other circumstances and the seeming perfect defense of the blade, her eyes were still intent on the Goddess in front of them.

"She's going to eventually run through her rage and then I believe we may have a different story to deal with. Her tantrum is amusing though. Still I'm left wondering... Who is she here for if not the Promethean ? Who would whatever that was end themselves to make sure was safe, to keep her at bay from attaining ?"

He feared she was right. The Goddess seemed to be gaining ground on his Saber. She was slowly collecting herself. He knew it was coming, the blow that would finally see its target, but once again it never came. Only this time it was due to Athena being ripped from her position as a large furred form engulfed her continuing its path upward into the sky. Malfius' look of shock wasn't hidden "Well that's unexpected"

It was a slight gesture, a subtle gesture that would easily enough be hidden by their bodies as they stood watching the sabre. Her fingers found his and unless he resisted laced through his. By no means in a death grip of as hold, but just an oddly unexpected connection. You didn't feel fear off of her, just a resolution that if this didn't end up going your way, that the two of you would have had that brief connection. It was also the only reason that you'd note her reaction to that massive furred form grabbing her and continuing skyward. Her fingers tightened, though her face remained calm.

"Agreed. That was a lot of fur. I didn't think wolves flew. That did look like one, did it not ?"