transfixed by rose golden glows

since the event had begun odessa spent most of her time dancing, it was one of her favorite things to do at any formal gathering or party. usually she was the first one on and then the last one off the dance floor. needing to take a breather she went to get a refreshment before picking a spot along the outer rim of the event area. she was so focused on drinking and calming down her urge to go back to dancing she didn’t notice someone standing a few paces away. turning to her odessa took a small sip of her drink before replying “oh yes, my feet wanted a small break before I go back out there” she motioned towards the floor.

having spent the majority of the night standing on the sidelines simply people watching rohan decided he needed a drink, reluctantly leaving his little corner of peace. once he arrived at the table he noticed the general. "yes. i believe a combination of both the capital and the spring court to be a good thing, especially in such a trying time." he couldn't help but be a bit defensive at times when it came to the place he had called home for most of his life. thankfully though he was able to keep the bite out of his tone.

𝐈𝐓  𝐖𝐀𝐒  𝐀𝐍  𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄  habit  for  sitara,  after  decades  and  decades  of  planning  and  hosting  balls  and  such,  to  keep  an  sharp  eye  on  it  all.  as  her  staff  moved  around  refilling  the  empty  chalices,  and  refilling  the  food  lined  up  on  the  extravagant  displays,  her  frame  moved  along,  watching  as  they  ensured  everything  was  kept  tidy  and  perfect  as  she  had  hoped  it  would  be.  it  was  less  likely  they  would  notice  when  the  evening  began  to  grow  later  and  they  were  entirely  high  off  the  spirits.  in  truth  a  part  of  her  wished  that  greatly,  that  by  the  time  the  sun  rose  everyone's  moods  were  much  improved.  her  gaze  were  a  constant  move  along  keeping  an  eye  on  her  son  and  then  their  staff,  and  as  she  caught  one  of  her  fae's  fixing  the  lamp,  about  closer  to  knocking  another  decoration  piece,  sitara  quickly  called  out,  "no,  no,  let  that  latern  be,  we  do  not  want  that  piece  breaking."  as  the  staff  bowed  and  took  her  leave,  she  found  her  spymaster  on  the  sidelines.  it  wasn't  unusual  sight,  but  she  had  hoped  this  ball  was  something  her  inner  circle  could  enjoy  for  tonight.  she  had  all  but  commanded  them  to  take  off  duty  and  simply  enjoy  along  with  the  others.  "i  cannot  imagine,  rohan,  that  standing  about  and  watching  others  mingle  is  very  interest."  her  voice  light,  flecks  of  humor  sprinkled  as  she  met  his  gaze,  surrounding  by  his  mask.

balls had always been one of the things rohan dreaded the most, unless it was one where he had to work. then he deeply enjoyed them, mostly because he didn't really have to interact with anyone for himself. when he was working it was for the king and queen mother. but with the bubble keeping guests and residents of gaea enclosed he was unable to stay away from balls or parties. especially since he knew how important it was to the queen mother and since she was, a friend? admittedly he wasn't sure if he'd call her a friend, sure he'd like to but he was often away for jobs that he didn't see her much. a small smirk of amusement ghosted his faced as he watched the queen mother wonder about the space in preparation for the ball. however when he noticed her heading his way he gave her a small bow once she was a few feet away. "i'd have to disagree. seeing you take care of everything and fixing mistakes is rather amusing indeed. besides, i like to people watch. even when i am not on duty." admittedly he wasn't very good at social interactions but sometimes talking to the queen mother was rather easy sometimes considering he had known her for over a hundred years at that point. 

their  positions  made  it  difficult  to  avoid  one  another  permanently.  odessa  was  quite  literally  his  counterpart  for  the  court  his  cousins  ruled  over,  anytime  rhys  visited  he  was  met  with  his  family  as  well  as  her.  were  she  from  any  other  court,  they  might  both  be  a  bit  more  lucky.  the  mother  had  such  a  cruel  sense  of  humor  at  times,  or  perhaps,  it  was  the  fates.  "  i  do  miss  winter  dearly,  nor  can  i  blame  you  for  longing  for  dawn.  "  each  court  held  its  own  beauty,  rhys  may  be  bias  for  winter,  but  dawn  would  always  be  his  second  home.

one of the only things odessa had dreaded about taking her emissary position was the chance she may have to see rhys. whenever she did she tried her best to seem cordial, even if she did have a hurricane of anger and embarrassment swirling in her stomach every time she spotted his curls and blue eyes. "how is winter these days?" she had to admit his court was a bit too cold for her liking, much prefering the courts that had were a tad warmer. she didn't particularly want to keep up the conversation but she refused to be rude. well, she refused to be obvious with it.

𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐍  𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒  somewhat  settling  into  a  routine,  half  spent  doing  what  he  loved  most,  exploring  the  capital,  and  with  any  luck  any  particular  day,  with  someone  willing  to  keep  him  company.  the  other  half  of  his  day,  following  his  brother's  request  of  keeping  an  eye  on  the  fae  around  him,  listening  in  and  noting  that  would  be  of  relevance  to  cedrian.  thus  far,  nothing  of  important  was  found,  the  high  rulers  and  their  inner  circles  devoted  their  time  to  locate  a  fighting  method  against  the  magic,  and  the  other  simply  moving  about  with  sour  faces.  as  the  days  passed,  the  atmosphere  here  certainly  dampened,  leaving  little  entertainment  for  the  youngest  day  lord.  the  other's  confession  had  the  male  chuckling,  "i  would  not  expect  anything  less  from  you,  lady  odessa."  he  had  caught  the  rather  competitive  gleam  in  her  gaze.  winning  for  him  had  been  of  no  importance,  dec  usually  always  sought  the  thrill  of  the  game  and  studying  his  opponents  rather  than  defeating  them.  "that's  quite  the  confidence  you  have  for  a  novice  player."  he  couldn't  help  but  toss  in  response,  hands  working  to  set  the  board."please  to  know  that  i  could  be  of  aid  to  you.  although  i  know  what  you  mean,  everyone  seems  to  have  slipped  into  a  rather  strange  disposition.  one  half  is  restless  of  wishing  to  be  free,  and  the  other  having  to  interest  in  doing  much  of  anything.  i'm  not  quite  sure  what  that  would  accomplish.  whether  we  like  it  or  not,  we  are  trapped,  why  make  ourselves  further  miserable  by  moping  about?"

whenever odessa wasn't working she had escaped outside, whether it had been the gardens or somewhere else where she could enjoy the nature and fresh air the capital had to offer. but she had to admit that after awhile even being outside had taken it's toll on her and she was starting to long for her home. for the balcony that gave her the most beautiful view of the dawn every morning. hopefully sometime soon they will find an end to the barrier keeping everyone. her smile had widened at hearing the day lords chuckle, her head tilting just a bit. "is that so? are you expecting me to be competitive?" she was sure anyone who truly knew her understood just how much she loved to win. how much she needed to win. "i'm rather confident when it comes to practically anything, even things i don't quite know or understand." it was true, she tended to make up in lack of knowledge with confidence. "oh yes i agree. i am trying my best to keep myself entertained but i can't only walk outside so much."

damien  shrugs,  "  i'm  sure  that  there  are  many  unsuccessful  attempts  ahead  of  us.  "  admits  he.  many  were  too  impatient  to  sit  back  and  form  an  actual  plan,  consistently  throwing  idea  after  idea  to  a  barrier  that  seemed  to  only  feed  from  it.  "  then  i  think  you  should  most  certainly  find  something  else  that  could  save  you  from  detesting  the  things  you  love.  "  

"have you tried anything? or are you simply waiting to see if someone else will come up with a solution." odessa wondered if he was simply waiting to see if someone could figure it out or if he would try to figure someone out on his own. "do you have any suggestions then on what i could be doing instead?" she asked with the tilt of her head, a small smirk on her lips.

odessa gave a small smile at the fact that she recognized who she had bumped into and the fact that arwen wasn't upset with her. "yes hello. you're arwen, yes?" she nodded in agreement, her smile widening. "aren't you in the summer court? is that not where you're from? i apologize i wasn't aware." her smile turned a bit sheepish as she took a small step back. "oh no." odessa waved her hand "i simply needed some fresh air, i prefer being outside."

manon   nodded   also   being   from   the   dawn   court.   "i-"   she   started   and   then   stopped,   suddenly   feeling   emotional   about   it   all.   "i   sometimes   miss   the   dawns   of   the   dawn   court,   i   was   raised   there   with   my   mother."   raised   by   her   mother   was   used   loosely.   "but   the   night   skies   of   the   night   court?   they   take   my   breath   away   everytime."

des nodded at the lady's words, a small look of pity on her face. "of course, i remember seeing you." she thought that bringing up the past might help a bit but she wasn't sure. "really? i feel like it's been ages since i've seen the night court i'm not sure i remember. but prehaps one day i could visit. when we're out of here." she added with a sigh.

dessa let out a small exhale of relief when he assured her it was okay. although at his words her face scrunched up in a bit of confusion. "the capital city? is dull? really? i hope no one hears you say that." her tone was a bit teasing but she couldn't fully agree with his assessment. when she had first arrived at the capital she thought it was beautiful and full of grandure. sure after a bit she had gotten a bit tired of it, missing her home but she'd never call it dull. "yes, i'm enjoying the air immensely. sometimes i do need a break from inside."

sometimes being lost could a fun adventure, at least to des but she could understand why someone else might not like the idea. at the others words she slowly spun in a small circle, looking around as she thought about their options. "well we could climb up these hedges but that might not work. do you remember the way you came? we could try following your footsteps?" she suggested with the tilt of her head.

"it's  quite  alright,  dear.  i  am  most  pleased  to  see  you  enjoying  the  royal  gardens,  lately  its  one  of  the  few  only  sights  that  brings  about  a  sense  of  peace."  there  was  a  faint  look  of  amusement  in  the  elder  fae's  gaze  as  the  other  resembled  a  started  fawn.  in  truth,  sitara  did  not  fret  over  such  incidents,  she  had  far  too  much  weighing  on  her  mind  to  be.  the  peace  that  settled  over  gaea  now,  was  not  a  true  one,  it  was  too  eerie,  too  quiet,  the  livelihood  of  her  palace  dimmed  as  unknown  continues  to  hold  them  hostage.  "has  it  helped?"  she  inquired  sincerely,  naturally,  she  was  still  worried  about  her  guests,  the  ordeal  left  a  bitter  taste  in  the  elder  woman's  mouth  because  this  not  she  wished  her  son's  coronation  to  be  remembered  as.  "as  well  as  we  all  are,  lady  odessa,  thank  you  for  asking.  how  are  you?  our  circumstances  are  not  ideal,  but  despite  it  i  hope  the  accommodations  are  to  your  liking."

"of course, it's beautiful here. a perfect place to clear one's head." it was a bit nerve racking to be in front of the queen mother, at least when it was by surprise. if it was a meeting for her high lord that a completely different matter. her head lifted when she heard the other speak, a small smile appearing on her lips. "it has yes, i prefer to be outfit and i feel must more at ease out here." she motioned towards the flowers, her smile widening just a bit. "don't tell anyone but this garden could rival some at the spring court." des was hoping to get a smile or a laugh out of the queen mother, as she was sure she felt an enormous amount of pressure due to everyone being stuck. "oh i am well. i do miss home but everything here is gorgeous, it helps ease the longing."

manon   enjoyed   when   other   had   her   sense   of   humor,   or   her   humor   brought   a   smile   to   their   face.   it   was   better   than   when   they   got   angry   not   that   manon   was   above   fighting,   sometimes   it   was   fun   and   it   humored   her   to   make   someone   else   so   upset   that   they   turned   red.   she   gave   the   other   a   devilish   smile   as   if   to   say   damn   straight.   manon   laughed   and   nodded.   "at   least   we   can   feel   the   wind   on   our   faces   still,"   manon   replied.   "i   do   not   think   i   would   be   able   to   survive   if   i   did   not   feel   the   wind   on   my   face."

odessa nodded her agreement. "i feel the same way, i must admit that i do miss the dawns back home. there's nothing else like it." it could've been that she was biased or because it was where she was born but the dawn court was her favorite place in all of pyrthian. the time away from her home was starting to take a bit of a toll.

having not expecting that reaction odessa let out a small laugh, a smile covering her lips. "well good i'm glad. i'd hate to have to tell my high lord that i've made a life time enemy with another court." she teased back, glad she hadn't upset the fae in front of her. "what? where?" she quickly moved her head to look at the tree in question, her eyes squinting.

𝐈𝐍  𝐆𝐀𝐄𝐀,  𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐍  𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃  to  have  an  inordinate  amount  of  time  that  really  he  was  simply  left  to  memorize  each  face  he  came  across  while  in  the  midst  of  doing  some  spy  work  for  his  eldest  brother,  and  high  lord  of  day.  their  inner  circle  did  plenty,  but  when  cedrian  went  out  of  his  way  asking  for  his  brothers  aid,  there  was  no  question  that  it  would  not  be  done.  meeting  new  people  had  always  been  his  favored  past  time,  amongst  a  few  others,  but  lately  the  dampened  spirits  of  all  those  inside  the  palace  had  made  his  normal  hobbies  a  bit  of  a  challenge.  recognizing  the  new  emissary  of  the  dawn  court,  declan  thought  it  best  to  make  his  introductions  to  the  day  court's  neighbors,  and  the  dawn  court  held  a  special  fondness  for  the  youngest  day  lord,  it's  where  he  had  met  his  oldest  friend,  seraphina  from.  the  other's  better  spirits  certainly  lifted  dec's  mood,  watching  the  woman  with  amusement  as  gazed  at  him  flirtatiously.  "i  always  say  learning  is  half  of  the  fun  in  this  particular  game,  and  so  it  would  be  my  pleasure  to  teach  you,  my  lady."  he  had  lifted  the  board  that  rested  on  the  other  table,  setting  up  the  pieces  before  taking  the  seat  across  from  the  lady,  "it  seems  I  appeared  at  the  right  time,  you  looked  about  ready  to  doze  off."  rightly,  he  didn't  blame  her,  there  was  not  much  excitement  going  about  in  the  palace  since  the  coronation  ball. 

even though meeting people were apart of her job it felt like she had been doing that non-stop, it was starting to get a bit tiresome even for odessa. she had spoken to plently of people when she had wondered outside a few times since being freed from the ballroom. it wasn't so bad seeing the youngest day lord, especially since he was easy on the eyes and it would be good to possibly deepen dawns relationship with day. "i would greatly appreciate that, my lord. i will warn you i'm very competitive." although her tone was teasing her eyes sparkled with the anticipation of possibily crushing her opponet. she couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips. "it sure felt like i was going to fall asleep, i'm glad i have someone to keep me awake and teach me chess." her eyes watched as he got the board ready, her head tilted in interest.

where  normally  rhys  would  have  lingered  when  he  caught  a  beautiful  woman,  he  knew  well  what  reaction  he  would  get  from  odessa  for  such  behavior.  and  thus,  the  lord  of  dawn,  he  supposed,  took  a  clear  step  back  to  maintain  distance  between  them.  “  of  course.  ”  he  shares,  polite  and  restrained.  when  des  moves  too,  he  relaxes  even  a  bit  more,  thankful  she  wasn’t  too  close  when  they  both  had  some  clear  tension.  a  gentle  nod  comes  from  the  winter  emissary,  he  understands  that  clearly.  “  yes,  i  suppose  being  able  to  see  the  barrier  can  do  that.  ”  he  knows  full  well  that  is  not  what  she  means.

although she had the strongest urge to be rude but odessa reeled in the need, giving him a small nod of appreciation. her anger fizzled just a bit when he took a step back. with some distance between them she took a moment to appreciate how handsome he gotten with age. but only for a moment, then her anger was back in full force. "right. however i am itching to get home. i'm sure you miss the winter court." des couldn't help the the flat tone of her voice when she spoke.