Summary: Rae is in courtship with Corvus when she receives an unexpected gift she cannot accept lightly.
Rae smiles as she wakes up in her bedchamber to find yet another beautiful feather placed next to her. She picks it up and examines it with a smile on her face wondering when he had snuck in and placed it there, and how long he had stayed to watch over her this time.
She had been finding small gifts from the Raven Lord for quite some time, and had even reciprocated some placing stone ravens and art she had crafted in her spare time onto his desk where she knew he would see sealing the courtship.
Rae happily places the feather on her worktable to make herself another hair pin to show off the gift since she knew he enjoyed seeing her walk around with them, and they were a beautiful yet subtle addition to her raven black hair. She changed into her clothes and placed one of her feather pins on, before going to her office to start her work for the day.
It had been a grueling week for her Lord, and the legion as they carried out the Emperor’s orders in subterfuge. Her Lord had given her the day to rest, and she had quietly obtained a rock from Kiavahr a few months ago with the help of the astartes closest to her, and had planned to make an engagement gift with it sensing a shift in her and her Shadow’s relationship. He had been appearing to her more frequently outside of her working times, and had expressed his concerns and worries to her, both Imperial and personal, looking for some trusted advice that she freely gave her opinions on.
She sat at her worktable, bringing up her personal data slate and observing some of the art displayed on the armors of the astartes and Corvus’ armor for inspiration. She takes the rock and her chisel, starting on her project mixing a combination of Deliverincian and ancient Terran art into it making sure it was just right for her beloved.
She spent days perfecting the rock carving working on it whenever she could do so in secrecy wanting to surprise Corvus. She lifts the now intricate stone and examines it looking for flaws, when she senses his presence in the shadows.
“My dear Lord, you’re early today,” she turns to face him, smiling as he steps out of the shadows. Her smile falters a bit seeing the gift he had come to bestow upon her, a Corvia, “why do you have that, my love?”
He walks over and places the chain of raven skulls down onto her worktable, “a gift for you, my Raven.”
She takes the chain and looks at the skulls on it, “you know I can’t accept such a gift, my dear.”
Corvus shakes his head, “it is with marriage intent.” He looks down seemingly unsure of himself, “is it too quick? I believed you had been reciprocating my courtship, was I incorrect?”
She quickly stands, placing his large hands into hers, “my dear, I have been, but this is much too valuable. I’m not sure how your astartes would respond to me being given one without earning the honor it gives.”
He nods playing with her hands, “you deserve the honor, I have decided it.”
She sighs, “Corvus, I don’t want to be gifted honor. I want to earn it. I want to prove to your gene-sons I deserve to be by your side, that I’m worthy of being your wife, and their Raven Mother. Honor given isn’t honor earned,” she sees him nod once again in contemplation before adding, “I will accept the chain, but I wish to hunt a skull of my own before I wear it, would that be a good compromise?”
He gives a small smile and nods bringing her in for a hug, “I accept your terms.”
She chuckles and hugs him back, “also I just got finished with something for you as well.”
She nervously breaks the hug and holds up the rock art piece she had created, “my offering to you with intention of marriage, my Shadow.”
She holds the offering up and watches him take it, and examines the artwork on it, before nodding, “I accept it, my Lady.”
Her smile widens hearing that and gives him a big hug.
“You will start your trial training tomorrow, it can take months for my aspirants to complete the training for the hunts, but they don’t have the fortune of as long of a life you have had, or the inherent skills you have built up in that time,” he sits on the floor pulling her into his lap to enjoy the moment of peace with her as she melts into his touch, “I like the title of Raven Mother, I will ensure it spreads amongst the legion.”
Rae dedicated a month to learning from the astartes the infiltration and stealth techniques of the legion quickly learning and incorporating them into her knowledge base, and now she was ready for the hunt.
Corvus refused to allow her to go to Kiavhar alone, instead sending two of his sons to monitor the hunt and extract her in case of an emergency, but ordered them to not interfere in the hunt itself knowing how important it was to Rae.
Rae had spotted the little ravens quickly as she entered the forests of the moon. She was thankful now for the lack of light on the ship as it took less time for her to adjust to the moon’s lack of a sun. She nodded to the marines, before walking away to start the trial.
His Raven had been gone for a week, and he was starting to get nervous. She should have been back by now he thinks as he paces in his office. The sons he sent with her didn’t alert to any dangers on the moon, so he wondered what she was possibly doing that would take this long.
He looks up when his Victrix guard alerts him to a message alerting them that the Raven Mother had been successful and was on her way back to the ship. He quickly slips into the shadows making his way to the ship’s hanger so he could be reunited with his love.
He slips out of the shadows as the Thunderhawk lands and he sees his fiancée walk out with their sons following her. He raises a brow as he spots the very alive raven sitting on her shoulder as she raises the skull of the raven she killed to show to him and their sons she had been successful.
She smirks as she walks up to him, “my Lord. The trial has been completed?”
“Congratulations, my dear. You have gotten your Corvia.” He eyes the bird on her shoulder, “and have seemed to have made a new friend?”
She smiles and gives the bird’s head a little pet, “what can I say? I find the little birds quite charming.”
Tags: @aggressivemenaceowo, @sleepyfan-blog, @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan
Authors Note: I have put a pause on my July challenge due to a lack of inspiration for some of the prompts, and lack of time. I may finish up the rest of the list in my own time and put them on the master list.
