#ordervessel

Long has Rennala abandoned the crescent crown she once wore so proudly, the garb gathering dust in the corner of their chamber. Instead, her hair falls over her shoulder freely, her fingers now weaving the strands into a loose braid. It occupies her mind just enough to keep her mind from plunging back into the chasm she lost herself in for so long, her escape yet but a feeble thing that threatens to shatter should she losen her grasp on reality. A reality in which her kingdom has long turned into ash, the stench of slain men and women rotting away permeating the air.

A reality in which Radagon freed her from what should have been her tomb.

When he enters the room, his presence draws her eyes to him immediately. Even after all this time, after all the heartache... Rennala finds herself incapable to hold onto her grudge and agony long enough to feel a mere modicum of pure, genuine hatred.

Quietly, she watches him oh-so-closely as he places the piece of metal before her ─ the crown of the Elden Lord, the consort to Queen Marika. First Godfrey, than Radagon. Marika and Radagon, two pieces of a whole, interconnected in ways that Rennala shall never understand. But Marika is gone whilst Radagon remains bound to duties that were hers once. No longer is he a part of her, and she no longer a part of him.

A soft exhale slips past Rennala's lips. "I will ask thee once, and only once, my dear Radagon," she begins, slowly and carefully, and takes one of his hands between both of her own. " ─ Art thou certain?"

Mayhaps her inquiry is unjust in light of the fact that Radagon returned to her side once he was freed of his shackles, and took the burden of looking after her upon himself when naught prevented him from averting his eyes from the broken shell of the woman she had become. Still she needs to ascertain herself, and she feels that, after everything, she has the right to.

The sun dawned upon the horizon, it's glimmering golden orb spreading warmth upon the dunes of Leyndell. A bright, scarlet tree stood erect in the distance, covering the dusty, ashen skies with its crimson hue.

ㅤㅤthe dream , as all things do , comes to an end -- fields of gold melt away to rays of sunlight , piercingly bright , brilliant enough to blind a man in an instant . sleep seeps away from the muscles , tree branch brambles loosening their grip on muscles and freeing it's captive companion and allowing him to rise , following the path of that illuminated sunlight . ㅤㅤunknown feet carry him , stumbling though he might be , searching , searching, searching for something he can't quite recall . he recognizes distantly that he is some form of home , but it's not the one he loves . not the one he had fallen asleep within . he looks up to what should be a familiar sight and finds there is nothing , and that the only golden light that bathes this world is from the sun and the sun alone . ㅤㅤdesperate , he still searches , and with every pad of bare feet he grows faster , panicked , his mind not entirely free of the world he had lived within for so long -- memories form slowly , identity comes even slower , but he knows , if he follows the path , eventually , someone will appear . ㅤㅤhe stumbles into him , and the weight of his own self becomes too much to bear as he falls down onto his legs , having run to this point only to be caught up . fire red hair flashes in his eyes , and in familiarity and love he reaches up to the person and grips their clothes tight . ㅤㅤ"ㅤmalenia ,ㅤ"ㅤa voice that is not his voice speaks , desperate , but the face he calls for is not the face he expected . he looks in surprise , hesitating just for a moment , and pulling his hand away just to put it back , seeking out his hand . ㅤㅤ"ㅤfather ,ㅤ"ㅤhe gasped , pressing forehead to knee as he had done so many times before . ㅤㅤ"ㅤwhere is my haligtree , father ? where is my sister ?ㅤ"

each step she took with this wretched corpse of hers, dragging it along with her across wet earth, made her feel as though her body had grown heavier. she was carrying with her the weight of fifty men, as if they clawed at her ankles and sought to drag her back into the soil, to take her to the resting place she had wandered so far from. were she less restrained, were her impulses less finely practiced, she might've responded in earnest: i am growing sick of strength. of course, even without the words spoken, she can assume the sentiment is well-received. she does not look the fresh face of the girl who had died years ago.

　　　　    Heart skips a beat, hands quickly brought up close to her chest as realization of what just happened finally hits.  It's more out of sheer habit that the Ice Queen scared herself out of sudden closeness.  But there was naught to fear now, was it?

　　　　    Catching on breath, fingers loosen their grasp on one another, hand carefully going up to reach for the flower, lightly touching silky petals in a manner to try and recognize its form ( or maybe just wanting to be sure it's actually there ).  A brow raises, and finally the woman's able to let herself smile, letting out a cold breath.  Crystal-like hues go up to find Radagon's own golden, and snowflakes that previously started forming mid-air fall upon both their figures.  Lips part as if she's about to say something, though interrupted by own insecurities for a moment.  It's when Elsa looks down once again, taking a deep breath before taking a step forward.

Godfrey cannot claim to fully understand the reason for this creation━ Radagon, as he has been named━ nor does he think he ever truly will. Such grasp on magic and incantation has ever been beyond his purview, for his own strengths lie no so much in the mind as they do in the brawn and prowess in battle. Yet stood here, golden hues taking in this entity with the body of a grown man yet the age of a mere babe, Godfrey finds he needs not understand.