#yetarnished

apothecary by trade . . . yet it serves her nothing. ❛ if it's you they sent, it must truly be grim, no ? ❜ it is not her fight, the rumors and the careening slip into something darker. she is but a traveler herself, simply at the wrong place & the wrong time.

⇢ one liners . @yetarnished

he is a knight, a hero, a general, graced by gold. she is holy and all things faithful, and only by her permission does he intake breath in her presence. his fellows oft say to stake his heart in something without nuance is folly, that his unwavering devotion is meant for the sullen halls of a church. radagon believes there is, perhaps, nothing more sacred than this duty, the one he finds in the queen's throne room now.

his campaign has been long, but not hard⸻every battle is decisively won, as their influence stretches further and further west. the carian-held lakes are next. radagon will admit he is apprehensive, if simply for a general distaste for wet boots⸻regardless, he accepted the assignment with great vigour. for the eternal queen, for the golden order, for the greater will, there is no sacrifice too large, nothing he would not lay at her feet if he was asked.

when he finishes his report (with a satisfied hum), he rises to his feet, raises his head. this scene is common, where he delivers news of successful conquest, and he knows well not to linger⸻the divine require their own space, he has always surmised.

as he does, queen marika, wreathed in light (she has the sort of face that is truly indescribable, imposing and elegant beyond words), slips her hands around his cheeks, and keeps him in place. he cannot turn away (he would not deny her), and instead holds her gaze, steady.

a meme, somewhere | @yetarnished + marika

There is weight, in the telling. Heavier than gold, heavier than the burden of prodigy they both share. For all that his mother seems to carry so gracefully, Godwyn knows there are paths she has walked that have long-since imprinted upon the earth, all scars of a different kind. Rarely does she speak on it. Rarely does he ask.

The sun has already begun to set on his faith. He would not see it set on his mother, learning what she knows.

“ your suggestion is good, but i am afraid you’re too late. my prayers were shared with the rising sun. my well of wishes and wants is dry. ” but it was awfully kind of him to consider, wasn’t it?

“ i just hope he listens. ” whether it was an invitation or not, they take hold of the opportunity. it isn’t often they can share their worries aloud. “ i’ve talked his ear off, or i’m afraid i have. each day brings something new troubles to share, and with these, ” a finger gestures to their head, “ i’ve been more frantic than usual. ”