[Luna Griffith & Lydyn] Starlit Skies

[Lydyn]

Starlit Skies

Chapter I: Royal Blood

"Dame Bross, you may come in now..." said a voice coming from the knight's own council room. Leona had been standing outside in her usual armor, blade strapped across her back and looking out the window of the hallway into the sea as she waited. She turned to the voice as the door opened, revealing one of the lower ranking knights of the order giving her a polite nod and heading back down the hallway.

Sir Tomenson Blake had requested her presence half an hour ago via a messenger and he was the highest ranking knight commander, having the highest regarded opinion among all of them and essentially relaying the knight commander's council decision to either the queen or king. Things were a bit chaotic since the late king's death, but it seemed the queen had a decent handle on everything so far.

Leona entered the room, a large circular table in the middle with banners of the kingdom hanging on the walls and a giant window showing the north side of the sea and various islands. Sir Blake was sitting at his usual place before looking up and smiling. He stood up and motioned her closer, to which she complied and bowed her head in respect to the man.

"You called, Sir Blake?" she asked, bringing her head back up and looking into his eyes. She had a lot of respect for the man and he almost felt like an older brother to her. Though he was some fifteen years older than her and just showing signs of grey hair, he was wise and very strong in both body and heart.

"I have a task for you. The queen has asked that one of us keep an eye on the princess ... you've been here for a couple of years now, it's time for you to get to know the royal line a little better."

"So.. you want me to babysit the princess?" she asked, raising a slight eyebrow. Leona hadn't meant the question to be rude and Sir Blake knew her well enough to know as much, chuckling slightly inside as he heard the question.

"Not babysit, Leona ... think of it as getting to know your future queen. Not all of a knight commander's duties involve battle." He laid a hand on her shoulder and motioned for the door out. "She should be in the gardens, but ... she tends to wonder at times, so you may have to find her."

".. understood, Sir Blake." She smiled softly and nodded and quite promptly walked outside the room and down the hallway in a brisk walk. It wasn't long before Sir Vandamere joined her, surprised a bit by her walking speed, giving off a slight chuckle as he had to keep up with her.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry there, 'Snowflake'?" Snowflake had been a nickname that some of the knight commanders had given the young Leona, partially as an affectionate display and in respect to her growing powers. Though she had often heard that commoners referred her as the 'White Knight'.

Leona glanced back to the man and smirked slightly as the nickname. "I was tasked to watch over the princess, 'Fireheart'."

"Oh, using my unofficial title now? I thought you liked that nickname.." he teased, in which Leona just shook her head playfully. "I heard the princess has some idea that King McCalister was poisoned or .. something."

Leona just shrugged at the idea for a moment. "Perhaps.. one never knows." At that Sir Vandamere laughed and patted her shoulder before signalling that he was going down a different hallway.

"Next time there Snowflake." Leona smirked for a moment before adorning a more focused expression, her attention now fully on finding the princess. It wasn't long before she found the gardens, full of exotic and beautiful plants, and began scanning the scenery for the dear princess. A realization had occured to Leona, that she had never really met the princess outside a polite introduction, but the thought faded quickly.

[Luna Griffith]

Andrianna walked among the exotic plants of the garden. Her hands trailed over the blooming flowers as she reflected back to what happened. Her father had recently died and every doctor that checked on his body said it was from natural causes. She didn't think so. After all he had been in perfect health up until he passed away. No one believed her though, they just said she was in denial or was too upset to know better.

She sighed as she sat down on a bench. She looked up at the sky and let a few tears fall down her cheeks. She often came to the garden to clear her mind from tragic thoughts. She closed her eyes as the tears fell, knowing that this time it couldn't help her. She missed her father terribly. Maybe they were right and she was upset over his death and because of that she thought he had been poisoned.

She wiped her tears as she heard someone moving about the garden. She thought that she had told the guards that she wanted to be alone. "Who's there?" She called out as she tried to see beyond the wall of flowers and leaves. "I..I want to be alone." She wiped more to the drying tears from her eyes.

[Lydyn]

Leona heard the voice call out gently across the garden. "I..I want to be alone." She glanced back at the guards that had let her pass for a moment. They hadn't even bothered with asking for her to stop and she wondered if they had just assumed Leona was on orders from the queen - which she was, but it was still a little odd. If they had orders directly from the princess, they should have said something.

Sighing lightly, she shook her head and made her way to the princess. At first glance, she furrowed her brow for but a moment. Had she not realized how beautiful the princess was before? Quickly, she removed the thought from her mind, Sir Vandamere often teased her for being a hopeless romantic in the strangest of times. She stood in front of the princess and kneeled, bowing her head in a very formal manner. "My apologizes your majesty ... your mother requested one of the Knights Commander watch over you for the time being. I can, however stand watch with the guards if you wish as much," she had offered without a second thought, keeping her head bowed.

[Luna Griffith]

Andrianna looked at the Knight Commander as she showed herself. She was a lovely looking lady, strong and yet graceful. Though she wasn't allowed to think such thoughts at the moment as the memories of her father were too strong. Not an ounce of happiness showed on her features, but neither did her grief. She put her hands in her lap as she looked at the woman. She nodded her head in greeting as she knelt in front of her.

"No, it is best we follow Mother's request. I am sorry for my rude comment. I had thought you were one of the guards. Please stand or sit on the bench." She said in a gentle voice, which also hid any sign that she had been crying moments ago. She looked at the plants around them. She sighed as she did so.

"This garden can't even help me escape my grief. It has helped me with many other things but not this." She said as she looked around the garden. Each time she looked at a plant she remembered all the times she walked with her father amongst them. Her heart weighed heavily with each memory. "Father wouldn't want me to feel sad but I can't help but feel so."

[Lydyn]

Leona stood and offered the princess a soft smile. "There is no need for apologizes your majesty. I... take it you're referring to the feeling that King McCalister was poisoned?" she had asked. She continued to stand, feeling it was more professional for the knight to do so than sit next to the princess - it was something she would've done in the queen's presence, even though she felt like sitting next to the princess, an odd feeling to be sure but not wholly unwelcome. She regarded Andrianna once more and bit her lower lips for but a moment, the beauty of the princess putting her off-guard for a moment.

"If you think me rude to ask, your majesty ... what makes you think he was poisoned? I had only heard rumors myself of your thoughts and seeing as no one else seems to share your belief..." Leona trailed off a bit, giving Andrianna a chance to explain her thoughts.

[Luna Griffith]

Andrianna looked up at the knight, not at all surprised that she didn't sit. After all they were taught to stay standing in the presence of royalty, let alone sit next to one. So she didn't take offense to her standing there. She hadn't said anything at all to her comment about what she thought. She knew she was the only one to think he was poisoned. There were plenty of reasons to think like that and yet she was the only one to see it.

She sighed and shook her head. "It isn't rude, Madam Commander. You are the only one to ask that question. The suddenness of his death was what lead me to believe he was poisoned. My father was in the picture of perfect health, there was no signs that he was going to die and yet the doctors believe it were natural causes. I know for a fact that there are poisons in the world that makes a victim's death seem natural." She explained in her gentle voice. She showed in that statement alone that she was very intelligent and wasn't wrought with grief. It was very logical.

[Lydyn]

Showing a disciplined stance, Leona folded her hands behind the small of her back while listening to the princess, nodding lightly. "You may call me Dame Bross or Leona, if you'd prefer your majesty, but perhaps others do not think of such things because ... what purpose would someone have to poison him? It's not like they could the throne and there was no major political movement I'm aware of that killing him would've stopped. Though you may know of that better than I." She paused, considering the words for a few moments, glancing to the side. "I'll admit it is odd though and who is to say you're not right?"

Leona hadn't known what to think the night the king passed away, she had been so busy with keeping up with duties and the conflicting ideas of his passing being so quick and no obvious reasons to assassination was a bit too complicated for the little time she had the last couple of weeks. Now, however, she seemed to have all the time in the world - she would be with the princess from dusk until she went to sleep.

[Luna Griffith]

Andrianna smiled as Leona told her to call her Dame Bross or her name. She grew serious in an instant as she continued on. She raised a brow at what she said about them not taking the throne. "Oh the throne is the goal. If someone speaks up and says that me or mother isn't fit to rule because of our grief, then the council will vote on who to take the throne." She explained in a calm voice. She was good at keeping her emotions to herself. She had learned that from her father.

"But am I right? For all I know everyone else is right. How can I prove that what I say is the truth?" She asked with a sigh. She looked down at the ground. She looked like she suddenly had the weight of the world on her shoulders. She didn't dare look up as the thoughts had brought tears to her eyes. This was the time to wish she could be like many other girls and be able to cry without judgement.

[Lydyn]

"I.. didn't think of that.." she admitted quietly, finding herself a little embarrassed by not thinking of the obvious. Though she was quick to look down at the princess and see how the whole situation had affected her, as if she was the only one that could do anything to stop some unknown evil from stealing the throne. Everyone was so busy trying to keep up with what the king left behind, things that were second nature to him, that no one thought anyone would claim such a thing. Even if that wasn't how the assassin would take the throne, it did seem like a plausible threat.

Sighing lightly, Leona took the initiative to comfort the future queen. She slowly sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder (and admittedly taking a risk if the princess wasn't so gentle). "Your majesty ... you act as if you are alone in this. I am tasked to watch over you, but besides this task, I am free to do as I please for now. There is a reason why I am a Knight Commander. If you can trust my position, let me help you - you will be queen someday, after all."

[Luna Griffith]

Andrianna didn't blame Leona for not thinking of that. She hadn't had the time to think of that. "No need to be embarrassed. You didn't have the time to think of such things." She mumbled even though she didn't look up. It was like she knew that she was embarrassed by not thinking of it. She didn't say anything as the knight sat down beside her. She bit her lip as the woman touched her shoulder. It took all of her will not to snap at her.

She knew that Dame Bross was trying to comfort her. She still didn't look up, trying to hide her tears. "I trust your position but do the others. You aren't high enough in the ranks to talk to my mother and too young to be listened to by the council. And if you told the council the one who assassinate my father, along with many of the others, would say you do not have enough knowledge to pass off your claims. Or they may deem you unfit of your title and call you crazy." She shook her head. "No I can not ask you to do that, knowing what could happen to your life. This is my cross to bare."