[table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/sfL4M8x.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240501/f05a736427987502b04e7512136c14ae.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]Location: Eye of the Beholder / Aelios Temple    |    Time: 12pm[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]For a moment, Flynn considered pulling Amaya aside, his guilty conscience urging him to tell her everything. He quickly ran through several scenarios on how he might phrase it, but even in his mind he fumbled over the words. He needed more time to think it through. Now wasn’t the time. Plus, she was clearly busy. 

His eyes narrowed, resting on the man on the ground, dark-haired and rough-looking. Concern etched across the faces of those around him, but the man’s attention laid fully on Amaya. The moment they locked eyes, the man’s expression shifted. He flashed her a sly mischievous smirk—small, but unmistakably suggestive—directed right at her. Flynn couldn't hear what they were saying, the conversation muted by the distance and the ambient noise of the tavern crowd, but the man's intentions were clear enough. He was flirting with her—boldly, and without a care.

A strange feeling coiled inside Flynn, a sharp irritation that he hadn’t anticipated. Civilians flirting with royalty wasn’t uncommon, especially when it came to someone as striking as Amaya. He had seen it happen with his sisters before, and encountered it himself countless times. Typically he would have brushed it off without a second thought. But this felt different. 

The way the man looked at her, the easy confidence in his smile—it stirred something deeper. He tried to push the feeling aside, reminding himself that he had more pressing matters to deal with. And what right did he have in getting jealous? Hell, he didn't even know what the man had said and was jumping to conclusions. Yet, despite his best efforts, the irritation lingered, a subtle burn that gnawed at him. 

His gaze shifted to Amaya, who stood just a few feet from the man. He studied her expression, searching for any hint of amusement or familiarity between them. But her face remained as composed and unreadable as ever, cool and detached. A flicker of relief passed through him. At least this man hadn’t managed to crack through her icy exterior any more than he himself ever could, he supposed.

Reminding himself that he needed to focus on his ever growing task list, his mind drifted to the Priestess, Tia. Eris had told him that she somehow knew about Willis' blood. But how? The question nagged at him. Tia seemed to know more than she was letting on. He needed to ask her directly, but he had not seen her among the crowd earlier. He guessed she was likely still at the temple, tending to her duties. Tia didn’t strike him as the social type, especially with the scar around her neck that she did her best to hide. Still, after a week of isolation, he half-expected she might want some company. But if she wasn’t here, then heading to the temple seemed like the most logical step. 

He hesitated for a moment, aware that he should tell Amaya where he was going. Though he often appreciated her company, the thought of her wanting to accompany him right now only added to his tension. He needed to be alone right now—to process everything that had happened. He intended to tell her about the blight discovery and Nyla, but later—when they could be alone. When he knew what to say and how to say it. For now, he’d have to keep the conversation short and sweet.

Flynn approached Amaya quietly, placing a hand gently on the small of her back to draw her attention as he moved to her side. And perhaps—unconsciously—he was subtly marking his familiarity with her, too. 

She turned to him, and he offered a brief, apologetic smile before addressing the group. [color=337d71]“Apologies for the interruption.”[/color] he said politely, as he overheard a woman offering to heal the man on the ground. Flynn’s eyes swept over the faces gathered around, bowing his head slightly in apology before he met Amaya’s gaze again.

[color=337d71]“I’m heading to the Aelios temple to speak with the Priestess about something,”[/color] he said in a low voice meant only for her. [color=337d71]“But I’ll be back for you in a little bit.”[/color] His tone was calm, offering her a moment of reassurance before he straightened and addressed the group again. 

[color=337d71]"I’m sorry I can’t stay longer,"[/color] Flynn said, his gaze briefly meeting the dark-haired man. [color=337d71]"But rest assured, we have skilled healers here who can see to you."[/color] His eyes swept over the rest of the group, offering a warm, apologetic smile again before he turned to leave. As he did, Flynn caught a glimpse of Gadez—Halcyon—slipping out of the tavern just as left the group. Flynn's pace slowed slightly, an unsettling tension creeping into his thoughts as he wondered if it was still safe to leave Amaya in his presence. Technically, Halcyon hadn’t actually done anything to indicate that he was violent, but… Flynn shook off the thought, reminding himself that the entire area was surrounded by guards who were trained to keep an eye on the Princess. Not only that, but he had witnessed Amaya’s magical strength with his own eyes. She could certainly handle herself, if she had to. 

Rounding another corner that led toward the northern side of town, Flynn began heading towards the temple. The streets were relatively quiet, only the occasional guard patrolling in the distance, and Flynn found the stillness soothing in contrast to the chaos inside his head. It seemed most of the town was still gathered in or around the tavern, the warmth and camaraderie pulling them in after the week-long blizzard. 

Flynn's mind churned as he made his way through the icy roads, eventually settling on Halcyon—the strange man with that unsettling grin and mischievous blue eyes. He couldn't quite get a read on him. Ally? Enemy? Maybe both, whenever it suited him. Something about him felt dangerous but useful—Flynn would have to ask Orion to dig into the man’s background. 

Shaking off the uneasy feeling Halcyon always left him with, Flynn approached the temple, where the warm steam from the hot springs behind it rose in the distance under the pale light of the full moon. His thoughts drifted to his last conversation with Tia—the way he had guided her hands to his body, showing her exactly where to strike if his time ever came. If he were to ever speak to Aelios again, he’d pray that the memory would stick with Tia too, so that she could make his death a swift one. 

He had been so hopeless then, certain he’d face an early end. But now, he had a glimmer of hope. He had information that could lead them to a cure, or at the very least, stop more deaths. Somehow, Tia had known where to look before anyone else. 

Entering the temple, Flynn was greeted by the warmth of the eternal flame inside. His boots creaked against the wooden floor, snow melting off in little puddles as he made his way toward the flame. He glanced around the temple, expecting to see Tia tending to the flame, but the place was eerily quiet. 

When he reached the brazier in the middle of the room, Flynn stood there for a moment, letting the heat chase the lingering cold from his bones. He glanced down the nearest corridor that led to the private rooms. Was she really still asleep? Enough time had passed that it must be well into the afternoon by now, yet she hadn’t stirred? Then again, he had no doubt people's sleeping schedules had been thrown off with the absence of the sun. Still, Flynn frowned. The idea of waking her seemed wrong, yet waiting for her felt just as awkward. It wasn’t often that royalty sat waiting for anyone, and it usually made people uncomfortable when he loitered for too long as they felt the need to cater to his every need. 

With a sigh, Flynn found a seat on one of the pews near the eternal flame. For now, he’d wait. At least it was quiet here, the kind of quiet that allowed him to organize his thoughts. He stared into the fire, his mind drifting to the upcoming journey to the blight lands that he'd need to plan out. There were so many decisions to make—who to bring, what to prepare. 

Flynn rubbed a hand over his face, trying to push the weight of it all aside for just a moment. He had to focus. How he felt didn’t matter. When had it ever? 




[hr]
[Sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Vellion [@Dark Light], Amaya [@c3p-0h]
[b]Mentions:[/b] Halcyon [@Dezuel], Aurora [@BlackRoseSiren], Valthyr [@Fetzen], Elara [@Qia][/sub]