[table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/VgbuqO2.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240522/49791553b35fa05b88864f9127dc2df9.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]Location: Northwestern Watchtower[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]Eris stood frozen, her breath shallow as she strained to hear the muffled voices coming from the watchtower above. The first voice, a woman's, was unfamiliar, but the second, a man's voice, carried with it a distinct, rough edge that she recognized immediately.

Elio, the town’s mason. A man built like the stone he carved. 

Her interactions with him had always been brief, but every single one of those had made her feel...flustered. It wasn’t just his towering stature or the way he dominated every space he entered. It was the way he seemed to enjoy making her uncomfortable. As if he took pleasure in watching her squirm. 

Her hand rose to her chest, fingers trembling as she pressed them against her racing heart. Her feet still wouldn’t move. Couldn’t move.  

She watched as Elio approached Aliseth with an intensity that sent a wave of dread through her. The look in his eyes was different than any expression she'd ever seen on him before—dark, cold. She bit her lower lip as Elio tapped his fingers against Alisesth’s head, her heart suddenly feeling as if it had stopped.

For a second, her mind raced. The Princess had gone missing on Aliseth's watch? It wasn't just his friend who had been involved in this? But then Elio met her eyes. She held her breath, unable to tear her eyes away. 

Then, without warning, Aliseth struck. The punch landed squarely on Elio’s jaw, and Eris gasped, her eyes widening.

The shock jolted her out of her frozen state, and before she could even think, her body moved forward without hesitation, instinctively falling into the role she had played all her life—[i]the peacekeeper[/i].

Her magic surged to life like a sudden storm, coiling around her fingers, rippling outward in a sudden, chaotic rush. The wind bent to her command, swirling around her hands, lifting snow in wild, twisting spirals.   

A burst of air slammed into both men, pressing against their chests, not with violence, but with undeniable force. It held them upright, driving them backwards and sending them sliding several feet across the snow-covered ground. They remained on their feet, but separated, the path between them fully cleared of snow by Eris’ intervention. 

She stood between them now, breathless, palms raised to both of them. Her heart thudded against her chest, wild and erratic, but her voice cut through the chaos with surprising clarity.

[color=B1E4FC]“Stop this!"[/color] she pleaded, her eyes locking onto Aliseth’s. She could feel the pulse of her magic still flowing through her fingers, though the air that had wrapped around the two men had subsided. 

[color=B1E4FC]“Please,”[/color] she continued, her gaze softening slightly as she searched his eyes. Where had the man gone that had been so kind to her? [color=B1E4FC]“There’s no need for this…”[/color]

She lowered her hands, turning her body to fully face the guard who had been both her savior and her captor only moments ago. [color=B1E4FC]“We should be working together,”[/color] she added quietly. [color=B1E4FC]”For your friend… right?”[/color]

She took a small step towards him, her gaze unwavering. [color=B1E4FC]“Please, just…”[/color] She paused for a breath, trying to calm her unsteady heart. [color=B1E4FC]“Just take me back to the royal residence.”[/color]

Only slightly trembling, she reached out a delicate hand towards him. [color=B1E4FC]“Please, Aliseth?”[/color] she whispered, her hand hovering in the air, waiting, offering him the connection once more.


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[sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Aliseth [@Dark Light], Elio [@c3p-0h], Charlotte [@SpicyMeatball][/sub]