[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ASEWeqC.png[/img][hr][hr][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/241002/3dba8f6cc54df75570c084a404aff4ee.png[/img][hr][hr][/center]
[center][color=lightgray][h3]*   *   *[/h3][/color][/center]
[center][sub]Interacting with: [@PrinceAlexus][/sub][/center]

[color=lightgray][color=19CACA]“The Lord and Lady definitely seem like good souls. I’m glad you were able to find a home after a childhood without one.”[/color] Katherine smiled gently as she let her head rest the pauldron of Daphne’s armor. Her mind had finally calmed and the once-tightened chain around her chest had loosened and fallen away. [color=19CACA]“Yours sounds like a life I would’ve enjoyed, though I guess that’s why I volunteered myself for Dawnhaven. I needed to get away from my old life.”[/color]

She squeezed Daphne’s hand gently. [color=19CACA]“And despite all that’s happened today, I don’t regret my decision for a second.”[/color]

Despite the pair’s proximity, Katherine still felt a chill run down her spine. The roaring fire of her chambers did little to warm the main hall, especially with the icy pool of water that took up the majority of the room. Under normal circumstances, the chill wouldn’t have bothered the Lunarian priestess, but her day had been far from normal and her endurance had long faded away.

[color=19CACA]“I’m gonna go get out of this armor, then maybe you can come join me by the fire?”[/color] She let the semi-rhetorical question linger in the air for a moment, already knowing how Daphne would reply, before leaving the comfort of the squire’s company and walking to her chambers. The priestess shot one last coy, playful smirk towards Daphne before disappearing behind the door. 

[center][h3]*     *     *[/h3][/center]

Removing her armor had been far more exhausting than Katherine remembered, but after a few minutes she’d stowed the last piece of it away in her still-unpacked crate of belongings. In its place, Katherine donned a long silk nightgown that gently reflected the fire’s light with a deep, navy blue sheen. The small section of her legs and feet that would have normally been exposed were now covered in thick wool socks. The hearthfire would certainly keep them warm for a while, but sooner or later it would dull to coals. Though the priestess didn’t doubt that Daphne wouldn’t mind keeping her warm, sunless winters had proven to be even colder than before.

By the time Daphne had arrived, Katherine had just finished moving the fur blankets before the fire, creating a makeshift bed with her bedroll beneath them. It took only moments for the pair to cozy up in the bedroll, and even less for Katherine to feel the squire’s protective arm tighten around her midriff. 

Whether it was the sanctuary of Daphne’s presence, or the exhaustion of the day finally bearing its full weight on her, Katherine didn’t speak a word. The silence wasn’t one of emptiness or tension, however, but one of trust and acceptance. There was no pressure for her to justify it. There was no expectation of performance, nor for her to be her usual careful and calculating self. The weight she always carried, the constant vigilance, the tightly wound mask of control—it all loosened in Daphne’s presence.

Katherine couldn’t win the fight against the heavy and insistent fatigue that had crept its way in. She felt the tension in her muscles fade away within Daphne’s embrace, the soft beat of her heart was like a lullaby against her cheek as she turned her body to face the squire’s.

And as sleep finally claimed her, she finally realized what it was like to feel truly safe.

[center][h3]*     *     *[/h3][/center]

Katherine’s dreamless slumber was only disturbed once by the faint sound of knocking on the still-sealed temple doors. In a momentary lapse of judgement--likely related to the annoyance of being pulled from her partner’s warmth--Katherine didn’t even hesitate to unseal the doors after the voices identified themselves as members of the guard. There was no surprise in her expression as they dragged another Lunarian body into the temple, nor when the guards reported that it was another victim of the blightborn attack. The sleep deprived scowl that remained on her face throughout their interaction was enough to keep the guards largely silent, only speaking when required.

While the whole scene had only played out in a matter of minutes, it was enough to chill her once again. Silk was certainly comfortable, but did little against the bitter cold of a winter storm.

The priestess finally returned to bed after spending the little energy she’d regained on casting enchantments of preservation on the bodies. She didn’t expect them to deteriorate in this climate, but she’d also kick herself if the stench of a rotting corpse ruined her sleep any more than the guards already had. With a mildly frustrated huff, Katherine wiggled herself back into the bedroll and tucked herself tightly against the furnace that was Daphne. 

Seluna protect the next person to wake me up, because so help me they will die by my hand.

[center][h3]*     *     *[/h3][/center]

Mornings in a world devoid of the sun were never as nice. There was no ray of warmth to fight away the cold air and no blinding light to signal the beginning of a new day. Even the coals of the fire before them had long died, leaving the air around them as an icy wall. 

Had it not been for the two bodies lying just a room over, Katherine would’ve likely just stayed in bed all day. Her muscles protested every movement she made, no matter how little, no doubt a residual effect of the forbidden interrogation. This time, however, there were no flashes of ripping flesh and no screams that filled her mind as she thought of the night before. Just the blissful silence of the temple, broken only by the sound of the wind against its newly-built wooden walls.

For the moment, she stayed closely tucked against Daphne and ignored the outside world for as long as she could. A morning like this was a luxury she’d only just started learning to enjoy, one that she’d enjoyed quite a few times with the escort she’d arrived with. Katherine couldn’t help but smile at the memory of the many very sleepless nights she’d had on the road to Dawnhaven. Maybe it had been an act of rebellion against the years of having prospective husbands brought before her by her father. Maybe it was just pure enjoyment of relative freedom. 

No matter. Current company was much more than that. Katherine couldn’t yet put the feeling fully into words, but there was far more than just physical attraction that had sparked between them.

Katherine’s smile only grew as she noticed  the familiar violet eyes flicker open before her.

[color=19CACA]“Good morning.”[/color] [/color]