The noise behind caught the couple's attention as they were lost in old memories including their first kiss and the first time they met, in a temple no less of Selene. They were caught into a harsh storm and forced to work together and that mission had led to many more. Command had decided that they made a good team, fraternisation was not an issue back then when they had no ranks of any seniority.
The two turned quickly as Coswain put himself between slightly taller and heavily built… Priest? He looked like one in his robes, but he had never seen one who was this jacked, built like a Paladin and even taller than him. This one was not happy too… He did not reach for his blade but dropped his hand to his side protectively of his partner on instinct but disarmed when he saw the man.
”My. Wi. Partner wanted to Visit in thanks for her survival. We cleaned it up a little as it was vacant, we only just arrived today ourselves. Lord Castelian Coswain, Royal Guard under the Lord Marshal. My role here is rather unsure, Reality vs Capitol..” Coswain said formally introducing himself unsure what to make of the muscular man taller even than him. He respected him enough to give the man an honest answer though. The Priest did not seem to offer a hand though.
Persephone turned and she had to look up even though she was 5'10, and up again. The stern priest seemed not in a good mood and nodded her head, she was the more religious of the pair.
”I nearly died getting here, to get aid for a border fort, Selene reunited us for some reason. I wanted to thank her for blessing.” She paused, How could she explain her rank, well at this stage she was here for the duration. They would workout.
”I am Persephone Laconia, Throne Agent, I was investigating reports of a blight attack from the borders. We are probably stuck till spring. Are we going to have a permanent priest of the Moon here? That was the simple version, she did not say there was heavy losses, corruption or the fact that one Fort had lost over a dozen men to an unknown foe among other details. That and Lunaris was worried Aurlia might be using Blight as a cover to wage covert actions against the borders…
My. Wi. Partner… caused the man’s frows to furrow slightly on the slight stutter and correction. He found it odd that the man was being so close to someone and he must not know what he could call her publicly. With that thought, his face eased up, and he listened to the man speak. “
I doubt there is much for such a high-ranking soldier and his partner to do in Dawnhaven,” he chimed in. They only arrived today? He wondered who else had
only arrived today.
“
I appreciate your assistance in tidying up the temple of Seluna,” Desya let out a faint smile. Something that was barely a noticeable difference from the constant neutrality on his lip. His eyes wandered quickly over to the woman when she began to talk.
..Seluna reunited us for some reason… Those words hit home a little too close to him right now as well. Seluna had odd doings but they were always for a reason. It caused the thought about Kira to wander in his mind, how she was a blight-born, and how
different she looked. A sickening thought. “
It is a pleasure to meet you Lord Coswain and Lady Persephone,” he cleared his throat a little with the back of his hand coming up and covering his mouth. Once he was done, his hand fell away, “
Seluna is blessed to have either of your presence in the temple and yes, I am the permanenet moon priest of the Dawnhaven moon temple until further notice,” The man spoke with certainty and finality.
Coswain fumble was not every priest shared the same views, most did not worry about marriages and official documents, He did not lie, Lunaris never had the same worries about being super official like the Auralians tended to fall into.
”Aye, I served in Queens security among others, now I'm building houses, Princess orders, but it's honest work, I never met Princess Octavia before this.” Coswain said, a quiet role that had not really done much but kept the worst problems from cropping up and removed them, she was loved and favoured by people so much intervention was rarely ever needed.
”Dawn Haven needs a Priest, You look like you can handle self sparring? We plan to find a spot by the lake, myself, Seph, My squire and warsmith. We are not the most welcome here. I shall not lie.” He said politely as this man seemed to at least be semi welcoming, Also a little friendly challenge in his voice.
”It seemed it needed a little care” Persephone said surprisingly kindly for someone who was in her trade, the Kings Eyes were not always nice, but they did the job for the betterment of the realm. She did respect the temples though. At being called lady Coswain she did smile, it might be nice to make that formal one, they just never got round to it. Never seemed to have time.
”Thank you, I will certainly return for the pool once I am more recovered.” She did show some signs of her hard ride leaning her weight against her partner.
”Still might make you go to a healer, Any News of the road you come across that will help us?” Lord Coswain deflected, he did not say so but his eyes told a tale all of their own. He had seen far too much, his faith was respectful but he had seen too many horrors people could do in the names of everything from Religion to greed. Royal Guards tended to be the ones sent to handle the worst problems.
A distasteful sourness filled his mouth when he heard the man speak of what he did for his job —
Queen’s Guard. It was humorous in a disturbing way. “
You are building houses?” The man laughed at that question with a lingering disgust in his tone. He could not believe what he was hearing. Did this so-called
guard run from the capital to hideaway in Dawnhaven?
“
You must be a failure at your job and hiding away,” The priest was displeased to hear about the man being a Queen’s guard. “
Where were you when our beloved Queen practically fell down dead before a night's end? If you were her guard, you should have been protecting her, but Queen Antoinette has sadly passed,” His tone was salty, and almost spat those words out with poison. The man clearly did not care for this man by the name of Coswain.
Desya rolled his eyes when listening to how Lord Coswain, Lady Persephone, and their little party were not welcomed in Dawnhaven. He wanted to inform them that they were not
welcomed in the temple, yet he held his tongue. “
I do not participate in sparring with others, Lord Coswain, I apologize, but I cannot join you or your group for sparring,” The man quietly mentioned. He had only sparred with the monks, priests, and other believers of the temple of Seluna. Most of his interactions were with someone of faith.
He was distancing himself from Lord Coswain for many reasons, and the biggest reason was that the Queen’s death was an inside job. The King was trying his hardest to lower the voices of the people and inform everyone that she had been very sick for a very long time. Everyone had seen the Queen on a daily helping the people without sickness. Without being moved with will or issue. He knew that his loyalty was to the goddess Seluna before it was to the King or his pawns. Everything seemed to not add up since he was visited by the Queen prior to her death. Days before to ask forgiveness for sins and to protect her children. She was not ill. She was not weak.
Desya’s eyes stayed sharp while he looked at the two love birds in front of him, “
I do apologize though I have to get back to work,” He informed the duo while stepping away. “
Carriages do not unload themselves,” he informed them before making his way back to the front of the temple and not waiting for a response.
Coswains mood soon turned from calm to dangerously hot… He Could take alot but some lines where too far the Officers honour.
”You mean, when they had us sent away, quietly replaced, and sent to border missions… which happen to have the highest loss rates. Blight borders 10 miles away… nice safe… They could not kill us directly, so they left it to others.
Orders of the Princess, she does not want guards at all.. She asked us to help this place, so we help. If I was a coward, well. I would have betrayed them for an easy posting at capital would I not! Turned mercenary perhaps…. No. I refused to betray her. Or my men. We pulled every trick, but King.. is more powerful. He had too many creatures in the high offices and right places.” He spat The words out, the Queen's guard and any loyal to her had slowly been replaced, sent on missions away from capital, reduced or found themselves given new duties. The claim They abandoned her was a punch to the gut.
color=6ecff6]”What do you think we can do… Do we need a civil war too? Auralia would run past the borders like they were not a barrier. Forts… Have you seen Valors Edge? Whatever out their has it dangerously depleted strength and an early winter. its not great at other more distant forts and bastians.”[/color] He asked pointedly, he was frustrated and angry as any other, unable to do anything about it as they got caught in and Lost the games in the Palace intrigues. He liked many loves the Queen but he also saw that if they did what some thought half the kingdom or more could be destroyed by Auralia and others without trying hard
”Calm Adon.. Not worth it. ” Persephone said calmly but saw as he made his way to leave. The large priest was about as flexible as his muscles. The political situation in the Capital was bad as described, and had been especially when the sun went dark.
”we all Mourn the Queen deeply, As my partner tell you no lie, we are one crisis breaking from major problems, please just listen to us, and try to help keep people calm and sensible. We gave you the honest to Moon truth about the situation.” They left moving0 towards the lake and looked for an old log.
She was not happy about facts but they told no lies as they left, the Politics, the fact even the Royal Army, Royal Guard, Levies and more…they were committed to just holding the kingdom Together. An external invasion would doom them all. A major migration of blight creatures and born could be a major threat, internal pressures, rebellions… the Kingdom had so many potential risks that it would not take much for the whole thing to fail. No one wanted to admit it but they were in a precarious situation.
”Seph, maybe we're better here. It's bad, but it's gonna get a lot more tense at the capital…we have water, some game, timber… we can make something of this. He said with somewhat resignation but Frank honesty.
”The kids are smart, we left a back up plan. I made sure.” Persephone said as her thoughts went back to the capital, she already had told them what to do incase of various situations. It was not Paranoia when you knew what Reality was.
Slowly moving forward and away from the pair of lovebirds, he listened to the guard speak, Coxswain explain, but he did not believe a word of it.
How interesting… the king sending all his guard away around the same time the Queen mysteriously dies. I thought so… everyone thought it was an inside job. The man couldn’t help his negative and displacing thoughts occur from both a royal guard and a throne guard. The echoes of his steps came to a stop, and without looking at the figures behind him, Desya spoke with indifference, “
I am only a priest. I have no ability to state an opinion if a civil war should happen or not though…” His words came to a gentle voice. One that was eerily soothing. “
I believe that our mother will cast judgment upon thy people who betrayed such a blessed soul in our kingdom. The ones that turned their backs will burn,” Desya’s voice thundered through the hall because of how it was set up. Projecting into the more open places and sounding of foundation and finalization.
The man truly had no direct opinion about the overthrowing of the throne or the king. What opinion would that be from a priest? He believed that their mother, Goddess Seluna, would determine each person’s fate after death. Who would be blessed by her calm cooling light and who would be forsaken for their nasty behavior on the living planet beneath their feet, he continued to walk. Going and helping the rest unload the carriage.
Watching they saw the Temple's Carts and supplies being unloaded, heavy on supply it seemed very much a permanent commitment. They did not lie in the Temple, they had been judged harshly but that was life. They had made their point hopefully. Lunaris was not in a good place, one crisis they could handle, a Unpopular king, Blightborn, the endless night, Auralia, standard internal pressures, loss of farm lands and such. A few they could handle but they faced all of them in a single time period.
”We never lied in a Temple. We may pay for it.” Lord Coswain said as they watched the moon glitter off the lake, no one realised how bad it had got in the Lunaris Capital, damn priests much as he respected them they had no idea how bad the situation outside their walls was. They were often some of the first to ask for help when the shit hit the fan.
”Exile could be worse i guess. You got caught up in this.” He spoke softly and thoughtfully.
”Selene will decide. Just do what we can.” Persephone said with an equally calm tone as they sat and watched a bat fly though the sky. They had loved the endless dark, however they ate still was a miracle.
”If I wanted to run I'd have done it years ago Adon. We both knew which sides we took.” Persephone said as they held hands and tried to work things out, they would make plans…
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