The Kingdom of Light, The Kingdom of Night (DoctorRed x Uriel Seraphim)

[DoctorRed]

Takardh watched her with muted interest as she turned back to him and found himself flushing slightly under his hair and glanced away a moment before meeting her gaze, ashamed to have been caught rolling his eyes over her, distractedly studying her anatomy, curious about some similar things. Could they even consummate their marriage? It was important to centaur, but he didn't know if it was to the Fey, and he pondered that. He'd probably kill her if they tried it, he wasn't sure it was possible. He had his doubts that such a thing could be managed, regardless of how gentle he went with her tiny body.

The Centaur looked her over and tilted his head, watching her and had to laugh aloud as she caught him rolling his eyes over her and moved to stand beside her, looking over her face and then nodding.

"Ah, my father said you might take people for such a thing, and I wholly approve. I don't know much of it, I'm ashamed to admit. My book-learning was always short lived and I admit that I know less about your Carpathia than I do trade routes." he told her, stepping closer and drawing his hand up to offer it to hers, his palm up to take hers. Walking alongside her, he waved a hand. "I know that it may seem silly, but bringing more centaur who were concerned with trade and study would have just made our meeting clustered. Perhaps it would have changed and we wouldn't even have had a chance to agree to wed, My Eriiathiel, forgive me, but you'll... be the muscle, and I"ll handle the paperwork." he said solemnly, nodding and winking after a moment.

"But I do... still want you to teach me things. I can teach you...some things, though I'm not sure you'll be swinging my sword or drawing my bow anytime soon," he told her, his fingers working to fold into hers gently, brushing his thumb over her knuckles as they followed Mikaus.

[Uriel Seraphim]

"I'm quite skilled with a bow actually." She said with a smile, happy to have found a commonality between them. "But I find hand to hand combat does not agree with me," she laughed and held up there entwined hands, "With only a sword, I am hardly a threat to any of your warriors." Eriathiel sighed, "I suppose I am simply lucky my kind are born with other means of waging war, though I hope such talents will become of little use in our future." She turned his hand and held it face up towards him, "If it would please you, in time, I could teach you to hold fire in your hands without being burned. The forges in Lumaria can teach your people to make armor as strong as diamonds and flexible as fabric. But I am sure that will be as far as my battle knowledge will go."

They had come to the palace then, and Eriathiel silently dismounted her horse. She patted her horse's side and handed the reins off to one of her guards. "Your entourage will have to wait here, I'm afraid." Mikael informed her.

Eriathiel nodded, "I guessed as such."

Alaan came to stand beside her then, his amber speckled eyes narrowed at the thought. "Eriathiel, I do not think it wise to let you alone in a land with which you have little familiarity. Your guards should accompany you."

Eriathiel smiled kindly at Alaan, and cupped the side of his face. "It brings me comfort to hear your concerns, Alaan. But I am sure the people of this land mean me no harm. Takardh will be with me, and my fires will keep me safe. While we are guests here, we must be mindful of their customs, no matter how deeply they disagree with us. You should not worry so much." She turned then to stand beside Takardh then, and offered him her hand. "Time to begin the diplomatic side of our duties, I suppose. Are you ready?"

[DoctorRed]

Takardh grinned at Eriathiel and wrinkled his nose. "I don't know about harder armor, I think one burn was enough. I'm not like to hang it up in a grove like veterans do when they give up war, but I'd rather never have my armor become a brand again," he muttered, a wry smile playing over his lips as his ears flicked a bit, cocking his head to the side. "Yes, together, our people could be incredible. I only hope that you can... bear me," he swallowed the word and reminded himself that some of what she said might only be to placate him and make him marry. Maybe she was faking this and they would never be truly trusting of one another. He sighed a little and took her hand, nodding the the one called Alaan.

"We will be safe, I believe. What harm could a kingdom like this one truly want to do harm to us for? We have come here under peace, and should be allowed to leave as such. Even barbarians like the Centuar respect those laws," he said, giving a glance to his men who laughed loudly and shook their heads with mirth. "Honor before All, they say," he nodded almost to himself and took her hand and gave her a firm squeeze, stepping forward to the Seraph.

The man would lead them up stairs and ramps, across halls to the council seats, where raised platforms featured seats where the Seraph Council had perched, looking over them with passive faces. Takardh let his ladys hand go and knelt, bowing himself carefully.

"My Lords Seraph, I am Takardh, the Centuar of-"

"We know who you are, Centaur," one said, curtly, waving a hand idly in the air to cut him off. Takardh flushed slightly and stood slowly, letting it slide by and tilting his head to the side as he watched the council. The Seraph who had led them had long ago sent them on their way and glided down, moving back to wait with their entourage.

"Of course," he muttered quietly and made a bit of a face, trying to suppress his irritation.

"Must wound your pride to be interrupted like that, eh?" Another asked, his voice slow and curious. "We're given to understand that the pride of your people and yours, Eriathiel of the Fey, are prideful and this puts you at war, crushing both of your races against one another in battle after battle... You come here to find peace and become one through some grace of a neutral place, yes?"

Takhardh opened his mouth and bowed his head to the woman and waited. Perhaps it best if he held his tongue in check.

[Uriel Seraphim]

"I suppose pride is a good enough word." Eriathiel offered, "But I believe it is our sense of entitlement that truly began our futile squabbling." She tested them, waiting to be cut off like her intended. But the Faye and the Seraph always seemed to intrigue one another. Perhaps it was their scholarly persuasions. "The Western nations are not meant to be divided from one another, and they are not meant to be owned by ruling bodies. We have come to realize our people's prosperity outweighs our own ambitions, and we are dreadful sorry for the stiff we must have caused your capitol." Eriathiel touched Takardh's hand and took it in her own, a show of their mutual intent. She wished to tell him not to take offense to the Seraphim's badgering. It was not conduct she was used to, of course, but royalty among many races had become less versed in the ways of politics and polite conversation. She hoped his pride had not been marred too much by their thoughtlessness.

"Neutrality seems to have served us well, Eriathiel. Perhaps your parents could have taken a lesson or two from us. But to listen to any others opinion was never much your father's forte." Said one of the younger, more brash Seraph.

Eriathiel smiled at the council, showing she was unfazed by their insults. Humility in the face of aggravation: one of the many rules of polite political discussion. "My father's short comings are hardly my own, Sir Seraph. I would hope wise persons do not confine me to the image my father has built." She turned her attention on the others then. "We have come because the high council was gracious enough to invite us here, as their guests. Takardh and I have traveled to your home to discuss our marriage. It is our fondest wish to simply share in a small part of your peaceful land before making a decision that affects the future of our nations. I would have believed the Seraph to be proud of such an accomplishment. Truly, your welcome has caused a ripped of admiration amongst our people. Your charity will not be forgotten quickly, I can assure you."

She bowed before them, a small fluttering of her skirt as she extended her right arm out to the side. "Takardh and I are simply honored by your offer of aid in these turbulent times." She stood up straighter then, "Perhaps, if your majesties would like, you would send for your traders and state treasurers. My father bid me bring Elementalists to strengthen your crops, and royals to discuss trade agreements now that a truce has been called."

Two elder Seraphim, one who had berated Takardh and one who had remained silent looked at one another.

The one who had yet to spoke nodded and looked to our guide, "Mikael, send for them, and the farmers too." Mikael nodded and fluttered off to do their business.

"Taking orders from a butterfly now are you, Urithine?" came the voice of the less amiable Seraph.

Urithine smiled kindly at her fellow Councilman. "I am always willing to head the call of a young woman visiting our lands, Gallius."

Eriathiel laughed, "You flatter me, Urithine." She smiled at her intended then, and leaned in close enough for only he to hear her whisper, "No what was that about muscle and paperwork?"

[DoctorRed]

Watching the lot of them, he grasped that the conversation was a topic that he wasn't familiar with. It was stuff he knew about, but nothing that he couldn't learn. Or maybe he would learn later, after some time.  Maybe a lot of time. He felt almost as though he would need more time than he had first imagined when they'd talked about it. He felt his hackles raise at a familiar insult that was thrown out. To call a Fey a butterfly was considered fairly derogatory, like calling a Centaur a horse. He made a face, and wiped it away quickly, raising his eyebrows a bit and

Takardh wrinkled his nose and bumped he gently with his hip, glancing back over at Eriathiel as he stood beside her, reaching down and meeting her in the middle to take her hand as they stood. He held her firmly and shifted uneasily on his hooves. He wasn't used to being browbeaten or spoken to as anything less than a decorated warrior or a prince It was... hard, to say the least. Grating on his pride to deal with as he

"I envy you your composure,' He was saying as a few words called them back to attention and sent away their talking.

"You two are prideful and curious ways are both a comfort and a worry. Some part of it would make an amazing union. A better world would sweep away the pain in the world that has risen from your battling and wars. But worse would be if your marriage fell apart. When we pettitioned your families, it was that we be able to help you find if you were compatible or not, and also find out if you could be together for long. The people you both represent deserve to know if you are able to cast off your pride."

"Of course we are. If we weren't, we wouldn't be here."

"Oh, we know what the alternative is for you, Centaur. But you do not know what it, do you? You need to show us your sincerity while you are here, and show us how you really are. There will be things that happen to you, and change you while you are among us. You will see your true selves, and soon be out of your comfort zones. This is what it means to declare love among the Seraphim. Do you know how the Seraph are wed?"

"No, I was not aware. How?"

"Our wings grow back, you see," said the councilman who spread his wings wide to show them. "It takes a long time, but we can lose them. The married pair remove their wings and spend a year alone together. They live as humans and animals do, without their wings. They are exiled from their people and sent down into the villages. It is a harsh way, to declare love. They sacrifice themselves for one another to be together forever.

[Uriel Seraphim]

"If it were so simple, Sir Seraph, I would gladly shed my wings for this marriage and the betterment of my country. But I'm afraid the Faye do not have the luxury of growing a second pair of wings, nor do I think Takardh could grow back his hind legs were they to be amputated." She moved closer to her intended then, somewhat thankful for the courage his size and reputation gave her.

"Your kind has a beautiful courtship ritual. I hope you have not been misled, my lords, but Takardh and I have not decided upon our marriage arrangements yet, and marriage is not on our agenda while visiting your homelands. There is also not enough time for us to dedicate ourselves to such arrangements." She smiled bashfully at the council. "I am ashamed to admit my ignorance of the world, but this is the first time I have been away from my people. A month took enough negotiation amongst the Faye council to agree; I do not like my chances of asking for an entire year." 

The Seraph council all stood in a single fluid motion and tension grew thick in the air. Eriathiel squeezed Takardh's hand tighter then, swallowing past the lump in her throat. She was suddenly very aware of how outnumbered they were, and how very easy it would be to destroy three kingdoms in a single sweeping motion.

"No matter what happens, don't fight it," she whispered to Takardh. "All things are conquerable but death."

A slender, blonde Seraph flittered down from her perch to stand a few meters before them. "Oh, we have no plans for you to marry amongst us, little Faye. But you will be tested, for your people are not the only ones who doubt your capabilities as future leaders of a free nation."





(Didn't know if you had something planed or not, so I figured I'd leave the next bit up to you. x Feel free to skip ahead a bit and such if need be. :3 x )