[color=gold][h3][b][u]Valorian Lionfury
Lightkeep[/u][/b][/h3][/color]
A king could ill afford a night worth of bad sleep, especially a king at war such as himself. Nonetheless, he found himself unable to drift away into the land of sleep. Even there, rest would not come easily, during his long reign in this war, atrocities had piled up on his soul, one after the other, both of his own making and those of the enemies. There were few nights now that granted him the tranquility of a dreamless sleep. Perhaps he should order an alchemist to help him with this affliction, or perhaps the royal chef knew of some sort of recipe himself already. It was the least of his concerns however, blessed as he was with his physique, it seemed as if he required sleep a lot less than regular humans, despite how exhausting a king's duties were. Possibly it was simply because he knew that there was no room whatsoever for him to show the weakness of fatigue, his sheer willpower forcing the weariness away. 

Years ago, that willpower had come more easily to him than it did today, Valorian had to admit that he was no longer a young man. While the scars of time were all but hidden from the general public, he himself could feel that they had begun to take their toll. The weight of his crown had grown heavy, while there was still no end in sight to this conflict. His conviction thus remained as strong as ever, if not strengthened by the inevitable future of his own age. His line was secure in his son, that much was sure, but he could scarcely expect him to inherit the troubled kingdom as it was now. In fact, he vowed to deliver a free kingdom to him, and when he finally perished, he'd walk among his ancestors as an equal, or perhaps even as their better. The one who finally put a stop to the encroaching darkness settling upon the land.

The specs of rain pattering down on his face brought him out of his thoughts however. Could he no more fight the darkness like he could not change the weather? After all, every light cast a shadow, and every day needed a night. If that was true, Valorian shuddered to imagine what kind of shadow he had cast. Those were matters that he ought to ban from his mind. A king always had to be determined, with his vision towards the future. Every man was capable of doubting him and blaming him, but if he started to doubt and blame himself, that was the end. The first crack in his armor and the beginning of weakness leading to his downfall.

The rain that swept over his nation would soon pale in comparison to the conflict peaking in its intensity. Valorian could call it a premonition or a gut feeling, but he was under the impression that the conflict would soon become an all out war. Like how this rain would only be a prelude to the inevitable storm that was bound to follow. Only now, in these private moments did Valorian allow himself to indulge in these grim thoughts and self-reflection, all too soon the kingdom demanded his unwavering willpower again, and he would prove he had just that in ample supply.

He idly flicked drops of water from his hair and beard, re-assuming the untouchable persona that was meant to be the shining beacon of humanity's hopes and dreams against the darkness. Turning his back on the weather, he stalked back into the halls of Lightkeep, strolling through the hallways and corridors were his father and his father's father had walked just as him, no doubt with similar worries and duties. Thankfully, it did not seem that he was as alone as he had thought, awake, that was. 

One of the newest members of his Kingsguard stood lonesome on guard, seemingly quite annoyed one way or the other. If he were to rely on this person's strength and skills to guard him and his most important interests, he supposed he ought to at least gauge his worth and gain a clearer picture of what kind of a person he was. 

[i][color=gold]"Sir Vauch."[/color][/i] 
Valorian called out as he approached, his voice as stoic and authoritative as ever. Even if it was the dead of night, a king did not lower his voice for any occasion.

[i][color=gold]"Everything is in order? I take it you are adjusting well to your newfound duties and responsibilities?"[/color][/i] 
Truth be told, Valorian was already slightly biased, knowing of Vauch's origins and previous transgressions. Thankfully, he respected skill enough to overlook the past slightly, though good acts did not necessarily wash away the bad ones.