[center] [h1][color=bc8dbf]Lord Cuwarr Naxremis[/color][/h1] Husband of [color=f7941d]Kalani[/color] ([@karamonnom]), his auburn rose, and of Amalia Solair ([@Belle]) [hider=Summary] Cuwarr and his brides leave for Drakka in a carriage. Soon, they arrive at the slopes of Vekor Atalli, the warlord's territory, as the biting winds begin to manifest. They were not far from Sudreth, and soon, they would arrive at the Naxremis keep. [/hider] [/center] With the rapidly encroaching curtain of night cascading down the crimson skies, Cuwarr turned back to Shadow Worth for one final glance at the locus of his reawakened bloodlust. A century's worth of murderous urges suppressed within the confines of his heart threatened to jut out in violent tendrils, assuring pain and death to those who would live to see the beast lash out from its cage. Cuwarr believed in his flawless ability to hide and remove his bloodlust, taking pride in it as what made him different from the other drakkens. However, all his hard work riven to fragments with just the flash of a knife, the glint of bared teeth, and the trickle of crimson. Silently, he cursed his escalating bad luck before he watched his wives enter the carriage one after another. While the two of them comfortably seated themselves, Cuwarr breathed out a sigh of relief. He would never lose another bride again. Kalani was a given-- she was dear to his heart. But, Amalia was also another case. With or without Kalani's counsel, he would still have picked Amalia after he saw her defiance against all odds. Like a fish writhing on the ground in hopes of flopping back to the waters, Amalia thrashed against the jaws of death until she floundered to where Cuwarr and Kalani were. Such defiance and courage could only be born from a lifetime of one's true self being suppressed, and when Cuwarr's ice-azure gaze met Amalia's (though her sight barred by the eyepiece), he saw a burning desire to prove herself, to live and to win. There was nothing more enticing than a gem who knows her own identity before a drakken gave her a new one. He would have lavished Amalia, gave her the affection she deserved. But, Sorici's act froze the warlord in his tracks. Whenever he opened himself up to be probed and read like a book, vivid flashes of Sorici's betrayal would ravage his sanity-- the gemminite's searing torch igniting Cuwarr's pages until he burned out of existence like a whiff of dying embers. He would do his best to learn, to become his old self. This was the least he could do for them. With his bloodlust pounding against the doors of his heart, Cuwarr knew that if he was not careful in his steps, he would be the brides' undoing more than anything else. The warlord's train of thoughts derailed when he saw another approaching carriage. The intricate, gem-based design of the vehicle already assured him that it was another bride to be reaped from her home. And, while he grew less interested as two lesser gems exited the carriage, his eyes whipped back to the carriage as the final gem stepped out with the grace of nobility echoing from every step she took. Crimson tresses fell softly down to her shoulders, fairly reminiscent of a candle whose flame warded off the shadows of night from consuming all in its warm light. Her red hair curtained her rather smooth, milky-white flesh on her neck as her hips swayed with little force yet it only accentuated the voluptuous curves which lined her body. She was different than the gems he met: she knew her power, and she embraced it. Furthermore, the deep crimson flecks of her dress just confirmed what Cuwarr already knew. She was a royalty back in Gemminia. Well, [i]was[/i]. Her crown would not help her from being broken and destroyed by the strength of men greater than hers. After all, even the brightest of candles melt should they try to increase their light. "Well," Cuwarr scoffed as the gem vanished around the hallway of Shadow Worth. "She is as enticing as a rotten piece of meat." The warlord mumbled to himself, stepping into the large carriage which lurched forward when the door shut. Gemminia was behind; Drakka laid ahead. --- The gems conversed much to his comfort. He didn't really know how to talk to Amalia yet. While Cuwarr sat beside Kalani, his attention fixated itself upon the talking gem who spoke about her family and who she was. Immediately, she began to express how she knew that they did not like her presence, and to an extent, she seemed too presumptuous to think that she knew what Cuwarr wanted. "I do not test those who I do not deem worthy." Cuwarr spoke, his voice slicing through the winds. "And, I tested you, did I not?" The warlord leaned back on the cushion before also noticing the slight shiver which ran through his wife's physique. With deliberate movements, Cuwarr bent down to retrieve a large, wool blanket. Cuwarr stood up before wrapping the blanket around Amalia, encasing her in its warmth before he fell to his knees in front of her. "You just grabbed at straws, and drew the shortest one. It is not your fault. Things happened, and it will take some time for me to get back to normal. But, for what it is worth..." He leaned forward, pressing a light, quick kiss on her forehead before retreating back to Kalani's side. "You are not unwanted." The ride continued as they ascended the slopes of Vekor Atalli, the border of Sudreth. With the biting winds waltzing in and out of the carriage, Cuwarr prayed that his brides would make it. Immediately, he grabbed Kalani before cradling her against his chest in an effort to warm her. In the meantime, the warlord's eyes gazed at Amalia, never letting her leave from his mind and attention. After all, they were his. And, they were not unwanted.