[center][h1][b][u][color=9e0b0f]Rhea Duvalier[/color][/u][/b][/h1]

[b]Interacting with:[/b]  [@Zeroth][/center]

[color=gray]Every time she found herself grounded, every time that her heart felt heavy and her mind felt aloof, she always looked to the skies. The feel of the wind against her face, the way that the sun shone on her skin--  it made her problems melt away like frost on a warm spring morning. Rhea was happy above the clouds, away from the issues and the grueling discrepancies of life. It was why she was so close to Icarus; without him, there was no way that she could ever have a release from the stress of every day life. Her eyes scanned the land below them silently, observing the way that the group moved on the ground. They marched over the Walk of the Magi, the water that surrounded it glistening in the morning light. Icarus hovered, practically silent, over the marching group, his long, white wings catching the breeze. From up there, upon his back, the woman caught sight of the way the townspeople bustled and roamed about, bidding farewell to their price and entourage. [color=9e0b0f][i]They don't care about us. None of them do. They only care about Eli,[/i][/color] the bitter thought passed through her head, but she brushed the dark thought from her mind. Now wasn't the time to think of such things.

She was so engrossed in her own thoughts about the townspeople and the Laguz-- of whom she was not fond of -- that she completely forgot about the man that sat behind her. With the way that his hands were settled upon the horn of the saddle, the sight of Gorou's grip should have reminded her about his presence a while ago. Rhea sighed, finding herself growing tense again. Why had she invited him, again? She had meant to ask him more than a few things while she was alone with him, but now their isolation from the rest of the group made her feel uncomfortable. After what seemed like an eternity in silence, the swordsman opened his mouth to ask her something. So, he did know that she was wary about him. That only made the whole situation even more awkward than it already was. May the Goddess grant her patience.

Heaving a sigh, she made Icarus maneuver into a lazy circle above the heads of the rest of their party. She ignored the myrmidon's joke, but for some reason, she could not find the words to answer Gorou's question. It was only a short while until she actually spoke, and Rhea's eyes remained on the ground as the words flowed out of her mouth. [color=9e0b0f][b]"If you bear no ill intent, then why do you cover your face with a mask? Someone who doesn't want to show his face usually means that that person shouldn't be trusted at all. You can't blame me for being so uptight, especially when it is my duty to defend the prince with my life,"[/b][/color] for a moment, she aimed her vision to the corner of her eye, her gaze resting on Gorou's face. The look in her eye showed no friendliness nor amusement, instead relying on the intensity of her look to get the point across. [color=9e0b0f][b]"If Eli was to die, not only would my reputation be tarnished, but the future of Estala would be clouded in uncertainty. I would have to tell Erigan about his death. I... cannot even imagine what I would go through. So, you must understand the reason why I am behaving like this. It is not easy to trust not only you, but the rest of the group as well."[/b][/color] [/color]