[center][color=baa7c7][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180414/74c2765cd6362ea59f980954a4ea62b0.png[/img]
[sub]Bride of [color=8493ca]Azilon Dantanath[/color] [@WeepingLiberty], sister-bride to [color=98FB98]Rya Mire[/color] [@Ellion][/sub]
[sub]Reacting near the new fam and taking note of [color=sienna]Rynek Darion [@NarcissisticPotato][/color][/sub][/color][/center]
Lienna had not been kneeling more than a few seconds before a new voice came from above her, this one distinctly female. She dared not look up, but she could feel another set of eyes boring into her, and the newcomer's words and cadence made the hair on her neck stand on end.

[color=red]“My oh my. Seems you scored an alright girl after all, I was half expecting them to hand you the leftovers. A bit uptight for my tastes, but she’ll suit you just fine dear brother.” [/color]

It seemed as close to a compliment as she could have expected, given the circumstances, and Lienna couldn't help but feel a tiny hint of pride beneath the tightness in her chest. If her husband's sister (as she seemed to be, judging by her words) approved of her, perhaps her husband would as well. Perhaps, she dared to hope, there was a chance she could find a place in this new life. 

Her husband's own comment was somewhat less glowing, but Lienna considered it a win nonetheless. If "just fine" meant being safe from cruelty, anyway. Still, she couldn't help but notice a twinge of... Was that disappointment? Surely not, she thought. "Just fine" was perhaps an even better response from her new husband than a more interested one; after all, it could mean that he wouldn't force himself on her, or at least not often. So why did she feel so slighted?

Azilon asked her to stand and Rya offered a hand, albeit looking more like she did it for her own reasons than because she was told to do so. While Lienna would rather not have taken it, deigning instead to rise on her own, she touched Rya's hand nonetheless as she stood. She had never been much for affection, but this girl looked as if she needed every friendly gesture she could get.

Once on her feet, Azilon took hold of her left arm, much gentler than it looked like his huge hands could have been capable of, and produced the dreaded silver chain. Deftly, he tied the fragile-looking leash around her wrist, thus linking her to Rya, before releasing her. Lienna froze, and for a moment, could only stare at the chain. It really would have been beautiful had its purpose not polluted it; it looked delicate, but she could only imagine that somehow it was stronger than it looked. She could probably have untied it if she wanted to, but she dared not even move to touch it, for fear of punishment. Sure, her husband seemed calm enough, but one could never be sure. She'd seen girls mutilated for smaller offenses than what would have looked like an attempt at escape.

Eventually she peeled her eyes away from the chain and looked toward Rya instead. She swallowed the lump in her throat and slowly lowered her arm, the chain, light as it was, feeling like a lead weight on her wrist. She willed herself to calm down, to stop making a fool of herself with this doe-eyed display. So she was tethered to her sister-bride, so what? Surely it was a kinder fate than many of the other girls in the room. Some of them had already been struck to the ground. And perhaps this was not a permanent arrangement, but temporary; a way for her husband to mark them as his. At Shadow Worth, they'd been told that some Drakken opted to brand their brides as a proof of ownership. This, she told herself, was a far preferable alternative. 

It wasn't until Azilon addressed them again that Lienna started listening to the conversation around them once more. It seemed they wouldn't linger here, and would be embarking on the long journey to her new home. However, Azilon was scarcely allowed to finish before a commotion, in the form of a cloaked man, entered the room. 

[color=sienna]"So who does a guy have to talk to around here to get one of those pretty little Gems?"[/color]

Lienna whirled around to get a look at the newcomer. There happened to be no one between him and her little group, so she had full view of him, not that there was much to see. A tall Drakkan figure (albeit they all looked tall to her) in a heavy cloak, brandishing a spear like a staff. Lienna would have thought him an old man, by his posture and attire, had it not been for the young man's voice booming out of him. 

A Drakkan female - the same adorned one who had delivered Lienna to her husband mere moments before, stepped forward to reply. Her challenge had an air of mockery, but she was clearly tense; if she thought this man was a threat, she appeared prepared to deal with him. Meanwhile, the newcomer seemed entirely relaxed. His ensemble even started making bets. 

Despite the newcomer's airy response, Lienna could feel a tension in the air - whether it came from the newcomer, the female, or the rest of the room, she couldn't tell. Azilon seemed ready to react, as did many others, but the intruder was not disturbed. 

Tense as it was, the intruder's display was [i]fascinating[/i]. It reminded her of the territorial displays of certain more... [i]flamboyant[/i] birds up North. He had every Drakkan in the room ready to jump on him, and yet he approached the female unarmed and undaunted. His tone was light, but had an undeniable edge to it. He was confident, cocky even, but it didn't seem altogether unearned. Surely he was either very skilled or very stupid. 

He had Lienna's full attention. The room seemed to hang on his every word. He threw off his cloak to reveal himself, a tall, lithe specimen, black-clad and topped by a mess of white hair. He wanted a bride.

No, wait. He wanted [i]her[/i].

[color=sienna]"That one. I want that one. I'll kill anyone who begs to differ."[/color]

Suddenly, the world jerked sideways. The edges of Lienna's vision darkened, and the distance between herself and the intruder, this Darion, seemed to lengthen. Her next heartbeat hit her like a blow to the chest, and time resumed once more. Luckily, she kept her footing, and the wave of dizziness passed away as quickly as it came. 

For the briefest of moments, as he pointed her out, Lienna caught a glimpse of his eyes. This man was no flamboyant arctic bird. No, not at all. Lienna was reminded of the time she'd been out looking for a certain species of pine needles, and had crossed paths with an enormous arctic wolf. It had eyes like ice, and a bristling coat that blended into the snow near-seamlessly. It had the sort of stare that defied translation, and betrayed nothing of the soul within but danger. The resemblance was uncanny.

Lienna didn't move. She barely breathed. That day in the forest she had stared down the wolf for what felt like hours, knowing a sudden move could mean her death. The intruder looked away after only a second, but Lienna kept her eyes trained on him, not daring surrender an inch. Would Azilon defend her? Throw her to the wolf? Despite the fear that gripped her, an excitement boiled in her as well. Dangerous or not, this one seemed like something she could work with. Whether she would need to, she couldn't yet tell. 

[hider=Summary]Lienna is both pleased and disappointed that she'll be alright for Az. Lets him tie her to Rya, but is a little freaked out by the chain. When the new guy bursts in, she's all ears. Until he points her out. Waxes poetic for a second. Now she feels like she's in a territory dispute with a wolf. But why is it so exciting?[/hider]