[center][table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/sfL4M8x.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240501/f05a736427987502b04e7512136c14ae.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]First Day of Winter [b]|[/b] 40 Degrees Fahrenheit [b]|[/b] Clear Skies[/sub][/cell][/row][/table][/center]

[quote][sub][i] “My Dearest Son, 

I hope this message finds you in good health, for my heart aches with worry and grows greater with each passing day that I do not hear from you. Your father and I pray each night for your safety, goddess willing. Your absent presence has left a void here in the kingdom, not gone unnoticed by your loving siblings. They struggle to fill the shoes you have left to fill, but they shall try evermore. 

Tell me, son, how are things in Dawnhaven? How fares your new bride? Have the Goddesses blessed your union with the gift of a child yet? Is she treating you with the respect and devotion that befits a Queen? I have heard many tales of the savage ways of the Lunarian people, but I pray the bond between you two grows stronger with each day. May you both be united in love and purpose. 

Remember that you are always in our thoughts and prayers, and that I await your response with great anticipation. Until then, be safe.

With all my love,

Viviana Astaros
Queen of Aurelia”[/i][/sub][/quote]

Flynn sighed as he ran his thumb over the emerald green wax seal that adorned the envelope, his mothers initials imprinted in brilliant gold lettering. With a shake of his head, he crumpled the letter in his fist and carelessly tossed it onto his desk. Flynn had been deliberately avoiding communication with his family for two months now, despite his mother’s efforts. The day he married the Princess of Lunaria, far from the kingdom he once called home, had been the last day he had spoken to his family. The next morning he and the Princess began their journey to the new settlement, Dawnhaven. 

His thoughts drifted back to that fateful day, to the cold calculation in his family's eyes as they offered him up as a sacrificial pawn in their futile attempt to appease the church and find a “solution” to the blight that plagued their lands. The memory left a bitter taste in his mouth, a constant reminder of who his family truly was. Selfish cowards. Had they truly cared for him they would have never entertained such an idea. It was a betrayal, plain and simple.

Flynn knew, deep down, that his father never truly believed the prophecy spun by the church. Yet, despite his doubts, the King had offered up his first born son's life without a second thought. His mother, strongly devoted to the church, had been eager to lend her unwavering support to the high priestess, her faith in the prophecy unwavering. In her eyes, Flynn and his bride-to-be should have been thankful to serve such powerful roles and willingly sacrifice their life for the survival of humanity. 

As he gazed upon the crumpled letter, Flynn couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness mingled with resentment and anger. [color=28645A]“With all my love…”[/color] He mocked in an exaggerated and annoying feminine tone, making a face and rolling his eyes. 

[i]Knock knock knock[/i]

Flynn cleared his throat as his eyes darted up to the closed door of his study. [color=28645A]“Yes? You may come in.”[/color]

[color=E5E5E5]“Good Morning, your Majesty.”[/color] A blonde servant girl from Aurelia entered his study, bowing her head and curtseying. [color=E5E5E5]“The first test subject of the day has arrived. She awaits you in the Sage’s Alchemy Chambers.”[/color] 

[color=28645A]“Ah, of course. Thank you, Greta.”[/color] He smiled and stood from his desk, [color=28645A]“I shall meet them at once.”[/color] The girl smiled, bowed again, and left to attend to her other daily tasks around the large cabin he had built for the Princess and himself.

Leaving his study, Flynn hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on the stairway that led up to his bedroom with the Princess. She had still been sleeping when he went to his study in the morning, and now, as he stood at the exit of their cabin, he pondered if he should let her know where he was going and…. give her a farewell kiss? The mere thought made him cringe. The Princess thus far had been ice cold to him, even more frigid than he imagined the people of Lunaria to be. He did not think she would appreciate his presence, much less care what he would be up to for the next few hours. 

With a heavy sigh, Flynn tore his gaze from the staircase and left the cabin. Although it had been over six months without the sun, it still caught him off guard each “morning” when the sky overhead was dark and full of stars. Perpetual darkness had begun to wear on him, like many people, and he longed for the sun’s comforting warmth and golden rays against his skin. Yet, amidst the darkness, a glimmer of hope flickered within him. He clung to the belief that, somehow, without sacrificing his own life, he could restore the sun to its rightful place in the sky. 

Just a short walk away was the Alchemy Chambers, a place that Flynn had built for all the sage’s that would join them on this journey. Here is where they would study the blight and it’s effects on the environment and people alike. Though their efforts had yet to yield any revolutionary breakthroughs, each day brought new revelations, each research subject a stepping stone towards understanding the blight. 

The Prince’s decision to take in the blight-born had been highly controversial, but in two months it had already provided a plethora of new information about how the blight could warp and manipulate the very essence of one's being. If nothing else, it at least had shown people that some blight-born were not all monsters. Some could restrain themselves and be integrated into society once more. 

As Flynn entered the Alchemy Chambers, a low guttural growl broke through his thoughts. In the center of the room, an old sage holding a pair of pliers stood before a red-headed woman with glowing eyes. The sage froze in fear, holding the pair of pliers up. 

[color=DC561E]“You will not be putting those anywhere near my fangs.”[/color] She hissed, glaring daggers at the old man. 

[color=28645A]“Thormar,”[/color] The Prince smiled sheepishly as he approached the two, [color=28645A]“That is quite enough for the day. We do not need to [i]remove[/i] body parts.”[/color]

[color=E5E5E5]“Y-yes, sire! Of course.”[/color] The old man put the pliers down on a steel table, bowing to the Prince. The woman looked to the prince, eyes of fire still glaring. 

[color=28645A]“My apologies, Kira. Seems I came just in time.”[/color] He awkwardly laughed, trying to diffuse the situation. She did not return his laugh. [color=28645A]“Erm… right… well, why don’t you follow me this way?”[/color] He gestured for her to follow him into another room where he intended to take notes about her condition and hear her story, just as he had for many other blight-born refugees in Dawnhaven. Begrudgingly, she followed.