[color=lightgray] [center][h1][color=C84808]Askel & Ranya[/color][/h1]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/RfdmGdW.png[/img]

[h2][color=red]Flashback[/color]

Part One[/h2][/center]

[color=#6B8E23]Time:[/color] Night, Ignis 9
[color=C84808]Location:[/color] A Tavern


[hr]

While one should enjoy the company of their family and friends, one should also gain some reprieve from their antics, such was the case of Askel. The prince had made his escape to gain just a moment for himself on the streets of Sorian, enjoying the sights and sounds of a city that he was only somewhat familiar with during his travels. He was dressed handsomely in fine Varian garb that was currently fashionable though less ostentatious, his long sword faithfully sheathed by his hip. 

It was a lovely night, the light of the streetlamps lit the life that came alive once the sun sunk below the horizon. Now, he was doing something that was quite unusual for him: window shopping. It was a luxury that he was not used to though he perused the shopping center to see what was in vogue in the world of nobles and royalty, something that he felt like he should have been more aware of given his status. His violet eyes scanned each window like a man analyzing sacred tombs. 

[color=#C84808]"Maybe I should get something for mother and father… But what do you get for someone that has everything?"[/color] He muttered to himself.

Ranya slowed down, her bare toes curling against the cool, damp cobblestones of the Sorian street. In this land of starch and stays, her sheer, sunset-colored silks and the gold coins jingling softly at her hips felt like a delightful scandal. She moved toward the shop window and stopped next to the intriguing auburn-haired stranger to look at the glass he was studying so intently.

A soft laugh slipped from her lips, sweet and light. [color=6B8E23]"The secret to gifting those who have everything, Sir, is to buy them a beautiful nuisance,"[/color] she said, her green eyes sparkling with playful warmth. [color=6B8E23]"A palace can be a very quiet place until you drop a riddle in the middle of it. Don't give them another treasure to guard, give them something that demands their attention. A puzzle for a clever mind, or maybe the most useless, ridiculous thing in that shop."[/color]

She tilted her head, her gaze shifting from his auburn hair to the heavy sword at his hip. [color=6B8E23]"You’re staring at that glass as if it’s a fortress to be breached. But if it doesn't make them laugh and think of you each time they look at it, then it isn't a gift…it’s just luggage."[/color]

Soft, delightful laughter drew his attention away from niche nicknacks and sundries down to a rather colorful woman whose step jangled with a tune, his violet eyes as cool as the sky of a setting sun and yet still had a warmth locked with her own. He had never seen such a striking shade of green in someone's eyes before. Her words were playful, yet overflowing with practiced wit, charm, and elegance. A stranger though she was not unwelcome company. 

A chuckle boyish, yet earthy rumbled as a smile lifted his freckled cheeks. [color=#C84808]"Ah, but you see for it isn't a fortress, but a curse, one that causes every poor soul that lays their eyes on it to have racing minds and endless worries."[/color] His smile turned into a wry grin, his eyes matching her playfulness. [color=#C84808]"However, with such sagely advice from my impromptu counsel perhaps I should buy such an item that the only riddle that my poor parents must solve is 'what was going through our son's head?'"[/color] 

His gaze followed her own down his sheathed sword. In Gazalian, albeit with a Varian accent, said [color=#C84808]"But you know, talking to strange men with swords at night is a dangerous thing for someone so far from home. Do you always wax poetic with streetgoers, or did I really look that much at a loss?"[/color]

Ranya's brows lifted, a warm delight spreading in her chest as she heard her own language spoken by him. It had an accent, reminding her of what she imagined snow to be like, but the effort made her pulse quicken with unexpected excitement. 

When he warned her, she didn’t pull back. Instead, she took a light step closer, her eyes following the curve of his jaw like a skilled huntress. [color=6B8E23]"You think the danger is mine, Sir. In my home, we say the most beautiful flowers grow near a viper’s nest. Maybe strange men with swords should be the ones watching their backs for a woman confidently walking the night without shoes."[/color] She laughed then, a sound like coins clinking on stone, before smiling up at him. [color=6B8E23]"I'm sorry, I’m joking. People say I have a reckless side, but I can't help but chase a bit of danger when he’s wearing such an interesting shade of auburn."[/color]

The gold on her wrists jingled as she moved, glancing back at the shop window. [color=6B8E23]"But to answer your question, you looked like a warrior about to be beaten by a glass trinket, and I couldn't let such a pathetic foe claim victory. Besides, I’m new to these streets. What better way to learn a city than by challenging the wit of those who live here?"[/color] She tilted her head, her curiosity getting the best of her. [color=6B8E23]"Though you have me at a disadvantage. How did a man such as yourself learn to speak the language of the golden dunes so well?”[/color]

She was met by a grin as she gazed at him like a beast to be hunted, his eyes almost telling her he'd welcome the challenge. He remained silent though, he enjoyed listening to her talk. It was a treat to listen to her weave words together and her laughter rang through the air like a jingling of coins and when she laughed, he laughed like gently falling snow. 

When asked how he had come to learn such a language, he said, [color=#C84808]"In my days of naivety and freedom, I journeyed in pursuit of ideals and worldly truths. Alidasht was one of my destinations. My ears were graced by those who lived among the dunes and their khatt was no less entrancing. I could not help, but to admire and learn from them."[/color] His grin became sheepish as if he was about to admit to his own personal failing, his calloused hand rubbed the back of his auburn head, and said, [color=#C84808]"It is to my shame though that I must admit that while I have some aptitude for some of Alidasht's other tongues, I lack a fully comprehensive understanding for the rest of its colorful languages."[/color] 

His eyes glanced over her and then looked at her kindly, his expression warm with understanding. [color=#C84808]"Though I must correct you on one matter; I am not from Sorian or any part of Caesonia for that matter though I can understand why'd you make the mistake. It would be hard to differentiate the two countries if you haven't spent an extended amount of time in either. Allow me to level the playing field for you."[/color] 

With practiced elegance, his hand placed on his heart as he slightly bowed from the hip. A smile, charming and polite, rested on his face. [color=#C84808]"I am Askel Camila, knight of Varian and second to the throne after my dear brother. Enchanted to make your acquaintance, wildflower."[/color] He could not help, but to smirk playfully when he called her that.

Freedom. He got to experience freedom. He could travel and see the world without a veil or a guard. Those were all the things Ranya wanted. She felt drawn to him and jealous of him at the same time.

​[color=6B8E23]"It seems your modesty is as polished as your sword,"[/color] she replied, her eyes softening with a genuine, wistful interest. [color=6B8E23]"But if you find our other languages so hard to grasp, maybe what you need isn't aptitude, but a good tutor. Someone to help you discover the music in the words instead of just the grammar. It would be a shame to leave such a colorful map only half-read."[/color]

Ranya felt a brief flush in her cheeks, a rare sign of embarrassment. Of course he wasn't from here. You don't look for local gifts to send home if home is just down the street. She let out a small, self-deprecating laugh and shook her head. [color=6B8E23]"That's a fair correction. I guess my own 'world truths' are a bit rusty tonight. You don't usually search for souvenirs in your own backyard."[/color] It was her turn to give him a sheepish smile.

Then her breath caught for a moment at his formal introduction. A Prince. She had meant to tease a stranger, not run into royalty. Her smirk quickly returned, now edged with curiosity. After he bowed gracefully, she mirrored his respect. She placed her right hand flat over her heart and bowed her head in a slow, elegant motion, an Alidashtian gesture showing deep respect for those of high honor.

[color=6B8E23]"A Prince of Varian and a knight, no less,"[/color] she murmured, her voice light with amusement. [color=6B8E23]"I might let you keep calling me 'wildflower'; I could grow quite fond of that title. It certainly beats being called a 'nuisance'."[/color] She straightened, meeting his violet gaze with a challenging spark. [color=6B8E23]"But since we are getting to know each other, you can call me Rani. As for who I am... think of me as a puzzle for your clever mind, Prince Askel. If you are good at finding truths, maybe you will solve me before the sun sets tomorrow."[/color]

[color=#C84808]"Rani huh..."[/color] He let her name, at least what she offered, dance on his tongue. She was like fire, or rather, something undefinable. He could not just call her fire; she was also song, she was dance, she was energy that could not be contained, and it was magnetic. Something about her drew him in, a riddle to be solved or at least that was the pretense though he could not deny that he enjoyed that challenging spark in those pools of green.

He looked at her with a soft smile; the coolness of his dark violet eyes did nothing to hide his warmth. [color=#C84808]"I would be lying to you and myself if I said that I found your presence to be a nuisance, Rani. In my experience, wildflowers are the most beautiful of all flowers. For all of humanity's planning and manipulations, we never can surpass nature's grand schemes and I for one am grateful for it. I'll always be left in awe by whatever visions of beauty and splendor nature can construct."[/color]

He held his hand out to her in invitation. They were calloused and rough, the hands of someone who's worked all his life despite his station. [color=#C84808]"If you would allow me the honor, please allow me to escort you for the rest of your outing. No matter the wit, a puzzle will always be incomplete if the pieces do not present themselves and if I may be so bold to say, something tells me you are a puzzle worth solving. Or at the very least, I've found a partner that I can help fill in my half-travelled map for a brief moment in time."[/color]  
 
Ranya’s heart gave a sly, delighted flutter at the way he spoke of wildflowers–not as weeds to be trampled, but as something nobler than the careful games of men. She had spent her life behind the high, orderly walls of the palace, where everything was arranged and nothing left to chance. His words slipped through her defenses like a cool breeze stirring the heavy air, unexpected and thrilling.

She did not pause when he offered his hand. Instead, she stepped boldly into his space, looping her arm through his with a quiet confidence. Her sun-warmed skin brushed against the rough strength of his sleeve as if in a study in contrasts, soft gold against sturdy earth.

[color=6B8E23]"You are dangerously charming for a man, Prince Askel,"[/color] she said, leaning her weight slightly against him as she began to walk. [color=6B8E23]"But it would be my pleasure to let you escort me for the rest of the evening. It would be a pity to leave you so soon without acquiring more puzzle pieces,"[/color] she teased, curious as they moved together. [color=6B8E23]"I must admit, I am envious. To be a prince and yet have the freedom to just... walk. Do you always get to wander so freely?"[/color]

She found she liked the steady, grounded strength of his arm beneath her touch. He was charming without being oily, and fun without being foolish. It was a rare combination in her experience. But before he could answer, a bright violin and the pulse of a drum spilled through the air. Ranya’s face broke into a sunlit smile.

[color=6B8E23]"Music!"[/color] she whispered, her fingers tightening on his sleeve. [color=6B8E23]"That sounds like life, not some stiff gala. Would you like to discover what delights await us wherever that is coming from?"[/color]

Askel looked down at her, this beautiful stranger that smiled at him so brightly with such an exuberance of life. How could he not smile back when he felt his own heart flutter? [color=#C84808]"I would love nothing more."[/color] 

With Ranya linked to his side, he would wander the streets in search for the lively tune that hung over the street until they stumbled upon the source, a tavern, humble and yet the light peeking through the windows offered warmth and the music, muffled, pulsed with life like the beat of a heart. A smile, as if he was reminiscing of another time, stretched upon his face. Askel looked down at his sun-kissed companion and asked, [color=#C84808]"Shall we?[/color] 

He opened the door for her and they were greeted by the sight of people dancing merrily, perhaps some who had too much to drink though merry, nonetheless. As he led her through, the beating of the drums coursed through their bodies and the violin danced like a trickster demanding their attention. Once they reached the bar, Askel removed his jacket and placed it on the barstool for her before he seated himself. He rolled up his sleeves just past his elbows, revealing thick forearms of a man who dedicated his body to knighthood. 

Askel turned back on the stool to look back at the rest of the tavern. [color=#C84808]"Plenty of life for you?[/color] 

Ranya crossed the tavern’s threshold as if stepping from one life into another. The air pressed close, thick with malt and woodsmoke, rough and honest, erasing any trace of jasmine that usually followed her. She let her eyes wander over the dancers, soaking in their wild, unrestrained joy, as if she were watching a spell unfold that no one had meant her to see.

She perched lightly on his jacket, bare feet swinging to the rhythm of the drums, her gold anklets whispering their own private melody. Her gaze found Askel, catching the lamplight as she traced the quiet strength in his bare forearms. She let her eyes linger, slow and deliberate, a secret smile tugging at her lips. She had seen warriors before, but there was something different here: strength worn like a second skin, shaped by sweat and purpose, not just for show. She found herself drawn in, unexpectedly and entirely.

[color=6B8E23]"More than enough,"[/color] she breathed, a radiant smile lighting her face. [color=6B8E23]"Back home, even our celebrations often have a script. Here, the very floorboards feel alive. It’s intoxicating."[/color]

Caught up in the thrill of the moment, she leaned closer, her voice dropping into a silken, low register. [color=6B8E23]"I want to taste all of it, Prince Askel. I want to experience everything this night has to offer... and I suspect I couldn't ask for a more capable guide to show me the way."[/color] She seemed entirely unaware of how suggestive the words sounded, her curiosity simply overflowing.

She gestured toward the foaming tankards with a look of pure, eager innocence. [color=6B8E23]"But we should start with what is in the cups. What do you suggest for a woman who wants to feel as bold as those dancers look? What is your favorite thing to drink?"[/color]

For the briefest of moments Askel's freckled rosy cheeks were a shade of red that made him ever so thankful that the lamplight was dim. However, his gaze followed hers to the foaming tankards with white frothing from the lips. He could not help, but to laugh though it was at himself and for his mind going straight towards the gutter. [color=#C84808]"Right, drinks. You're talking about drinks."[/color] 

A cheeky grin spread along his face [color=#C84808]"Well, if you wish to gain the courage of a Caesonian then you must sample Caesonian ale."[/color] He raised his hand up and called out loudly against the noise. [color=#C84808]"Hey, barkeep! Two tankards of a lager and keep that tab open!"[/color] Askel received a nod from the bartender. From a barrel sitting among other barrels on a wall, they would watch with anticipation as their mugs were filled until they threatened to overflow, the suds cut off cleanly with a swipe of a knife. 

The tankards were placed in front of them with a [i]THUNK!.[/i] It was mighty in size, bigger than Askel's hand. [color=#C84808]"Well, enjoy Rani. Don't pound it back alright?"[/color] He grabbed it by the handle and took a sip from it. It was crisp, clean, and smooth with a subtle note of bitterness from the hops. The bubbles danced on his tongue as it made its way down his gullet. 

Ranya watched the color bloom across his cheeks, her interest sharpening like a cat catching the flicker of a mouse. His stammered, "Right, drinks," made her lips curl into a slow, wicked smile, the kind that promised trouble and delighted in it.

[color=6B8E23]"Careful, Prince Askel,"[/color] she murmured, leaning in until her gold earrings nearly brushed his shoulder. [color=6B8E23]"Keep charming me like this, and by the end of the courting season, I might be talking about something else entirely."[/color]

The arrival of the drinks cut through her playful scheming. Ranya eyed the tankard, her brows lifting in open disbelief at its monstrous size. She reached out, fingers stretching as far as they could. She could barely fit her hands around it, the mug's girth nearly dwarfing her grip. The cool metal pressed against her palms, heavy and unfamiliar, a challenge disguised as hospitality.

When he warned her not to "pound it back," she shot him a defiant, bratty look. [color=6B8E23]"Now you’re just tempting me,"[/color] she countered, though she settled for a long, curious sip. The initial bitterness made her nose crinkle, but the crisp, bubbly finish was strangely addictive. She wiped a bit of foam from her lip, looking at the mug with newfound respect before taking another gulp.

[color=6B8E23]"It’s aggressive,"[/color] she decided, her gaze steady on him even as her ears tracked the rhythm of the dancers nearby. [color=6B8E23]"But I think I like it."[/color] She eyed him over the mug. [color=6B8E23]"So, Prince Askel, what really brings you to Sorian? Courting season, or are you after something more interesting than a bride?"[/color] She took a slow drink, watching him as she waited.

Even though flush crept from his cheeks and up to his ears, Askel was determined not to lose footing on this battleground. [color=#C84808]"Is that a threat or promise?"[/color] He countered, leaning to meet her until his face only inches away from hers as if to challenge her though it was cut short when the drinks were presented to them. 

Askel had to hold back his laughter; her hands looked so tiny when holding the tankard. His amusement grew as he watched her take her first sip of Caesonian lager, her nose crinkling like a child taking medicine and when she pulled away, she had a magnificent foamy mustache. All in all, absolutely adorable. He chuckled at her comment that it was 'aggressive' and said, [color=#C84808]"Wildflower, if you find that aggressive then you're in for a world of trouble."[/color] He lifted his tankard and took a big gulp, listening to her question.

Askel gently placed the tankard down and even though he still smiled at her, there was a touch of melancholy that painted its undertones. He looked down at the light golden liquid in the tankard, his arms resting on the counter as if to hold himself up from a weariness that had been plaguing him. [color=#C84808]"Ah, well, you've caught me at an unusual period of my life. I've only recently returned home after many years due to an incident... a death in the family. Forgive me if I spare some of the details; it's still a fresh wound."[/color] His gaze returned to hers as if to ask for understanding. [color=#C84808]"I decided that I needed to put my roots down back home, to be a rock for my friends and family. I felt like I owed it to them after being gone for so long."[/color] 

[color=#C84808]"To no one's surprise we were invited to Sorian for the Courting Season. My brother, the crowned prince, and my two younger sisters who are also of age decided to attend and as for myself, I decided to attend as a prince of Varian and my brother's knight though before we left my parents pulled me to the side and told me not to worry and 'enjoy myself.'"[/color] He smiled warmly at the memory, knowing that he was so beloved. 

[color=#C84808]"I suppose they were worried about me; they knew the nature of my journey. No matter what I said in my letters, there was no way I'd be able to pull the wool over their eyes. That and they're probably worried that I'd be a bachelor for the rest of my life. Them and my youngest sister, Sylvie. I swear, that girl has probably made every single woman in Varian sick of my face by now!"[/color] He laughed with the good humor of an older brother that put up with his little sister's antics, even if they drove him up the wall at times. 

As his laughter died down, he looked down at his beer contemplatively. [color=#C84808]"I would be lying to myself though if I said that the idea of marriage didn't appeal to me."[/color] He admitted without an ounce of shame. [color=#C84808]"On my journey, there were large swathes of time where my only company was my horse and the fire to keep me warm. Sometimes, I mean only sometimes, I wished I had someone to return to and rest my head on their shoulder and just sit there like that quietly."[/color] 

A heavy sigh passed through his lips and his lips curled into a scowl filled with contempt. [color=#C84808]"But I question if the Courting Season is the right thing. It's all... so staged, I suppose?"[/color] He remarked with evident frustration. [color=#C84808]"We all go there dressed in our finest attires and make pleasant conversation as deep as a puddle while others scheme with how to find any advantage be it diplomatic or whose family can bolster their own. Love surely can't thrive there, not real love."[/color]

Askel focused his gaze back onto Ranya's, an electric energy behind his violet eyes and yet they were gentle. [color=#C84808]"I lay no claim to be an expert, but from my journeys I can at least say that I am beginning to understand the shape of love."[/color]

Ranya’s playful smirk softened. The sharp edges of her mischief faded into something more genuine. As he talked about loss, she felt a familiar ache. It was a quiet acknowledgment of the emptiness death creates. She didn't offer empty words. Instead, she reached out, her sun-warmed hand covering his calloused one in a silent sign of support.

[color=6B8E23]"I understand,"[/color] she said softly, her voice losing its performative edge. [color=6B8E23]"The dunes remind us that grief is just love without a place to go. It is a heavy burden to carry, especially if you are trying to be the 'rock' for everyone else.”[/color]

When he spoke about his family's interference and his sister’s plan to set him up, Ranya let out a soft, genuine laugh. She leaned back slightly, her eyes following the lines of his face with warmth that felt real. [color=6B8E23]"I think your parents and sister are worrying over nothing. You have a very handsome face, Prince Askel, and a beautiful soul, from what I've seen tonight. I find it hard to imagine any woman getting tired of looking at it. I certainly haven't yet and I truly don't know if I ever would."[/color]

She listened as he described the loneliness of life on the road and the emptiness of the Courting Season. Usually, the idea of marriage felt like a cage to her. She saw it as a contract of duty and confinement. But hearing him describe it as a place to simply rest made the idea feel less like a prison and more like a safe haven.

[color=6B8E23]"You’re right about the Season,"[/color] she murmured, her thumb drawing small circles over his knuckles. [color=6B8E23]"It’s a marketplace where hearts are the currency. It’s hard for anything real to grow in soil that's been so over-tilled by politics. But I've also learned to never say never.”[/color] She gave him a small shrug, briefly wondering how this would go for her. While the Alidasht have never attended a courting season here until this year, they did have similar back home and she knew the logistics of it.

She looked up at him. Her gaze showed a rare, vulnerable honesty. [color=6B8E23]"I don't know much about the 'shape of love' myself, and the idea of being tied down scares me more than any viper or blade. But..."[/color] She paused and offered a small, lopsided smile. [color=6B8E23]"Until the sun sets on this Season, if the world feels too heavy and you need a shoulder to rest on, I have two. I’m told I’m an excellent listener when I’m not being a menace.”[/color]

At the touch of her hand, smooth against the calloused roughness of his own, he looked at her and saw a genuine tenderness that made his heart stir. [color=#C84808]"Thank you, Rani."[/color]  

He smiled sweetly at her and yet, for some reason her fear of marriage broke his heart. Slowly, he was beginning to understand who she was, not just who she may potentially be, but her as a person. He saw someone that loved life and a boundless mind though was forced to live in a world of luxury, yet sterile of any of the real joys of living. A kind and gentle soul that practiced charm to hide her fears and insecurity, afraid to lose whatever little freedom she had. His heart ached for her, and he did not know why. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to protect her, the person that finally revealed herself to him.

His hand found a lock of her hair and delicately brushed it away from her face. [color=#C84808]"You know, love is a noble thing,"[/color] Askel began with almost a hushed whisper. [color=#C84808]"It will not betray you, enslave, or dismay you. It does not keep score, it isn't proud or vain, nor does it boast. It does not delight in evil, but it seeks and celebrates truth. It protects, it trusts, and it always hopes and perseveres. Man fails; love does not."[/color]

[color=#C84808]"If you're afraid of being tied down by marriage then what you're afraid of is not love, but of being someone's possession, like a wildflower plucked from a field that will wilt in the finest vases and pureest waters. It's a perversion of love."[/color] He spoke firmly though there was no condescension in his tone. It was as if he was upset for her on his own behalf. [color=#C84808]"If you were truly loved, you would not be ensnared because they would see the beauty in your zeal for life. Someone that loved you would celebrate you, partake in your joy, and then be your home when you finally desire rest. There is a design, Rani, an alignment, a cry in all of our hearts for the beauty of love as it is meant to be and [i]you[/i] deserve it too."[/color]

For a moment, he let his words float in the air before Askel lifted the tankard and gulped down a hefty amount of liquid courage before he slammed it down. [color=#C84808]"Let's dance,"[/color] he suggested as he scooted off the barstool. His hand was held out to hers firmly with a blazing determination lit in his eyes. [color=#C84808]"'Until the sun sets on this Season', I'll do whatever I can to make your world bigger, even if it's just a little bit. Wildflower, Rani, whoever you are, that is my solemn vow to [i]you.[/i]"[/color] He declared boldly without a shred of embarrassment.  

Ranya stilled, the usual spark of a clever retort flickering out before it could catch. She stared at him, heart pounding wild and uneven against her ribs, so fierce she forgot to breathe. For once, her tongue was silent, her composure cracked open by the force of feeling.

Inside, she was a storm barely contained. Panic surged first. It was the wild flutter of a bird glimpsing the open sky, only to realize how endless and terrifying freedom could be. Beneath that fear, a dizzying heat unfurled, making her knees unsteady, her breath shallow, and she was glad she was sitting down. The air itself seemed to catch her mood as the condensation on her tankard hissed and vanished in a thin, spectral curl of steam. For a heartbeat, the space between them shimmered with unnatural warmth.

A sharp heat stung behind her eyes, her throat tight with the threat of tears she refused to let fall. Refusing to let him see her falter, she seized her heavy tankard and, abandoning every trace of royal poise, drank the bitter, icy lager in bold, unbroken swallows. The cold battled the blaze in her veins, anchoring her back to herself.

[color=6B8E23]"You are a very dangerous man, Prince Askel,"[/color] she whispered, her voice uncharacteristically thick as she slammed the empty mug onto the bar. [color=6B8E23]"To say such things to a woman who has spent her life hearing only lies... it is a cruel kind of kindness."[/color]

She refused him the chance to answer. Sliding from her stool, she caught his hand in hers, fingers threading with a quiet certainty, and tugged him into the heart of the room. The music shifted with the fiddle wild and urgent, a shanty that begged for chaos. Ranya spun away, gold anklets chiming a secret alarm. Her dance was a collision of Alidasht’s practiced elegance and the tavern’s reckless joy, a storm of silk and laughter.

She whirled back into his orbit, the room’s heat finally catching up to the flush in her cheeks. Arms flung around his neck, she pressed close, eyes alight with a fierce, radiant defiance as she met his gaze.

[color=6B8E23]"Then hold to your vow, Sir Knight! Make my world bigger. Let's show your parents that you [i]can[/i] enjoy yourself. Let's forget our burdens and the 'scripts' we were born into, just for tonight. Teach me how to be as wild as the rest of them... I want to taste freedom and reckless abandon with you."[/color]

Askel could only watch entranced by her; she was graceful, yet he could feel some sort of catharsis exuding from her with each movement. Even in a room crowded with people and with music blasting in his ears, he could only see her and only hear her. Nothing else mattered in that moment. 

When she rushed up to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, his hands found her sides, just resting above her hips. Her face was flushed, and she was so close, and so warm.

He could only chuckle at her declaration though it was not mocking. His voice rumbled like a fire on a snowy Varian night, comforting and easing. [color=#C84808]"And you say I'm dangerous! My dear, you enchant me so. It's all so sweet and heady."[/color] Askel's hands climbed up from her sides with one hand resting on the small of her back and the other to grab one of her hands wrapped around him, his fingers intertwining with his own as he held their arms outstretched. He met her burning gaze with his own, burgeoning with affection. [color=#C84808]"Follow my lead,"[/color] he murmured softly.

The music began to pick up its tempo and people began to clap to the beat, synchronizing with the beat of his heart. Askel led her through traditional Caesonian folk dance and even though he had a powerful presence, he was never domineering or forceful with Ranya; he only led her to where she needed to be and she in turn would return. It was a mutual exchange of energies, passionate and intimate, his world only focused and focused until there was only her. 

Meanwhile unbeknownst to them, there was someone watching them. Not maliciously, it was just some bloke munching on warm, salted nuts that that had been watching them since they sat down at the counter and heard and saw [i]everything.[/i] "Bloody hell, you'd need to pay good money for a show like that." He said between handfuls of nuts. He was interrupted as a woman rushed back from the washrooms, skirts rustling as she plopped down onto the stool beside him. She immediately reached over, snatching a generous palmful of his salted nuts.

“What’d I miss?” She asked, her eyes darting towards the center of the floor where the Prince and the Desert Wildflower danced. “I’m putting money down that they kiss.” She said, mouth full of nuts.

Ranya moved with him, the world beyond their orbit dissolving into a haze of golden light and the scent of old wood. She had spent years perfecting the precise, ceremonial dances of the Alidasht courts, but this was something raw and alive. Askel’s lead was not a command, but an invitation. His hand on her back was a quiet promise, steady and grounding as the music surged around them.

She matched his steps with a grace that felt instinctive, her body drawn to his strength as if pulled by a hidden current. When she faltered, usually because her eyes lingered too long on the storm brewing in his violet gaze, she let the stumble become laughter, bright and unguarded, ringing out like chimes in the heat. When his voice rumbled, low and dangerous, calling her enchanting, a slow, wicked smile curled at her lips.

[color=6B8E23]"Only 'enchanting'?"[/color] she teased, leaning closer as their arms outstretched. [color=6B8E23]"I was going for 'utterly ruinous.' 'Sweet and heady' is just a very polite way of saying I'm making your head spin, my darling knight."[/color] She gave his hand a playful squeeze, her eyes locked onto his.

As the fiddle soared, the crowd’s applause thundered around them, but Ranya saw only him. The tavern, the curious eyes at the bar, the duties she had fled for the night—all of it faded to nothing. There was only the scent of ale and woodsmoke in the air and the fierce, grounding warmth of his hand in hers.

As the song reached its rowdy, crashing finale, the tempo gave one last, sudden jolt. Just as Ranya was coming out of a swift turn, a large, staggering patron, who was clearly several ales deep, collided heavily with her shoulder. The man let out a thick, muffled, [color=beige]"Oof... s'rry, m'lady,"[/color] but the force of the impact sent her spinning off-balance.

With a small gasp, Ranya’s hands instinctively flew out to find purchase. She grabbed the front of Askel’s tunic, the fabric bunching in her fists as she pulled herself steady, effectively pinning herself against the broad planes of his chest.

She made no move to retreat. Instead, a breathless, delighted laugh escaped her, head tipped back to meet his gaze. Her cheeks glowed, her hair a wild, dark halo, and her heart hammered so fiercely her chest rose and fell against his with every ragged breath.

[color=6B8E23]"I think I finally know why you're so dangerous, Askel,"[/color] she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft and stripped of its usual armor, forgetting to use any titles. [color=6B8E23]"It’s because you’re the first man I’ve ever met that I’m not in a hurry to run away from. In fact..."[/color] She offered a small, vulnerable smile. [color=6B8E23]"I think I’d quite like to stay right here for a while."[/color]

Reflexively, Askel's hands caught her back as she collided against him to protect from stumbling back though he had not realized that she was clinging onto his tunic and had pinned herself against him. Knowing that, his hands refused to move. Askel had shot the drunkard a look before his attention was pulled towards her laughter and looked down at her, her hair a mess, her cheeks flushed, and her heart hammering against him that then caused his own heart to race further and even harder when he realized that she could most likely feel his too. 

Logically, he knew that this was insane. Askel had only just met her! Her name was still a mystery to him! He was likely infatuated with the idea of her rather than who she really was and yet, this unfamiliar warmth in his chest said something different. He didn't know her, but he understood her. The prince understood she was a kind and beautiful soul, he understood that she was witty and clever, he understood that she was wild and craved unimpeded freedom like the wind over a valley, and he understood that she sought truth and love just as much as him. Askel didn't know her, but he knew what mattered. Everything else, the empty spaces, could always be filled in. 

He smiled at her with the same vulnerability, his heart skipping a beat when she just called him by just his name. It was something he never knew he needed until he heard it tonight. [color=#C84808]"I would love that, very, very much,"[/color] was all he could say. His hand gently found her face and cupped it; his thumb caressed her cheek delicately. There was no possessiveness behind his actions, just a desire to appreciate and to adore this woman that just came out of nowhere into his life. 

His hand travelled up and ran his fingers through her hair, his eyes closed as he smiled. His chest felt light, yet coursing with energy, like there were bubbles racing upwards like the ale they shared, and it all came out like he had to find a release for this indescribable feeling and it came out as a song. Askel began to sing softly to her. Now, he was not an exceptional singer like his sister Sylvia though he had a passably pleasant enough tenor voice. The song itself was not something with soaring highs and deep rumbling lows. It was a simple song that laid bare to her what he was feeling, a folk song sung by any Varian man worth his salt to a woman that occupied a space in their heart. 

[color=#C84808][i]
"Was in a mid Frosamor.
When the sun scarce shows her face.
I met a constant sojourner,
She scarcely knew the place.

But the light she brought that evening,
well you'd swear it would be spring.
And now an early solstice,
well it lights up everything.

When first we started walking,
well we walked as strangers do.
But by a hundred paces, well we saw it through and through.
That by ten thousand paces, we would walk with arm in arm.
And then we'd walk together, to face the coming dawn.

But as a constant sojourner,
Well, she had to move away.
A couple hundred miles that she covered in a day.
But what's a hundred miles for a woman with such grace?
Now I'm a constant sojourner in an unfamiliar place.

But soon will come some Frosamor,
when the sun won't hide away.
And with that early solstice,
she'll return this time to stay.

And then there will be a home to build, 
and gardens there to tend.
And a life to build together,
with an undetermined end..."
[/i][/color]

Ranya’s defenses did not shatter, but instead faded, quiet as dawn mist vanishing beneath the first golden rays. His hand found her face, gentle as sunlight, and the touch pressed into her soul with a gravity that felt sacred. She leaned into his palm, lashes lowering, a breath slipping from her lips that was fragile, uneven, and too honest. She had always been a prize, a pawn, a jewel for display. Yet his touch was sanctuary, a silent reverence that asked nothing but for her to simply be.

Then, he sang.

The song struck her, not gently, but like a hammer against the glass citadel she had built around her heart. This was no courtly verse, no gilded lie from the Alidasht halls. It was raw and unvarnished, leaving her bare. When he sang of a 'constant sojourner,' a chill traced her spine, defiant against the heat that always clung to her. He was singing her story back to her, offering a home to a woman who had only ever learned to run.

It was terrifying. Her mind, always the careful strategist, sounded its alarms. She didn’t even know his favorite color, nor the names of the ghosts that haunted his nights. They were strangers, two shadows tangled in the golden flicker of a tavern, yet the pull between them was wild, reckless, dizzying. It made her want to laugh and weep in the same breath.

When the last note faded, Ranya did not move. She remained pressed to his chest, a single, traitorous tear slipping down her cheek. Words tangled in her throat, stubborn and silent. When she finally opened her eyes and looked up at him, they shone with a brightness she could not hide.

[color=6B8E23]"You’ve ruined everything,"[/color] she whispered, a small, pained laugh breaking through the vulnerability in her voice. [color=6B8E23]"I came in here tonight with a plan, Askel. I wanted to lose myself in the noise. I wanted to find a handsome man, share a few reckless drinks, and maybe a passionate kiss that wouldn't mean a thing when the sun came up. I wanted to make bad decisions to drown out the heavy ones."[/color]

She reached up, her fingers trembling as they traced the line of his jaw. [color=6B8E23]"I was looking for a distraction. I wasn't expecting to be... [i]found[/i]. I wasn't expecting to have someone look at me and actually see me, beneath all the silk and the jokes."[/color] She swallowed hard, her gaze searching his. [color=6B8E23]"It’s frightening. How can you make me feel like I’ve known you for a lifetime in the span of a single conversation and dance? You make the idea of 'staying' sound like a more beautiful adventure than running away."[/color]

The tavern’s music crept back in as the fiddle slowed, and with it, the world returned—louder, brighter, and far too real. Ranya’s gaze slid past Askel’s shoulder. The crowd had thinned, the wild dancers now replaced by curious onlookers. A man with salted nuts stared, mouth agape, while a woman at the bar watched them as if they were the leads in some grand, absurd play, waving her on, expecting something else to happen.

A new heat bloomed across her cheeks, nothing like the fire that lived in her chest. She was a princess, Suna’s Chosen, but she had never felt so exposed, so utterly on display, as if the entire tavern was her audience.

[color=6B8E23]"And,"[/color] she added, her voice dropping to a bashful, hurried murmur as she buried her face slightly against his tunic to hide her flush, [color=6B8E23]"I think we have officially become the evening's entertainment. Apparently, a Varian Prince singing folk songs to a desert wildflower is worth more than the price of a pint."[/color] For the first time in her life, she found the eyes upon her making her uncharacteristically nervous, and she couldn’t stop from trembling slightly in his arms.

His eyes found hers and what saw something so bright and yet held so much fear. All he wanted to do was to protect her from whatever pain that tangled her heart.

Awareness had finally caught up to him as he glanced around a room filled with prying eyes and murmuring mouths. His own cheeks flushed red when he realized that they really had made a scene. [color=#C84808]"It appears that indeed we have,"[/color] murmured Askel. He hugged her closely, feeling her tremble against him like a newborn fawn exposed to the world for the first time. [color=#C84808]"Come on, let's get you out of here."[/color] Gently, he removed herself of him though his hands interlaced with her own and he led her back to the bar counter.

Askel hurriedly fished around for his wallet and placed any amount of money needed to pay off their drinks. [color=#C84808]"Use whatever is left to pay for everyone's tab."[/color] He said to the bartender while he grabbed his jacket from the stool and carefully draped it over Ranya. It was several sizes too big, and it smelled of his cologne, like a snow-covered forest filled with trees and herbs that she had never even heard of or seen before. 

[color=#C84808]"Please, take it. It's a cold night, is it not?"[/color] Insisted Askel. It was a pretense, to make her feel less exposed to the rest of the world. 

The jacket settled over Ranya’s shoulders like a second skin, heavy and enveloping. It was a shield, thick enough to swallow her whole, to turn her into a secret, hidden from the hungry eyes prowling the tavern.

​She drew the jacket close, pressing her face into the collar. His scent struck her—wild, unfamiliar, a map of places she’d never seen. She breathed it in with a hunger she didn’t know she possessed, simply because it was his.

​She didn’t know the mountains or forests that had shaped these scents, but she knew she didn’t want to let them slip away. Fingers curling into the oversized sleeves, a wild, wordless longing sparked inside her: to follow this scent, this man, wherever he led, even if it meant leaving behind everything she’d ever called home.
[/color]