Loa I

13th night of the month of Ice, 13:30, After Midnight

It was no surprise that the meeting had been arranged in the gardens. The Lunar Palace, while enormous, had almost no places for privacy, with the exceptions of bedrooms, and, while they had been allowed to meet without a chaperone, neither of their parents trusted them enough to leave them alone in a bedroom.

Like something would happen, Loa cannot help but huff in the privacy of her mind, like they had been courting all this years when in reality they had spent their whole childhood being somewhat friends—a strange friendship born from a forced arrangement—not really thinking about their future engagement.

Loa takes a moment to breath, the servant had left her alone in the gardens while they got their prince, and that would have to be enough to calm herself. Anxiety fills her stomach and with stuttering long breaths, she looks around.

It had been a long tie since she had set foot inside the royal garden. She had played here once upon a time, when children were allowed just to be children, without the heavy weight of responsibilities and family honor. She walks slowly through the many flowers and plants, she could even see some poisonous ones that were difficult to see inside the city, beguilers and vaux hidden among the theba flowers, their glowing petals creating a natural light that, together with the soft glimmer of Mani up in the sky, made the garden a beautiful spectacle.

It almost makes her forget the anxiousness that fills Loa's insides. How can she appreciate all this beauty when she is more worried about her impending marriage?

She should be happy. She, a secondborn, a spare child of the Saaga family, to be the future queen of Neth…But she is not. She cannot help it. Loa doesn't want to marry, and definitely not Artemy.

It is not his fault, it's all her, she knows this. They both knew they would marry even before they understood the meaning and consequences of that word, but she had hoped that maybe the arrangement would be annulled or something, a stupid idea that had kept her going all these years, but the time had come for them to marry and produce a heir and spares for the royal family. She feels more than sees the small vines growing from her neck up to her face, Loa continues to breath, her control of her asha had never been the best, but calming herself always worked to keep it at bay.

A sudden crunch of foliage makes her head snap up, red curls following the movement and looking wild—even without a mirror she knows most of them are loose from the updo her mother had insisted on, her hair was not meant to be contained—and looks around. Nothing seems out of place but she has not imagined that sound. It sounded like someone or something walking behind the many bushes of the garden.

Loa holds her breath as her eyes look for whatever had made the noise, she feels a shiver crawl up her spine as she turns in place, feeling eyes on her but not seeing whatever is watching.

Another noise of moving leaves, this time behind her—Maybe she shouldn't have walked so far into the garden—and she finally sees her hunter. Bright orange eyes watch her as the beast approaches, it's a caith, one with dark fur and glowing eyes firmly on her own. She is afraid, even though she knows this particular caith has been domesticated. She takes a step back, eyes not leaving the beast's and she stumbles against something.

The shriek that leaves her should be embarrassing, she is a lady of the Saaga family, and ladies don't make those sounds in public, but she is terrified, at least until she turns her head and her eyes meet whoever had sneaked up on her.

It's Artemy, looking extremely amused, identically dark eyes crinkled with poorly hidden mischief.

"You scared me!" Whispers-shouts Loa, hand on her heart that still beats wildly, her breath short like she had ran the whole way to the palace.

The chuckle that leaves the prince of Neth and her future husband would had made her slap his shoulder a few years ago, but now she knows better. They are no longer children and adults don't behave that way.

A growl brings her back to the present, and her eyes return forward, where the beast continues to prowl towards her, eyes folded backwards in displeasure and a constant growl filling the previously quiet garden.

Before the caith can't launch itself at her, Artemy puts a hand on Loa's shoulder and then moves her behind him. She get's a view of his back, his stark white hair kept in a long braid at his back over his black and teal coat, as he whistles once and offers a hand to the beast.

The faiths body language changes completely as it makes a trill and prances the rest of the way to its master, its head reaching Artemy's lower back without problem.

The prince caresses the faiths head as it purrs in delight and another chuckle leaves Artemy.

"Such a bad girl, Saghira, don't scare guests" he coos as he scratches the caith's chin, the animals' long furry tail standing up. Caiths were not pets like nervals or fauxes, they were dangerous predators that killed people that got too close to their dens in the forests, but Artemy had been gifted his when he was young by someone that didn't know the kind of beast they were giving to the prince. Many had feared the caith would kill the prince in his bed before he could ascend to the throne, but for the time being, the caith adored her owner.

Loa clears her throat, dusting off her dress and managing to put some curls back into the complex hairstyle her mother had forced on her. Artemy turns his attention back to her, the caith almost pushing him towards her as she head butted him with affection.

"Good night, Loa" greets Artemy with a low bow of his head, Loa curtsies in response, much more formal than his simple head-bow.

"My prince" she says as she stays in her curtsy for a second, when she raises again Artemy has lost some of the easygoing smile, looking somewhat admonished by her greeting.

"No need for that Loa" he mumbles "We have been friends for a long time"

Loa was not about to ignore every lesson her mother had ingrained in her mind since she was old enough to understand. They had not been fun lessons, nothing like the history classes at the Ogdra, these lessons had made her understand that her friend was not like her—even in her high status, she could never be on the same pedestal as Artemy—that she had to pay respect to him, always, even as his wife, she would never be his equal.

"Do allow me this" responds Loa, eyes still lowered, not meeting Artemy's, as such she's barely able to see him move his head into a nod.

They stay quiet for a second or two, too long and awkward to stay quiet between two people. Loa feels her anxiety rising the longer they stay quiet, so she decides to restart the conversation.

"Mother wishes for a spring wedding" She says, and Artemy snaps out of his own inner world.

"So soon?" He asks, his voice no longer its usual softness and instead strained in a way she wasn't used to hearing "I though we were having a year of courting"

Loa had also thought that, it was the usual procedure to court for a year before an arranged marriage, but both families seemed to be in a hurry, only giving them a few months to get used to each other.

"Mother and father spoke with his highness about it and they agreed on the topic" mumbles Loa demurely, trying not to show how little she wished for this wedding to happen. Artemy scoffs and Loa meets his eyes, finding them narrowed in a glare Loa hoped wasn't directed at her.

Silence overtakes the garden once again, only broken by the steady purr of Artemy's caith, that now sat behind them like a terrifying guardian.

"We have known each other for a long time, Loa" says Artemy with a soft tone as he raises a hand and carefully tucks one of Loa's stray curls behind her ear.

"We have indeed" nods Loa, it feels strange to suddenly be forced to marry someone that had been a friend, but then again, that friendship had started because of the arrangement made by their parents.

"It is because of our long friendship that I believe I can be honest with you" says Artemy, a hand on her shoulder while the other grabs her own hand in a gentle grasp "I do not wish to marry you"

It had never occurred to her that he ever wished to marry her, Loa had known him for a while and as such, knew where his interest truly laid. Never in her as hers had never been in him.

"I know" she murmurs and Artemy's gaze, that had been utterly fixated on her family sigil brooch on her dress, snaps to meet hers, surprise and some fear mixed in.

"Loa you-" starts Artemy, his tan skin paler than ever.

"I have eyes, you know" says Loa, feeling kind of guilty of the way she's making him feel "And while we stopped meeting a while ago, you still do with the person you consider your most precious"

Artemy swallows noisily and avoids her eyes, trying instead to burn the ground under their feet with anger, it must be terrible, to feel so powerless, even though Loa hadn't intended for him to feel like this, just her words indicate the fact that she knows something that could be detrimental to his relationship with his family. She doesn't intend to use the sword given to her by knowledge, never on him.

"It's okay, I've known for a while" she says with as much gentleness as she is able to transmit with just her voice "I do not wish to marry you either. This marriage is something that only benefits our bloodlines, not ourselves"

The tension that had been keeping Artemy in uncomfortable stiffness, leaves him, his body turning loose with relief, he grasps her hand with both of his, like in prayer, and takes them to his lips, an apology and a question all in one.

"What shall we do then, Loa?" He asks in a whisper "If neither of us want this…I do not wish for our lives to be filled with bitterness for what it could have been"

"We cannot fight the will of the Og" murmurs Loa, knowing it to be true "A heir is needed to carry the crown after you, Artemy. A marriage is needed for that, but it doesn't need to be made from the love of spouses, I think us, as friends, can make a sacrifice and stay as amicable as ever"

Artemy is pondering her proposal when the faiths purr cuts short, turning into a yowling growl that makes both her and Artemy flinch at the interruption. The prince turns, body shielding hers as he faces whatever the caith had considered a threat.

"Ah, nephew, I was looking for you"

Loa recognizes the voice, it's not one wants to hear outside the Nighthall, where the court takes place.

"Uncle" answers Artemy, voice sharp and cold "I'm afraid I'm busy, at the moment"

Infans Mikhe Drest, brother to the king and advisor, stands slouched as he approaches, his white hair kept at shoulder-length and looking extremely greasy, his face as beautiful as the rest of the royal family, but gaze always more deceitful and sharper than any other. His coat was as black as Artemy's but where teal was sewn into Artemy's, gold trimming made Mikhe's. It also looked dirty, like he had been rolling around in mud and tried in vain to clean the mess.

"Ah, I apologize" smiles Infans Mikhe, his eyes finding Loa from over Artemy's shoulder "I didn't mean to interrupt such a tender moment with you wife to be, nephew"

Lighting dances up Artemy's arms and Loa takes a step back from him, not wishing to become a victim in a lightning asha duel.

"No need for that, nephew" chuckles Mikhe as he raises his hands as a sign of peace, but Loa can see the glint of the vaayard on his wrist, he's not defenseless, in fact, the raising of his hands is more of a threat than Artemy's light show had been.

"I'll find you later, uncle, then we'll talk" says Artemy through clenched teeth, lighting fizzling out and tension dissipating.

Mikhe smiles sharply and the caith's yowl grows louder, the Infans stares at the beast for a second, the smile turning even sharper and his eyes find Loa's.

"You should be careful, Lady Saaga" he says as he takes a step towards them and the caith stands, tail swishing violently as it does and ears folded completely against its skull "That one is known to bite and you'll be soon sharing a bed, I would ask for it's head as a courting gift, unless you want it to attack you during your wedding night"

And with that, the Infans retreats, the shadows swallowing his body like even Mani herself doesn't want to light his way.

With the Infans gone, the caith's body relaxes and returns to its previous position of sitting guard.

Artemy turns, his face pale and anger furrowing his brow. He looks nervous and that worries Loa.

"I…I apologize, Loa" he stammers, lowering his head slightly "That was improper"

Loa allows a smile on her face and tilts her head to stare at Artemy from a new angle. He has always been able to look incredibly honest, even when he doesn't mean it, because Loa knows he hates his uncle, and has done so for as many years as she has known him.

"It's nice to see nothing changes, no matter how many years pass" she giggles, a hand coming to her mouth to try and stifle it. That is enough to loosen Artemy, that joins her amusement with a laugh of his own.

"My uncle has never been one for changing, and so, my opinion of him will never change either" he smiles, the smile loses it's brightness as Artemy furrows his brow in thought "Whatever he wants of me, can't be good, but I'm bound by blood to at least hear him out"

Loa nods, yes, one could never know with the Infans, at least that was what Loa's father told her of court meetings, the man always putting laws forward that could either fix or create problems, the latter one always in relation with nomads. Loa was glad that, when Artemy ascended to the throne of Neth, his advisor wouldn't be his uncle but his sister instead, and while she was still young Loa preferred a fumbling advisor to one that had a tendency to manipulate results in his favor.

"You do that, my prince" says Loa with a bow of her head " We should meet later in the week, maybe to further talk of our situation and learn more about each other"

Artemy, that had cringed at the use of the honorific, smiles when Loa finishes speaking, he leans forward and Loa fears for a second that he intends to kiss her, but his lips find her forehead instead, a barely there touch that feels more like a promise than a indication of affection.