Niliah

Niliah had not known what to do with herself when everyone had split up. So she walked back to the room the Master of the Tower had given her and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. There was a lot happening, much of which she did not understand. Why they were coming her, who that wraith like dead man was, what test Wind needed to take…

Wind.

She was worried about him. When he had broke down in tears yesterday, she wondered what exactly had caused that – and she wanted to comfort him in some way. But not only had she not had the chance, she had difficulty sometimes gauging their closeness.

There was still so much she did not understand about him. And sometimes she questioned just how he saw her. Sometimes she thought he had to have some sort of romantic interest in her, but then… well, it quite often felt like she was missing something. And so she was often left feeling uneasy about whether she might be misreading him.

She was too scared to ask though, afraid of what look he might get on his face. If she was going to though it should be on a day where his quirks were not going to make such a conversation difficult. Maybe someday though she would…

She sighed. And swung her legs off the bed, flapping her wings out a bit since she had taken off her cloak. It was a bit freeing not to have them constrained. Sometimes she wondered what her father had been like – her mother had not really liked talking about him since it was painful to deal with his death.

She really only knew that he had loved her mother and his unborn child very much and that it had been to protect them that he had given his life. She had never been able to hate him though she was sad she had never knew him.

…She missed Wind. Since she was all alone right now, she was just thinking and she didn't like where her thoughts were drifting.

She took a deep breath. Think happy thoughts, like Wind playing in the snow like a puppy. That brought a smile to her face. She loved it when Wind was playful or sweet and when he was more prone to flashing smiles. Well… she even somewhat liked when he got very serious and no nonsense.

What she liked best was hearing him talk about things he loved. Even though she often found it difficult to keep up. That was something she envied Amrune a bit on. That Amrune could so easily talk with Wind about history and dead languages and match his enthusiasm.

She sighed to herself again. She really tried to keep up when Wind started talking about his passion, but….

She just did not have the knowledge to keep up. What she did know she had learned from him. And she was learning – slow as it might be.

A knock sounded on the door. But before she could even ask who it was it came open as Wind came in, beaming happily, and for some reason holding a necklace with a beautiful stone hanging from it.

She blinked, looking at him. Then sighed, "Wind. Shouldn't you wait for an answer first…"

"Eh? Would you not have allowed me to come in?" He jumped on the bed beside of her and grinned. "Anyway, I came to talk to you Nils."

A slight thrill went through her at him suddenly calling her by a nickname derived from her name. She blushed slightly as she looked away. "What about?"

"I'm a bit more stable now – so I thought I should introduce myself more properly." He placed his hand over his chest and solemnly gave her a half bow, "I'm Sylvanus Ariwynd Shadowstar."

She smiled, then reached over and rustled his hair. The currently silver locks were quite soft to her fingers with just a hint of coarseness to them. "You're just going to give me your whole name?"

"Well, you're my best friend. And if I thought for one minute you'd actually abuse knowing my name I'd never have chosen you."

"Mmm. What exactly did you choose me for though?" This was the sort of thing that always made her feel like she was missing something.

He hesitated. "Mem is right that I should tell you even if her reasoning seemed vague. It is right for you to know. I told you a bit about the history of Nireal right? And you know of my affliction. Well, my affliction has a lot to do with Nireal's destruction – the only way I can fully get rid of it is to rebuild Nireal. And for that I need someone who is good hearted and kind and wise to take on the mantle of the King. It fell to me to choose someone and I found you – of course you lack a bit, but you're young and you have such a wonderful foundation. I will most gladly serve a master like you, Princess."

It hit her then. That the reason Wind called her Princess was because in his eyes that was what she was. A princess. Or rather a future queen. She turned away, feeling tears sting her eyes. Because it also hit then, that Wind did not see her romantically and she was crushed by that. She had just assumed…

And she was wrong.