The sunbeams shining down from on high gifted the land below with a gentle warmth, a far cry from the cold harshness of her previous home, cloaked in a darkness so thick it threatened to choke the world. The heady scent of the Hoshidan white pines washed over her, weaving around the delicate scent of the cherry blossoms that passed from hand to hand. The craft was a laborious one, but one that she wanted to see come to fruition, knowing that in the end the sight of the gift atop her recipient's head would be worth the while.
Her barren toes clutched at the end of the woven band, languid, battle-worn fingers tucking each small offshoot of the branch into position. Each brush of her finger against the feather-soft petals of the delicate blossoms sent a smile to her face, thinking of her lover's visage – such a stern thing to be adorned with something so gentle. Though, not stern enough to truly keep away the sight of a smile, having felt her heart leap when she had glimpsed the lighter side of the man.
The crinkles in his brow erased, eyebrows lilting upwards, and the baritone song of laughter rising up from deep within his belly…
She wonders if that was the moment where she had fallen.
The memory of the sound resonating within her brought a warmth spreading to her limbs, stopping for a moment and allowing her craning neck a moment's respite. Almost finished, she thought, nodding her head in satisfaction as she brought up the crown of blossoms to admire her work. Each flower stretched outwards, the flowers a swirling mix of the palest pink to the richer end of the spectrum. The leaves the perfect shade of amber and green, framing each little petal as it lay nestled against the crown.
Her head turned towards the eastern, the golden rays reflecting off of the silver locks cascading down around her shoulders. The time had swept by while she had been out, and she pressed her head back down, determined to finish it before the sun began to dip behind the horizon.
She wondered if her siblings were getting worried, knowing how they had wanted to come back for a brief while before continuing the campaign against Nohr. They probably expected to find her weaving among the crowd, enjoying the things that had been kept from her all these years – but she simply wanting some peace and quiet. The war was taxing, and there had been many a time where she had felt overwhelmed by it all, suffering in her own depressive silence for fear of burdening another with her worries. After all, she was supposed to be the leader of this army, what kind of leader would she be if they all saw how her own fears ran her ragged?
Her brow had dipped low in concentration, finishing off the last weave in the piece before jumping up with a cry of jubilation, dancing in the beginnings of the fading light. She held it aloft, crimson eyes glittering with a childlike joy, before the voice behind her shook her from her thoughts.
"Kamui? Is this where you've been?"
The woman spun on her heel, quashing the grass beneath her to see the subject of her thoughts, smiling at the familiar mane of hair that flowed down his back. She slipped the crown behind her back, doing a poor job of hiding the fact that she had something to give. But, the man, familiar with his wife's antics went along with it, giving her a genteel smile and opening up his arms wide to receive her.
An opportunity she readily took.
She lunged forward, falling into his arms and allowing them to encircle her, the man's frame embracing her own. "Do you have something for me, my dear?" He murmured, pressing the softest of kisses to her temple as he pulled away, seeing the wide beaming grin before her hands darted up, placing his crown atop his head. Ryouma's eyes crossed as he attempted to get a better look at the adornment, before pulling it from his head and admiring the work of his wife.
"This is what you've been doing out here by yourself?"
"Of course, I wanted to do something special for you. Do you like it?" She wrung her hands, hoping that the other wouldn't think it frivolous, especially when he knew that there were better things she could use her time for. But the affectionate smile that crossed his face cleared her concerns, the man placing it back atop his head as he leaned down to press a thankful kiss to her lips.
"I love it, I'll cherish it for as long as I can." He promised, one of his arms slinking its way to wrap around her, the woman readily allowing herself to be pulled into his side, a deep purr rumbling from her throat. The Prince could imagine the dragon's tail sweeping pleasantly behind her, catching the glimpses of its behavior since the powers debut. He leaned down once more to press a sweet kiss to her head, laying it against hers as he steered her back towards the castle, gleaming in the fading light of the day.
I am a terrible sucker for any characters voice by Matt Mercer. If you liked this story please check out my others and head on over to grimlegate. tumblr. com to leave requests for the next story I should do!