Owain could not stomach the thought of Queen Rennala being held captive in her beloved library, or even worse, being tormented by her lessers. Within a few days, a large enough force of sentinels had reported to Stormveil that he felt confident they could rout the scattered encampments of Cuckoo knights; as well as their main force at the academy, in one fell swoop.
So it was that he sat upon Torrent's back at the fore of a gathering of nigh a thousand of his glorious sentinels. Nowhere close to the scores of thousands he'd commanded before, but he knew not how many even yet remained.
He raised his spear for silence, igniting it in holy light. "My sentinels! For too long have The Lands Between lain stagnant, held trapped in the mire of war and endless undeath!" The courtyard was silent save for the breathing of many horses. Owain could palpably feel the excitement of his troops.
"I failed our golden land once before, and the world crumbled because of it! Hark well my vow, my beloved order! I will not fail these lands again!" His men began to pound the hafts of their halbards against the cobbled ground, sounding out beautiful thunder.
"We golden sentinels shall be the beacon that guides! The light that gleams brightest. The searing shine that burns away all foulities! We will lift these lands up, restore and revive all our scattered peoples! So that all may live free, safe and joyous in the sun!" The gathered sentinels began to cry out their joy. Owain grinned as he heard many voices that he once thought lost to him. Halberds were cast high in scalding light.
"Victory! Victory! Victory!" He bellowed, once more thrusting his spear high. As once his troops responded, and their combined light was enough to turn the low burn of early dawn to the fiercest blazing noon. As Owain led the charge from Stormveil, he laughed to himself. Ranni would hate that speech, not enough moon speak.
It was quite odd, this feeling. Like the blaze that was her soul had been snuffed low for so long, only to come roarin' back with heat to spare. How intriguing it was, that the color had come back to the world, that she held hope once more. Ranni collected yet another book from her dusty shelves, shelves that she would need to clean. She'd let too much waste away in her grand malaise, she took after mother perhaps too closely.
When she was but a girl, when she was of the mind that none could ever save her from the dark, things were simpler. The princess had held grand ideals of instating the Dark Moon, of a thousand year voyage to a cleansed world. That she'd dismantle the greater will and tear her fate from its cursed fingers.
Then that confounding man had strode his way into the academy and ruined it all with his righteous heart and golden eyes. He'd taught her gentleness, and shown her heart a romance she'd never recovered from. He'd whisked her off her feet and made her feel like the young woman in love she was, not the vessel in a gilded cage she'd been. Year after year, century after century, the hold of the Dark Moon lessened; unable to bear the shine of his noble soul.
Ranni had no need to sigh in her puppet prison, but she did so anyway, placing aside yet another grimoire. She'd had little luck in her research so far, though she knew that there were likely books in the academy library that would avail her better. She need only wait a few more days for Owain to rescue mother and finally wipe away the stain of those disgusting traitors and their Cuckcoo knights.
It rankled her profoundly that she'd not been able to destroy them herself. So much of her magic had been lost when she'd slain her divine flesh. It took many moons to store enough mana to perform spells that would've taken her but moments before. She'd been preparing for her grand voyage, awaiting a biddable tarnished to clear her path.
Always, was she forced to wait. Wait for the fall of gold, wait for the withering of the other demi-gods strength. Worst of all, wait for her Owain to be releast from his duty, only for him to be torn away from her but mere days from their dream. Ranni had been forced to use the horrible plan she'd once been resolved to, as an escape from her fate. Her Sunbeam was not suppost to die, never him, never Owain! Without him, what was the point of this world? Or even the point of a new order?
She'd died twice that night; once as the black blade had pierced her heart and she'd been set aflame, again when she felt the raging fire that was her lord suddenly burn out. What was she to do after that, but return to the course she'd begun plotting when she was young and not yet changed by love.
A great shift was upon her now, after nigh a century of woeful misery, her dreams began to mend themselves. Ranni smiled as she thought back to their very first meeting. He and his lord had come to the academy as a show of unity betwixt moon and tree. The princess, ever wary, had taken a potion of mind reading. Ranni lost herself in the memory.
The man behind Godwyn was massive, even unarmored, he could almost look her in the eye. The golden one and his stern faced guard had entered the library at mother's back, Ranni watching suspiciously from the shade of a bookcase. She tuned out her mother's idle thoughts about the practicality of incantations, and Godwyn's unstopping stream of consciousness dedicated solely to who Ranni presumed to be his wife, Fia. No, she focused instead on the guard, that he might let slip his lord's true feelings.
'What a grand library this is, none of the capitol's repositories are even half this size' . She frowned, where were his intentions? She narrowed her eyes. 'The queen is quite tall, I don't think even Queen Marika stands so proud. Alas, my poor queen, she grows ever colder by the moment. I hope her coming child will return some of her warmth, Lord Godfrey is so ill tempered these days'.
That was…interestin' news but nothing of true import. The Carians had already consulted the stars and knew of Marika's impending child.
Ranni winced as she caught her mother's eye. "Ranni, come and greetest, Lord Godwyn."
Ranni sighed before skulking out of the dark. The guard's eyes, which blazed gold almost as bright as Godwyn's, flickered towards her. The man's face was handsome, if a little brutal, and showed no reaction at her entrance. She idly wondered if she were older than him.
His thoughts though, took her by such surprise she almost tripped over her robe. 'That is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. What a heavy curse it is that I'll likely not see her again. The Queen does not seem to enjoy Lord Godwyn's company.'
It took all of her considerable will to not look the guard in the eye, lest he suspect she knew his mind. "Greetin's to thee, Lord Godwyn." She said with a nod of her head. She'd never bow to this man.
He nodded back to her with a bright smile. "Greetings to thee as well, Princess. Thank you and your queen mother once more for allowing me this tour." He smiled at mother but she was unimpressed. "Ah, this is Lord Owain. Commander of the Tree Sentinels and Highlord of Leyndell's defenses. A personal friend to me as well."
Ranni met the Lord Owain's eyes. They burned through her with an intensity that she misliked, how rude of him to furrow his brow at her! "Greetin's as well to thee then, Lord Owain. I welcome thou both to the library of Raya Lucaria." She nodded, annoyed at being dragged along.
Ranni joined the party's tour of the academy, only half heartedly participating in the conversation. Instead, she listened to the ever more ridiculous thoughts of the man's guard. 'Eyes forward Owain, you dolt. Dare not look upon the princess too brazenly, lest you cause Godwyn strife.' His gaze flicked to her. 'Egads, is she enchanting!' Their eyes met and she smiled despite herself, what an odd man. 'Great tree! I can hardly catch my breath. To stand unwavering in so many battles only to have your legs turn to jelly now, buck up, man! Oh, but I wonder if she might speak again, that I could hear that musical voice of hers. My heart seems to thunder too loudly, it steals her words from me.'
Ranni stifled a laugh into her robe, cringing at the warning; eye from her mother. This Owain was unexpectedly intriguing! She fell back slightly, to walk aside the man. "Lord Owain, I've always found the Tree Sentinels quite fearsome." She hadn't. "A weighty duty indeed, to commandest so many." She made sure to keep her cadence low and smooth. Ranni watched his face and could only spy a slight clenching of his jaw before he spoke.
"I thank you for the compliment, Your Highness." He tucked his light hair behind an ear, was he trying to hear her better? Gods above! "To speak true, I do not find the weight of it too great. I am only happy to serve so noble a lineage." He smiled at his lord, who had wandered slightly father ahead with mother. So he could smile! It changed his face greatly, though he still seemed to hold an air of exhaustion. Their group was now strolling one of the many high walkways of the academy, Liurnia lain out in verdance before them.
The princess misliked that she enjoyed the low husk of his voice, and that she found his smile quite charming. "Yes, noble." she scowled. Though father often spoke highly of the golden order, Ranni was her mother's daughter. She would not be taken so easily by the grace of gold.
Owain's thoughts grew louder. 'What a fool I am to have angered her somehow, yet even as she scowls I am charmed beyond belief.' The muscles in his neck twitched. 'Hurry now, dolt! Change the conversation! You may never again get the chance to speak to her so casually!' He cleared his throat. "I have oft conversed with your lord brother, Radahn, Your Highness. He thinks quite highly of you." For some reason, Ranni wanted to hear her name on his lips. Her brow pinched.
This man knew Radahn personally? She supposed it made some sort of sense. Her brother was horrifically obsessed with Lord Godfrey; if Owain served the elden lord closely, the two surely would have met before. "He is kind and pure of heart, I love mine brother dearly. Hast thou spent much time with him, Lord Owain?"
He smiled ruefully. "Lord Radahn has bested me many in a time in our spars, I hope one day to at least fight him to a draw." The hulking man laughed and Ranni's chest lurched strangely, it was breathy noise, low and gentle. "As of yet, that is a dream far off indeed. My Lord Godfrey is fond of him, so I see him whensoever he journeys to-" 'Attackers!' "My Lord! We are assailed!"
Faster than she could track, Lord Owain had thrust out an arm and swept her behind his broad back. She heard the harsh sizzle of glintstone slam into him as he grunted in pain. She and mother rushed together, they were trapped betwixt two groups of assassins! She made to ready a spell but mother stopped her with a hand. "No Ranni, let us see how they act." she whispered. Ranni only nodded, unwilling to go against her mother. The two golden lords did not know she and the queen could cast sorceries without their staffs.
Godwyn called out, "Protect them, Wain!"
For his part, Lord Owain had already barreled into all three of the attackers on their side of the walkway. The man was currently using one of their number as a bludgeon, holding the assassin by the neck and swinging her into her compatriots. Ranni winced at the ghastly sounds of bone breaking bone. Godwyn too was dispatching his own foes quickly, though that was expected of the scion of the golden lineage.
One of the assailants managed to finish casting a large glintstone, Ranni made to bat it aside but Owain was quicker, leaping to her defense and absorbing the spell against his bare chest. Surely he was severely wounded by now, he'd caught several sorceries with nought but skin. Ranni held back a retch as Owain punched through the sternum of the last assassin. He turned back to her, covered in blood, blazing eyes wild. "Are you injured, Your Majesty? Your Highness?" The sentinel's voice was a hoarse growl.
"We are unharmed, sentinel." Mother said coolly. 'These two at least, I shalt give some iota of trust.' Ranni understood now, mother had been testing them. She must have known their enemies would attack while Godwyn was with them.
"Great tree, Wain, thou surely didst not hold back!" Godwyn's voice grew nearer. He'd dispatched his opponents with much less force, one seemed to still be breathing.
Lord Owain slammed a fist over his bleeding chest. "I could not take the chance, my lord! I've not your skill!" 'No harm will come to my Lord Godwyn while I yet breathe! No harm shall befall these two Carians!' The man palmed his hip, then frowned. "Apologies, I've not my seal to heal these wounds." He shook his head. "I advise we…we end this tour and seek secure…secure.." The sentinel trailed off. Swaying on his feet. Ranni rushed forward before she could stop herself, catching the sentinel against her chest as he fell. 'She smells of lilacs and ancient books. Verily, I could die happy in her arms.' Come now, great oaf! Enough mooning over her even as thou'rt bleeding out!
She was unprepared for the weight and stumbled back, sure to fall until Godwyn righted them both. The golden lord took Lord Owain's great bulk onto his shoulder. "Apologies, Majesty, Highness. Owain hadst the right of it, let me bringest thee both to safety and render him healing!"
Ranni herself tended to him in the infirmary once Godwyn had performed several healing spells on him. The two were left in some semblance of privacy as mother and Godwyn interrogated the yet living assassins. Not that mother did not know who they were or why they'd been sent. The academy had always held vocal dissenters on her governorship.
The princess looked down at the blood spattered across her favorite robes with a mixture of distaste and endearment. Lord Owain had been so gallant in her defense. Leaping in front of countless spells with no hesitation. Ranni had been approached with innumerable marriage proposals from across the Lands Between and beyond. All of them though, held no interest to her.
For some reason, this man confounded her. His stern face held no admiration for her but his thoughts were bumbling over each other in his excitement. The wild brutality in his combat was a strange duality with the noble soul she sensed dwelt within.
She cleared her face as she watched him blink open his eyes. A pity that the effects of her potion had worn off. They stared at each other for a long moment; he did not seem fully awake. Powerful healing spells often had that effect. The sentinel spoke first, a growling rasp. "I worry for my heart, that I dream of you so soon after our first meeting, Your Highness."
Aha, how amusing. Ranni grinned, happy to play a small prank. "A dream thou sayest? How wouldst thee court this princess in thy dream, sentinel?" Her voice was a low murmur, soft and beguiling. She was wary to be caught out with her ruse.
"Court you, Your highness? I'm not worthy even of the attempt."
She leant over his bed, laughing as his eyes tracked her smiling mouth. "Oh, but this is a dream. Is it not natural to dream impossible things?" She gave him the faintest touch of soothing magic, to keep him from fully waking just yet.
"My mind works so oddly…to persuade myself like this." Callused fingers on gentle hands cupped her cheek. She froze in shock, a man had never been so forward with her before and she'd not meant for him to- "I would dare to speak your name; Ranni, Lunar Princess." he whispered. She felt her cheeks flush. The way he said her name, so reverent and with such longing, it made her chest lurch strangely.
Ranni brought shaking fingers up to rest atop the hand he still held against her face. "Thou'rt so bold, Owain. Tell me, how else wouldst thou woo me?" Her voice had cracked slightly as she'd said his name.
"Your eyes, I can not understand them."
She leaned ever forward, the curtain of her hair now hanging beside them. "My eyes?" She questioned with a grin.
Lord Owain sunk his fingers into the roots of her hair, urging her even nearer. She braced a hand in surprise beside his head.
His own gaze, blazing burnished gold, narrowed in inspection. "So full of the anger of the sea, yet still full of starlight."
"St-starlight?" A stutter? The Lunar Princess did not stutter.
His smile was one of abject wonder, like she was the most precious thing he'd ever lain eyes upon."They shine with a starlit sorcery all their own."
Ranni took a shaky breath. "Is it only my eyes that thou dost not comprehenst?"
He chuckled, pale teeth glinting in the low light, "Oh no, Princess Ranni. Your lips too, they are a great mystery."
"A mystery?" She could not help but smile, this dour man was, at heart, a romantic.
"That your smile can be as the sun after storm and your scowl the storm itself…" Ranni wanted to keep him smiling, he looked much kinder that way.
"And how would thou solve such a mystery?" His thumb pressed ever so softly against her lips, parting them slightly. She gasped. This man, he was going to kiss her, wasn't he? Perhaps she shoul-
"I'd kiss them, knowing I'll never get the chance in the waking world." He brought her closer- no, she was moving of her own will now. Their lips were but a scant movement apart.
"To kiss a princess, even in a dream, Thou'rt possesst of great bravery."
"Yes, sweet Starlight, and great foolishness besides." At last, at last! She brought her lips to his.
The physical sensation was as described in her books; soft, tender, slow. It was the feeling of breathlessness and exhilaration that accompanied it that shocked her speechless. Her stomach soared, her hands trembled, her mind raced a thousand leagues every second.
In a fit of madness, she climbed atop the commander's bed to deepen the kiss. His hands were ever respectful even in his 'dream', one sunk into her hair, the other held her own trembling fingers. It was an eternity and an instant before they pulled apart to gasp for air.
Her mother's voice down the hall almost made her burst forth from her own skin. Owain startled; his searing eyes, like beams of sunlight, were blinking rapidly. She gasped, he was fully waking!
Ranni grinned as she stole another kiss from his astonished lips before casting a sleep spell in full, laughing quietly as his head lulled back onto his pillow. She leapt from his bed, smoothing her robes just in time to see mother and Godwyn returning to the infirmary. "How is the commander, daughter?"
"He farest well, mother. Though, I enchanted his sleep to grant him deeper rest."
Her mother's eyes, ever sharp and all knowing, looked at her oddly. Surely she could not suspect Ranni's mischief. The raised eyebrow told Ranni her fate.
Ranni snapped from her daze, lifting her head from the desk it'd rested upon. She'd fallen asleep? A rarity becoming more common now that Owain shared her bed once more. Her soul cried out for a body of flesh and was beginning to more closely imitate her old form. When her Sunbeam had first raised his preposterous idea, she'd dismissed it outright, but he more she pondered it, the more hopeful she became. She now desperately prayed that mother would have a long enough moment of lucidity to aid them.