I am the wind

The road ahead of you is a difficult one. Lewyn of Silesse -- bard, wind mage, king, father. Carrier of the holy blood and vessel of the diety/dragon, Holsety. Part of Master Seal. Sidebar image source here.

[holygale-blog]

Memories of the Fallen [Azel | Lewyn]

[nearingdreamsend-blog1]

Tiltyu…was gone. He knew the news wasn’t going to be good but… Tiltyu was gone! His children were orphans. Alvis was dead. Alvis had been suffering under his demonic son who had killed Lady Deidre and he’d never even said and…and… Azel was the worst parent ever! Alvis had at least seen his children grow up!

He made a small squeaky noise as he tried to repress a sob. He wiped his hands across his face as if that would stop the tears falling. He should have gone to Silesia with Tiltyu! He should never have tried to talk to Alvis! He should have been a good father who was there for his children and…and…

He tried to distract himself with the other truths Lewyn had provided him but it did little good.

"Lord Brother’s Lopt blood…it… he wouldn’t have dallied about! He hated our father more than anything, he had all his mistresses banished and his portraits burned and…and Teeny and Arthur must hate me too! I was never able to be there for them!" His sobs suddenly turned to painful coughs. He stumbled into one of the walls, refusing to look at Lewyn. He was worthless. The ex-prince should just leave him there until he could no longer breath!

[holygale-blog]

Physically, Lewyn offered no assistance, though the breeze moving around them just so to become easier to breathe was no coincidence. He waited until a quiet moment between sob-hacks to speak again.

"I cannot say what they think of you, save that it's better than my own think of me." That wasn't saying much, but it was something, at least. "They've grown up well. Strong and resilient, some of the best in Seliph's army. You ought to be proud of them, and thankful things did not end worse." 

Azel was upset enough. The blow could be softened -- not with dishonesty, but a happier side of the facts. 

"Many children died -- only a fraction of what could have been. Your brother and your wife's cousin -- Ishtar -- worked to combat the child hunts that swept the continent. Sources in the palace told me it was the only reason your brother chose to remain alive in the end, saving all of those children as he could not save his own. Should you need assurances of him, that much is fact." 

[fervidxtactics]

Levin & Allium || meet of tacticians

[fervidxtactics]

The side of Allium’s mouth twitched at being called rude. Granted yes, she could understand how it was seen as rude, but to state it so bluntly was another story. She huffed angrily and re-positioned the books in her arms. “Well excuse me then for being so curious. I just…thought perhaps I had seen you somewhere.”

With the last of the man’s words, her eyes widened in shock at his statement. With the wind blowing, she could only look in disbelief.

How could he possibly know…?

Before she gave him the chance to walk out of sight, Allium quickly followed after and grabbed at his arm. Hand shaking as she tried to compose her words. “H-How, how do you know about that. Only my allies know of my blood. I-It’s impossible that some stranger would know!”

[holygale-blog]

"It's obvious," Lewyn answered with a half-lidded glance in the girl's direction. Her attire was strange and foreign, but the pulse of a bloodline like that was unmistakable. "Perhaps you can hide it from ordinary fools, but I am hardly ordinary -- and not foolish in this respect, at least." 

He shook his arm free of her grip, but decided not to continue on. He had to assess if this blood of hers was an actual threat. 

"Whoever you are, you ought not behave so. I won't be the only one who recognizes something like that, and others might eliminate you on sight before things become ugly." 

[holygale-blog]

infinitusxspiritus started following you

A stranger in the vicinity. Most times, Lewyn would have paid no mind. But this time was different. He could feel that crackle of bloodlines like his own in the air -- turning, he saw none of the familiar glowing aura, but the power, or some of it at least, was there to be certain. He took in the full appearance of the young man appearing to carry it -- he seemed sullen, distant, as if he wanted nothing to do with anyone around him. No need for small talk, then. 

"Just who are you?" 

[holygale-blog]

Memories of the Fallen [Azel | Lewyn]

[nearingdreamsend-blog1]

"And…and Tiltyu?" Lewyn hadn’t mentioned her. It appeared as if he was trying to show Azel the positive side and the fact he had excluded any mention of her almost erased the relief that his children were alive. He was saddened a little by the fact that neither had taken after him - in looks or in art, but a more sensible side of him said that was for the best no matter how sad it seemed. They were alive and if they bore any resemblance to him, and through him Alvis, maybe they wouldn’t be.

"Lord Brother wouldn’t have dallied about… He was in love with Lady Deidre and…and he wouldn’t want to be like our father." Alvis was dead…he’d never got to say goodbye! How was he skipping years of time so randomly? Was this some sort of punishment by the gods who wished to make his death as drawn out as possible? He was going to die. The very thought numbed his frantic thoughts. He had to see Tiltyu and the children before he became too ill to do so. That was his only plan left. Well, he could gain some truth as well.

"What happened to Prince Julius?" he asked, "Lord Brother told me to stay away from him, but he never said why."

[holygale-blog]

"As I said -- your children are the last of Freege. They are orphans." 

Soft words wouldn't change the facts. Lewyn continued to lead Azel away from the crowds until they were tucked into a quiet alleyway, somewhere Azel's emotions wouldn't attract undue attention. 

"Yes, of coure your brother would do no such thing. Just as he wouldn't slaughter his allies and lie to you repeatedly about your own family." Later it might be fair to tell Azel what his brother had done for good, but for the moment, Lewyn's quiet resentment over the situation was growing stronger. How he would have liked a time when he thought his wife was alive and well, when he could imagine his children had been raised decently. 

"Prince Julius went mad a few years after you died and took his own mother's life. It became apparent toward the end of the war that he was the avatar of Loptyr itself -- thousands of families suffered for his aims. Countless people died. In the end he threw your brother to the wolves and went for your niece, who, surprisingly enough, turned out just fine." 

[holygale-blog]

Memories of the Fallen [Azel | Lewyn]

[nearingdreamsend-blog1]

  His breath caught in his throat and suddenly he had to muffle a series of hacking coughs in his sleeve. He didn’t know whether the constricting pain in his chest were due to shortness of breath or the horrid truth that had just been delivered.

Alvis was dead. He would never see his children again. He was supposed to be dead. Alvis had lied to him. He had died without ever seeing his family again.

"Where are they?!" he suddenly demanded, his voice a croak from the coughing but it soon gained a desperate almost angry note, "What happened to them?  Where are my family?!"

He was going to be a good father! He was going to be the father that he and Alvis had always talked of in what ifs and impossible dreams. He was going to be there! He was going to see Arthur and Teeny grow up strong and happy… He was alone now. Alvis was gone. His children wouldn’t know him. Tiltyu…what would she think? The pain in his chest was unbearable but it only served to make him realise another horror

"I never got better…Lord Brother…he knew…that’s why he insisted I see a healer. He knew I was going to… A liar and a murderer."

[holygale-blog]

"Things like that never change," Lewyn answered. He offered a hand to steady Azel after his coughing fit. He could at least offer the good in turn with the bad.

"Yours is not the worst hit family in this war, so calm yourself. Your niece lives yet, as does your daughter and son -- they've inherited Velthomer, though they look every inch of Freege and took after SIlesse in speech and tastes. Arthur is as strong with wind as anyone like him could ever hope to be, and Tinny's inherited her mother's taste for thunder." Not a scrap of Fala in either of them, except when Arthur was angry -- then his eyes were almost as fierce as his uncle's. 

"But they're the last of Freege, and if Fala continues, it's through the rumors going about that your brother dallied about. Your niece takes after her mother and favors her half-brother over her cousins, by far."

That seemed a good summary of it. What else was there to say -- ah, right. Julia's brother. 

"Your nephew is dead, too, and a good thing at that." 

[holygale-blog]

Memories of the Fallen [Azel | Lewyn]

[nearingdreamsend-blog1]

“I live in Belhalla,” Azel replied, Prince Lewyn was keeping his voice down so Azel decided to do the same. The ex-prince seemed to have heard the story his Lord Brother had put out about him dying of illness.  That was probably why he was so confused.  Lewyn looked sterner, colder and somehow he had grown even more intimidating. Azel couldn’t imagine him singing songs at a campfire anymore.

“It’s… It’s really confusing,” he tried to explain, “I’m not sure how it happened but a few months ago, I was in my time…a year and a half after the Battle of Belhalla… and I woke up one morning and encountered my Lord Brother. He was a lot older and was shocked to see me. Apparently I’m… I’m twelve years ahead of where I should be. Lord Brother didn’t tell me everything , I know that, but he did say I got very ill in the future and once I recovered he let me leave and head to Silesia to find Tiltyu, Arthur and Teeny. That’s…that’s why everyone thinks I’m dead.”

Alvis had gone as far as making him a grave? Well the empire seemed to have fallen and being the Emperor’s half-brother was probably dangerous. The grave was undoubtedly a means to keep anyone following him to Silesia. He would have to thank his Lord Brother some time.

[holygale-blog]

Lewyn arched one eyebrow before shaking his head and laughing mirthlessly. Had Azel really believed a story so ludicrous? He'd always been soft and naive, but to go this far? 

"You must've made another little 'jump', then, because your brother's as dead as you and I are supposed to be. And the only royalty living in Belhalla now is Emperor Seliph -- last you saw him, he was barely up to your knee." 

A soft part of Lewyn wanted to allow this delusion to continue. He still remembered Azel as young, impressionable, passionate and earnest behind that shyness, incredibly happy with his wife and son, but... No, he'd forced too many children out into the world now. Azel couldn't be spared it. He'd find out soon enough from some worse source, anyway -- like his own son and daughter. 

"But not only dead, your brother, Azel, was a liar. You never came back from Belhalla. Not ever. Your little son and daughter grew up without you. There's no 'think' about it -- you died as sure as your brother did, though probably not at the end of Seliph's sword in your case." 

[fervidxtactics]

Levin & Allium || meet of tacticians

It was nice to return to the capital after a long travel with her allies. After a long discussion deeming that the dragon’s altar would not stir for sometime, Chrom had told his allies they would return to Ylisstol to prepare. For the young tactician, her mind felt more at ease to be within a place of comfort.

She had already found herself in an bookshop that contained many books documenting the past histories. Lately, her mind had ventured to Elibe and Jugdral. In the back of her head, she was seeking an answer specifically within Jugdral’s timeline. Their bloodlines. Elibe on the other hand was offering quite the surprise to her. Texts she read felt far too familiar. 

With books in hand, she waved off to the shopkeeper and began to venture into the center square of the city. Spotting a bench or even a fountain would be nice to catch up on a bit of reading and note taking. The warm summer breeze picked up a bit as she walked. In the center she took note of well, a figure who looked different from the people around the center. He dressed rather simple to the point the tactician herself felt as if she was overdressed.

She approached close enough to glance at him curiously. Where had she seen this man before, he looked awfully familiar. Although for her it would seem a bit rude to be gawking at a passerby.

[holygale-blog]

The sensation of being stared at was one anyone could recognize, but Lewyn's sharpened senses made it even more unmistakable. Perhaps another time he might have ignored it, but as it was, he turned slowly to meet the perpetrator's eyes steadily, unblinking. 

Only when he did did he catch something -- not Lopt, no, but something like it emanating off her. Not a minor line, not like he recalled about Alvis and Deirdre both, but something coursing there that made him feel vaguely ill, a radiance he couldn't stop seeing. His stare remained. 

"You're quite rude," he said. The leaves of the trees canopied above rustled and shook with the wind as he spoke. "With blood like that, you might consider being less obtrusive. You'll stay alive longer that way." 

Feeling that was all he had to say, he turned away and continued walking. 

[holygale-blog]

Memories of the Fallen [Azel | Lewyn]

[nearingdreamsend-blog1]

It was so good to get away from the silence of the castle. He felt like it was a crime just to walk the corridors. It was so still and quiet. Every time he had ventured out he had ventured a little further and therefore returned a little later. He had heard that the cities were seemingly unaffected by whatever had muted the countryside so he had decided to make this trip his longest so far with the possibility of not returning until tomorrow.

He had wandered through the packed streets, hiding his sense of joy so not to seem bizarre.  As he walked through a bustling marketplace he heard a familiar song drifting from a nearby building. He was sure he’d never heard it sung by a woman before but it was surely a song that wouldn’t be out of place in a campsite. He must have heard it during the war. He joined the gathering crowd about the singer, making sure to add to the accumulating pile of coins in her hat.

He listened with a sense of nostalgia. Yes, this must have been sung about camp. It brought back memories of joint meal times, trips back from armouries, and most of all… He gave a sudden start and stared up in shock.

“Prince Lewyn?!”  It was if the music had summoned the princely bard straight from his thoughts. He was right in front of him. As tall and imposing as ever and he was staring at Azel almost as if  he shouldn’t be there. It was Lewyn who shouldn’t be there! He was supposed to be dead!

[holygale-blog]

"Not prince anymore, short stuff. You don't get to keep titles like that when you die -- which is why I'm wondering how and why you managed to end up this close to Belhalla." 

The crowds would be troublesome, for sure, and in this era of new prosperity, to say Azel wouldn't benefit from his family resemblance was an understatement. The people hadn't thought ill of Alvis, given his resistance in the end, but any fool could mistake Azel for his nephew after a haircut. Lewyn subtly moved away from them until they were beneath the canopy over an outdoor cafe of sorts, the kind of establishment that was just coming back after Julius' defeat. 

"Considering you were in a cozy grave somewhere last I checked, you seem surprised to see me. Just how long have you been alive?" 

[holygale-blog]

Memories of the Fallen [Azel | Lewyn]

On most days, it suited Lewyn quite well to wander in the most deserted areas he could find. Long, solitary stretches were lonely, but at least he could find some peace there, away from the constant reminders of how people were meant to live.

But other days, like this one, he preferred the bustle of cities and crowds of people to solitude. Though he would rarely buy anything, wandering the marketplace stalls was a comforting reminder of how he'd once lived. He could make out the lilting strains of a song he used to sing around the campfire coming from a street musician.

Out of sentimentality, he approached and watched her strum at the strings of her lute. No one he knew, but he fished in his pockets and dumped a handful of coin into the ratty hat at her feet. She thanked him with a smile, which he returned, for a change. 

But as he turned away, he spotted a face as familiar as the song itself, belonging to someone lingering around the crowd the songstress had drawn. Red hair, wide eyes, those characteristic Velthomer colors. Could it be...? 

No, Azel was dead, long before his brother and nephew, but as good as them, now. That faint bit of Fala he detected had to be something else -- unless Azel had been pulled back to life as Lewyn had himself. 

Another man might have held back, but Lewyn was long past restraint. He cut through the crowds until he was square in front of Azel, surveying him cooly, but with obvious curiosity. 

"Fancy meeting you here." 

[eltshan]

onion denied by levin

[holygale-blog]

a fresh start

If you're still active and following me from a previous FE group, you should know that I'm moving this blog into Master Seal. I invite you to join as well c: 

[princeofmisery]

Marketplace (Levin-Lyon)

[princeofmisery]

Fighting was useless. Fleeing was impossible. Hiding was angering Levin further. Persuasion was ineffective. What option remained for Lyon to try? Levin already believed  him weak  and cowardly, he might as well beg.

“What am I supposed to do?” Lyon cried,emerging from a basket pile, “You’re…you’re the scariest thing I’ve met in this land! You’re… you’re not letting me escape. Fighting you wouldn’t work and I.. I can’t persuade you into leaving me alone! You’ve left me no choice, I have full right to be scared!”

Perhaps it was his fear that was causing him to babble. For someone who had previously tried to keep quiet, it had become almost impossible to stay silent.

“I know I don’t deserve a second chance, I’ve caused so much suffering! But…but I didn’t get a choice in the matter and now I’ve got work out what I’m supposed to do with myself. It…It would be a lot easier if you didn’t try to..to…take away all my wits!” He  suddenly felt the need to cover all eventualities.

“And…and if you do kill me, there…there are a pair of turquoise haired twins from the same land as I traveling this land too… If..If you see them..and they mention me.. can.. can you not tell them what…what happened to me? They..they had to kill me the first time so…so I think they will be happier if they think I am still living. They…they…I can’t put them through more pain.”

[holygale-blog]

Levin was quiet for a long moment, though he kept his stare, even and steady, on Lyon. The air was still around them both -- perhaps a show of tranquility, or a calm before an even worse storm. Levin's expression betrayed no hint either way. 

He finally stepped toward Lyon, slow, graceful, quiet, until they were less than a pace apart. The boy was at least a full head shorter than him, even with his boots, a wardrobe post Levin was beginning to find a bit endearing. 

"Those twins. . . you care for them?" An interesting development. The boy wasn't as selfish as he'd originally seemed. "How much?" 

Yes, he decided, he liked this one after all. He was. . . interesting. Whatever gods had forced him back to life, they had to have had some reason. And Levin wanted to know what it was. 

((ooc - seriously Levin is really tall what the hell; here he is next to an average girl, and here he is next to his mother.) 

[princeofmisery]

Marketplace (Levin-Lyon)

[princeofmisery]

“N..No!” Lyon objected fretfully, his voice almost a squeak now, “No I’m won’t! I’m not! I’ve helped people! I’ve tried to apologise to those I care about! I’m going to redeem myself! Please…”

Forgetting his location entirely he tried to back away, holding his tome before him as if he wasn’t inclined to use it for magic but to break Levin’s nose. He stepped back,his foot broke the lid of a stray basket and suddenly he tripped, fell, and a whole cascade of wickerwork descended on the pair of them.

All Lyon could see was baskets  but he was sure Levin was somewhere nearby. He stayed very quiet and very still, hoping he was sufficiently covered by the largest items to go unnoticed. He felt like such a coward but as far as he could tell this was his only option.

“I’m trying,” he murmurred desperately to himself, “I am trying…I don’t want to die again.”

[holygale-blog]

The wind rustled the baskets lightly, just enough to free Levin and allow him to stand.

"If that's the case," he said, speaking clearly enough that no matter where Lyon was, he'd hear, "act like it. Cowards do no good for anyone." 

He strode through the scattered baskets, pointedly avoiding where he suspected Lyon was and paying no mind to the stares of the shoppers or the protests of the angry basket vendor. 

"If you choose to hide like a wounded animal, all you've done is prove that you don't deserve a second chance. Is that the sort of man you are? Stand up and prove yourself, or stay a burden to everyone until you die again."

[princeofmisery]

Marketplace (Levin-Lyon)

[princeofmisery]

How could he remain calm under that stare? Lyon hated being inspected and judged like this. He felt small and childlike. It was just like being before all those generals and nobles who sneered at him because he couldn’t hold a spear correctly. On the other hand maybe this man would leave him alone if he knew he wasn’t special.

“I’m not powerful anymore,” he replied, “I was brought back not possessed anymore, I don’t have the Demon King’s power.”

He needed to prove he wasn’t impressive and therefore Levin would go away. Also he had to show he had no will to improve either. That would definitely make him of little interest!

“I..I am weak and I know I will always be. I failed to save my people even when I could had his power…I was too weak to control the Demon King.Instead of helping anyone I caused thousands of deaths and hurt the ones I loved…now I even don’t know how to atone for what I did. I want to use my own magic for good but..but I would be delusional if I said I had any sort of strength.”

[holygale-blog]

"And you mean to continue in that way?" Levin's voice grew not louder, but stronger, like the crescendo of some great gale. His gaze remained fixed absolutely on Lyon, fiery and unflinching. "To sit around in this land, floundering about and feeling sorry for yourself? This is how you choose to spend a new chance at life?"

The wind whipped around him again, and he was half-tempted to reach for the tome he'd been so strangely left with, the one his son was meant to have. 

"If that's the case, you're undeserving of it. Idleness breeds more evil-- perhaps I should end you before you fall again." 

[seerxofxtruth]

Arrival

Elphin took a step forward, and the scent of the land became different. Another step, and the light and darkness that surrounded his view has changed. This was a sudden shift he was not aware of, and at this very moment…

Blindness.

His side affect was at work again, and the youth halted on his path. It was an aimless trail, anyway. He did not know where he was now. Everything around him was different — foreign. He was not in Elibe anymore.

He was alone and lost, but even so, he kept a calm demeanor as his he tried to collect his thoughts. Perhaps he could find a place to sit and rest, and he would be fine afterward. He wanted to find anything, even a rock to sit on. In his situation, he could not bother with being picky — not that he was in the first place.

To find a place to rest, Elphin slowly took another step forward.

[holygale-blog]

It had been ages since Levin had just wandered, allowed himself to be aimless. It was irresponsibility like that which had cost his Silesia so much. . .but here, in this place, it hardly mattered. Nothing really did. So he allowed himself to simply walk, without a destination or goal in mind outside seeing more of this place and testing the character of the breeze as he traveled. 

He'd found himself on a rather empty path, worn more by weather and age than by footsteps. Plants creeped through cracks in the stones, reaching out to trip anyone with unwary steps. It seemed a good place to walk alone, in solitude-- 

But he was not alone. Another person was there, walking. . . somewhat slowly, with more care than Levin might have expected. Immediately, with that hair, he thought of Adean -- how beautiful everyone had found her, how many of the army's men had been smitten with her in more innocent days. Perhaps this wanderer was of Jugdral. . .? Levin could only know by speaking to her. 

Coming closer, he spotted the instrument carried by the woman. A songstress, then? He quite liked the idea of that. Carefully, he approached, keeping something like his old carefree act to his manner. 

"Fancy meeting a lovely musician this way," he said, tipping his head down in a casual bow. "Nothing sweetens a journey quite like a song, hm?" 

[princeinnes-blog]

prison break, except not really (Innes-Lyn-Levin)

Running away hadn’t really been in Innes’s plans for the night. Running away was rarely in Innes’s plans ever, but he needed to make an exception today, considering he was completely unarmed and attackers were filing into the nearly pitch black ballroom. Fighting them wouldn’t end well, so he raced towards the nearest exit, which just so happened to be a flight of stairs. He nearly tripped running down them and forced a slower pace so he wouldn’t injure himself without even fighting anyone. That would be embarrassing.

Regardless of his attempted caution, he nearly collided with a small wall of prison bars, and he scowled. “Oh, a dungeon. Great, this is exactly where I wanted to be,” he muttered sarcastically.

[caelinlord-blog]

If the invitation and entrance hadn’t given her enough strange vibes, the sudden blowing out of lights and sequence of events only did enough to confirm her suspicion. She did make it a point to bring a weapon in the case of such an occurrence, but it was only a small dagger. Suspicious as she was, she still hadn’t expected there to be an ambush quite like this. She ran down the flight of stairs in an attempt to escape from her assailants - there were many of them, it seemed, and running down to escape was the only option as it was difficult to fight back with only a dagger in the darkness. 

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, she was met with a man in the shadows. It was too dark to see his face, but by his stance she could tell that it was a man, at the very least.

It appeared she wasn’t the only one being chased.

She meant to speak with him, to perhaps see if he could be an ally, but she heard slow, approaching footsteps from behind. Quickly grasping for the dagger she meant to hold, she turned swiftly and faced the stranger, holding the dagger out in a stance that meant him harm if he dared to approach even further.

[holygale-blog]

A leisurely pace carried Levin through the halls, more out of curiosity than anything else. He feared the danger little and the darkness even less, but he did want to see how exactly this would all play out. 

Levin glanced from dagger to girl with a look of utter indifference. Light, he could not create, and his vision was not at all enhanced, but he could at least see the glint of the dagger. He sighed. 

"Now, is stabbing anyone going to make this any better?" he asked coolly. "It seems we've run into the same dilemma, so I would suggest you save your energy for. . ." 

He waited, and a low growl rumbled through the damp air. 

". . .for whatever that was, hm?" 

[zephyrguard]

A Little Suspicious. {Open ball post.}

[zephyrguard]

Arthur was all but ready to leave when he felt a touch on his shoulder.  He jumped in surprise, whipping around to face the one responsible.  But to his surprise, it wasn’t some guard asking him to “please head this way.”  It was someone sickeningly familiar, though the first name to come to mind was quickly turned away.  He’d never noticed Sety’s striking similarity to his father before now, and he wondered why.  

But it was, without a doubt, Levin.  They’d never spoken, but they’d been in each other’s presence at least twice before.  What did it mean, if this man was here as well?  Maybe he had answers that Arthur didn’t.  He let out a little sigh of relief, relaxing a little.  “Yeah, well.. the same goes to you.” And here, he paused to swallow before continuing a bit rushedly; he’d forgotten just how innately nervous Levin made him.  There was definitely something unnatural at play, but he was the last person Arthur would expect trouble from.  So he ignored that little ping of alarm in the back of his mind, just as he’d had to do before.  “What are you doing here?” 

[holygale-blog]

"I have an invitation," Levin answered, flashing the elaborate envelope, but not for long enough for Arthur to spot the royal title written on it. Not that Arthur didn't know, but Levin simply didn't care to acknowledge it. "I imagine you do as well?" 

He glanced around the room with vague interest. Silesia's balls were only this elaborate for harvest, a blessed occasion, and for the winter solstice. Even then, the opulence was of a different character here. It seemed less celebration, more display of power. Levin didn't care for that in the slightest. 

"You came alone?"