" FIRST IMPRESSIONS. " - GARDENIA.
(Hiiiii, so me and my friend @crowcake0 made silly little ocs that kiss and i wrote about them. Mira belongs to @crowcake0 and Darian belongs to me. Uhhhh, enjoy!)
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Mortality is a blessing, living a long and aged life, and having that release at the end. Mortality is natural, familiar, it's what makes up the structure of humanity. So why must I stray so far from the structure?
I have walked this earth for far too long, and yet I am human. 245 years I have touched the ground, breathed this air, felt flesh on my bones and a heart in my chest, beating and beating like a drum and refusing to stop.
I have seen the rises and falls of empires, met many faces, and watched those faces parish.
Human connection is such an odd thing. How fast it can fester and how fast it can end is truly fascinating to me. Every year that passes, the more and more I lose my hope for what humanity has done to this beautiful planet, animals they are.
I have fought many wars, seen many corpses, I have lived so many lives in just one body. Every scar I gain tells its own story, at this point, they have become a clock for me to tell just how long I have lingered, even if I should've been gone decades ago.
Armor sat neatly on my body, weighing down heavily. I didn't mind it, I have lived in armor almost my entire life. I was never one for taking such domestic jobs, I was a known war lord, not just a personal knight to keep a queen safe. I was respected among men, my face never known, just a name. Darian. But for this, my face felt the bright shine and warmth of the sun, allumniating every scar and freckle on my skin. I was a spy, only here to collect intel, pretend, and leave, simple.
Gardenia was the name of the kingdom, quite grand i had to admit. Buildings of stone rose high into the sky, and the main centerpiece being a castle who stood above the rest. It was quite a sight for sore eyes, anyone could appreciate the architecture of this place. One moment I was admiring the view, the next I was being guided into the castle, it was much larger on the inside then it appeared on the outside. My arms remained at my sides, my eyes forward, my face looking as if made out of stone. Voices were going in and out of my ears, I had no care for what they had to say.
The throne room was truly gorgeous. All sorts of royal colors and banners lining the walls, paintings, statues, it was so alive. I almost broke when I took it all in, I had been in many castles but never like this.
Everything was a blur for me besides the room, all of the people, royal staff, all out of focus. I was only focused on my job, I had all the time in the world to marvel about such beauties and luxuries later. Though, I was sucked back in at the mere sight of the queen. Her hair looked unnaturally white, even golden from the large slivers of sunlight entering in. Her skin was a nice contrast from her hair. The second thing I noticed was a small scar on her forehead, big enough to be noticed, but small enough to not be a sore sight. I was so captivated I had forgotten to bow upon her entry.
I felt eyes on me, kneeling down with a hand to my heart and another behind my back. “Queen Mirabilis, I am at your service.” My voice was rough and groveling, my throat spiking for a moment. My head lifted a second after, meeting her directly in the eyes. Her hands folded neatly in front of her, her gown fitting for a queen, a crown resting neatly on her head.
“No need for the formalities my dear! Mira will do just fine.” A polite smile stretched across the queen's face, her voice gentle as silk. I only nodded my head to her request, I was afraid my voice would come out as high pitched as hers if i spoke anything else.
For my mission, I had to act as her personal knight. Or, a bodyguard. This had previously sounded like a simple task where I could collect a paycheck and leave. But, clearly my brain and heart were betraying me on this one simply for how captivating she had turned out to be.
I know this would have been different. I was protecting a king, I would keep my stone and stubborn face to the end, I always found men disgusting. An ironic thought for a person posing as one. I certainly blended in. my features looked more masculine, my chest never showed, my voice was manually deepended, there was no reason for any man to be suspicious i was not one of them.
“And what is your name, sir?” I had fully perked up upon hearing the queen speak up again, her head tilting the slightest bit out of curiosity.
“Darian, my queen.” I answered her back, clearing my throat before doing so. I heard her mumble my name a couple of times, letting the name sit on her tongue for a moment. A smile remained on her face, her voice was calming as she spoke to different advisors and staff, readying me a room and orders for other such tasks. I could tell she was an orderly presence among them all, despite her soft spoken demeanor and quiet appearance, they all knew she was in charge.
The absence of a king was the second thing I noticed when I had first walked in, only her. She had been ruling by herself, keeping this kingdom afloat for so long.
I had seen empires rise and fall, but this one held its head high, and so did its queen.
