ok but like... Maria, after her voice nearly was stolen by a scheming wizard and her overprotective father sent her away where no beings roam, living in a lil cabin in the woods with nature, just her and nature and the birds. Lots of birds.
Maybe the sparrows speak to her, about the unnatural twinkles of light, about the whispers the trees make, about everything she cannot see. The doves chrip words of comfort to her, soft and obeying the kingdom's orders, yet no matter how dolce they may be in her vision, they still watch over Maria's siblings back at him.
They watch, alert. (They listen.)
Maria, alone but not exactly lonely, misses her siblings immensely. She has fruit, but she does not have Gwendolyn's warm pies. Beams of morning sun hit her face in the morning, but she does not have Jamie's sparkly hair to run her fingers through soothingly. There's nothing that could ever remind her of Lorena's energy, of her company. Two sisters bonded together through age - both older to the twins, both holding their shared mother in secret esteem.
Maria doesn't know what to do without them... but at least, she can play music. Sing to the respectful and dignified audience that is wildlife.
One day, she's taking her usual stroll to pass time, when just as she turns her back, an arrow strikes the tree next to her, disrupting the harmony of a family of ravens.
She whirls around, eyes wide with alarm. She's ready for death then, the death her father warned her about but she never listened because, because, because-
Why didn't she listen, again?
Maria's breath hitches when he lays his green eyes on her. For a moment, there's something floaty and everpresent and divine that mumbles words that he is of royalty, of fine making, of nature's forests and mud and murky swamps. He is of the earth, it tells her, voice raspy and nasally from unuse. It sounds mischievous, but unthreatening. The being plays with her hair and breathes down her neck and for just a little second, Maria thinks.... she thinks....
"Didn't mean to scare you," he says, an apology seeming already on his tongue. His chest is showing and he's wearing a vest of some kind. Maria thinks he must be from a different kingdom, far away. The corners of his lips quirk into a lopsided grin, concealing nervousness that Maria notices because she's seen it on Lorena before. "Or, uh, your birds. Crows?"
"Ravens," Maria corrected faintly, watching as he sets aside his golden bow, letting the arrows fall to the ground indelicately.
The man swallows down hard. His left hand forcibly curled, tightly, restricted from any and all movement, except for impatient twitches every now and again.
Their eyes meet yet again and Maria doesn't allow herself to look away. Her trembling comes to a hard stop as she takes a deep breath in, composing herself as a princess does, as she was taught by Miss Agatha.
"I'm Saffron," he tells her first. His introduction comes out jumbled, slightly unsure but pretending to be otherwise. A tad earnest.
Maria considers everything. Her gaze shifts to his weapon, how it was tossed more closer to her than to him. She thinks about her ravens, which seem to be debating on whether or not they should flock him and bite at his skin with their sharp beaks (like they do all perceived intruders, even though she keeps on telling them that the job to be needlessly and unwantedly overprotective goes firmly to her father).
She takes a step back, making sure not to crush any of the wish-making dandelions. He does not take a step forward.
"Maria," she says, a smile unknowingly crawling onto her plump face. She hesitates to speak more, as she's never really spoken to a guy (like ever, ever, EVER) before. She takes a chance. "My name is Maria... and will you please remove that arrow out of my tree?"
Saffron's grin becomes easier, slipping downward honestly, organic and real as the flowers that bloom outdoors.
"Oh, I mean, it wouldn't be-"
Interupting himself, Saffron's right hand, almost with a mind of its own, swings upwards and smacks him directly on the forehead.
