BALLAD OF EMPIRES
warnings: none
Cian stood with Fintan and Naevys. The man had already seen Áine, who was wearing a dark purple dress, her blonde hair pinned up. She had only given him a brief nod before standing at the edge of the stone-carved terrace and looking down into the depths. Fintan nudged him lightly as two dwarves walked over to one of the large gates. Drums sounded, a sign that the feast was about to begin. The heavy doors swung open with seeming ease, but the sorcerer knew that there was a sophisticated mechanism at work behind them.
Xiana and Griffin appeared together, both donned in the colours of the Vangelons. It was the first time Cian had seen the woman who was his friend’s betrothed in the colours of the house of Vangelon. Griffin himself wore the tunic the dwarves had gifted him, with two ravens embroidered with silver braid on the emerald collar. The dark brown leggings were tucked into boots made of the finest leather. His sword hung in the scabbard at his left side, his hand on the pommel. And yet, Cian heard the whispers of the ladies at the dwarfen court about how ethereal Griffin’s queen looked.
Although he was not interested in love, he could not deny that the woman was the spitting image of the beauty and grace of the first Empress of Calvaera. Her dress was a deep emerald green, a dragon and a crow were entwined in the embroidery on the collar. The headdress covered most of her hair except in the front. Its crescent-shaped framework let a green, sheer veil fall over her shoulders and dark curls. Some of the curls fell into her face. The couple's arms were intertwined as they descended the stairs. Griffin smiled at the trio before leading Xiana to the other side of the hall.
(tags: @808mer , @moremysteriesthantragedies )
