Aurelia
"A pleasure to meet you, Hadama," Aurelia replied, mirroring his courteous nod with a slight bow of her own. She felt a prickle of awareness at his scrutiny, his words suggesting a recognition she hadn't anticipated.
His revelation about Safrin's gift brought a flicker of surprise to her eyes. A mer-king walking on land, proof of the goddess's capricious will and the unpredictable tides of fate. "That's quite a... blessing," she remarked, choosing her words carefully.
The weight of his question hung in the air, a silent challenge that demanded honesty. Aurelia met his gaze, her own eyes reflecting the vastness of the ocean.
"I am," she admitted, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of melancholy, "or at least, I was. For a brief time."
A bittersweet smile played on her lips, a reflection of the complexities of her past. "I was lost on a quest, ended up in the Feverlands," she explained, her gaze briefly clouding with the memory of the ordeal, "An injury, an infection... it clouded my mind, made me see things that weren't there."
Her voice gained a steely resolve as she continued. "I returned, but then... Milo... he disappeared." She paused, her throat tightening with the unspoken weight of his loss. "I couldn't stay. Not then. I needed time, space, to heal."
Her gaze met Hadama's, "This time, my absence was a choice," she admitted, her voice unwavering. "A mistake, perhaps, but one I made in the hopes of finding my way back to myself. But the world kept turning, and I... I wasn't there when I was needed."
A flicker of regret crossed her features, but it was quickly replaced by a renewed sense of purpose. "I'm back now," she declared, her voice ringing with conviction. "And I'm ready to fight for this world, for its people, for hope. I may not be a queen anymore, but I'm still a warrior. I still have skills and strengths to offer."
His revelation about Safrin's gift brought a flicker of surprise to her eyes. A mer-king walking on land, proof of the goddess's capricious will and the unpredictable tides of fate. "That's quite a... blessing," she remarked, choosing her words carefully.
The weight of his question hung in the air, a silent challenge that demanded honesty. Aurelia met his gaze, her own eyes reflecting the vastness of the ocean.
"I am," she admitted, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of melancholy, "or at least, I was. For a brief time."
A bittersweet smile played on her lips, a reflection of the complexities of her past. "I was lost on a quest, ended up in the Feverlands," she explained, her gaze briefly clouding with the memory of the ordeal, "An injury, an infection... it clouded my mind, made me see things that weren't there."
Her voice gained a steely resolve as she continued. "I returned, but then... Milo... he disappeared." She paused, her throat tightening with the unspoken weight of his loss. "I couldn't stay. Not then. I needed time, space, to heal."
Her gaze met Hadama's, "This time, my absence was a choice," she admitted, her voice unwavering. "A mistake, perhaps, but one I made in the hopes of finding my way back to myself. But the world kept turning, and I... I wasn't there when I was needed."
A flicker of regret crossed her features, but it was quickly replaced by a renewed sense of purpose. "I'm back now," she declared, her voice ringing with conviction. "And I'm ready to fight for this world, for its people, for hope. I may not be a queen anymore, but I'm still a warrior. I still have skills and strengths to offer."
What is clear is what is gold
You're only human after all
You're only human after all
