The King of Torchline did not jump when the disembodied voice made itself known behind him, alongside a brush of ghostly fingertips across his skin. His feet did not, technically, leave the ground - his toes remained firmly upon the sand, though tension caused all of his muscles to bunch and his heels may indeed have lifted for a moment.
But it was a moment only, and he relaxed again, composure returned as his co-ruler's voice came clearly from the air nearby. Something that was suspiciously close to a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he turned his head to catch the first appearance of Torchline's queen since that farce of a pool party and he took a moment to assure himself that she was, in fact, healthy and unharmed. Golden rings and golden hair sparkled from sun-kissed skin as the shapely young woman faded into view, fierce and lovely and sharp-eyed in a way that reminded Hadama far more of her mother than her fathers.
"We do not need to tempt fate," he assured her, uncrossing his arms and letting them relax at his sides. "If you wish to stay hidden. I will aim for the sound of your voice. It will be good training for what lies beneath their island." In darkness and poisoned clouds of gas or mist.
Her question received a slight inclination of his head and a gleam of emerald eyes as he shook his hands out briefly and then raised them into a defensive stance. "I have not needed to apologize with confections yet, but I am preparing. I am learning how to make chocolates."
He glanced back at the flower - but it had wisely made a discrete escape, scampering back into the jungle on spindly root-feet. With a quiet hmph of amusement he turned to face Flora fully and made a single beckoning gesture of readiness.
But it was a moment only, and he relaxed again, composure returned as his co-ruler's voice came clearly from the air nearby. Something that was suspiciously close to a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he turned his head to catch the first appearance of Torchline's queen since that farce of a pool party and he took a moment to assure himself that she was, in fact, healthy and unharmed. Golden rings and golden hair sparkled from sun-kissed skin as the shapely young woman faded into view, fierce and lovely and sharp-eyed in a way that reminded Hadama far more of her mother than her fathers.
"We do not need to tempt fate," he assured her, uncrossing his arms and letting them relax at his sides. "If you wish to stay hidden. I will aim for the sound of your voice. It will be good training for what lies beneath their island." In darkness and poisoned clouds of gas or mist.
Her question received a slight inclination of his head and a gleam of emerald eyes as he shook his hands out briefly and then raised them into a defensive stance. "I have not needed to apologize with confections yet, but I am preparing. I am learning how to make chocolates."
He glanced back at the flower - but it had wisely made a discrete escape, scampering back into the jungle on spindly root-feet. With a quiet hmph of amusement he turned to face Flora fully and made a single beckoning gesture of readiness.
