His feet trod the gangplank in near silence. Toughened and callused from long use, he no longer felt the rough grain of the wood or the grit of salt that coated it from the spray of the waves that chased the shore well below the skyboat's keel. He looked over at Spice's trill instead, his smile warm as he inclined his head courteously to the regal dragonet.
Then Flora's blond head came into view as he stepped fully aboard the ship, and his smile widened fondly at the sight of her, clad in comfort that was still somehow effortlessly stylish. For a moment he paused as if committing the sight to memory. Inspiration, perhaps, for a future piece of jewelry inspired by the golden-haired leader of Caido's finest region.
"Hello Flora," he rumbled quietly. "Are you well?" There was an oddly wistful quality to his deep voice as the sunlight struck the queen, bringing deeper highlights to her hair and lighter ones to her eyes.
"I apologize for the interruption. But I have come to ask a favor. I... am afraid it will not an easy one." His smile faded as he spoke, a seriousness coming over his expression, and allowing some of the quiet weariness that he had hidden since the departure of the Family to show through. A tiredness that he had not wished to darken the celebrations that had followed, or to shadow the season of mourning and lanterns.
Then Flora's blond head came into view as he stepped fully aboard the ship, and his smile widened fondly at the sight of her, clad in comfort that was still somehow effortlessly stylish. For a moment he paused as if committing the sight to memory. Inspiration, perhaps, for a future piece of jewelry inspired by the golden-haired leader of Caido's finest region.
"Hello Flora," he rumbled quietly. "Are you well?" There was an oddly wistful quality to his deep voice as the sunlight struck the queen, bringing deeper highlights to her hair and lighter ones to her eyes.
"I apologize for the interruption. But I have come to ask a favor. I... am afraid it will not an easy one." His smile faded as he spoke, a seriousness coming over his expression, and allowing some of the quiet weariness that he had hidden since the departure of the Family to show through. A tiredness that he had not wished to darken the celebrations that had followed, or to shadow the season of mourning and lanterns.
