neron
"Lucky man," Neron drawled, a smirk creeping across his face as he opened the doors and led them out. Of course he had inklings that the man was him, given all that Zariah had said about their not-future and his not-son. Still, if they were going to keep that all under wraps (and he very, very much encouraged that idea) it was best to get into the habit early of questioning it. Which really, was comparatively easy to do given that he honestly didn't remember any of it.
They ran into one of the palace workers as they exited the side room; a woman holding a tray with two steaming stone mugs upon it. He had asked for something warm for Zariah to drink, after all, and what better than mulled wine? "Thank you," Neron said, accepting his own mug and passing another to Zariah. "Have a room prepared for our guest, please."
The woman nodded and headed off, Neron leading them in the other direction, deeper into the icy palace. "On the contrary," he said, laughing at the idea of his guards being 'trustworthy'. "No one in the Citadel trusts easily, for good reason. And you are the first person found alive in the Fangs for a very long time."
He led them past a large set of double doors, Neron nodding at it though not stopping to show her inside. "In Northwind we'd call that the throne room," he said, not bothering to explain its purpose - they'd lived through monarchy their whole lives, after all.
Deeper into the palace they walked, the walls glittering in pale stone and glass, snow falling softly in the darkness outside. "The Citadel is the only real civilisation in Halo," Neron explained. "When blizzards are particularly bad, the people are welcomed into the palace wherever there is space to seek shelter. Otherwise, the palace is mainly used as barracks for the guards, for meetings and audiences and as a lookout point."
They ran into one of the palace workers as they exited the side room; a woman holding a tray with two steaming stone mugs upon it. He had asked for something warm for Zariah to drink, after all, and what better than mulled wine? "Thank you," Neron said, accepting his own mug and passing another to Zariah. "Have a room prepared for our guest, please."
The woman nodded and headed off, Neron leading them in the other direction, deeper into the icy palace. "On the contrary," he said, laughing at the idea of his guards being 'trustworthy'. "No one in the Citadel trusts easily, for good reason. And you are the first person found alive in the Fangs for a very long time."
He led them past a large set of double doors, Neron nodding at it though not stopping to show her inside. "In Northwind we'd call that the throne room," he said, not bothering to explain its purpose - they'd lived through monarchy their whole lives, after all.
Deeper into the palace they walked, the walls glittering in pale stone and glass, snow falling softly in the darkness outside. "The Citadel is the only real civilisation in Halo," Neron explained. "When blizzards are particularly bad, the people are welcomed into the palace wherever there is space to seek shelter. Otherwise, the palace is mainly used as barracks for the guards, for meetings and audiences and as a lookout point."
you're so cold, put your hand in mine
