From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
Noah knew that word did not travel as fast in Torchline as in Stormbreak when it came to matters of demigods. Despite that knowledge, Noah was not surprised when the courthouse staff looked at him the way they did when he asked for Maeve. He had been here before, when Korbin had passed. He suspected that was why they moved with such haste rather than the fact that Vi's chosen had asked for the Queen.
Noah was ushered quickly towards Maeve's office, though he did not need an escort. He would forever have the memories of this place burned into his mind. He would never forget the way that this place had been the vehicle to bring him the worst news. Noah's face was solemn and quiet as he followed the secretary. She opened the large door before him and Noah stepped through, his eyes falling easily on the Queen. "Maeve." He greeted, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
There is a difference between being called on as a Madame and being called on a Queen. She still gets plenty of visitors, but they're all for different things. It is still a surprise, though. Each time someone walks through her door she's unsure of whether it'll be for business or pleasure. The sight of Noah Olsen, given their last encounter, is even more of a surprise. Her dark brow arched, surprise shining in the jade of her irises as she stood, a soft smile curling on her lips. "Noah. I wasn't expecting you." She hummed in greeting, moving around her desk to meet him, drawing him into a quick hug and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek.
Linger for only the span of a breath before drawing back, Maeve motioned to the sitting area, "Please, have a seat. What brings you by?" The Nightshade asked, grabbing the tea tray she kept prepared for such occasions, retrieving the fresh pot she just had brought in. Maeve poured them both a cup, fixing hers with cream and a bit of honey before relaxing across from him.
The greeting was warm and nothing that Noah did not already expect. He returned her hug with his own, his arms wrapping around her and giving a small squeeze. "I am sorry to barge in like this." He said, pulling back from their embrace to move to sit where she motioned. He settled in to a great wooden chair with a leather seat, its armth unsurprising for Torchline. Everything was warm, even when they were in the depths of winter. It was so different than the life he knew before. Halo was cold. He missed it.
Leaning back into the chair, Noah took a breath and decided to jump right into it. "Well, I actually came to ask you about what you know of the gods. Have you ever interacted with any of them?" It was an odd question, surely, but not one that was too off the wall for what Noah's life looked like now. He suspected that Maeve had to have some relationship with Safrin, given that the goddess placed her in the position where she now stood. "I'm also curious to know where Torchline may stand in the upcoming war."
Noah was not really a shy man.
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
Maeve huffed a laugh, waving off his apology dismissively, "You know you're always welcome here, Noah. I'm happy to see you're fairing well." She replied breezily, pouring him a cup of tea and passing it over to the hunter as he settled in one of the armchairs near the fireplace. Despite the heat that lingered outside, there is warmth to be found in this office too, the queen easily chilled by the rain that beat against her windows. His question wasn't exactly surprising, but it made a dark brow raise either way as her head cocked to the side.
The Nightshade lowered herself into the seat next to him, turning her body towards his so she might face him more fully, "Yes, I have. I've met with Safrin many times, but I've also met with Frey. The latter didn't go so well." She huffed with a soft laugh, taking a sip of her tea, letting it warm her as she considered the other question. Maeve had yet to take a blatant stand even though it was clear where they would fall. Her goddess was Safrin and if she was asked to shut the Ascended out then that's what she would have to do. She couldn't deny her.
"I'll do what I must to keep the people here safe, but Safrin's stance on the Voice is clear. When the time comes, I'll do what is asked of me and she'll keep us safe." Maeve said firmly, balancing her tea against her knees as she held his gaze, unflinching in the wake of potential criticism.
The Sentinel welcomed the tea as she prepared it for him. He took it, giving her a soft smile filled with a thankfulness that wrinkled the corner of his eyes. Though he was here on business, ultimately, he never wanted to discount the relationship that he was building with the queen. He took a sip, the warm spices bringing a familiarity to him that was somehow both comforting and a stabbing pain in his side. Delphine had bought him this same mix of tea, and he had consumed it every night when she was missing. "This is my favorite blend from Torchline." He said, taking another sip of the hot tea before lowering the mug down to the arm of his chair.
Noah nodded along as she answered his question. He knew she knew Safrin, but he hadn't expected Frey. Though, as he gave it a little more thought, it wasn't such a surprise, given her previous endeavors in life. "Oh, that's interesting." He said, brows coming together. "I would have thought your interactions with Frey to be a good thing...given...you know.." His sentence trailed off some, a slight stumble of awkwardness holding the hunter's tongue as he gestured vaguely one handedly with palm open and upwards.
She saved him from staying where he was in the conversation by moving on to his next point. "I heard that you asked Safrin to keep the children of Caido safe."
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
Maeve watched him closely as he sips at the tea, noting the sudden flash in his eyes that dissipates after a breath, but she doesn't comment. Instead she smiled knowingly, nodding in agreement as she took another sip, "It's a good blend. Spicy and robust. Much like the people here." She said with a huff of a laugh, trying to lighten the heaviness that's in the air, but they move on from it quickly enough.
His comment isn't surprising, but her lips curl into a smirk as her head cocked to the side, a dark brow arching as he motioned lamely with his hand. "One would think. I went to see them when I was staying in Stormbreak after the monsoons last season. It was when the Halenani collapsed. I was hoping for their help to rebuild given that it was their establishment in the first place. However, they weren't incredibly interested in the endeavor." The Nightshade explained, lifting her shoulders in a shrug, jade eyes lifting to meet his. "They said that while my nipples might be pretty enough to get the help of the people in Torchline, they wouldn't sway them." Amusing in hindsight, but it stung at the time. Especially considering the form that Frey had taken at the time.
Maeve nodded at his words, taking another sip of her tea, setting her empty cup to the side. "I did. When I was pregnant with Edmund I approached her in hopes of simply keeping my son safe, but she was generous and extended the protection to all of the children of Caido. Should they ever find themselves in danger, she will teleport them away, keeping them in her light until it is safe."
The hutner could not help but smile as he sipped on the tea. He really did enjoy it, even if it brought back memories of the heartache that Delphine had left him with. She had been the one to first introduce him to this tea, after all. He was whole again now, though, despite the shattering he had experienced in her wake. He didn't even feel the ache in his chest anymore, as the memories danced behind his eyes. Taking a large drink, Noah nodded and his throat hummed slightly before he spoke again. "Frey can be...fickle. I only met them a handful of times before being chosen by Vi. " Though they were always helpful when it came to matters of Halo, and for that Noah was thankful.
"I am learning more and more about Safrin. She was never the goddess who I sought out. Frey seemed so right and natural, after the barrier fell in the Hollowed Grounds and the heralds returned to us. Vi attuned me when I was quite young, and now that I am his demigod it seems only fitting that I acquire some knowledge of her." He shifted in his chair, tilting his mug towards her. "May I have more?" He asked, a smile lighting the corners of his eyes unabashedly.
If she were to fill his mug, he would continue. But if she instructed him to help himself, the demigod would continue once he was settled back in his chair. Either way, the hunter continued only after getting another mouthful of the delightful tea. "Personally, has Safrin required anything of you regarding the war?"
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
Maeve watched him as he drank, jade eyes running over him with a knowing spark, lips curling at the rim of her cup as she took another slow sip. She would have to ask him about who he was seeing once they finished talking business. The Nightshade hadn't seen the Sentinel this light in some time. There could really be only one reason for that. Still, her thoughts are distracted for the time being by talk of gods and war and all that came with it. "I'll eventually have to see more of the others. Only associating with one is... Well, I imagine it would be short sighted of me given all that is happening now." The Madame drawled, head cocking to the side in consideration as she listened to him speak, only moving when the demigod requested more tea.
"Of course..." She murmured, filling his cup before returning to her position of rest, crossing her legs and letting her foot bob absentmindedly. The question made her pause, brow furrowing as she reflected momentarily on her conversations with the herald, shaking her head after a moment. "No, she hasn't. Nothing outside of what I'm doing here in Torchline. I suppose she has Ronin for that sort of work."
Noah was glad to have more tea, and as his mug filled he worked on emptying it again as much as the temperature would allow. the spices of the tea warmed his belly. He would definitely need to get some before heading back to King's End. Cordelia needed to experience this delicious blend.
"I think that is wise. Before Vi chose me, I had been working on a quest for Frey. When I went to them, they did not appear angry at all for the choice I made to say yes to Vi...though I've been told that Safrin is a bit more possessive." Noah raised an eyebrow at Maeve, both questioning and warning. Had she experienced this side of the goddess?
"Do you...want her to ask more of you?" It felt weird on his tongue, asking someone if they wanted to be involved in a war. Noah knew his place and his position, but if his life had been different and he was still just a hunter on the tundra, he would only want to protect his homeland from any damage the war might cause. Now, he had to be on the frontlines.
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
Her lips quirked and she huffed a soft laugh at his expression, "She can be. Of some more than others, I imagine. Though, I wouldn't seek another herald out unless Safrin herself advised it. My goddess has given me everything and more. The need for another hasn't come up. However, should Vi or Mort another call me to them? I don't think she'd be upset at me for going." If only because she would know what it meant to deny one of them. Safrin was Vi's herald, after all. Why would she be upset with Maeve should she seek him out? It was something to consider, but the Nightshade didn't see it necessary to focus on for the time being. Not when Safrin had satisfied all of her needs and beyond.
The next question had the queen growing quiet, pensive for the span of a few breaths as she considered, thumb brushing against the side of her cup. "Right now my duty is here to my people. I want to keep them safe. I've already made strives to protect the children thanks to my last quest, but should she want more from me... To make me a demigod or something else, then I'll make that choice when I get there." Ultimately, if it meant she could keep those she loved safe it would make sense. Would it not?
Noah nodded, taking another unashamedly long drink of his tea. "That makes sense. Perhaps that is why Frey accepted it as they did." Because Vi was the one who called to Noah. Noah did not leave his loyalty to Frey and seek out the god of life. If he had, maybe the herald would feel differently. Or perhaps not. It was Frey, after all.
"Again, wise." Noah said, finishing off his tea without a second thought. He could feel the warm liquid swishing in his belly, and he didn't even care. For a man with very few gluttonous tendencies, he couldn't help but devour this tea like it was his last before death row. Maybe it was laced with something -- Torchline was a place of surprises. "I asked that question rather pointedly, I'll admit." He said, shifting in his chair and letting his mug rest on the arm, his pointer finger curled in the handle. "I was ready to talk you out of the front lines of battle."
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
It wasn't lace with anything. While the Nightshade was prone to dealing with poisons, there was nothing addictive within the tea itself. It was simply the feeling it brought that was addicting. I made her smile as he drank cup after cup. She didn't blame him one bit for indulging. Maeve leaned back, crossing her legs as she relaxed, "I don't have intentions to fight on the front lines if I can avoid it. However, if I must fight, then I will." She finally said, lifting her shoulders in an almost delicate shrug.
"Now, enough of all the heavy, hm? Tell me about the girl who has you seeming so light." Maeve arched a brow, a knowing smile curling on her lips as she cocked her head to the side, jade eyes sparking as she waited for his response.
Relief flooded the Paladin as Maeve solidified her intentions. "I want you to stay safe, to be able to protect and guide your people here in Torchline." The Queen was quick to turn the tables, though, and the way she smiled up at him took him by surprise. Shifting in the leather chair, Noah took in a deep breath before starting.
"She's...amazing." Noah couldn't help but smile when talking about Cordelia, and in the company of Maeve he didn't try to hide it, though he did break her gaze to look through the window. "I've known her and her family my entire life -- hard not to in a place like Halo. Her father and my father hunted together, and after my father passed I hunted with him. Cordelia came along quite a bit. I thought she was always shy, but I've not always been known as a talkative man." The hunter chuckled. "She's not shy, really. Quiet, but only when she's observing. She's strong, and smart, and gritty in everything. I really like her." He exchanged the mug from one hand to another as he looked back over towards Maeve. "I love her."
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
02-28-2022, 11:55 PM (This post was last modified: 03-01-2022, 01:08 AM by Maeve.)
I would fall from grace just to touch your face
"I will. I have no plans to leave this place vulnerable." Maeve reassures him once more before she shifts the conversation. The change in him is instant. He looks out the window, but that spark in his eyes is more telling than anything. She wonders, briefly, if she'll ever have that. If it'll ever truly last. The Nightshade pushes that thought away, unwilling to feel anything else in this moment other than joy for someone she's come to consider a friend.
She slowly stands, rising to her feet and moving over to the tea cart, gathering a tin to put the blend into so he might take it with him. When she turns back to him it's with a gentle smile on her lips and a knowing look in her eyes. "You should tell her, Noah." It's said gently, but there is something a bit pressing in her voice. An encouragement laced with a hardness that's unexpected from someone who seems so delicate. "A love like that is hard to find. It doesn't come often and when it does? You have to hold onto it. Seize it with everything you are. She deserves that kind of devotion and so do you."
Maeve approaches then, holding out the tin of tea, offering him another smile that's softer this time. "Sometimes we only get one chance. Don't let it go."
