You've Got Mail

A courier always completed his delivery. Through snow, or sleet, or dark of night. Through rain, or wind, or burning sands.

Or through stubborn pride and a sense of great foreboding that this was going to make his personal life even more complicated if there were any misunderstandings.

But Tal was nothing if not professional in carrying out his duties. He was a Seawright, and his cargo would get to its recipient in spite of no few of these things as he braved the cold Halo Flowerbirth to reach the Fangs and pass through the portal to Torchline. He didn't like using the unnatural things, but time was of the essence as he hurried to the Court of Stars.

He took his pack off on the stairs and gingerly withdrew a box - taller than it was wide, white, and carefully insulated within his pack during the first half of its journey. Carrying it carefully he entered the shining Court and searched out the Queen's office, sweating in his Halovian furs. Once he found it he cleared his throat awkwardly outside the door.

"Um, Queen Maeve? Delivery for you," he called, rapping at the lintel smartly.

Maeve

Maeve

Her head lifts from where it’s buried in her work, brows lifting at the mention of a package, but the Nightshade doesn’t keep him waiting. ”Come in,” she calls out, putting her quill back into her ink pot as she stands, pushing away from the desk with the intention of meeting him at the door. Her lips curl into an easy smile as Aidon appears at her side, just as eager to greet the visitor as Maeve is to receive her package.

Stepping to the side so he can come in, Maeve closes the door behind him, ”Please have a seat. I’m sure you’re a bit cold from the traveling.” The queen hums, shifting closer to the pot of tea that was just brewed moments before he arrived. ”Would you like some tea?”

Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter
To the one appointed to see this through

Tal grinned down at Aidon, far easier with the dragon than with humans. "Sorry, boy, she's guarding the Halo side of the portal for me," he apologized to the big black companion before pulling his expression back into seriousness for the carrying out of his duty.

But Maeve was having none of it; her invitation was met with hesitation and another awkward clearing of his throat. This wasn't how deliveries usually went but... the customer... was sometimes right?

He followed her inside and carefully set the box down on a clear corner of her desk. "Uh, tea, yeah. Thanks," he mumbled, fingers stumbling over his hurry to unbutton his parka. "Not that I'm complainin' but... isn't Torchline a little cool this year?" More than warm enough for a Halovian, but it was decidedly not the tropical heat wave he'd been expecting to endure for his walk from the portal to the Court.

Maeve

Delicately picking up one of the tea cups, Maeve carefully fills it, finishing it with honey and a touch of cream. ”It is unseasonably cool. I’m not sure what’s causing it.” The Nightshade muses, crossing over to him with the tea and offering him the cup before her attention turns back to the package. Unsure of the procedure, Maeve slowly approaches, carefully plucking it from its resting place. ”Hopefully Halo wasn’t too harsh this last season?”

With an arched brow, the queen carefully begins to unwrap the package, curiosity getting the better of her. ”Who do I have to thank for this?” Maeve asks, looking for a note of some sort attached to the package.

Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter
To the one appointed to see this through

"Has it ever been like this before?" A curious question from a young man only recently acquainted with seasons other than 'snow,' 'deeper snow,' and 'death.' He took the tea automatically and blew on it before taking a tentative sip. His nose wrinkled a little at the unaccustomed sweetness of the honey and cream, but he took another sip as he tried to decide whether or not he liked it.

"Huh? Oh! I mean... no worse than usual?" He shrugged a little, careful not to spill his drink as he thought of the deaths of the season. But at least no cultist attacks, or monsters, or cannibals.

Her question oddly enough brought a scowl to the young man's face and he glared at his tea for a moment before remembering his job and doing his best to smooth his expression over. "Uh, well, there's a letter with it," he said cautiously, setting the cup aside. "Here, I packaged it up for delivery, but it was handed to me just... like this..."

If Maeve would let him help, Tal lifted the top of the box up and carefully pulled out the contents:

A white vase, small but elegant in its simplicity, held a single red lotus flower just beginning to bloom. An envelope was tied to the neck of the vase with a purple ribbon and sealed with wax that held the imprint of the Advisor of Halo.

Inside, the letter read:

Maeve,

I hope you're faring well as the season changes. Things in Halo haven't changes much since my last letter. Cordelia and I are still estranged at the moment. But I wanted to reach out to you for another reason. Given that Torchline is still feeling the grip of Deepfrost, I figure it's the perfect time for me and the twins to visit. I won't have to worry about melting after all. You know how much I prefer the cold.

I'll see you soon. Hopefully we can sneak in another spar or other outing in your downtime. I miss you and I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Though you have a terrible tendency of never leaving my thoughts for long. It's horribly distracting. I think I like it.

Yours,

Sah

P.S. If there's any indication that Talyson has opened this letter, please stab him.

The courier also pulled a small jar of water from his pack and carefully topped up the vase now that it had safely reached its destination. Then he stood back awkwardly and rocked on his heels. "Sooo I should probably go now..."

Maeve

Maeve is mostly distracted by the package, barely hearing his comment about the weather, but she shakes her head, "No, this is unusual." The Nightshade murmurs, watching quietly as he opens up the package and sets everything up. Her breath catches at the sight of the flower and instantly she knows who it's from. The letter is plucked carefully from the package and she grows silent as she reads, not paying him any mind as he moves to dismiss himself, too caught up in the words swimming before her eyes on the page.

"Hm? Oh, yes.. Thank you, Talyson." The queen says softly before she's moving around the desk, already grabbing a piece of paper to pen her response.

~FIN~

Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter
To the one appointed to see this through