eachdraidh | VIDEO | MEMORY | DATED TO JULY 22ND

[The video comes into focus and it shows Faolan, sitting mounted on a horse, with a woman perched sideways in front of him. He has her balanced against his chest with one arm, holding the reigns with the other. Her hair is a waterfall of silvery moonlight, partially fallen out of the careful plait she has done it up in, and it spills across his chest and over his knees. Though she has obviously been on the road for a while, she is quite obviously a lady. She looks wretched, however, her face pale, and the way she is leaning against his chest, something is obviously wrong. She does not appear to be conscious.]

Go! [Faolan calls out, sharply, to the men who have obviously just helped lift her up in front of him.] Wrad, lead the lady's pony. Creisa, follow him closely and keep your mouth shut. I'll need to take it slowly. Don't want for me, go on up to the others. I want us out of this valley.

[The others mount their hourses, moving steadily across the river channels and gravelly shores in front of them. Faolan guides his own horse forward with his knees. Once they reache the edge of the water, the woman stirs in his arms, reaching out a hand.] What- How- [she murmurs, her eyes still closed. Faolan tightens his grip on her.]

It's all right. We're nearly there. [Faolan reassures her. Her hand comes up and fastens itself in his cloak, her head turning into his shoulder, and she sighs softly. Faolan sits stiff on his horse, although it's clear that something is at war within him as he holds her safe to his chest and guides the horse on in the half-dark. Almost as if he is unaware of it, he starts to sing. Although his voice is soft and rough, although only because he is out of practice - it is clear that with a little warmup, it would be beautiful, the the voice of a man who could make hardened warriors weep.]

...Like summertime her flowing locks, like spring's first blush her skin... Away from Fionnbharr's dazzled mind fied home and craft and kin...

[The song is a tale of a fairy woman of the daoine sidhe, ironic of course, for the emotional turmoil going on inside of him. She stirs in his arms once more and he shushes her.] Keep still. We are nearly safe.

What-

You fainted. I didn't know you were ill. [He says, gently - an odd tone, for Faolan.]

Oh- Oh, gods, oh, I'm sorry- [She protests, but he shushes her again and shifts his position, balancing her slight weight as the horse scrambles out of the last stretch of water and began the ascent of the steep path on the other side. There is by now barely enough light to show the way.] You were singing...

Me? [Faolan retorts, looking down at her as she sits in his arms.] Hardly. You're the one who does that. [Her eyes seem to lock on hers for a long moment, and the vision fades out.]

((ooc: green is faolan, blue is "the lady"))

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I can tell you marriage does not mean love. In more cases I would say it is duty and nothing more. [Even if she longs for it.]

Of course it doesn't. She was meant to marry Drustan's brother, Alpin. That would have been a marriage of strategy. But it was Drustan that she fell in love with. It just so happened that he's an equally worthy chieftain as well, and now with Alpin out of the picture... Well. They have the King's blessing. What more do they need.

A woman can only marry one man, for all that she may claim to love another as well.

[bitter bitter bitter bitter]

And does it matter if she still loves you? Would it not be better to be loved than to not be?

[Perhaps it is a naive question to ask, but she had so much hope on her wedding day that her husband would love her, and at each turn she has been denied it. He is a man of few words.]

It sounds a lot prettier to say that. 'At least you found love, even if you could not have it.' Those that say such things do not realize what a loss such a thing comes with as well.

I fell in love with a beautiful thing that I could not have. And I should have known it from the start. I was foolish, and it cost us both dear.

[The princess and her bard. The ward to the king and the king's assassin. Never mind his own pedigree, it was irrelevant in the land of the Priteni. He and Anna were never meant to be, and that was that. Curse her for worming her way into his heart and reminding him what it was like to feel again.]

((ooc: wow i am LOVING this cr even from just this one conversation i would love for them to have further interactions somehow if you are game with that??? ;3;))

I knew a boy once. He was from the east, a brother to a Sultan. He could never be mine for he was Muslim as well. But he was mine all the same, tender and he looked upon me like I was a treasured jewel. [She smiles sweetly to think of Djem, though there is pain behind that look.]

He was taken from me before he could even be mine. And his death added to my dowry. So how do I feel? That a dear, sweet friend whom I could have loved died most likely at the hands of my family so I could wed a man twice my age for his armies.

It does not ease me. But I can remember the way he touched my hand when we danced. I can remember his smile. It is not a fair world in which we live, but this is all I have. [And the fact that it is coming out of her mouth, a petite blonde girl, is probably all the more crushing.]

ooc: she's in Seelie court because her canon point is so early. At some point she should be traveling though. I'm not sure where or how long, yet, but I would always love more!

[He listens to her story solemnly, and once he is finished, does his best to offer his condolences] I'm sorry for your loss, my lady.

((ooc: faolan is in seelie court at the moment as well, even though he's unseelie, so maybe they could run into each other??))

Do not be sorry for me, though your words are kind, for I still live. In this I am more fortunate than he was. [And nothing can ease her anyway.]

ooc: she's going on the mission with Tarrlok, but if you want to do something before that's cool.

VIDEO | MEMORY | DATED TO JULY 22ND | OPEN TO BOTH COURTS

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Re: voice;

voice; if only she was from a later canon point...

video; awww i love this conversation though fdjsioafjsd

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