⊱ ─ 𝕱𝖔𝖊𝖘 тσ 𝕱𝖑𝖆𝖒𝖊𝖘 ─ ⊰ [ ᴘᴏɴᴛɪғғ x ᴋɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ]

[Pontiff]

“Some hot chocolate sounds like it could hit the spot in this cold weather, thank you.” Wrynn was playing along with it as they were offered a warm spot inside the guard post as well as a hot beverage. Lumi tagged along and headed inside as the pair took some offered seats. Wrynn let his bag slump to the floor while resting back in his chair. Lumi had begun to look into her bag, speaking of some ham sandwiches she had prepared for the journey ahead. She thought about eating one but decided that perhaps hot chocolate with ham and bread may not be the best combo.

“Mmm, I think I will pass on the sandwich for right now.” He acted cordial with Lumi as they were in front of strangers, and not just strangers but people he expected to recognize Lumi, but as he sat down and listened to them and how calm they were. Offering the hot beverages, it was beginning to dawn on him that they didn’t even know what their Princess looked like. It was a strange thing to see unfolding before his eyes from his own home in Nilheim; even nobility like himself would be recognized instantly – his father was Warden of the Northern Provinces; however, they were treated like Royalty, and to see Royalty not even recognized weighed on him with questions.

Instead of outing Lumi about her identity with the question of why they were here, he put down the mug after taking a small sip of the beverage. Lumi answered but in a uniquely standoffish way that made him almost think she was talking to him with how curt she could be.

“What my traveling partner here meant to say is that we are on Ministry business, heading to the capital. Details on what we have been tasked with are confidential and only to be disclosed to the royal family.” He responded with a more political tone and approach. It wasn’t a lie either as to why they were here, and Lumi hadn’t lied either, but the Ministry tasked them on official business, and trying to dig into what the mages were up to was a task in of itself.

“I see then; well, we don’t want to keep you two waiting on your important business. I know how important the Ministry of Magick is to the realms; they help broker the piece between us all from being at each other's throats, but be careful out there, you two.” The male guard had backed off on questioning what the pair was doing traveling.

With a final thank you for the short rest and beverage. Wrynn gathered his pack once more and brought it to his back. “We really should get going before it starts to get dark; we don’t want to camp out in this,” Wrynn advised Lumi before departing from the guard shack and going back onto the main road.

 

[Kitten]

The sharp tone in Wrynn's voice made her turn her head sharply, fixing him with a stern stare. She believed she had answered the guards' question adequately and didn't need his additional explanation. Nevertheless, she redirected her attention to the two figures before them, forcing a fake smile to conceal her annoyance. "We're grateful for your last-minute hospitality. Thank you," she said, her voice polite but strained. Lumi too stood up, collecting her things, while Wrynn, appearing impatient, left on his own without waiting for her.

Hurriedly closing the door behind her, she hastened to catch up with him without questioning his abrupt departure. Opting for silence rather than asking why he was in such a rush, she chose not to expend any more energy on his evident moodiness. His demeanor was inscrutable, his emotions veiled, leaving her puzzled and feeling like she would never truly understand him. Fortunately, the brief respite revitalized her energy and mana, leaving her feeling stronger and less fatigued than before. After nearly two hours of travel, they encountered challenging obstacles, with several more hours of journeying still ahead of them.

The quiet enveloping them during their walk prompted a whirlwind of thoughts in her mind, pondering what thoughts were occupying Wrynn's inner world. She mused on whether he harbored curiosity about how the guard failed to recognize royalty on sight, realizing she had never shared her past with him. "Do you recall when I mentioned that it's been ages since I last visited home?" Lumi asked, disrupting the silence that had persisted since their stay at the post. It was a spontaneous remark, yet it served as a tentative opening for conversation. "It's been a decade, at least, since I last set foot in my homeland," she confessed, uncertain if he would show any interest in her tale. "I aimed to demonstrate that my value transcends mere lineage. It was when I stumbled upon a book on magic by chance that I grasped its significance in safeguarding oneself and others." Their footsteps echoed softly against the snowy ground, her breath forming a mist in the cold air. "I am the pioneer in our family to delve into magic; even my younger sister and brother have shown keen interest in it."

As their journey continued, her body gradually acclimated to the environment she had been separated from for so long. "I used to have white hair, but mastering cosmic magic changed it to blue," she explained. "The celestial energies altered the pigmentation, perhaps reflecting the vastness of the cosmos and symbolizing my growth as a mage," she mused, her fingers lightly weaving through her hair as she reminisced about its transformation over time. "Since my family members all have white hair, my sudden change to blue may have helped the guards overlook my true identity."

 

[Pontiff]

She could be upset at him for interrupting to let them know they were part of the Ministry and, currently, on a job that was meant to be secret; of course, she was always upset with him, so her glaring at him caused no discomfort or reaction to leave him. It was just the default state he had found Lumi to be in with him constantly, or so he always convinced himself about her attitude towards him. Having stepped outside and waited for her to finish up inside, she came out the door seemingly flustered and annoyed with him for his comment and then the decision to leave, but they needed to move. They couldn’t be caught up in questioning with the local guard, not unless they wanted to camp in the cold and darkness.

Nothing was said between the two of them once more as they continued on their path. They seemed to be slipping back into the groove of not wanting to acknowledge the other’s existence, and finally, the silence was broken. She spoke up and shattered the silence by speaking about her homeland and how long it had been since she had visited. She talked about how she was the first to delve into magic for her family and learned magic from a book. Her siblings were also beginning to show interest in the arcane arts. “Where I come from, magic is based on your blood and lineage, and it is also power back home.” He opened up to her, though she should already have some preliminary knowledge of Nilheim as a nation and how political and warlike it could be. The stories and rumors that came from the nation that always looked to expand and take territory.

“Perhaps they didn’t recognize you because of that, and you say you haven’t been home in a decade. Surely, the guards would only remember a little girl and not an adult now.” He commented, not knowing how well her people knew of the royal family or if they even knew what Lumi would look like if given a description.

It fell silent again once more, continuing on as the night was beginning to arrive. The sun was setting over the edge and they would arrive at the inn shortly in just a few more minutes before they lost all sunlight.

Finally, he spoke and was the one to initiate a conversation with her or the attempt at one. “Why have you not returned home until now? Students of the Ministry are allowed to go home whenever needed or during the end of the semester.” Wrynn had gone home a few times over the course of his stay at the Ministry, many times for his Father and for duties that he needed to uphold for his house.

“Are you not the eldest of your siblings?” He didn’t know the royal family too well, nor did he even know Lumi, whom he spoke to. He was under the guise and impression she was the eldest, and being the eldest, she must have responsibilities. She was also grown now, an adult woman; surely a political marriage would be in play just like it happened in Nilheim with the houses, great houses, and even the imperial family.

He came to a halt, seeing the inn in the distance and not pushing forward. If they were to talk about her lineage and responsibilities, she had already kept her identity hidden from the guards at the outpost. Surely, she wouldn’t want to speak openly in front of civilians and guards about who she was.

 

[Kitten]

"Your Kingdom's embrace of magic is commendable; unfortunately, my family doesn't share the same sentiment," she remarked, her tone tinged with envy at Wrynn's effortless access to magical education as part of his everyday life. Lumi pondered how her life might have unfolded differently with parents already immersed in magic. Would choosing that path have been simpler? Undoubtedly. Yet, the specter of 'what ifs' persisted in her thoughts, weaving a tantalizing fantasy of alternate possibilities. "Of course, that's why they failed to recognize me," Lumi stated matter-of-factly, understanding her enigmatic nature to those unfamiliar with her. "I avoided returning home simply to prove my independence and resilience." She shrugged casually, downplaying the significance, yet beneath her nonchalant demeanor lay a yearning for home. Reflecting on her past actions, she acknowledged the immaturity of her youthful decisions, driven by reasons that once seemed valid but now appeared petty. However, with age came wisdom, enabling her to navigate the emotional turmoil caused by her parents' disinterest in magic.

“Are you not the eldest of your siblings?”​

"'I’m the eldest, so I can already guess what's on your mind," she sighed, her breath forming wisps in the chilly air as she gazed up at the overcast skies, her eyes seeking something elusiv

e. "You probably see me as a terrible sibling and daughter for leaving home and my responsibilities behind... but I do keep in touch with my siblings and share updates with them. I haven't completely cut them off. They did nothing wrong." She felt the need to clarify, even though she sensed his opinion of her was likely already negative—no matter what she said or explained, it seemed.

As the inn came into view and Wrynn paused, Lumi pieced things together and decided to conclude their conversation. "Well then, thank you for letting me share a bit. It was good to get that off my chest," she said, a genuine smile curving her lips as she stretched her arms upwards into a much needed stretch before heading towards the inn. Inside, she kicked the remaining snow off her boots and approached the front desk, presenting her Academy badge to the female innkeeper with a smile. "We're here on Ministry business," she stated, gesturing towards Wrynn over her shoulder.

"Sure, let me grab your keys real quick," she said, stepping away briefly to retrieve two keys before returning to the front. "You're both on the main floor," she announced, placing the keys in Lumi's opened hand. "The restaurant is open for a few more hours if you need something to eat or drink, and breakfast is served early in the morning before checkout. Have a good night, I'll be here all night if you need anything else!" With that, she excused herself and headed back to tidy up.

Handing Wrynn his key, she noticed that she had key 108 and he had 109. "How about we grab a bite together after settling into our rooms? I thought I'd ask since we didn't want to disturb each other last night," she suggested with a playful grin, intending no offense.

 

[Pontiff]

Wrynn gave a small shake of his head when she spoke of his Kingdom's acceptance of magic as commendable, but he could see where she was coming from. “My Kingdom views magic as nothing more than a tool to gain power and expand, to crush those that stand in their way and use it as a spearhead in war.” It was the truth, what Wrynn had been raised on himself, and how he viewed the world and magic. The danger it could bring to the masses and why those with lofty goals back at the Ministry annoyed him. Their lofty ideals would lead them down a slippery path of misery and hatred, seeking power beyond their understanding and means. She spoke about being the eldest and shirking her duty due to her wish to be resilient and defiant from her parents and their views of their daughter.

It sounded like she had matured and changed her mind over time, staying in touch with her family through her siblings but not returning home until now. “You wish to push yourself away from your heritage…” He spoke softly under his breath, to where she couldn’t hear it entirely as he moved with her towards the inn.

It was nice and warm inside as they entered, the whipping wind soon dying down behind them as the door shut behind them. The hearth of the inn was in full roar as Lumi moved in front to the desk and asked for some rooms on Ministry business and as they were handed over, they were given rooms right across from one another again.

“Dinner?” He asked her, repeating the question she had posed for him. Asking him to grab a bite with her instead of eating separately and doing their own thing. Perhaps Lumi was coming around to making their time together as civil as possible now, especially after a fight for their life just hours ago in the woods on the road. Wrynn could be civil if she was wanting to give it a chance; now that he knew more about her, it still didn’t fully change his mind about the situation and past remarks on her capability or dreams.

“Sure. We can get something to eat once we settle in our rooms.” He answered her and picked up the key to the room he was given. Taking the key, he moved to the room and unlocked it with his pack on his back; he stepped in and began to unload the minimum he would need for the night.

It only took a few minutes before he was finished out of his room and walking across the hall towards her room right across from him. Curling his hand into a fist, he racked his knuckles on the door to Lumi’s room. “Are you ready yet?” He called out to her first, having half a mind to go down to the kitchen already and take a seat and order but she was the one that had invited him to eat together after all.

 

[Kitten]

“Sure. We can get something to eat once we settle in our rooms.”​

With a smile at his agreeable demeanor, she gave a single nod. “Consider it a date!” Her playful tone hinted at jest, though she was curious about his reaction to the statement. Waving casually as she moved ahead, she veered off in her own direction, knowing they would reunite soon. Her stomach rumbled, craving a meal more satisfying than the sandwich she had carried with them. Perhaps they could enjoy it during their journey tomorrow; it would keep well in the cold for another day or two. Closing her bedroom door, echoes of Wrynn’s words lingered in her thoughts, causing her to ponder in thought as she sat her luggage down.

“My Kingdom views magic as nothing more than a tool to gain power and expand, to crush those that stand in their way and use it as a spearhead in war.”​

Her expression soured as she pondered whether his skepticism about magic stemmed from the selfishness of his Kingdom to keep it going for the sake of power. Lumi also speculated if he felt perturbed by her interest in magic, given that her lineage didn't heavily emphasize it - almost as if he implied magic wasn't the solution and he would have- if he could have - avoided involvement at all costs, despite enrolling in the academy. Did he join willingly or under duress? A cascade of questions swirled in her mind, driven by her insatiable curiosity, certain she would broach the subject with him in due time.

KNOCK
KNOCK
KNOCK

“Are you ready yet?”​

Interrupting her train of thought, she spun on her boot heels and strode toward the door, which swung open to reveal Wrynn standing on the opposite side.. "Yup!" Her reply was casual, masking the curiosity that she had earlier. He remained an enigmatic figure, someone she was increasingly eager to unravel. “I don’t think it’s going to be as busy as the other night. Let’s go, I’m starving.” Instead of trailing behind or forging ahead, she matched his pace, both entering the kitchen together. Walking side by side felt slightly awkward, the contrast in their heights becoming more pronounced now that she had a clear view of their differences in stride. A single comment from their earlier conversation had shifted her perception of him slightly, casting him in a new light, yet she refused to let that notion burden her until she gathered more information.

Taking a seat, she picked up the menu, her eyes quickly drawn to the shepherd's pie and a tempting honey mead. "If you’re still cold, the mead will definitely warm you up." she offered as they waited for the barmaid's formal greeting. Feeling a bit hesitant to delve into personal inquiries, she opted for a bit of liquid courage to ease her nerves.