When I Close my Eyes Tonight, to Symphonies of Blinding Light

[Lady Sabine]

"Find her."
The words, though simple, echoed through the great hall like the voice of a vengeful god. Strained with fury, deep with sorrow, and shouted at the top of his prodigious lungs, the king's orders left no doubt as to what he expected- no, what he demanded.
Asmodeus I Lazar, the king of Godspeake, blessed sevenfold by the gracious and benevolent Lord on High, supreme general of the army, and a dozen other titles he couldn't be bothered to use, was a man who did not gladly tolerate incompetence or, heaven forbid, failure, and the fact that the light cavalry had so far been little more than useless in finding his daughter just made his blood boil. When his blood boiled, heads rolled. It was a reputation he had earned the hard way in the wars of his youth, and one his temper would not let him squander now.
"Find her, damn you all. I don't care if you need a hundred search parties. I don't care if it drains all the gold in the treasury. I will have her found or I will have the head of every useless whoreson who let her go in the first place, or fails to find her now," He continued, dropping back into the throne, weary and heartsore. The colonel in front of him bowed, sending a puff of dust from his dirty clothing, and turned smartly on his heel to leave, back to the roads and countryside which they had searched a dozen times over. The knights were searching also, and all the guardsmen he could spare, but the light cavalry were most of the horse he had on hand and supposed to be the swiftest force in the nation. Yet his daughter had not been seen since last night, and they had found nothing.
"Sire... it could be our worst fears are true," A nobleman mentioned, only to receive an icy glare from his king, .
"My daughter is no idiot. She will not cross into the dark kingdom," he snapped, though in truth he did not know. Gods on high, how swiftly things had gone downhill, and he wasn't exactly sure why or how. She was rash, his Sundrop was, but this was something else entirely.


Something else entirely, coincidentally, was exactly what Sonnomaya was thinking as she stared across the border. Compared to the slightly rugged but beautiful landscape of Godspeake, so familiar to her after riding across it for years, the kingdom of demons was an alien clime. Every hundred paces, a waystone marked the border. The vegetation itself crawled all over, unkempt for some twenty years now, neither side willing to clean it up. It was a mess, really.
Sonnomaya had been six when the treaty had been signed, standing in her little blue dress behind her father, sure to be still and quiet and on her very best behavior, as befitted a princess of the realm. Truth be told, she was always on her best behavior. Until now. Now she was furious, and gods knew she had her father's own temper. This was a stupid idea, she knew it, and if he didn't know it he was a bigger fool than the jester he'd hired last week.
But it was to be this or go back and face the music... the wedding music. If it was merely her father's wrath, she would return without issue. The disappointment of her mother didn't phase her, not for a moment. Even the thought of the light cavalry's reaction to her immature outburst didn't make her at all afraid, though she knew they may well revoke her honorary commission for this little display of immaturity.
But a husband. No. That she would not stand for, could not stand for. She would take orders only from a man who was better than her, and none of those suitors qualified. She was smarter than any of them, better learned, well versed in the military sciences (a graduate of the academy, in fact), a learned scholar with the title of meister hard-earned, and a fucking officer in the light cavalry. What did they have to that? Titles? Old blood? New money? A knighthood? No. She respected none of them, would bow to none of them, would marry none of them.
She would honestly rather marry her horse. The beat was beautiful, an Akhal Teke as golden as a newly minted coin. She was the Sundrop, and he was her Caravelle. A more swift and loyal horse had never been ridden, as far as she was concerned. Her light cavalry tack fit him perfectly, and when she nudged a gentle heel to his side, he stepped across the border with only a snort of disdain. He, like her, feared nothing. Not even the realm of demons.
They would have to treat her well. Valuable as she was, letting her come to harm could easily lead to another war, or worse. These people were not stupid, and her value combined with the information she knew would likely make her more an honored guest than anything else.
She had it all figured out. She always did.

 

[Dia Thames]

Helmsford was where Lucan had grown up his entire life and looking over the dead landscape nothing else looked or felt more like a home to him. This place was a proud but cruel nation. Said to have been founded by the very hands of Demons themselves all the people here lived with great pride knowing their bloodline supposedly traced back to their demon ancestors. All except him, he didn't give a damn where he came from. All he knew was that he was alive and his whole life had been encouraged to trust no one, to survive and decide what to beleive. He had ever been given very little guidance. In the opinion of his tyrant parents he needed to take care of himself, that caring, emotions like that were a waste of time. His mother had merely given birth to him because an heir was nessery. A scowl formed on his strong features and his jaw clenched. He was ready to get things done how they were done around here. When the prince, himself felt himself ready to rule he simply had to slay his parents and send them straight back to their demonic roots. But the duties that weight upon him were heavy enough for his tastes for now. He wouldn't be made to appear a fool by jumping the throne too soon. Besides he had no bride and no desire to marry. Everything within himself right now desired to carry on his current post. The Prince wasn't someone to just laze about and care nothing of duty, he had a strong sense of Duty to his knights he was in charge of.But found it difficult to give a fuck about much else.

But today much to his dismay there was a commotion about, riling up his knights and making the patrols restless. Godspeake from across the border had apperently lost their princess and rumor had it she was traveling here or at least crossing the border. It was breaking the treaty. That had been signed when he was eight years old and remembered just how it came about as well. The blood shed. He smirked, a little spilt blood was nothing, at least they got what they had wanted. The land scape of this nation was dull and the crops that did grow here looked pathtic, almost dying. But it didn't much matter, Most profit made by theis great city was from it's weaponry, widely known for being the best to be ever crafted. It was an honor to own a weapon of this caliber. He snapped back to attention as he heard his father and it surprised him but he would never let that show. Glancing over his father was a tall stern man, cropped black hair and a scowl was etched in the features of his scarred face. He was silent and rarely spoke so when he did people listened.

"That princess...I want her here.." he said sternly. "Should those Fucking angels cross our border in seach of her deal with them..." then a sadistic grin came across his face. "Go with the Patrol to pick her up...I have a feeling she is within our grasp son...were going to make Godspeake Squirm..."

He nodded and silently dismissed himself and went and found his mount. It was a tall powerful looking brute, flowing long black mane and tail, feathered around the feet it was a true knight's horse. It's eyes were dark and it scuffed it's hoof at the dying earth impatiently. Swinging himself on the back he joined the Patrol in search of the princess. Having her was a powerful bargining chip and bringing her back here and keeping her captive would give his father the leading edge he had been searching for. His eyes peeled on the bland horizon he continued onwards hoping this wouldn't consume too much of his day.

 

[Lady Sabine]

Caravelle heard and smelled the search party long before she did. The indignant snort and twitch of his ears gave her no doubt that he had detected other horses- the vain and selfish beast liked few of his own species. Mares in heat, namely. Aside from that he was a horse born and raised around people, who preferred two-legged company to four. Somewhat reluctantly he followed her command and trotted towards them, his shod hooves clicking loudly off of stones.

She could have timed it no better. The moment they reached the crest of a hill the sun broke out from behind its cloak of clouds, illuminating both her and her mount with a golden ray of low light. It was no exaggeration to say she shone, her hair near glowing, her shirt blue as the summer sky, her horse shiny as a lady's earring. Equipped only with her light cavalry saber, she looked anything but a threat. Vainly, she imagined she must look half a goddess to these people who had never seen the radiance of a woman blessed by angelic blood before. How could they not find her beautiful?

"Ho there!" She called out. "Are you an official greeting party from the king?"

 

[Dia Thames]

Lucan saw something as they crossed over the ridge, it was bright and beautiful, unlike anything else in this dying side of the earth. He frowned and sighed as he reigned in his horse to stop just infront of the woman as she asked if they were the kings greeting party. She was truly was beautiful but he wouldn't admit that. He thought a few select others in the kingdom were beautiful as well. As A smirk came across his lips. This was the person his father wanted to take hostage? It would be all too easy.

"You could say that..." he said as he spoke and sat up tall on his mount. He had his father's pitch black hair and His mother's haunting Amber colored eyes. "You must come with us back to Helmsford. He is aware of your presence on our land and would desire to address you...come with me...Princess."

He was very handsome as he turned and lead her on back towards the City. It was a great and might city that was covered in shadow most of the time as it was sheltered at the foot a a tall mountain. At the gates he led the Princess in but as he did the guards rushed her and a bit agressivly pulled her from her horse and took the reigns of the horse she was riding it, several men holding onto the horse as one man was able to restrain her. Looking down on her from the great height of his tall horse he waved his hand.

"Take her away...I'll call for for my father and tell him the news. We have the princess of Godspeake...Quite a commotion you have created here princess..." he said and began to ride his horse back as he turned him to go tell his father the treasure had been found a secured.