His patience, his angst, his desire and his integral need to inspire had all but dissipated over the prior weeks and perhaps there was no better time to answer his Lady’s call upon the blustery wind when the call did arise. It was a soft tune, yet strong and endearing. Mirage had a way of assuming authority in such a way that made the man admire her for more than just her feminine charm and devastatingly good looks. However, the friendship that they shared would always remain just that… friendship. He respected her far more than he thought possible after many years of finding only self-efficiency to be his only source of stability. He also found that ruling alongside her became easier when ties of affection were not involved… It was certainly more unassuming when it came to making decisions and finding common ground when the two were able to see eye to eye without the interference of an ultimately forbidden bond.

After all, her love for Vikram was quite charming.

Had he been so reclusive lately that he had forgotten just how brilliant he felt in the presence of his herd? Or had he simply needed this small reminder to bring him back into the light? Of course he had never forgotten his place in the World’s Edge, but he had forgotten his responsibility. He had lost himself and tried to regain that sense of importance over weeks of self-imposed isolation. Had it worked?

Only time would tell.

They had gathered, as he knew they would, before Mirage like the faithful disciples that had followed the good Lord into his death and for a moment he stood to revel in their beauty. For of course, they were stunning, each and every one… However, his eyes found the golden core of their attention and he smiled. Mirage was just as inspiring as he remembered her to be and with confidence in their bond, confidence in his ability to lead now more than ever, he approached her at the head of their empire. Her words were smooth and convincing in spite of the opposition from a few curious faces in the crowd. At times he would nod solemnly to those who spoke and at others he would simply glance to Mirage, more than willing to appease her if she would only give the word.

“My Queen,” His greeting was quiet and low, one meant for her ears alone before he turned his dazzling eyes into the crowd now murmuring in confusion. Without hesitation he bent his face low enough to inspire a sense of hushed seriousness as he too prepared for what might come. “I trust that each of you will satisfy these quests to the best of your abilities while judging their severity with a level head. Should you feel threatened by the intensity of any such quest then I believe it would be in everyone’s best interest to notify Mirage or myself of the individual seeking that particular magic. On another note, as Mirage has mentioned, I too will be at your disposal when and if the need arises. I welcome you to call upon me just as you do this lovely lady.” With a laughing grin, he glanced at Mirage, trying more than anything to turn the confusion into a solution.

“In addition, I apologize for my recent absence and I do hope that you have not been offended by these circumstances, but I also hope that you have not lost faith in me for I have yet to formally induct myself as one of your WeyrLeaders… So, with that said- I do hope that you will welcome me with open arms as I try to the best of my abilities to give the Quian everything that they most certainly deserve.”

As he fell quiet, he listened and grew distant. There was nothing that he could do to make up for the pain he caused not only Tamira but his family as well. However, he had no intentions of letting his mistakes get the best of him- he would prevail if only to prove the darkness wrong. He would succeed because he owed it to them, to Mirage, and most of all… to his daughter. The soft sensations of longing seemed to pass naturally within his breast and he searched desperately for the pale face of his precious Essetia in the crowd. But of course she was nowhere to be found and why would he expect her to be there when he had all but abandoned her just weeks before? With a new hesitance, the King turned his face away from the meeting to glance up into the stars above. He hoped to find forgiveness there, but of course all he found was the soft twinkling of a galaxy that was far beyond his reach.

Had he forgotten what it meant to belong? Or had he simply forgotten the pain of being forgotten…

“Rashima, I would like to accompany you to Veins as well if you would have me. I would hate to miss out on a chance to bond with my Queen’s only sister.” He smiled charmingly, though with a hint of reluctant humor if only for the sake of saving face. Perhaps he’d lost his mind or maybe he really had just lost himself… In any case, the words were there, hanging in midair and there was nothing he could do in order to revoke them. This is a good thing he thought to himself. Suddenly he felt as if he needed a reason to continue, a reason to keep moving when the resistance was so large. This would be a moment that changed his life in more ways than one and he was more than delighted to take the risk if it meant a chance to embrace something new.

Perhaps it would be best if he took such a journey, if only to remind himself of the power he now possessed. He needed to tend to it accordingly and if that meant finding a reason to endure it- then he would.

Thor