horology | the darkling

so, not a heartrender

astronaut in the ocean - masked wolf

What you know about rollin' down in the deep?
When your brain goes numb, you can call that mental freeze

/

'let's meet in our dreams tonight' - unknown 

-

seraphina

Serphina felt her heart leap. She hoped that she maintained her calm exterior composure but it was hard for her to think straight amidst the excited chatter in her head. But, Seraphina was suspicious. For whatever reason, Genya had chosen to wait until her parents departed. As if Genya was going off the book. There was no way her parents wouldn't know if the General had made a request to see her; their protective nature meant that they had to know everything that was going to happen to their baby girl.

Konstantin give a look of uncertainty, glancing at forwards and backwards between the two. Seraphina returned his confused look. Genya did not waste time in repeating her earlier instructions; by the name Seraphina had turned back, the ginger Grisha was almost half way through the garden, walking rapidly in an attempt to remain as dry as possible. Seraphina shot Konstantin one last glance of reassurance and ran to catch up with Genya. She didn't wait for a response from the boy.

The pair walked by countless rows decorated with golden frames and glittering white paint. The walls were surprisingly barren; little pictures or paintings were hung up. Perhaps it was a means against sentiment, a protection against any sort of feeling that might transform bloodthirsty soldiers into a mess of despair and uncertainty. Seraphina's black leather boots tapped softly on the wood, the click of her heels was abysmal through the roar of the wind.

All the eyes of the inhabitants of the Little Palace turned to take a second look at her as she walked past them. She was an oddity; like a lone rabbit in a pack of wolves. They knew her, of course. They had seen the picture perfect portraits of her family. A perfect girl from a perfect family didn't last long here. Here, it was a place of competition, desperations for power and ruthless training, not a dollhouse. They all thought of her as weak, stupid. She wasn't going to survive.

Seraphina's heart was still pounding as they stopped in front of a magnificent oak door. Genya stood next to her, hands crossed politely in front of her. Her blue eyes surveyed her; searching for something in Seraphina that would reveal what she felt. Seraphina made sure she found nothing. Anything that could be used as leverage was too much of a risk. The ginger Grisha turned away and stared directly at the door, eyes ahead. If she was disappointed, she did not show it.

'This is his room. You knock then wait for a reply. When you finish, Konstantin will be there to direct you to your room. I'll be there later.'

Her voice was icy with disdain. Seraphina couldn't quite tell what her intentions were; it wasn't that she hated her, no, this was different kind of disapproval. Like she knew something.

Seraphina raised her hand to knock on the door but she stopped herself. She took a deep breath and watched as the white kefta rounded the corner, out of sight. This is it she thought this is the beginning of something. Her long thin hand tapped twice on the wood. The sound was strange and hollow, an instrument out of tune. Her heart was still hammering wildly, terrified of the unknown and afraid that she would betray her true self. Time seemed to slow as the doorknob turned. Seraphina braced herself, closing her tired eyes for a brief moment.

The man standing in front of her was not the General but he had the same air of mysterious dignity about him. He had light green eyes, specks of brown visible in them. They glowed in the flickering light of the storm in the distance. His light brown hair was pushed back into a side part and the irresistible smile on his face was coated in amusement. He wore a red kefta embroidered with black, symbolising his title as a Heartrender. The colours suited him well; it gave him an ominous, confident, godly ambience.