• In the silence of the night, the sky of Aurora was witness to a very curious sight.While elsewhere every creature slept peacefully, on top of the highest cliff over looking the kingdom, stood two silent watchful figures, as still as trees. One was a woman…tall and slender she stood, her tresses flowing like molten gold with the night zephyrs.She stood still, as if in deep thought, contemplating the vast expanse of the empire before her eyes. Next to her stood a man, raven black hair, aristocratic profile, gleaming laughter filled eyes…the very embodiment of carefully restrained power.

    It was some time before the man broke the silence. “ A penny for your thoughts.”

    The woman heard her companion speak and responded with a light throaty chuckle before turning fully around to hold his gaze. A half-smile still remained on her lips as her gaze riveted on him.

    “Beautiful night.” She said lightly, arching her laughter-tinged eyes at the person before her, as if daring to start a verbal chess.

    But the man knew his companion too well to risk that now.

    “ No more beautiful than the vision in front of me.” He said, adding the barest bit of mirthful sarcasm in his voice.

    And she knew she had lost another chance at what could have otherwise been a very intense debate…so to speak…

    “Coward.” She smirked before turning her gaze back to the scene infront.

    The man smiled to himself, as old memories rekindled themselves in his mind.

    “ Time is of the essence, my lady.” He said, lightly stepping up beside her.

    “Which is precisely why lord, you were a century late in coming” she countered immediately, not taking her eyes off the map below them, “Quite logical.”

    “Better late than never.” He offered in a very humble tone, knowing full well what was going to follow.

    Her thoughtful gaze left the scenery to fix on his face once more. The intense sapphire blue eyes, that could contemplate murder and scenic beauty with equal effortless grace, narrowed with laughter as she said in a mock-deadly voice, “Continue this tirade any further and I cleave your soul into a million shreds to be fed to fell creatures that have dwelled in the depths of the earth since time immemorial.”

    “ I missed you too.”