Halliana

A victim of tampered fate, the crimson in the snow. A sweet song in the air, where all the lovebirds go. May you rest sweetly among the trees, now your eternal cold home. A snow-white princess carved of the frailest bone.



A ghost among the trees, Halliana's fate was sealed to forever roam the grove in which she was wed to another. An arranged union between two cerdae herds to combine two families of strong magic, plague and earth. A balance within nature, a harmony of two backbones to the fundamental support of nature magic. At least that's what she'd trained herself to parrot.

In reality, it was in love with another. An outsider who lived in the deep wild jungles, mainly rejected from other cerdae herds for... Unbecoming behavior. A classic royalty falling in love with the outcast story, yet it was Halliana's story nonetheless. It wished to live that fairytale dream, running away with its true love. Of course, reality is never a fairytale. It rejected the proposal of the outsider, and followed the request of family to spend time with its future spouse.

Delavayi was ixs name. A regal cerdae with the looks to match. Every other cerdae was head over hoof for ix. Halliana had certainly not been immune to the physical charm, but it wasn't enough to replace her heartbreak. Looks were nothing compared to the heart, the soul of the being within. Delavayi was kind, and well mannered, but was just as guarded around her as she was around ix. Until she stumbled upon ix with another, in the throes of leaving much like she had done with her love. At first ix was terrified of her sharing the secret, but she simply confided with her own story. Guards fell, and the two had a shared comfort knowing neither truly wanted this.

Over time, they grew close. Finding themselves rather close friends. Under the surface, Halliana dealt with its turmoil and battered emotions. Guilt rang through every time it found itself staring a little too long. Laughing a little too hard at a silly joke or face. Delavayi was much like its former love's sense of humor. Playful, with a deep care about the nature around. Try as it might, love had gripped it once more. Perhaps not as intensely, not yet at least. Maybe, though, a silver lining to the whole situation could be found?

The wedding brought back all the agony tenfold. Both of them having the finality of the pact sinking in deeper than ever. It hurt, badly. She wished to disappear. It felt as if this choice would kill her. How ironic the feeling was when the altar turned into her resting place. Two hearts shattered at once as she became one with the snow. One, her lost love, watching from the crowd in horror. Having come to say goodbye for what they hadn't known would be from this life. The other, her brand-new spouse, who had fallen for her just as much. Who had given her the ring with determination to bring her joy, happiness. Everything she deserved. Instead, ix could only hold her in the snow and mourn as she slipped away.

The attack had been traced to a rogue member of one of the herds. Which one, Halliana knew not. The ones who grieved in the grotto had never said. Only weeping for its lost life and leaving offerings to the glade, praying to keep it safe in afterlife. Apparently another had opposed the union on a more political level. It had simply been the unfortunate target of the rage. A failure, of course, as the herds had already bonded just as closely as it had with Delavayi. Life moved on, but it was left there in the grotto. Watching the world spin on.

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A brilliant crimson stain dripped from between Halliana's claws as she slowly crushed the fragile bodies of the holly berries in her palm. She stared at the juice running down her arm with a blank gaze. After a moment of pure silent contemplation she raised a claw to her lower lip, tracing the vibrant red along the outline of the flesh before filling in. She need not bother with the upper lip, as her mask covered it. Piercing red eyes stared back at her from the reflection of the jagged piece of glass loosely propped up upon the rotting stump in front of her. Brilliant scarlet and cold white greeted her vision in return. Bone bleached whiter than the feathers of the dove now perched upon her shoulder, nestled among the endless layers of red draped fabric. She slowly reached up to the dove, picking it up gently in her palm. The feathers stained crimson immediately, and she used her free claw to trace a heart pattern upon the breast of the bird. A symbol of unity, of love, joy... Her utter and complete downfall.

It slowly looked to the mirror, past the mask which now felt as if it was ten pounds of steel upon its wretched thin frame. Why was it doomed to this fate? Had it not been loyal to the glade? Had it not done its very best to fulfill the wishes of mother? Why was it being doomed to this fate? A fate of loveless nothing, with one who would never view it as a partner... With one who was in love with another. It slowly set the bird down upon the soft, plush cushion next to the impromptu vanity. The tears boiled deep within Halliana's skull, but it would never allow them to so much as brim let alone flow freely. No, crying would solve nothing. This... Was its fate. There's nothing more than that. Nothing.

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The wedding was beautiful in one way, like a painting. Picturesque, gorgeous, a perfect snow-filled landscape. A flawless reflection of pure joy and love, two fate-crossed souls having finally found the other. Two loving families brought together with a star-crossed union. A scene from a romance novel brought to life in immaculately flawless detail. The most beautiful lie. In reality it was the most painful experience she'd ever gone through.

Delavayi stood in front of her, decorated in breathtaking ceremonial jewelry. Pure, brilliant gold. A shimmering reflection of power, grace, and a regal stature that could stop the hearts of any cerdae who laid eyes upon ix. Part of her couldn't help but feel a flutter in her chest upon seeing the immense beauty of ix standing in front of her. Del would be the perfect mate for anyone... Besides her. She could see her own pain mirrored in the deep brown of ixs eyes. Two star-crossed lovers they were... Just both in love with another, right?

The ring upon its claw felt like a chain holding it in the most torturous dungeon imaginable. The tears burnt like acid but it refused to so much as think of letting them free. It could tell Delavayi was doing much the same. Neither could crack, no. There was too much riding on this union. It finished placing the matching ring upon its partner's claw. A brilliant ruby gem deep set upon a stark white band of silver contrasted to its deep topaz set in brilliant gold. It hesitated, holding ixs hand and meeting ixs gaze with a renewed determination. They could do this. They had to. Upon seeing Halliana's fierce emotion, Delavayi paused before returning it. The two leaned forward to rest their heads together, eyes closed in silent unity. Not of love, not of friendship, but of pure resolve. They would make this work. The herds needed them to.

She withdrew, meeting ix gaze with a steady stare. She was barely able to hear the cheers and sobs of joy coming from the crowd around them, or even the droning of the minister directly in front of them. Her gaze didn't leave her newfound spouse's. They were waiting, just waiting. The line came and went, and they met in a kiss. The pain that ripped through her heart was so intense and unexpected that the tears finally fell free. The scarlet that spilled was not from the berries she'd so elegantly placed upon her lips, but from within her throat.

Halliana barely registered what she saw when she looked down. A crimson-stained spike bursting from her breast. She slowly stepped back, looking up at the horrified expression of Delavayi. Ruby covered ixs face, dripping down the jewelry that sparkled so beautifully in the sunlight. Suddenly those jewelry covered arms were reaching for her, but they missed her by a breath as she took another slow step back, claws meeting nothing but empty air as she slid down the steps of the altar.

The world was cold, and growing colder by the moment. The pain finally caught up to it as its chest exploded from a barely registered dull ache into a burning agony. The cry that was wrenched from its throat coated the air like the blood on its skin. Chaos erupted around it, bodies moving and swarming toward one area. Screams of rage, horror, and despair. And yet all it could see among the crowd was one horrified face. One soft, beautiful face as they stared on, watching the life slowly drain away from it as it lay sprawled on the soft snow. Then arms lifted it up, turning its face to see those deep brown eyes gazing down at it. Such deep, intense pain filled them.

"Halliana-" Del's voice was the first one she'd truly registered all day. The same soft voice, filled with a gentle yet regal air. Now shredded with despair as ix clutched her close. The pain burnt like fire in her chest, and the world was growing dim. Yet she held on to that shred of life, just long enough to bring her paw up to ix face. Tears were spilling down that beautiful gold jewelry now, an endless stream out of the gentle brown eyes she'd long since adored staring into. How strange it was, laying here, finally accepting her heart. Her feelings. It didn't matter now, anyway, did it?

"I love you," were the last words it ever breathed.