Morning, at the hamlet of Eldia…

Situated at the western edge of the Ecclesiarch’s lands, it was an Elven Reservation, one of the many elven townships built across the Empire of Arcadia. Here, amidst the ice and snow of what had once been a secluded glade, and behind simple but sturdy walls of layered stone manned by a regiment of the Ecclesiarch’s Lightsworn Guard, the town prospered, newly built and expanding day by day.

Planted squarely in the middle of this growing town, was a great tree with a sunspot that lay up high in the heavens above. Its wide trunk, covered in crystalline acacia leaves that sparkled beautifully in the light of the morning sun, emanated a heavenly aura that sparkled like diamond dust in the frigid morning air, shimmering lightly amidst the sounds of laughter and joyful conversation of the townsfolk, who had designated the area around it to be the town square.

Upon one of many wooden benches set around the great tree’s earthly majesty, Claire de la Lune, dressed in red cleric robes trimmed richly with saffron, sat side by side with her newfound mistress, Elena de L’Enfer, dressed in a hooded red longcoat trimmed lavishly with gold embroidery. From up high, the morning sun was both warm and gentle, and the townsfolk had done well to give the two of them, outsiders in this small community, a wide berth.

“This place is beautiful…” Claire mused out loud. “Now, if only Anna and Cecelia were here with us as well! They’d love to see this, I’m sure…”

“Hey, glad ya like it,” Elena answered, smiling as she kicked back and relaxed upon the bench. “Could bring the both of ‘em here some other time, y’know? Have a picnic, maybe?”

“Yes! We could. Anyway, um…”

“Hm?”

Claire paused for a moment, taking in a much needed breather of the fresh air around her that somehow felt even cleaner than the air of the glacial gardens of the Upper City back home, as she wondered about the best possible way to phrase her question. The whole day so far, had gone by so quickly. Elena, bless her, had all but dragged her out onto the streets after the stagecoach had dropped them off at the inn, as soon as they had checked their luggage into their little room meant for two. They had gone off on a rather rushed and impromptu tour of most of the town before coming here, and she had barely been able to keep up with her mistress, who had taken off like a loose kite in the wind. Thankfully, Elena had relaxed significantly at the sight of this great and beautiful tree at the town square.

“This place, um…” Claire wondered out loud, as Elena looked at her. “Is it special to you?”

“Yeah, it sure is,” Elena answered. “I…”

It was then, that she blushed a sickly green as she recalled her own conduct just moments prior. Surely, definitely, it was unbecoming of a Vizier of the Eye. Or a Lich, for that matter.

“Elena?”

“Right,” Elena answered, as she dismissed Claire’s concern with a wave of her hand. “Uh… I guess I was acting kinda weird back there, huh? Running around, like a kid high on sugar.”

“That’s one way to put it, I suppose…”

Elena nodded.

“Yeah, my bad. Suppose I do owe an explanation, eh?”

“If you don’t mind,” Claire answered, as she smiled and chuckled lightly at her mistress, at the sight of the necromantic green that remained blushed upon her cheeks. “I mean, that was weird, even for you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you very much,” Elena stated playfully in reply, as she grinned at Claire and crossed her arms. “But anyway, I…”

“Yeah?

“Hold on for a bit, won’t ya?”

Elena got up from the bench. Ignoring the elven townsfolk and the fear reeking in their whispers as they made themselves scarce at her approach, she made her way towards the northward path leading out from the town square, stopping before the sight of what appeared from beyond the lesser buildings of stone and mortar, a great château standing tall at the other end of the town all by itself, its beautiful snow-swept garden still visible even from so far away.

“It’s still there, even with all this…”

“What’s still there?” Claire asked, having followed in her mistress’s wake. “That big house?”

Elena turned around and nodded solemnly at Claire. In silence, they returned to the bench and sat back down together before the divine majesty of the great tree.

“Yeah. I suppose I owe you an explanation, huh? Bringing you out here, dragging you around the damned place like I’m nuts or something, I oughta…”

Elena paused, and let out a breathless gasp. She could feel something warm pressing itself gently upon the gloved surface of her left hand, upon the Beholder’s Mark etched upon her flesh that belonged to her Archon mistress, Nhaka Mezalune.

“Claire…”

The warmth, clashing against the coldness of her undeath, was now back again in full force. Ever since that day back at her apartment in the Ancient Cathedral when they had first embraced, this warmth, whatever it was, had left her wanting. It was unlike the cold crystalline sensation of her Archon mistress, who had that rather annoying penchant towards hugging her like a teddy bear. No, it was something else, something so special beyond words, that she found herself smiling at the source of that wholesome warmth, who smiled at her in turn as they gazed deeply into each other’s eyes.

“Well…” Elena began, wistfully. “It all started, when…”