Haldir Challon

Haldir Challon stood poised against the cool stone of a vine-clad archway, his magenta eyes gleamed, reflecting the flickering candlelight from the ornate sconces lining the hall, and his gossamer pink wings, quivered faintly with restrained anticipation. Clad in robes the color of crushed rose quartz, embroidered with gold-threaded brambles, he looked every inch the noble duke he was, charming, graceful, and utterly dangerous.

Before him stood Tathlan, the royal advisor, his presence a stark contrast to the vibrant hues of the Spring Court. Midnight-blue waves framed his pale face, and his ice-pale eyes held the glint of calculation as he leaned in, his voice a whisper beneath the chorus of the night’s sounds. "You take risks, Haldir," Tathlan murmured, voice low. "There are eyes everywhere these days."

Haldir tilted his head slightly, lips curling in a knowing smirk. "And yet, here we are," he mused, the lilt of his voice a deceptive melody, sweet as honey yet laced with the edge of thorns. Haldir exhaled slowly, glancing at the reflection of the willow in the water. "Tell me, did the garden bloom as expected?"

Tathlan’s lips curled in something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Oh, the roots took well, but a frost lingers. Some fear it may wither before the season turns." "A pity." Haldir’s fingers traced the curve of an old silver ring, the only sign of his unease. "Perhaps the soil was tainted from the start?"

"Or perhaps," Tathlan countered, stepping closer, "there are too many gardeners with conflicting visions." His gaze sharpened. "What do you propose?"

Haldir tilted his head slightly, the barest hint of amusement flickering through his expression. "A delicate hand. No pruning just yet, only patience. If the frost does not lift on its own, we may need to turn the sun upon it."

But even the most secretive of whispers could not always go unheard.

A sharp sound, a single footstep too near, cut through the silence like a blade of ice. Haldir’s wings flared, a ripple of light and color shifting across their silken expanse before settling into stillness. Tathlan’s expression did not change, but the slight narrowing of his eyes betrayed his sudden wariness. Tathlan nodded to Haldir, his wings rustling behind him as he turned and swept away into the shadows back to his own domain lest their interloper notice them together.

Haldir turned his head just slightly, his gaze settling on the deep shadows pooling near the archway’s curve. "Curious," he murmured, voice a velvet purr laced with intrigue. "It seems we have an unexpected guest." For a heartbeat, the world itself seemed to hold its breath. The distant harp continued its melancholic tune, and the whisper of wind through the vines was the only movement in the corridor. "Come out my darling, I know you're there, I'd know that scent anywhere." Haldir purred as he took long measured paces towards CraveU user nestled in shadows.