rex populi
ESHAN
Amani Serys
The lake was still and silent.Amani Serys
In the twilight of the summer solstice, the water gleamed with muted pastel colors, royal blues and dusky purples. A few groups of people walked along it's edges, or sat on it's lonely beaches, looking up at an intermingling of stars, and wondering if their dearly departed could see them too.
Alicio nuzzled Liana close to himself, trying to keep the infant warm on the relatively frosty planet. Swaddled in blankets depicting cutesy starfields, it seemed she didn't mind the chill, fast asleep in his arms. The Count himself was comfortable, too- he'd always enjoyed the cold, and the dark.
Alicio spared a subtle smile at Amani beside him, then at his son August, using one hand to push the pram in front of him. In it, four unlit lanterns jostled against each other. Both he and Amani had lost their families. Even if the floating lanterns were only symbolic, it felt right, important, to celebrate them with their children.
More important than a fancy ballroom.
"Should I wake her?" Alicio gestured down at the baby in his arms. "It's too lovely a night to sleep through."