To say it has been a difficult decade for the Blooming court is to say the very least — people of Saramye regions were not happy with decisions made by the new dynasty. The newly crowned king Safiano Leportier had a hard time adjusting, especially considering how unstable his position was. The dynasty of Leportiers was still too young and fragile and there were still too many wanting to snatch the court from under the governing family. Half of his advisory office truly believed the kingdom was better off with Melissa, the youngest daughter of the dynasty, on the throne, while the other half were still in doubt, observing silently what the new ruler would do.

Blooming court needed security, needed alliances and plans B, C and D to be sure the Leportiers didn't get pushed off by anyone and their slightly royal blooded granny. Thus it was decided that Sofiano and Melissa, both, to prevent her overtaking the power, would travel across L'arc, seeking friendships with neighbouring kingdoms and lands. It was not enough to be simply favoured by gods — they rarely show up when you really need their help, especially for mere mortal men. L'arc was nothing but a playground for its creators, a sandbox filled with interesting creatures for the curious undying to burn through a piece of glass if they were in the mood.

It has been some time since their travels began, having passed quite a few neighbouring lands the Leportier siblings were finally on their way to form the one alliance Saramye region never officiated — an alliance with birdborn. 

* * * * *

Highlands were not a walk among the fields — nestled high among the peaks, a realm cloaked in whispers of the winds, where ancient forests stretch their arms toward the heavens. Here, the towering trees stand as silent sentinels, their gnarled branches woven into a tapestry of deep emerald hues, sheltering secrets older than time itself. The air is thick with the fragrance of moss and damp earth, punctuated by the distant call of unseen creatures, their voices echoing like forgotten memories through the dense foliage. 

Within this labyrinth of trunks and verdure lie hidden cities, cloaked in the mist of legends and only glimpsed in fleeting dreams. Structures of stone and vine, entwined with nature's artistry, rise from the earth like ancient guardians. Their haunting beauty is whispered of in forgotten tales, conjured images of realms untouched by the passage of time. Here, the boundaries between the physical and the ethereal blur, inviting only the most daring souls to wander into the depths of the unknown.

This mountain region, a world unto itself, is both enchanting and forbidding — a testament to nature's ancient wisdom and the dreams that linger in the quiet places where time stands still, looked upon by the mighty gods of L'arc, but never touched. Highlands were birdborn territory — a race stranded between demigods and sin'lyans, between the undying and mortal, half-men and half vicious hunters with the grace of pure energy, they were closer to kelium than any of the mortal kind, yet stayed hidden from the rest of the world. 

Being different is never a kind thing to experience and for birdborn it was very evident — standing taller than any race, carrying their wings and bearing strong legs, covered in scale-like thick skin with claws sharper than any sword of L'arcian origin. Birdborn were known to trade with the outside world, but never mix, never really pay social calls or seek friends.

Yet they accepted the Leportiers. No one stopped them at the borders, yet shadows followed close by — Sofiano could feel their small traveller group being watched. He has arranged for very compact travels - half a dozen guards with his trusted right hand — Lord Zendaris. Being only a few cycles older than the king, Zendaris was raised by his side, as his personal guard and trusted friend. It was an honour to accompany Sofiano and his sister in these travels and for this journey he hand-picked only the best warriors to stand guard while the royal blood of Saramye's Blooming Court rested at night.

* * * * *

— I believe we have arrived, Your Highness, — Zendaris turned to the Leportiers as they approached massive gates, as if formed from the mountain side itself, covered in intricate patterns of ivy.

Sofiano went close to the gates, revealing the kelium mark on his arm to the mark where the handles would be. All royal blood or otherwise chosen representatives in L'arc wore marks of their posts, their bloodlines represented by a magical energy surge in their veins. This way no one could ever be mistaken for someone else, especially when it came to social or political visits for neighbouring kingdoms — it was also the way royal families made sure to communicate within their little chosen circles, not trusting representatives or proxys with any secrets, plans or news. Usually there was way too much at stake to allow outsiders knowledge. only gods could demand such honour.

A deep, resonant rumble began, the air grew taut with anticipation. The very ground beneath seemed to shudder as if in preparation to witness a ritual as ancient as the mountains themselves. Slowly the gates began to tremble, each stone groaning in protest. Vines and leaves quivered as if stirred by an unseen hand.

No, the gates did not fully open — just enough to let the travellers in, onto a path through the forest. However, it seemed they would not be going alone — a procession was ready to greet them, several birdborn guards stood beside the most beautiful creatures Sofiano had ever seen in his life. 

"The royal family of Highlands."

Being born and raised in Saramye, along the Blooming Court, Sofiano was not a shy man, yet he was speechless looking up at the six tall figures, as if glowing with holiness, as if the air around them was screaming royalty. It was not even about the birdborn king being taller than any of those surrounding him, or that he looked more vicious than any monster young Leportier could even imagine, but there was something regal about the weight of his presence. The way the birdborn looked at Leportier's group, the way just their gaze gave reassurance and the feeling of deep respect, even though they looked at the mortal men from the height of their being. Birdborn did not view them as weaker or beneath themselves — that's what made their posture so much more ethereal than Sofiano could ever imagine.

— We greet you, Young King Sofiano, Princess Melissa and their trusted men, — a slightly less flashy looking birdborn female stepped out, she was covered in sheer cloth decorated with star-shaped crystals, shining in what light could fight through the treetops. — My name is Avioris, the High Priestess of the Sylvillan family. 

One by one she introduced the mighty king Fetherel and his glorious wife Lumi Vesperis from the northern parts of the Highlands. Both king and queen wore much more opaque robes, depicting nature scenes, heavily decorated with golden elements and symbolic images of the sun. As Leportiers and their guards have learnt, the sun was an ancient Sylvillan symbol as well as they made it the symbol of Zephyrel, the capital city where all of them would be travelling shortly. Avioris also introduced Leportiers to the royal children: Echo, Alerion and Sirithorn. The oldest sister, Echo, in training to become the next High Priestess, had a rather subtle but strong gaze at their guests. One could guess she had little to no experience with the world beyond the borders of Highlands, meanwhile her younger brother Alerion, the future king, looked kind and quite adventurous, and slightly more human. 

Sofiano's heart skipped a beat when Avioris introduced him to Sirithorn. Smaller than the rest, looking as gracious as wind itself, she wore pale blue robes, which looked godly across her tanned skin. The human king was lost in the depths of her emerald-green eyes, smiling at him like a curious child smiles at new adventures. 

— Let us go, Young King, and discuss your visit over food and drinks — Fetherel smiled at the group, giving a sign to their guards that it's time to move.

* * * * * 

Nestled gracefully against the mountainside, the palace of the birdborn royals rose like a living extension of the forest. Built around ancient, towering trees, its structure seamlessly merges with the rugged landscape, where stone and greenery intertwine in unimaginable harmony. Tall, arched windows adorned with intricate stained glass filled the spacious halls with ethereal light, as the Leportiers and their guards followed the royals inside, casting vibrant patterns that dance across the natural stone floors. The soaring ceilings were surely designed for flight, allowing the inhabitants to glide effortlessly between grand chambers and open terraces that offer breathtaking views of the magical city below, hiding in century-old forestry, leaving only some parts open to sunlight.

The air inside the castle walls was filled with a sense of tranquility and magic, as the gentle sounds of rustling leaves and distant bird calls weaved through the corridors. Elegant carvings portraying heroes of legends and forest spirits decorated the walls. This majestic palace makes Sofiano feel at ease despite how massive it looked, despite his guards staying alert, Zendaris not leaving either of the royals out of his sight. Melissa seemed to truly enjoy herself, soaking in the beauty Blooming Court could never really build — the steep narrow cliffs it stood on could never hold such a massive fortress and, for obvious reasons, such intricately decorated windows were out of the question. However, maybe Sofiano will gift her with some stained-glass decorated greenhouse inside the castle walls when they come back home.

— Avioris will show you to the guest chambers, — queen Lumi turned to the Leportiers. —  It would be terrible of us to expect you to attend to politics straight from your journey. Please take the time and rest, we will feast at sunset and any discussions can be held afterwards.

The queen smiled softly, but Sofiano's eyes followed Siri, a creature he could never have even dreamed of meeting, who now occupied all his thoughts. Suddenly politics and social rules mattered less than a speck of dust floating in the air. He did not object to some rest however, especially for the sake of his men and Melissa, who took their travels especially harsh — no young lady should endure weather changes, lack of sleep and limited opportunities of self-care, even if that just meant fresh clothing and a bath.

Leportiers were located in two adjacent rooms with a huge heavily decorated bathing area between them, mosaics depicting scenes from legends all across the floor of what Melissa could only qualify as a pool, filled with lukewarm water. Zendaris was placed in quarters right across from the royals and his men were let downstairs, to more common lodgings, alongside castle guards and other staff. Still, for simple men the ways of birdborn architecture were grand — high ceilings, large beds on carcases of hand-carved wood, the difference between classes could only be seen in details, in how simpler rooms had barely any decoration while floors above the walls were covered in plants and murals, marble floors had unique patterns and there was sun, everywhere.

After a decent soak-off and a change of clothing both Sofiano and Melissa were looking less like travellers and more like the royalty they were. Blessed all the gods, the young princess was well-educated and made sure her personal belongings had items relevant to all kinds of trades between lands. Today she wore her late mother's necklace — a shining example of birdborn craftsmanship, a magical river of the smallest golden chains, decorated with drop-shaped gemstones going from almost transparent to the deepest shade of red, creating an illusion of constant movement on her neck. It was a bit massive for Melissa's young neckline, small and fragile, but her confidence pulled it through.

"It's how you carry the magic."

Meanwhile Sofiano did not have the luxury of trunks filled with trinkets, however he did bring a beautiful feather-shaped golden pin to decorate his suit for the discussions ahead. He was fully aware birdborn need access to Saramye more than the region needs them, however the king and queen seemed like the proud type of royalty that will never admit to needs.

* * * * *

While their guests were resting, the royal Sylvillans attended to their respective duties — king had a meeting with his advisors, queen overlooked preparations for the feast, as birdborn not so often hosted royals from other lands, older siblings headed for the library to study on the cultures beyond Highland territories and Siri was left with Avioris to overlook some decorations being brough for the feast. 

Highlands had the most beautiful nature of all of L'arc, flowers blooming throughout cycles, rivers flowing from the mountaintops, feeding the valleys with clearest of waters. The arrival of guests meant assortments of those flowers were to be placed in the main dining room, decorating the feast to come not only with beautiful colours and unique shapes, but also with the most unique smells. Birdborn highly appreciated all nature gives, be that wild life ending up in a beautiful roast, or flowers filling the rooms with unimaginable scents.

— Avioris, what do you think of our guests? - Sirithorn didn't look up from rearranging the flowers, but the priestess caught interest in the tone of her question.

— They're mortal men. Even though king Sofiano is a promising one, I still do not like them. There's too much anger and too many unjust decisions in their world.

— We don't really get out to see their world much...

— For a good reason, Princess.

— He has kind eyes though, Avi, really kind eyes.

— You are much too young to judge men by the kindness of their eyes, Princess, - Avioris smiled and giggled, being almost twice as old as the princess and already courted by those brave enough to cross her path.

Yet, the princess judged and wanted to know more of the foreign lands, to be able to understand Sofiano and the sadness she spotted right beneath all the kindness. There was a mystery to him and it intrigues the young Siri. Even if she was far too young to judge men, or to even have interest in men — she knew her father had already started looking for matches for her. Echo will never really marry, as she will take on the High Priestess role. Alerion will be king, he has been betrothed since he was but five cycles old. Siri, however, was an unplanned miracle, a late child, a surprise baby. Her destiny was not touched by her father and now it might have been too late.

* * * * *