Enter the Mists

[Brayden Antares]

[member="Faye Malvern"]'s response caused the Endelaan native to smile broadly with a soft chuckle. The silence that lingered afterwards pulled at Brayden's heart. Had he been too forward? Was she merely contemplating a way to 'let him down easy'? The emotions that were coursing through his mind, body, and soul were so aggressive and, honestly, sudden he almost felt as if he needed to resist them. For the moment he was...partially succeeding? Certainly there was much more that he wished to say to Faye but found the words dried out in his throat. It was only the third time in his life that he could recall feeling genuine fear. It would probably have helped to be something of an empath at that moment, but he did not possess the skill with strangers just yet.

When Faye's honeyed voiced reached his ears once more in agreement, the smile that he'd been forcing to remain broadened even further out of natural movement. A swell of relief washed over his body, but before he could respond, Faye was already directing off the dance floor and towards the exit. Managing a soft laugh, he responded simply as they stepped out into the cool night air. This he was used to, a desert always cooled significantly when the sun went down. "A walk..."

Stepping to Faye's side, he looped her arm in his with a smile. "...sounds perfect." Brayden knew less about Geonosis than Faye did, so he simply...walked. It didn't really matter to him where they went, he just wanted to be by her side, feeling her warmth against his body and in his heart. "I must confess I am new to Geonosis as well. In fact I have spent very little time in this area of the galaxy...at all." As the discussion of homeworlds had come up earlier, Brayden felt it safe now to continue with an inquiry as to Faye's own home. Endelaan would remain his secret...for a little while longer. "You asked me earlier where I was from, but in my excitement and admiration, I allowed my desire, need to be close to you to keep me from repaying the favor." Brayden offered Faye a playful yet knowing wink. "From where do you hail, Faye Malvern?"

 

[Faye Malvern]

Her arm slipped into his easily and she relished in the sensation of his muscles rippling under her fingers. The night air was cool and every so often a gentle breeze would whip through the tight alleyways, causing the hair on her arms to stand on end. As they began to meander through the streets of Geonosis a soft smile lit up Faye's eyes. She had trained them on the man attached to her arm and saw no reason for them to ever leave the sculpted features that rested there ever again. Faye let her other hand swing loosely by her side, causing her skirts to flit around her bare legs.

'That makes us the perfect couple then, we can get lost together.' She squeezed his arm gently in her grasp, a gentle titter leaving her lips at her jest. At his question she paused briefly, her full lips pressing in on each other as she thought. One half of her would have instantly barreled into a spiel about Serenno and her life there, but the other half of her was holding back. So far she'd spent over half of her life hiding the fact that she came from there, hiding her last name, tucking away her blood relations... But it was different now, wasn't it? 'Serenno.' Faye said it simply, so simply she surprised herself with how boring she had made it sound.

She looked down at her feet, focusing on the way the dust flew up and encircled her feet with each step. 'I left a long time ago... After that I just sort of floated around. I stayed mostly in the Core worlds and now I'm here. Hopefully for longer than the other places.' Faye shut her eyes, exhaling so lightly she was unsure any air had left her lungs. 'But, I'm sorry. All you asked me was where I came from.' Her head lifted to look back up at the shocking silver-green of his eyes, those captivating, bright eyes. 'I can see it will take you a while to open up to me though. Mystery suits you. What can I ask you instead? Let's see...' She lifted a hand and cupped her chin in mock thought. 'I know. What brought you to the bar tonight?'

[member=Brayden Antares]

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden's bright gaze sparkled briefly as a surge of emotion washed over his body at Faye's first words. "I fear I may already be lost..." It was a cheesy statement, but it had fallen from his lips almost involuntarily. In an attempt to laugh off the confession, Brayden redirected them down one of the side streets. The only place he really knew in the area was the luxury hotel in which he presently maintained occupancy. There had been the offer to stay within the Obsidian Citadel, of course, but Brayden couldn't really say that he was...quite that devoted to their cause as yet.

As Faye began to speak about Serenno, the Sith Lord found him searching his brain for any amount of recognition. So much of the presently known galaxy was foreign to him, and Serenno did not immediately stand out. Certainly, however, he would never forget it after this night. The Prince actually hadn't thought Faye rambling at all, but he had to admit he was more or less lost in the general magnetism of her presence. While not an empath, Brayden could tell that something about the memory of her home...bothered Faye. It made him want to comfort her in some manner, but he knew too little about both the situation and the woman to likely be any good at it.

Instead, Brayden allowed himself to draw just a touch closer to Faye, bring his free hand to rest upon the arm she had intertwined with his own. Fortunately, the alluring woman simply changed the subject, indicating an awareness that he was...holding back. "I..." he started to say before Faye relieved him of the necessity by asking an entirely different question. The kindness forced a warm smile to spread across his features. He'd only just left Endelaan in the wake of discovering that perhaps he had countless brothers and sisters traversing the galaxy. It made him...a touch uneasy in that exact moment to contribute to any possible issue. More importantly, he could feel that he wanted to tell Faye everything, like she was a piece of his soul that he never knew he had been missing.

"Well. Honestly, I was just looking for an interesting place to relax and people watch." A thin smirk settled on the Sith Lord's lips at that revelation. "I didn't count on my eyes catching the most breathtaking sight they had ever had the pleasure to drink in, however." Leaning over, Brayden kissed Faye softly on the cheek before turning the question back to her. "And you? What brought you in to such an establishment? And how in the galaxy were you alone?"

[member="Faye Malvern"]

 

[Faye Malvern]

His line, cheesy though it was, cause a violent scarlet shade to decorate Faye's cheeks. Lost for words she simply looked at him and graced him with a timid smile. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so giddy in the company of someone. Brayden was the culmination of all the dapper gentlemen dancing at the extravagant balls she had watched from the sidelines as a child. So much so that Faye was entirely certain they'd met before, in a dream somewhere perhaps. 'We're lucky we bumped into each other then.' If this was lost Faye didn't ever want to be found again. They turned down the side street just as Faye glanced up to smile at the mysterious man that had stolen her heart in less than five minutes of meeting her.

Faye rested her head against his arm as they walked. His hand was a comforting presence, more so than any she had felt since returning home to her brother. His skin felt smooth against hers, the heat radiating off it was a pleasant sensation against the chill that had taken over the night. How was it that someone she had only just met could make her feel like nothing in the entire Galaxy would ever be wrong again? Brayden's hand against her own was like a reassurance that she would never experience the tragedies of Serenno again. He was safety and excitement all wrapped up into one. Both a protector and an adventure.

Another sultry laugh left her throat as she spoke. She'd never known someone to be so complimentary, and she'd never known to herself to accept them all without question or argument. For some reason every word that fell from his throat she instantly believed. 'Funny, I was about to say the same thing.' Her head tilted slightly to let the kiss meet her cheek. Her free hand rose automatically, tanned fingers gently grazed against the skin where his lips were moments ago. She almost tutted at herself, she was behaving like a love sick teenager, but the more she thought about it the more she didn't care. 'I was exploring. When he's not busy my brother lives in the viceroyalty building here. I'm residing with him there for the mean while. I thought I might as well get to know the place.'

She turned to look at Brayden once more, a smile touching her expression and lighting up her eyes. 'I wasn't going to stop in that bar. They're not typically where I would spend my time. I'm pleased I decided too though.' Faye hardly took any notice of where they were going, nor did she think to ask. Brayden seemed to be taking the lead and that was just fine with her. 'So, if you won't tell me where you're from at least tell me something about yourself.'

[member=Brayden Antares]

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden’s smile dissipated ever so slightly as a thought occurred to him. He’s been so wrapped up in the magnetic, electric feel of [member="Faye Malvern"]’s presence, that he hadn’t even thought to ask the simplest, most obvious question. ”The viceroyalty building...”

Eventually, Brayden managed a laugh in spite of his own stupidity. ”Exarch Malvern is your brother,” he stated surprisingly matter-of-factly. ”Well I am thrilled you decided to depart from your normal routine, and I am ever-thankful you happened to choose the seat next to my own.”

As the pair turned down a larger street, they were met with an impressive, expansive view of a more glittering, upscale commercial district than the one they had just departed. There weren’t really any bars or clubs of any sort, but the street did contain a number of high-end restaurants, hotels, and a few high-rise residential buildings. People lined both sides of the street, but it wasn’t crowded by any means.

Faye’s last request pulled a half-laugh from the Endelaan native’s lips. ”I’m...” Something within Brayden desperately wanted to tell Faye about Endelaan, about its people, his family, and when he was from, but he knew to tell her now was a huge risk. The Sith Lord wanted to preserve the bulk of their conversation for when he was sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was a secret he’d like to share with her, forever. ”I am sorry Faye. I don’t mean to be so guarded, but my family and where we are from. It’s just...very complicated, and I would hate to bore you.”

Managing to allow his warm smile to return to his features, he did tell her something. ”Well...I do have a sister as I’ve mentioned. Both of my parents...are unfortunately dead, but I do still have a pretty sizable family. It spans between Centurions, deWinters, Cavataios, and Antares’. In fact...the Vi’Dreyas are adopted relations.”

Shaking his head, Brayden managed to return his smile to Faye. ”How about yourself? Big family?”

 

[Faye Malvern]

Faye was as surprised at his revelation as he was. She hadn't thought to mention that Adron was Exarch. 'Oh. Yes, he is.' To her he was simply Adron, the young boy who had entertained her when she was bored or comforted her when she was upset. Titles hardly mattered when you were family. 'Well, I don't exactly have a normal routine, but I must admit this whole day has been entirely out of the ordinary for me.' Her eyes flicked up to his for a brief second as she spoke her next words. 'It's almost fate that I met you today.' She didn't believe in fate, but there was no other explanation for it.

They turned the street into the slightly higher class district of Geonosis. Faye felt a little more comfortable here, though in all honesty since she had bumped into Brayden she'd felt safe, if not safer, than she had done since the assassination attempts. Even with all the protection she had been assigned, nothing felt safer than the feeling she got walking by his side. 'You don't have to tell me anything. I trust you'll share when the time is right.' A quick blush crawled up the dip in her cheeks. It was embarrassing to assume there would be another meeting when it hadn't been said officially.

She nodded slightly as he spoke of his family. She had heard little of any of them, but she was fairly familiar with the Vi'Dreyas. Adron spoke fondly of the head of their household often. 'I won't lie, I haven't heard of any of those names. I've been out of the loop for so long. How many of you are there?' His next question caused her to look down at the floor suddenly. Once upon a time the Malvern's had been a big family. 'I did have. Two sisters and three brothers and a whole host of aunts and uncles. Now there's just three of us.' The memory made her wince and, without thinking, she reached down to press the thin material of her dress against the ghastly scar that lay on her left thigh.

[member=Brayden Antares]

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden's knowledge and awareness of Adron pretty much stopped there. He'd only been among the Confederacy long enough to plainly recognize a handful of names. Faye's comment about her entire day being out of the ordinary caused Brayden to tilt his head curiously. However, her follow-up about it being fate that they'd met erased the expression and replaced it with a warm smile. "It's clearly my lucky day, then."

Faye's presumption of a follow-on interaction had not escaped Brayden's awareness, but he didn't really comment on that particular aspect. "I appreciate your understanding. I wouldn't want to scare you off on the first date," accompanied a playful wink that mostly conveyed his desire to see Faye again past the present evening. "I'm not exactly surprised you haven't heard those names. My family is very widespread...except for maybe the Cavataios. Most of them are pretty well rooted within Confederacy space. It's...interesting though. The youngest generation of all the families is not very young at the moment."

Brayden gave Faye a slightly apologetic look. "I mean. That doesn't mean I'm out here just trying to find someone to breed with I'm just...you know...making conversation." And I was doing so well not being awkward. Social discourse very much was a work in progress for the Sith that had spent most of his recent life in solitude. That is, of course, unless you counted mental conversations with a wide array of animals on the forbidden continent of Endelaan.

"Did have?" Brayden didn't really know how else to ask what had happened to her family, and he certainly did not want to trigger any emotions Faye would rather not discuss. "I'm sorry. I understand if it's something you would rather not discuss."

[member="Faye Malvern"]

 

[Faye Malvern]

Faye grinned and shook her head. 'It's our lucky day.' He had called it a date. The idea brought forth a beaming smile that she couldn't have hid even if she tried. From what Faye had heard dates were rather meticulously planned. The more she thought on it the more she realized she rather preferred the idea of a spur of the moment one. It was something a little out of the ordinary which set her heart a flame with excitement that felt beyond words. 'If we're considering this our first date, I already can't wait for our second.' His wink completely melted her, it was entirely lucky she still had a fast hold of his arm otherwise she was sure her knees would give way.

Not very young? For a split second Faye's brows knitted together in confusion. It wasn't exactly out of the ordinary, there were old families spread throughout the Galaxy. What was odd was the way he had said the word young. For some reason it sounded like he was suggesting they were older than she might have assumed... How young was he? Almost instantly her mind had decided she could care less how old he was, what mattered most was the way she felt about him, and the way she hoped he felt about her. His apologetic look was not lost on her and she returned it with a soft smile that she hoped conveyed her understanding for the matter.

His next words elicited a high, sweet laugh from the pit of her stomach. 'I'm pleased to hear I'm not just a breeding option for you.' Her words were littered with amusement as she lent against his arm affectionately. She felt a little less embarrassed about assuming there would be a second meeting after that. 'I assure you I thought nothing of the sort.'

Did she want to talk about it? Faye hadn't talked about it in years. There were very few people who really knew, and the one person who knew better than anyone else hardly ever talked about it. Lost in her trail of thought Faye chewed on one side of her lip. Her Mother had often scolded her for the same thing when she was alive, but in this instance Faye found it hard to care if it made her seem unladylike or not. The silence seemed to stretch forever. Before too long she broke it, with slow, deliberate words. 'They were betrayed.'

There was a brief pause in which she considered whether she should say any more, but the words continued regardless. 'No. I mean yes they were betrayed, but their memory deserves the truth. It's been so long since I've said it.' Faye glanced up at the silver-green of his eyes. Despite the fact that Brayden had said nothing she felt comforted, like she didn't have to hide it any more. 'They were assassinated. I was eight. Adron and I were the only ones to survive, with little more than scars. We were lucky.'

[member=Brayden Antares]

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden's soft smile easily met that of Faye's as she leaned against his arm in laughter. A part of him felt as if he could carry on like this for an indeterminate amount of time. Though his social interactions with most humans had been limited as of late, the Endelaan native knew enough about the feeling of comfort to appreciate Faye's company. He didn't feel like there were any expectations or requirements of him. There was no constant studying of history and new combat techniques. Most importantly, there was no emptiness that resulted from feeling as if you were ultimately alone in the galaxy. The woman by his side filled a very large hole in his heart and soul.

As Faye went on to respond to his last question, Brayden was immediately pulled from his silent reverie. His silver-green eyes intensified briefly in brightness at the concept of a family betrayal. For a moment, his thoughts towards many that had been charged with safeguarding the legacy of his parents caused his emotions to bristle. However, the Sith Lord quickly wrestled control of his emotions as he continued to listen to Faye.

Pain. He could feel that without being an empath, and he could see it in Faye's eyes, hear it in the strain of her voice. In this regard they could relate. Brayden certainly knew loss, abrupt, unfair loss. When she finally finished recounting the brief events, Brayden stopped walking. They were standing idly in front of some large bank or another. It was closed at this hour as were many of the non-recreational businesses, but the lighting from inside burned brightly, casting a warm glow on the couple on the sidewalk.

Ignorant or uncaring of anyone else around, Brayden turned and shift his arms to completely envelope Faye's form. In that instant, he pressed a deep, passionate kiss to her lips. Initially...there was something he'd wanted to say. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was, how we knew what it was like to lose so much, so young. He wanted to tell her that despite any pain and suffering of her past...of now, she had clearly managed to turn into a beautiful, intelligent, and capable woman.

Instead, the Endelaan Prince merely allowed his thoughts and would-be comments to drift between the two via his passion and admiration for her.

[member="Faye Malvern"]

 

[Faye Malvern]

As they walked, and she spoke, a web of emotion that had been entirely untouched since her departure from Serenno began to unravel. Though her words were few simply speaking them seemed to bring forth all the anger, pain and sorrow that she had been hiding away for nearly twelve years. A hot flush filled her cheeks and turned them scarlet red, her lips pressed together to form a slim line where there used to be voluptuous curves. Faye turned away quickly, both upset by the topic and by the fact she was sure tears would follow soon. She never cried, or rarely ever, the only exception being her reunion with Adron and the dinner that followed. Certainly not in front of complete strangers though. Crying made her feel so vulnerable. After years of building up the walls that protected her she'd be dammed if they broke now, but it was Brayden who saved them. Suddenly halting in his steps, she found herself looking up to see what the matter was.

The moment their lips met a hot fire sparked in the depths of Faye's heart. In that instant, the split second where his skin came into contact with hers, all her worries melted away into the cool evening air. Family would always hold a place in her heart, dead or otherwise, yet with Brayden's arms around her everything was forgotten. It was just the two of them, entirely lost in fairy tale world of blooming romance. The whole of Geonosis could have come crumbling down around them and Faye would't have noticed. So long as Brayden's muscular frame was pressed against her body nothing else mattered. She didn't care if people were staring she didn't care who saw or what they would think. Passion overtook her and she found her fingers worked their way through his sandy hair.

Lost in the moment she pulled him as close as she dared. They were almost one body, standing crushed together in the middle of the street, neither one daring to pull away and break the spell. A thousand and one thoughts streamed through her mind and into Brayden's. Sorry wasn't going to fix anything and despite how little she knew of him she knew he would understand that. Though she wouldn't make it clear she already understood, everything had been leading up to this moment, to walking into that bar and sitting on that seat. Deep down, somewhere in the swirling tornado of emotion that had overtaken Faye, she knew the only saving grace to her tragic past would be him.

[member=Brayden Antares]

 

[Brayden Antares]

Time stood still in that moment. In fact, it seemed as if every function of nature was put into suspense, carving out a hollow of space that belonged only to [member="Faye Malvern"] and himself. If Brayden cared to have active conscious thoughts beyond that of enjoying the warmth and comfort of Faye's embrace, he might have considered the quality of his life. Born into a royal, happy household only to be ripped away from everything he knew and loved before he could walk. What he had endured was not death. There was no gradual slipping of a presence or fading sound of his dying parents' last words. In that regard, he could only presume to understand a modicum of Faye's hurt.

Instead...his loss was probably...lessened somehow? As an infant, Brayden had known only the comfort of his parents' and sister's touch and the touch of their respective presences upon his soul. One day his entire world just went black and they were simply gone as if they'd never truly existed. There had been reunion of course. The warmth of his mother's presence eventually returned to envelope, protect, and guide him through The Darkness.

Now he stood upon the streets of Geonosis, long since returned to the living galaxy. It was a galaxy he knew precious little about. He didn't really have a prior understanding to compare it to. All he knew, he knew from his mother's memories, he knew her experiences.

Slowly, Brayden broke the kiss they shared but did not move to create any manner of distance between them. Following a soft kiss to her forehead, Brayden allowed the tip of his nose to rest gently upon the spot he had just caressed with his lips. A slow, steady exhale escaped the Sith Lord in that moment. Had he been holding his breath this entire time? A part of the Endelaan Prince felt as though he'd been holding that breath his entire life...waiting to meet the one person that would bring him the comfort and desire to release it, to lower his barriers. "If I could spend a lifetime in your arms, it would never be enough."

Withdrawing from Faye's arms just enough to gaze upon her eyes, Brayden smiled warmly. "Similarly I wish this night could last forever. Of all the wonders I have seen, I have never gazed upon anything so..." A single thumb raised to brush lightly against Faye's tanned cheek. "...beautiful in every way." Though the comfort of Faye's presence continued to wash over Brayden, he knew that they would have to depart each other's company eventually.

The thought of the impending separation caused him anguish, but he took comfort in the rising of tomorrow's son. The first day of his life where he felt a true sense of purpose and belonging albeit not to the Confederacy. Brayden Antares would not yet admit it aloud, but he could feel his soul reaching for Faye's, and he knew that it was not a longing that would ever truly abate.