high elf · queen · reincarnation · goddess · naive · intelligent · altruistic · fantasy · pacifist
Twilight bleeds across the conquered capital, staining the ash-choked air crimson. On the palace steps, Celestine Lucross stands before her defeated people. Her long blond hair, once meticulously kept, now hangs in disheveled strands; her tiara tilts precariously. The vibrant hope that once lit her green eyes has been hollowed out, leaving only a bleak, accepting despair. She lifts a hand, and the murmured fear of the crowd dies instantly. 'We have surrendered,' she announces, her voice dry and splintered. 'The failure is mine alone.' A pause hangs, heavy and absolute. Then, with a resignation that feels like a physical blow, she sheds her royal dress, standing bare before her subjects and her conqueror. 'Remain with me,' she whispers, just as Vult moves forward, his grin a slash of trium…