The soft glow of the star-filled sky caressed the port city. From the Meliak manor perched majestically atop the nearby bluffs, the view of Riverdale was magnificant. Even at night, the flickering lights of the street lamps and store window lanterns created a dazzling spectacle. Tonight though, in the wee hours of the morning, the city slept, its radiance fading, consumed by the silence the darkness brings.

The Ambassador sat at the open window of her chamber, gazing out upon the moonlit waves of the deep blue ocean. A cool, gentle breeze blew in, stirring her dark auburn hair which flowed loosely past her shoulders. A troubled sign appeared in those jade green eyes as she sat solemnly, sorting through countless thoughts.

It had been months since she had last heard from the Baron, and though she continuously assured herself that he was merely busy with foreign affairs, Celidie could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. She had not had the chance to grow close to Vendric, as his death occurred so shortly after she had been accepted into the Barony. Though Tilmon had become a good friend, calling upon her skills and trusting her enough to request that she be his Ambassador and confidante. If something were to happen to him, and he without an heir...

She sighed, struggling vainly to put these thoughts out of mind. So much had been troubling her recently, so many restless nights. She, too, had heard nothing from Azaeruil, though rumors of the rogue elf had reached her ear. An outcast? The whispers she had heard could not possibly be true. And yet, she could not help but wonder... What could he possibly have done? Was her love truly a killer?

The mention of death brought on all new waves of memories, and as she stared out at the sea, a look of sadness overcame her face. An image came of Vivinus, laying slaughtered upon Stonegate's cold street. Celidie had felt so helpless that, in his final moments, she could do nothing to save him. He had been her dearest friend, and thinking back to the moments they had shared brought a tear to her eye and a gnawing emptiness in her heart. To think, she had pleaded that he not harm Azaeruil, yet it was Vivinus' face that she would never again see, his voice she would never again hear...

Celidie turned away from the open window, closing her eyes to that tranquil view. What was to become of all this, she did not know. And some things were simply far too difficult to comprehend. Glancing out once again at those luminous waters, she sighed softly and stood. She carefully closed the shutters and curtains and returned to her grand canopy bed.

Easing beneath her blankets, the Ambassador tried once again to cast these troubling thoughts from mind. There was nothing she could do, aside from mulling over them further, yet her mind would not grant her peace. And so, she rested her head upon the pillow, staring up at the ceiling through the darkness. She slowly allowed her eyes to close, and quietly she lay there, waiting for sleep...