a flower blooms only to be crushed // romulus

[Romulus]

She knew how he felt about the situation. There was no doubt about that. Romulus usually is not expressive, but in his anger, he tended to be blunt and firm with his words as he seethed. She had seen it once before during her capture and now once again during her charade at the border. Thankfully for him, his frustrations were for a good reason. As he walked along to their meeting place, he pondered if Merlin knew the reason behind his actions, rather the expression of his misdeeds. To what he hoped was a potential ally and a friend, the lion did not want to reveal his disdain to her again. Yet, here they were.

The rising summer sun pounded down on his multicolored fur as he arrived nearby, purple hues spotting the other lion in a clearing. She seemed pre-occupied with staring at the bright sky as he approached comfortably. He walked slow purposefully. His gaze watched as her soft features switched down to her chest, a tongue caressing carefully along her pelt. A smile stifled across his lips. It faded almost instantly due to the situation at hand. The reason for their meeting was unfortunate and could not be forgotten.

His throat cleared in an attempt to catch her attention as he deaccelerated. Chiseled features looked inquisitively at her in hopes she would stare back and acknowledge his presence. A hesitant paw offered a wave. "Busy?" he questioned nonchalantly. Romulus thought she looked quite elegant for the messy situation that just occurred, especially how professionally she carried herself. A quick grooming session did not seem necessary.

Whether or not she answered honestly, he ambled over to her side and sat down. A relaxed tail swished downwards and wrapped around his side, curling around his paws to finish off. His attention turned to the sky. A pleased hum rumbled out of his throat, realizing the gorgeous perspective of the clouds she had previously. "I see why you were gawking," came his soft tone. The magnificent warm hues of the sky bounced off the clouds and painted a portrait above the two. "It's quite gorgeous." His gaze moved back down to look back at her with a subtle grin. How ironic.

A disappointed sigh left him. "I'm sorry we had to meet again like this," he murmured. With Ximen dead and their chance at an alliance temporarily squandered, Romulus was disgruntled. Even so, the kingpin couldn't imagine the pain she felt. Her friend is dead. She was visiting the land she was kept hostage in. The two feats couldn't have been easy to face. He couldn't help but feel sympathetic. A paw reached out to lightly rub the top of hers and then pull away, letting her know he was there for her. "It's nice to see you again though, Merlin."