Hushed Willows Stranded Lullaby

@Dante but eventually @Valiant somewhere

She truly was gone... And though it had been Orlaith's own fault, with every minute the fae spent alone she felt more and more guilty. Maybe she should've given in - made herself a doormat to cross over. She would've lost half her pack, but she wouldn't have lost her. She'd returned to the same willow Dante had spied on her, but this time there were no notes or tunes or poetry. All there were, were gentle sobs fading away in the sounds of the rain. If this wasn't on her mind, then maybe she would've worried about something flooding. She didn't have the mental space for it however.

She felt like a failure as a queen, a diplomat and a therapist. She couldn't help Orlaith - she hadn't wished to listen or calm down. Was she a bad queen for not allowing someone unfit to rule into a rank of power? Or had she done the right thing, but was suffering the consequences of it anyway? She knew sometimes it was best to let something go, see if it returns but otherwise wave it goodbye with a smile - but, why did it have to be her? Loinnir was unsure of what to do with the crying queen, offering her a wing at first but he eventually gave up when the sobbing didn't stop and his feathers became wetter than desired. If this were some ancient, fantastical tale - the crying queen would fill the court with her tears, leaving all those who followed her to drown in her sadness.

Instead, it was just Lumiya - front toes pressed against the willow as she rested her forehead against it, cheeks a mix of salty tears and rain.