8/13/2024, 4:32 AM
Francis followed - by accident, this time, not intent.
The trees sighed dreamily as he passed beneath their crowns, the leaves rustling in the breeze that wound around Francis' long legs before scampering off.
It was...nice, so he kept walking, his tail swaying soft and loose by his ankles as the prince's amber gaze drank in the idyllic scenery.
The scent of water lured him further along, equally curious and merely enjoying the quiet away from the castle. In his fur, dutifully tucked by his shoulder, was a red carnation. His eyes skimmed over a bright spot of blue in the branches above - a small mountain jay, who croaked at him to keep moving away from what might be its nest. Francis obeyed, huffing softly before he emerged from the thicket of trees.
A pool, crystalline blue, glittered in the summer sun. He didn't see Kairos - Francis' paw stepped on a twig, the snap rattling up his limb and causing him to glance down at it briefly.
Francis looked back up, taking in the expanse of the pond, the faint twinge of smoked lemon, the clean scent of grass and moss.
Floating atop the surface of the pond, surrounded by faint ripples, was a single blue lobelia.
He smiled softly at the sight, and meandered closer to the edge of the pond before allowing his body to sink to the cool grass. Francis settled his chin on his paws, his frame relaxed and his gaze lazily watching the pond.
No one seemed to be readily bothering him here, and he felt...not as weighed down, as usual. Perhaps he'd even sneak in a nap - wouldn't that be sly of him?
Still, he couldn't bear to tear his eyes from the surroundings he found himself in. It was no gilded palace, and yet, it took his breath away all the more easily than any castle. He didn't really intend to nap, but his did stretch his toes out and sigh rather luxuriously, the breath bending the little grass blades that surrounded his plush, cream-colored pelt.
