Gloria
Rhurrik's eyes lit up happily at Alora's reaction to hearing he was to perform, but they quickly died down when he heard the obvious inclination that her father had passed. His brow creased inwards, as if he was silently telling her with his eyes how sorry he was for her loss. Even when the princess happily accepted his offer to sing for her, there was still that look of sadness in his eyes, even behind his beaky smile. Regardless, Rhurrik cleared his throat and sat up a bit as he took a seat in front of the princess. There was a hint of nervousness to the bard's demeanor, but that was to be expected. Performing was still something the young aarakocra had not fully gotten used to just yet. "Well, your grace, I'll dedicate this song to your father if you don't mind." Offering a respectful nod, Rhurrik looked down to the strings on his lyre, and after a few silent moments, he began to play.

For a few moments, there was nothing but the melody from his instrument that filled the air. Closing his eyes, Rhurrik allowed himself to fully focus on playing over ensuring Alora was enjoying his performance. Forgetting the nerves as best he could, the aarakocra imagined he was alone and practicing as usual; it was the only real way he knew how to get rid of nerves. The tune itself was very melancholy. Slow and steady, each strum of his lyre filled the air. Then, the young bard began to sing.

_ _
"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine."

The lyrics paused for but a moment, allowing the tune to take hold once more. The melody was repetitive, but it was with a purpose to tell a story. Thus, the lyrics continued, though Alora would very quickly notice something strange; there was more than one voice now. It was still Rhurrik's voice, but somehow, magically, he was harmonizing with himself. It was obviously some sort of illusion, but one that was both a sight and delight to see and hear, as gentle lights began to dance from his claws onto the strings of his lyre, forming what looked like a silhouette of two figures dancing with one another.

"Tell her to make me a cambric shirt *(on the side of a hill in the deep forest green)*
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme *(Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground)*
Without no seams nor needle work *(blankets and bedclothes the child of the mountain)*
Then she'll be a true love of mine *(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call)*"

_ _
Soon, the pair of illusory dancers began to waltz right off of the strings of Rhurrik's lyre and into the air, now making their way to do so around Alora. If she looked close enough, she'd see it were a pair of deer, anthropomorphic like that of a shapeshifter. The doe was much smaller than the man and was laden with a green dress. The stag was mighty, with a crown upon his head. It didn't take much to realize just who Rhurrik was conjuring up in this illusion. *It was Alora and her father.*

"Tell her to find me an acre of land *(on the side of a hill a sprinkling of leaves)*
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme *(Washes the grave with silvery tears)*
Between the salt water and the sea strands *(a soldier cleans and polishes a sword)*
Then she'll be a true love of mine."

As the next verse began, the dancers would flourish together and become simple lights, one green and the other a bright yellow like that of Alynthi's banner. The two began to bob and weave and chase one another in tune with the music, the melody much more passionate now in this nearly final bridge of the song.

"Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather *(war bellows blazing in scarlet battalions)*
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme *(Generals order their soldiers to kill)*
Gather it all in a bunch of heather *(and to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten)*
Then she'll be a true love of mine."

Then, the music began to slow down once more. The two bright balls of light slowed down significantly, gently hovering around one another in one final dance. Floating downward in front of Alora, the yellow ball drew near to her before slowly levitating to her chest, and bursting with a gentle wave right where her heart would be. Rhurrik looked up, his eyes filled with tears as he finished, his voice unwavering.

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine."
Marjorie
The princess lowered her hands back down to her lap and fell silent as she prepared oneself to listen to what Rhurrik had in store. Her eyes focused on the lyre and its magnificent strings. She wondered how much control Rhurrik had over every feather of his wings to be able to play the lyre. Though of course, talent never has its explanation. It's just there, belonging to its conjuror.

Alora's smile from earlier remained plastered. Soon her torso began to slowly sway side to side along with his head. The lyrics were soothing, as well as the voice of Rhurrik's and pluck of his lyre's strings. As his voice began to harmonize itself, Alora fell deeper into the non-existent spell of his spell. 

As the illusory dancers waltzed over to the two, the princess stopped swaying. Her eyes followed the deer pair. It was remarkable. Following the prance patterns of the deers, Alora's eyes widened. Rhurrik had seen right through her by a single mention of her father. Her emerald eyes glistened and began to feel heavy which struck the tease to her waterlines. Was it scruple of her to cry at this instant? She knew well that once a tear trickled down her cheek, there would be more to follow it.

As the two deers, staunched to one another, conjoined and shimmered the colours of Alynthi, a sniffle was heard escaping from the princess. Following that sniffle was a tear that trickled down her left cheek. The song was emotionally touching and the illusory had that bursted at her chest was just as touching.

As soon as Rhurrik finished singing, the princess abruptly stood and knocked the chair she sat on down to the ground.

Her arms stretched outwards and wrapped around Rhurrik. She knew how informal it was of her hugging someone, especially someone that wasn't of her royal blood or royal in general, but she just could not hold herself back.

"Thank you... It was beautiful; the lyrics, your voice, the plucks of the lyre strings, the deers. I loved it all."

The princess whispered these words as the tears flowed down her cheeks. Alora was careful to not have her tears trickle down onto Rhurrik's feather as she assumed it would've been uncomfortable by using her biomancy. A handkerchief that had appeared was busy quickly wiping away any tear that was in sight.
Gloria
Realizing he had made Alora cry as well, Rhurrik felt terrible, but that feeling was soon replaced with relief as the princess wrapped her arms around the little bard. His lyre clattered to the floor but he paid it no mind as he gently wrapped his arms and wings around Alora. The two embraced and shared the tender moment like best friends, but as the two pulled away from one another Rhurrik couldn't help but smile, even as tears tried their best to crawl from his eyes to his cheeks. "I am happy you enjoyed it, your highness." Rhurrik smiled so brightly you could barely tell his eyes were open. Picking up his lyre as a sniffle escaped his beak, the aarakocra let in and out a long and shaky sigh.

Feeling the need to explain himself, Rhurrik looked to Alora with a sad but happy look in his eyes. "I believe that is what music is for. To make people share feelings that may not have felt elsewise. I have never felt the loss of a loved one, but I did through your reaction and embrace." Tilting his head to the side as he returned the lyre to his back, Rhurrik soon stood and picked up the chair Alora had knocked over as he continued. "I do think, however, a bard crying over his own performances is something I should probably work on." Chuckling lightly to try and brighten the mood, Rhurrik turned to face the princess.

_ _
With a sigh and a smile, the aarakocra soon had a thought pop into his head. That moment the two had shared was special, and now Rhurrik had a deep desire to keep it that way. Furrowing his brow with determination, the young bard looked up to Alora with a nod, "I... I think that song is best kept between us, don't you? I'd rather keep it special for you, than share amongst the rest of Sorevelle. Besides, I believe I missed my stage cue-" Rhurrik chuckled sheepishly when he realized the time. Soon, the festival would end, leaving the poor little bard with a missed opportunity.

But he wouldn't change it for the world if it meant not sharing such a tender moment with Princess Alora.
Marion
For those within the dining hall of Thyseer, it may have been hard to see the night sky with no overhead windows. There were large windows along the walls however, which did allow a bit of the sky to be seen. Given how empty the dining hall was, there was truly no one that noticed the moon or stars missing from the sky above. Instead, everything seemed to be as normal. A man entered the dining hall and called over to a pair of other attendants, which all three then ran out to see what the commotion was about. After a few short moments, a terrifying red color bled through the window to the floor of the hall.

The sky was now blood red, but before either Rhurrik or Alora could truly react, their minds would be bombarded with an unbearable pain. Crippling their movements and magic, neither could truly move. Instead, they were forced to bear such a pain as an otherworldy voice invaded their minds, one feminine but terrifying in its nature.

**₮ⱧɆ ĐɆVØɄⱤɆⱤ'₴ ɆɎɆ Ⱨ₳₴ ₴Ɇ₮₮ⱠɆĐ Ø₦ Ʉ₴. ₳ ₵₳₮₳ⱠɎ₴₮ ɎɆ₮ ₮Ø Đł₴₵ØVɆⱤ ł₮₴ɆⱠ₣ ⱠłɆ₴ ĐØⱤ₥₳₦₮ ł₦ ł₵Ɇ. ₥Ø₮ⱧɆⱤ ₳₦Đ Đ₳Ʉ₲Ⱨ₮ɆⱤ ₳₦Đ ₴Ø₦ ₩łⱠⱠ ₱ɆⱤł₴Ⱨ, ₮ⱧɆ ₲ⱤɆ₳₮ ₮ɆⱤⱤØⱤ₴ ₩łⱠⱠ ⱤɆ₮ɄⱤ₦, ฿Ʉ₮ Ø₦ⱠɎ Ʉ₦ł₮ɆĐ ₩łⱠⱠ ₮ⱧɆ ĐɆVØɄⱤɆⱤ ₣₳ⱠⱠ.**

As the voice disappeared from their minds, the pain would begin to recede as well, but lingered in the pair's bones in an unsettling way. Magic could now work it seemed, and soon the blood red color from the sky disappeared, replaced with the calm lights from the stars and moon. Screams from outside and inside the castle reached both Alora and Rhurrik's ears however, meaning they weren't the only two to hear such a terrifying warning.
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