Once her friend began sobbing anew, Kali’s heart had immediately dropped. The elf cursed herself silently – why did she have to mention the gown? Her lips bow downward into a frown and her eyebrows knitted together as she watched her best friend and childhood companion’s bottom lip begin quiver and tear begin to fall anew down her cheeks. The sight made Kali’s heart ache, like someone had slipped a dagger between the third and fourth ribs.<br/><br/><span style="color: purple">“Lanthra..”</span><br/><br/>She tried to make her voice as soothing as possible as she reached out to brush a few stray strands of hair away from the young princess’ eyes and face. Her fingers are gentle and her touch understanding as the knuckles of her index and middle finger  drag down and once again drive those wet tears away from the pits of Lanthra’s beautiful dark eyes, eyes she’d found herself lost in  many times and this was no exception.<span style="color: purple"> “ The bottles of wine were for you.” </span>Kali’s dark lips stretch into a slightly forced smile as she tried to change the subject and push thoughts of grieving out of her friend’s head with a slightly less weighty matter.<br/><span style="color: purple"><br/>
“ My plans are not ruined, they were always for you… just on your birthday instead.”<br/>
</span><br/>Kali looked down at her own bottle and slowly raised the dark green glass to her lips and took a long sip of the strongly spiced wine within. Her face almost immediately scrunches up, her nose wrinkling cutely and her cheeks going concave as the sheer overpowering taste of the liquor hits her and burns down her throat. Afterward she coughed, forcing out an exasperated laugh.<span style="color: purple"> “ I think maybe this is often cut with water for good reason.” </span><br/><br/>Wiping the dark crimson liquid away from her lips with the back of her hand, Kali placed the bottle back in her lap between her legs and looked down at it. What was she supposed to say now? There was only so much silence to fill with awkward banter and by now her friend was surely wonder just why she thought two bottles of spice wine were appropriate between them.<span style="color: purple">“ I… “ </span>Kali paused, the pensive look on her face deepening as she stared off into the abyss of her bottle’s neck.<br/><br/><span style="color: purple">“Not to make your brother forgotten, Lanthra but I think I need to tell you something.”</span><br/><br/>Kali sighed, already almost dreading looking up at her beautiful friend. Her golden eyes were filled with trepidation and uneasily she  fretted with her hands, wringing them together.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>