The Storm Falcon flew the next day, the flapping of his wings causing thunder and eventually a storm came. Eithne, firstborn child of Tigris and Oda, paced around her wing of the monarchial accommodations. She was awaiting company and she was growing impatient. Where was Taurus?
Eithne was two decades old with a body like an hourglass. She was green-eyed, her red hair long and curly and she was clad in a purple form-fitting, bell-shaped, short-sleeved dress, with a white tunic beneath it. Around her waist was a belt to make her seem wasp-waisted while her hair fell behind her back down to her waist. She had a number of pieces of jewellery upon her person such as a gold diadem upon her head, a gold ring upon every finger, a gold bracelet on each wrist, a gold armlet on each arm, a golden necklace around her neck and a pair of gold earrings. Her face was painted white and upon her forehead, painted in red, was a sun.
Although married to Columba, the Princess of Aether had little love for her husband. That paunchy, slothful scribe, a social climber like Rowena's suitors, was someone that Eithne detested and would have preferred someone else entirely. Despite her looseness, Eithne's eyes had been for Taurus ever since her father had decided to step over her in favour of her younger brother Falco. In Taurus' ambition, she saw the pawn she needed. By marrying her to legitimize himself, Taurus would make her the Queen of Aether and following the marriage, she would poison him and then she, Eithne, would become the Divine Deucalion of Aether.
She had heard of the return of her brother and knew that this was a problem for the planned usurpation. Thus, while her husband was away doing whatever it be he was now doing, she would speak with Taurus on the subject of what to do about Falco and how it would all go according to how she planned it.
When not Taurus but Falco and Rowena arrived, Kenneth following them, a look of disgust appeared upon the countenance of the Princess of Aether. Her brother with the mismatched eyes, his compeer who was dared to rival herself in attractiveness and that creature of her brother's. When she became the Divine Deucalion of Aether, she would have Rowena disfigured and turn Kenneth into a rug, her father's tiger Aedan too. Falco would be dead, but she would have his body hurled into the sea, her father and mother's too, denying them all the proper funeral rights. For what reason? Simply because her father stepped over her in favour of her brother and her mother agreed with the decision.
"Oh, what do you want?" Eithne inquired, her voice as venomous as an asp's bite.
Falco stared at his sister with half-closed eyes. Slowly, he said: "Eithne... my dear sister... Always a pleasure to be in your presence." Clearing his throat, the Crown Prince of Aether then said: "Rowena and I are getting married. We thought you should know."
Within an instant, Eithne burst out laughing. "A marriage between two childhood friends? One of the great absurdities of life appears again." Her eyes falling upon the golden signet ring upon her brother's hand, the Princess of Aether's felt a feeling of intense rage, great enough to rival the storm, well up within her. Taking a moment to compose herself, she looked to Rowena and said: "So, you are marrying my brother... I am sure your suitors must be so sad or mad or both... Whatever the case might be I am sure they are plotting revenge to get you anyway." Taking a seat in a chair, she watched as Rowena turned her gaze away from her, a frightened look upon her countenance. Smiling a smile most spiteful, Eithne stared her brother in the eye and said: "I am sure you two will have a happy marriage, no matter how long or how short that is." Chuckling to herself as her brother glared at her, Eithne watched as the three left, her brother's creature taking a moment to hiss at her. Taking a date from a nearby bowl, the Princess of Aether stared at the fruit for a moment before squishing it within the palm of her hand and muttering: "Things have changed."