though seiche had never lacked romantic attention, he never felt that he was ready to settle down, and his relationships never lasted. and then came the day he met a woman with eyes like winter, a meeting he wouldn't think much of until a decade had passed. that first day, though, when he saw her pressing his hair to her face, he knew she was someone who would understand the winter inside him. he talked with her until night faded back into day and he had to report for duty.
he would think of her again a few days later, and seek her out, only to realize he never learned her name. when his search turned up no trace of her, he tucked her into the back of his mind, thinking that she would be a beautiful memory. months passed, and he continued to live his life in much the same way he had before. and then, out of nowhere, he saw her. he would remember it forever: weaving his way to the front of the crowd, and laying eyes on the mysterious woman, asking her for a dance.
two decades passed, and the fledgeling couple settled into a comfortable rhythm. one of sei's friends asked him when he planned on marrying the silver-eyed beauty, and he laughed—laughed because to him, it had felt for some years that they already were, in all the ways that mattered. and then, the gorgeous day they were finally wed was far from the end of their story.
the couple had three children, all of whom they doted on fiercely, even as the love between the pair only grew and multiplied. seiche eventually retired from active military life so he could be home with his beloved wife and family, choosing instead to spend his days training young recruits.
a genasi's life is longer than a human's, but a drakiin's is far longer, and as seiche reached his twilight years, udele struck a deal with the silver dragons, pledging her life to fight with them in exchange for extending sei's life. he refused to accept that he would lose her, though, and he knew a life without his love would be no life at all, and he was determined that he would find some way to free her. though his efforts took nearly a century to reach fruition, he never gave up, and eventually, he did find his way back to her.
