Long ago, a lady of House Ravanel was said to have saved an angel from the clutches of a dark beast. The angel, grateful for this human's good deed, imparted to her a blessing: from the roses she so loved to grow, the gift of life would bloom, staying disease and bringing longevity to all who consumed its petals.
Yet even after giving her his blessing, the angel found himself enamoured by the Lady Ravanel, and could not bear to return to heaven. He vowed to protect her house, her children, and her descendants for as long as he drew breath.
This devotion, however, drew the ire of God, who despaired at the betrayal of one of his subjects. As punishment, he cursed the Lady Ravanel, declaring that she would never feel love again. Anyone she fell in love with would be confronted with an inevitable early demise.
The angel was the first to fall to this curse. With his dying breath, he promised he would never leave her side, that he would return in another life to watch over her line, no matter what lesser form he would be reduced to.
Left in her loveless marriage, the Lady Ravanel tightly held onto her angel's promise. She prayed that when he returned, they would not share a love, but rather, be the closest of friends and grow old together, side by side.
It was often reported that in her later years, the Lady Ravanel could be seen staring out from her balcony overlooking her rose garden into the late hours of the night, as if searching for something...