Say No To This

@ sun spirit

"I would have married you yesterday in the woods as soon as you'd asked...." Aerith mumbled softly into his chest so that only he could hear before reluctantly releasing him and getting out of bed, blushing a bit as she stared at him for a moment before her eyes widened and she quickly covered her eyes from her eyes.

"It's bad luck, don't look at me! Get out!" She shouted, briefly taking a few different steps in different directions as she tried to figure out where to run with her eyes closed, but she ended up just crouching down behind the bed so that he couldn't see her instead, not wanting to hurt herself again after the bathtub incident.

@ katahdin

Ceren could only silently watch as her brother quietly calmed down Aerith, who got up only to freak out again, this time in a completely different manner. She couldn't help but smile a bit as Aerith hid behind the bed, and when Nyrel didn't move, she reached out to pull him to his feet. "Up! Come on!" Somehow--somehow--she managed to suppress a laugh at his clothing as she all but pushed him out of the room. "Go get some clothes that fit!"

After Nyrel was out of the room and the door was once more closed, Ceren turned back to Aerith, who appeared to still be hiding. "He's gone," she assured her friend as she went over to help her up. "Do you have a bag? You'll be gone a week, so we need to pack clothes for you. Since this is happening so fast, I can run to the infirmary and get some Maid's Bane for you too. And we have to figure out what you're going to wear."

---

Evicted from Aerith's room, Nyrel was left stranded in the hall with his ill-fitting clothes, earning stares from anyone who happened to be around. So, with his head down, he made his way to Elwin's room, knocking on the door once he arrived and waiting to be let inside.

@ sun spirit

Aerith slowly stood again when Ceren reassured her that Nyrel was gone, and she opened her eyes once more, looking at Ceren with a weak smile as Ceren listed off the things that they had to do. She headed over to her wardrobe to begin pulling out the clothes that she wanted to bring with her and setting them on the bed so that Ceren could pack them in the suitcase that she she had dragged out.

She blushed a little as she went over to the table to grab the Maid's Bane she'd brought back last night, sheepishly holding it up to show Ceren. "I have some already... That I didn't steal.. But will I need it? I thought that you weren't supposed to take contraceptives once you were married." She admitted softly as she continued to pile the things that she wanted to bring on the bed before frowning a little when Ceren pointed out that she had to figure out what she wanted to wear.

"Am... Am I allowed to wear a dress?"

---

Elwin opened the door, took one look at Nyrel and then looked up at the ceiling, mumbling something to himself about still going through with this before dragging him into the room and pointing toward his wardrobe. "You look like a fool and there's no way in hell I'm letting you marry Aerith wearing my old clothes. Go pick out something that will actually fit, and you don't have to worry about packing anything because you'll be heading back to Ashwick anyway, which is where all of your stuff is. Keep in mind we have to be downstairs in the chapel in an hour to meet Ceren and Aerith."

@ katahdin

As Aerith brought clothes to the bed, Ceren packed them into the suitcase, working companionably with her friend to get her ready. She was shocked to see Aerith already had Maid's Bane though. "Well, that's up to you, and probably something you should talk to Nyrel about," she said carefully. "Because of how young we are, Elwin and I decided that we would wait at least six months before we considered having children, which means I would be taking it. But if you two are okay with the idea of having a baby, then you might not want it."

Aerith really shocked her when she asked if she was allowed to wear a dress though. "Of course you are! Aer, you're getting married. You can wear whatever you want," Ceren answered immediately, taking her friends. "I'll help you put on your armor if you want to get married in it, and if you want a dress, we'll find you the prettiest one we can. I'll do your hair and anything else you want to. Just because we're rushing it doesn't mean we aren't going to make it special."

---

Nyrel took the criticism of his appearance the best he could, knowing full-well what he looked like. "Good. I'm relieved I don't have to get married in this," he said, meaning every word, but before he went to find a change of clothes, he met Elwin's gaze. "Thank you for this. I know there's no way you trust me yet, but you're helping us anyway."

@ sun spirit

Aerith nodded with a little blush at her suggestion that she and Nyrel talk about whether they wanted children or not, and asked Ceren politely to pack the Maid's Bane in case. "Alright, I'll bring it... Would I be a good mom?" She asked softly as she walked back over to her wardrobe, looking inside for a long while before Ceren came over and took her hands and told her she'd help her do whatever she wanted.

Aerith smiled brightly, biting her lip. "I have my mother's wedding dress... I'd like to wear that. A-And I don't know if you know any spells like this, but I wanted my hair to be longer so it could be in a pretty braid or bun or something, like in the picture of mother on her wedding day.... I wish she were here."

---

Elwin shrugged a little as he met his gaze before turning away. "Ceren and Aerith never would have forgiven me, and you're both in love, that much is obvious. Besides, if you ever hurt my sister I'll destroy you." He said with a simple shrug before moving to take a seat in his chair by the fire, running a hand over his face in frustration. "I'll get my ass chewed out, but you'll have the week, or honestly as long as you want I suppose, in Ashwick to consumate the marriage and make sure the Council can't annul it."

@ katahdin

"I think so. You're fun, adventurous, caring. And you'd have Nyrel to help you out. He wouldn't let you do anything too crazy, just like you wouldn't let him be too boring. You'll do great," she answered with a little smile, hoping her answer helped. Then, per Aerith's request, Ceren packed the herb with her friend's clothes, then hesitated before finding a piece of paper and pen to write down instructions for use. If Aerith had it, maybe she knew how to take it, but Ceren would rather be cautious than risk that something go wrong if she did decide to use it. After finishing her note, she tucked it in with the Maid's Bane, made sure everything was packed, and closed the suitcase.

Ceren smiled as Aerith admitted that she wanted to wear her mother's wedding dress and even wished she had longer hair, although she felt a little pang. "I know. I'm sorry she can't be," she said softly. "I'm sure she's watching though." She squeezed Aerith's hand. "My magic only heals, so I can't grow hair, but I think I have an idea of something I could do with it, if you'll trust me? And I have heels that should fit you. I can go get them while you put your dress on."

---

"I won't hurt her." Though he wasn't sure how much the words would mean to Elwin, Nyrel felt he had to say them. He'd sooner hurt himself than Aerith. For a few moments, it seemed as if the conversation were over, and Nyrel started towards Elwin's wardrobe to find something to wear, though he stilled as the king spoke again, this time mentioning consummating his marriage to Aerith. Gods, he might be in trouble. "It might be longer than a week," he hedged without meeting Elwin's gaze. "Aerith… I found out yesterday… how do I put this… I think she had the birds and the bees talk for the first time with Ceren yesterday, and I don't want… I don't know how comfortable she would even be… with me."

@ sun spirit

Aerith smiled a little as Ceren spoke of why she'd be a good mom, giving her friend a quick hug before stepping back. "Thank you... And yes, I'll trust you with my hair.. I have all of the veils and everything too, and I'll need help getting those on, but I can get the dress on no problem." She said as she gestured for Ceren to hurry to get her shoes, carefully going into her wardrobe to remove her mother's dress.

By the time Ceren returned about twenty minutes later Aerith had put on the dress and was staring at herself in the mirror, mesmerized by how she looked. The dress fit perfectly and made Aerith look quite beautiful, not that she wasn't before she put the dress on, but wearing baggy shirts and pants and being covered in mud constantly certainly didn't help her in the looks department. She turned to Ceren nervously when she returned, biting her lip worriedly. "What if he doesn't like it?"

---

Elwin knew he'd never hurt Aerith, but enjoyed threatening the other elf just the same, even if he was going to eventually try to be friends again. He looked up in shock as Nyrel began to explain the situation with Aerith however, and he let out a groan of frustration as he buried his face in his hand.

"She promised she wouldn't skip her lessons that day... She told me she'd gone and paid attention.. Why did I believe her?" He sighed as be looked back up at Nyrel worriedly. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate you not taking advantage of her ignorance. Fenian and the others wouldn't be as kind in her situation, so I thank you. But.. But if the Council shows up in Ashwick tomorrow and you haven't consumated the marriage, they'll annull it, take Aerith back here to marry Fenian or who knows what idiot, and they'll likely exile you to Ashwick again or put you in prison for disobeying their orders. Have the conversation in the carriage on the way there, I've told the driver to not stop for anything and to drive as fast as he can, so that should cut some time out of the journey."

@ katahdin

Once assured that Aerith would be able to get the dress on by herself, Ceren went to her room to find heels. She didn't wear heels often, preferring to be solidly on the ground and because they were so uncomfortable, and hers were fairly short because she usually ended up tripping if they were too tall. She was sure Aerith wouldn't complain though, and after some searching, found a white pair to take back to her friend that she hoped would fit. When she let herself back into Aerith's room, she was already in her dress, the change of clothing acting almost like a transformation. "Aer, you look beautiful! I bet you he won't even be able to talk when he sees you," she said at once as she set down the white shoes she'd brought.

Also with her were hair pins, which she set on a nearby table that she had Aerith sit at. Ceren brushed out Aerith's short hair, getting the tangles out, then took some hair from the front left side and braided it to the back, where she pinned it in place towards the middle. She repeated this process with the right side, making it look like the braids met in the middle, then borrowed some flowers from the plants her friend kept and carefully wove them into her braids. When she finished, she moved to face Aerith and grinned. "Close your eyes." Once Aerith's eyes were closed, she helped her stand and led her to a mirror. "Okay, you can open them," she said, letting Aerith at last see her hair.

---

For some reason, Nyrel had expected Elwin to be a little more upset at the revelation, maybe twist it on him somehow--even though he honestly hadn't known until yesterday--although this conversation wasn't exactly comforting. It hadn't occurred to him earlier that a rushed wedding meant everything would have to be rushed. "I'll talk to her," he agreed softly, though his stomach felt unsettled. "Hopefully she and Ceren talked about everything," he added with a little smile, trying not to show how worried he was about this. "Anyway, it's about time I got out of these ridiculous clothes, no offense to your taste."

Nyrel abruptly turned and began to search for something to wear. Everything was, of course, made to Elwin's size and taste, and he settled on a navy and gold embroidered set of clothing that might be a little big on him but he thought would otherwise look good. He stepped into the adjacent wash room to change, shucking the too-small clothes first, and when he stepped back into the bedroom, he did a small circle for Elwin. "Presentable at least?"

@ sun spirit

Aerith blushed at Ceren's compliment, stepping into the shoes brought for her before taking a seat so Ceren could do her hair, also asking her to pin the veil in place while she was at it, completing her outfit and really making her look like a bride. She closed her eyes when Ceren told her as she stood in front of the mirror while she adjusted the veil and dress and everything to look perfect, slowly opening her eyes to gasp a little in shock. "Oh wow.. This... Thank you, Cer." She turned to her friend, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she hugged her.

"You should brush your hair and fix your dress, too. And if you haven't taken Maid's Bane yet you can use mine. I don't want to be an aunt yet."

---

Elwin was still a bit worried and he could tell Nyrel was too, but at least Nyrel wasn't overly excited about taking advantage of Aerith and her lack of understanding about this particular part of marriage. He stood while Nyrel was changing, pacing the room anxiously as he looked at the clock, knowing that they had to get going soon. When Nyrel came out and showed off the outfit he'd picked out Elwin smiled, stepping over to help make a few adjustments so that the outfit didn't look as big on him before stepping back with a nod. "Presentable. Oh, and you'll need these."

In his pacing he'd pulled his mother and father's wedding rings from the box he kept them safely tucked away in, now passing them over to Nyrel. "Aerith always loved them. When she was six she ate one of both of them because she wanted to be 'pretty on the inside'... Mother about had a cow when she found out." He said with a chuckle as he checked the time again. "Time to go. I'll bring you to the chapel where the Priest is waiting and then go get Ceren and Aerith, sound good?"

@ katahdin

Ceren thought she caught sight of glassy eyes before Aerith hugged her, and she held onto her friend tight. “You’re welcome. Everyone’s going to be blown away when they see you,” she promised as they pulled back from the hug.

“W-what... I... What?” Ceren’s face was bright red as she stared at Aerith. How had she? She shifted a bit, feeling the dress ties that Elwin had done for her this morning. Sure enough, they didn’t feel tied correctly. Quietly, face still red, she fixed them.

---

When Elwin passed him two wedding rings, Nyrel started to ask where in the world he’d found them, going quiet when it was revealed that they were Elwin and Aerith’s parents. “Thank you,” he said, not sure he could come up with anything else that would feel even remotely adequate enough as he accepted the rings. “Sounds good. I’d offer to go with you, but Aerith already shoved me out of a bedroom saying I couldn’t see her once today.”

@ sun spirit

Aerith blushed as she watched Ceren blush and fix the ties on her dress, hurrying over to her suitcase to pull the Maid's Bane out and offer it to her. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, Cer. I won't tell anyone if that's what you're worried about, I promise. My lips are sealed, and even though I want to ask you a bunch of questions I won't because you're my friend and Elwin is my brother and that's kind of gross." She scrunched up her nose a little as she cracked a small smile, hoping that her words cheered Ceren up instead of embarrassing her more.

Once Ceren had taken the herbs she hurried to her dresser to grab the brush that Ceren had been using minutes before to brush her own hair, quickly but gently brushing out her friend's hair before tying it carefully into a simple braid. "There. Now you look pretty too."

---

Elwin nodded a little as Nyrel thanked him for the rings. "The Council insists that Ceren and I each get our own made special for the wedding, otherwise I'd be saving them for our wedding.. But I know it will mean a lot to Aerith to have them." He said as he opened the door to his room, peering out quickly to make sure the coast was clear before ushering Nyrel out into the hallway and through some of the same hallways that Aerith had snuck him through the night before when she'd brought him into the castle, stopping outside of the door to the chapel. "One of Ceren's healers who will be serving as the priest should be in there, you go in and he'll give you a brief explanation of the ceremony and vows and whatnot. Unfortunately Aerith won't get the same explanation, but hopefully she'll be able to repeat after him and won't mess up. I'll be back in ten minutes with Aerith and your sister." He said before hurrying back upstairs to Aerith's room, letting out a worried sigh before he knocked on the door. "Aerith? Ceren? Are you in there?"

@ katahdin

Ceren wasn’t even sure if she could deny it at this point or how she felt about the fact that Aerith had noticed and come to the correct conclusion. She couldn’t help but smile a bit when Aerith offered her the Maid’s Bane and reassured her though, letting a little breath out. “It’s okay. I just didn’t expect anyone to notice. Thank you for keeping it secret though.” She brought Aerith in for another quick hug, then took a dose of the Maid’s Bane before packing it away again.

When she was done, Ceren let Aerith brush her hair out and then braid it. The past hour of packing and getting ready for the wedding was probably the nicest moment they’d had since before Nyrel had been exiled, and it really felt like she had her friend back. “Not as pretty as you though,” she assured Aerith with a smile. A knock came at the door then, with Elwin calling out to them shortly afterward, and Ceren moved to open it, making sure Nyrel wasn’t with him before she let him in the room. “I thought we were meeting at the chapel?” she asked after giving him a couple of moments, figuring Aerith’s appearance would shock him.

(Just gonna go quiet on Nyrel til we get these guys to the chapel)

@ sun spirit

"Someone has to give away the bride. And I figured Nyrel would want you as his best man." Elwin spoke softly as he stepped into the room when Ceren opened the door, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek as he smiled downs at her before turning to look at Aerith in shock, surprised to see her in a proper wedding dress, their mother's no less. "Aer, you look beautiful.." he smiled reassuringly when Aerith gave him a look, stepping forward to hug her and press a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Are you really sure you want to marry him, though? You hated him when you were little, and you could marry someone else, there's plenty of guys out there."

Aerith gladly returned Elwin's hug, but as soon as he started to try to convince her to not marry Nyrel she shook her head, her mind made up. "I don't wear dresses for anyone. I'm going to marry him, Elwin, whether you like it or not."

Elwin beamed a little, giving his little sister one more kiss to the cheek before taking her arm to lead her out of the room. "Just double checking. Wanted to make sure you were still thinking straight. Nyrel's a lucky man." He said as he waited for Ceren to get Aeriths suitcase before sneaking down to the chapel with the three of them, which was a lot harder to do in a wedding dress than one might think.

Once outside the door Elwin had Ceren go in first to let Nyrel and the priest know that they were here and ready to begin, and on the priest's cue Elwin opened the doors and led Aerith inside after helping her adjust her veil and dress, the young woman looking at Nyrel nervously as she tried to gauge his reaction to seeing her in a dress for the first time.

@ katahdin

Left with little other choice, Ceren carried Aerith’s suitcase in the chapel with her and set it off to the side as she thanked Alwyin and told the two men that everything was ready to start. She stood beside her brother, holding the rings for him when he asked, and after Alwyin signaled, Elwin opened the doors and walked in with Aerith.

Nyrel could only stare as Aerith walked into the chapel. He wasn’t really sure what he expected but to see her dressed in a wedding gown, veil and all, wasn’t it. Her hair was even put up, flowers woven into it, and were those heels he heard? She was... gods, he wasn’t even sure he was breathing. Then there was a gentle elbow in his side which he didn’t acknowledge. “Close your mouth before you start drooling,” he heard Ceren whisper at his side.

Then Aerith was there, standing in front of him, and he couldn’t help himself as he reached out to her and took her hand, squeezing it before turning to Alwyin, who still wore his healer uniform as he began to speak. He went through it all, perhaps a little quickly because he was pressed for time, then turned to Nyrel. “Do you, Nyrel Stonewater, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife -blah blah blah- until death do you part?”

Nyrel looked down at Aerith, meeting her gaze as he squeezed her hand once more. “I do,” he said.

“And do you, Aerith Oriven, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband -blah blah blah- until death do you part?”

@ sun spirit

A blush heated up Aerith's cheeks as she saw Nyrel staring and his gaping mouth, a faint smile spreading across her lips as she looked him over, staring back at him just as much as he was staring at her. When Elwin finally stopped with her in front of Nyrel before joining Ceren Aerith happily stepped up beside Nyrel and took his hands in hers, returning the squeeze he gave before leaning a bit closer. "You look nice when your clothes fit.." She whispered softly with a warm, loving smile from behind her veil before Alwyin began to go through the ceremony, Aerith barely paying any attention until Nyrel squeezed her hands and promised to uphold all of his vows.

She then nodded a little when Alwyin asked her the same questions in return, although a little nudge from Elwin got her to speak up, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks as she answered. "I do."

When Alwyin finally pronounced them man and wife and said that Nyrel was allowed to kiss his bride she ducked her head a bit to help him lift the veil, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed a loving kiss to his lips, very happy to be able to call Nyrel her husband. She would have been happy to wait weeks or months to marry him, but she was more than happy to marry him now, the day after they'd been reunited again, as it meant that they didn't have to wait as long.

"You're my husband..." She whispered softly against his lips, almost in disbelief as she smiled up at him, resting her hands lightly against his cheeks.

@ katahdin

Aerith had him nervous for a moment when she didn't speak up, but as soon as the two words left her mouth that bound them together as man and wife, Nyrel grinned, unable to help himself. He'd known, yesterday in the woods, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her if she would have him, but some part of him still couldn't believe she'd said yes, much less that they were getting married at that very moment. He'd thought they would have more time before this--not that he was complaining.

Nyrel lifted her veil, pushing it over her head behind her and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, holding her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I am," he agreed softly with a little grin. "I'm sorry it had to be rushed like this, but maybe things will be calmer when we get back," he added, giving her another kiss, not caring at that moment that they were supposed to be pressed for time or that Ceren was trying to get his attention.

@ sun spirit

"This is all I wanted. Elwin and Ceren and you. I don't need anything else to have the perfect wedding." Aerith reassured him when he apologized for the rush, happily returning his second kiss despite hearing Ceren's protests and Elwin tugging on her arm.

"Congratulations, you two, but we really do need to get you two in the carriage and out of here before the Council finds out." Elwin spoke quickly as he managed to untangle Aerith from Nyrel's grasp, holding her suitcase in one hand while he led the group through the passageways and out to the stables. Once at the carriage he tossed the suitcase in before helping the bride in, giving her a big hug and another "congrats" before he released her and let her get into the carriage, turning to Nyrel to shake his hand. "Good luck. I'm sorry for the rush, but it had to be done." He apologized quickly, giving Ceren a moment or two to say goodbye to her brother and Aerith before he shut the door to the carriage and signaled for the carriage driver to get going, wrapping an arm around Ceren tightly as he watched the carriage drive off. "We did the right thing."

Meanwhile, Aerith was happily seated in the carriage, lost in a fit of giggles as she replayed the ceremony over and over in her head, especially the part where Nyrel had said "I do" and the part where he'd kissed her for the first time as her husband. Her husband. That would take some getting used to, the idea of her being his wife and him being her husband, but she was perfectly happy calling herself his wife, and was very glad that she hadn't had to wait months in order to be able to do so. She played with her veil as she stared at Nyrel and giggled, still a little in disbelief that just an hour ago they hadn't even been planning to be married today, and now here they were, on their way to Ashwick as husband and wife.

@ katahdin

Ceren knew better than to hold up Nyrel and Aerith, so she congratulated them both with fierce hugs, then stepped back so that they could leave, mentally reminding herself that she’d see them in a week, and the Council wouldn’t be able to separate them then. She looked up at Elwin as he spoke, the carriage already disappearing, and turned to wrap her arms around his waist. “Thank you for this. Even if it was only for Aer. He loves her just as much as she loves him, and I think the reason he’s better is because of her, just like he helps calm her down.” She pressed up on her toes to kiss his cheek, and as the grass under her bare feet registered, she blushed. “You should probably know… Aerith knows what happened last night. She, um, noticed, and she said she wouldn’t tell anyone, but you know her.” She knew Aerith enough to know to expect some teasing.

---

The carriage began its half-day journey to Ashwick with Aerith’s suitcase in one seat and Nyrel sitting across from it, beside his wife. He’d known he’d marry one day, but he’d always thought it would be arranged for him, or at least that his options would be limited, and that maybe he’d be fond of her, but he’d never really held out hope for love. But it was Aerith beside him now, the woman he loved, giggling even as they ran from the castle and the people who would’ve stopped this from happening. He couldn’t help but grin stupidly at her. “I can’t believe a week ago, I was moping around the family’s estate, writing letters and generally going crazy because I was convinced you hated me, and now I get to be married to the most amazing woman in the world.”

@ sun spirit

Elwin smiled down at her as she thanked him for arranging the wedding for Aerith and her brother, shaking his head a little as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I know he loves her, and I know that he's changed.. Besides, I don't think I've ever seen Aerith as happy as she is when she's with him." He said, turning to lead her back into the castle, knowing that they needed to get back to their respective duties. He'd need to keep the Council in the dark at least until tomorrow, which would give Nyrel and Aerith plenty of time to consummate their marriage, and prevent the Council from nullifying it.

He stopped though when Ceren mentioned that Aerith knew what they'd done last night, eyes widening a bit as he looked at her. "..You don't think she'd tell Nyrel, do you?" He asked, trying to hide the worry in his voice. He could handle Aerith's teasing, but to have Ceren's big brother harassing him for sleeping with his little sister before she was married would surely be the death of him.

---

Aerith smiled as Nyrel spoke, shaking her head a little as she laced their fingers together, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "I would never hate you, Nyrel.. You're my husband and I love you." She beamed, leaning over to press a loving kiss to his lips before she leaned into his side, looking out the window as the carriage sped out of the city and onto the road leading to Ashwick.

"The last time I was in Ashwick, I was seven and you were ten, and you told me you hated me and that if you ever saw me again you'd pull my hair and throw me in that pond with all of the leeches.." She recalled as she turned her attention away from the scenery outside and back to him, smiling a little. "I know that you don't hate me... Or at least I hope you don't, considering we're married.. But are you going to throw me in that pond like you said you would? I really don't like leeches.." she asked softly, her fingers tracing patterns lightly on his chest over his heart, smiling to herself.

@ katahdin

“I know I’ve never seen my brother this happy, so I guess that makes them a perfect match,” Ceren said, looping her arm with Elwin’s as they started back into the castle, going through the chapel entrance they’d come out of. Alwyin had already left, likely on his way back to the infirmary, and Ceren resolved to get him a small present as thanks for his help today.

When Elwin stopped them, asking about Aerith telling Nyrel though, Ceren went still, hesitating. She hadn’t thought of that earlier. She could see worry in his eyes and reached out to take his hands, squeezing them reassuringly. “She said she wouldn’t tell anyone, and I think that includes Nyrel. But even if she does, he wouldn’t tell anyone,” she promised. Although, talking to Aerith about it had been bad enough… she wasn’t sure she’d even be able to look Nyrel in the eye.

---

Nyrel smiled at her words, returning her kiss and letting an arm drape around her to make her more comfortable as she made herself comfortable against him. “I love you too, wife,” he told her, raising her hand to his mouth to press a soft kiss to the back of it. He decided he liked the way calling Aerith his wife felt on his lips and that he could get used to it.

He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I did hate you, but I don’t anymore. Although to be fair, you’ve also stopped leaving mud and worms in my bed, which might have a little to do with it. As for throwing you in the pond…” He grinned at her mischievously. “What do I get if I decide to spare you from the leeches?” He let his free hand move down her arm, gently rubbing it as they spoke.