Say No To This

@ sun spirit

Elwin frowned in thought as he listened to Ceren explain what she and her brother had been arguing about. "He hasn't really left her side since she was injured yesterday... What could he want with Aerith, though? What motives would he have to manipulate her like he is?" He asked, knowing just from the little looks Aerith had given Nyrel the day before when they were in the infirmary that she had feelings for the older elf, but Nyrel's attention to her didn't make sense unless he had some ulterior motive behind it. It wasn't that Elwin didn't believe that someone could love Aerith, he just didn't trust Nyrel.

Once Ceren's hand was properly bandaged and iced, Elwin led her back into her office so that they could talk more, not wanting the other healers to overhear their conversation, considering how sensitive it was. "Do you think there's any chance his actions toward her are honest?" He asked once the door was shut. Ceren knew her brother best, and he didn't want to make any decisions before he understood what the elf was capable of.

---

Aerith's cheeks heated up in a blush as he kissed the back of her hand, the warmth from her cheeks seeming to move to her chest as she looked up at him. She hesitated for a moment, and was about to say something when she was interrupted by the healer knocking on the door, gratefully taking the pain medicine when it was given to her. She nodded a little at the woman's instructions, settling back in against the pillows, waiting for her to leave before letting out a little sigh. She didn't want to sleep, she wanted to talk to Nyrel. However, the medicine worked it's magic, and she was soon feeling much better, albeit sleepy. With a little huff she managed to roll to lay on her stomach, her head resting comfortably against Nyrel's arm as she draped an arm over him, her thin fingers weakly gripping at his shirt. She was very comfortable, and very tired, and wasn't thinking straight, so luckily the words that left her mouth didn't really register as having been said aloud. "I love you.." She yawned before letting out a long content sigh as her eyes drifted shut, beginning to drift off to sleep once more.

@ katahdin

Though Elwin asked his questions, Ceren didn’t know the answers and kept silent, her brain moving as she tried to figure out the answers as well. But she just didn’t know Nyrel the way she used to, when they were kids, and she had no idea what he was thinking. When Nadya finished treating her, she thanked the redhead with a little smile and promised not to do anymore falling, then headed back to her office with Elwin, where she felt they could talk more freely.

Thankfully, he seemed to have calmed somewhat, and he wasn’t rushing off to punish Nyrel. “I don’t know,” she admitted, biting her lip. “He really did look worried yesterday, but... but he’s good at acting. I don’t know why he would pretend with her, but I just... I think he is. That’s why I told him to stay away from her.” She looked at Elwin, taking in the serious, contemplative expression he wore. “What are you thinking?”

---

The medicine seemed to work fast, because only minutes after the healer left, Aerith seemed to sink into herself and just relax. He started to get up off the bed so she’d have room to sleep, but instead, she rolled over and draped an arm over him, clutching him like she knew he was about to leave and was stopping him. She was practically halfway in his lap, but he didn’t have the heart to ask her to move, even though he was sure he’d get uncomfortable before long, and instead reached out to push her hair out of her face. He froze when she suddenly said she loved him though, but as he looked down at her with wide eyes, she had already drifted off to sleep. He let out a breath and bent down to press a kiss to her forehead. “I love you too,” he whispered.

@ sun spirit

Elwin sighed deeply as he listened to Ceren's response, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't know what to do... I don't want to hurt Aerith, who seems to be genuinely infatuated with him, but I can't let him hurt and manipulate her or you anymore." He frowned as he looked at her, helping her to take a seat at her desk, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. "I also don't want to upset you, because he is your brother.. But he's assaulted the Royal Healer, and his trying to manipulate you and Aerith could easily be considered conspiring again the crown. I can't not punish him for that, Cer." He said with a little sigh, taking a seat in the chair opposite her, frowning a little in thought.

After a while he spoke again, looking a bit conflicted about his answer to the problem, but he knew that it was the best solution he could come up with. "Nyrel will be arrested, and held in the dungeons until arrangements for him to be sent back to Ashwick can be made. He will be stripped of his title as Baron and the head of your family, which will be given to you instead. He will be confined to your family's estate there, where he can live and do as he pleases, but he will not have the titles he has become accustomed to, and will be your guest. If you decide he needs to leave, then he'll have to leave." He frowned a little, looking back over at Ceren. "Does that sound fair? Most people who are accused of conspiracy end up in the gallows or rotting in a prison cell, so he's getting off fairly easy.."

---

A little hum left her lips as he pushed her hair from her face, and a little smile spread across Aerith's lips as he kissed her forehead, curling into his side as she slept. Eventually, she did roll over in favor of hugging one of her pillows, the medicine she had been given making her feel much more comfortable, especially considering the sleep she had been getting wasn't very good. She now slept soundly, however, and appeared to be getting her much needed rest. If she rested like she was now for at least another day, she'd probably be able to walk around and not be confined to her bed, although she wouldn't be able to go exploring like she usually did.

@ katahdin

As they sat and he spoke, Ceren reached for Elwin’s hand. He looked troubled now, instead of angry, and she knew it stemmed from worry for Aerith because she felt it too. Aerith was too strong-willed to just let Nyrel tell her what to do, but it was possible she was being manipulated, and that was even worse. And definitely not something Aerith deserved. And even though she still didn’t want to see Nyrel arrested or put in the dungeons, Ceren understood why Elwin insisted he had to do something. As much as she’d like to believe she’d gotten through to her brother, she knew it wasn’t likely, and if left alone, something was sure to happen again. “I understand,” she said softly, squeezing his hand. “I just hoped he was getting better, and nothing would happen...”

Then Elwin gave his solution, and Ceren’s eyes widened. He was right that it was far kinder than what could usually be expected, she was glad it would get him away from Aerith without harming him, but... “You want me to be the head of the family? I mean, this is far better than anything I expected might happen if anyone found out what he was doing, but I don’t have the first clue how to be a Baroness, El. Can’t Nyrel keep doing it from Ashwick? He was the one raised for it.” Still, the thought of him being out of the castle brought with it a measure of relief that she felt a quick stab of guilt for.

---

Nyrel stayed still as Aerith slept on him, studying her face as he tried to figure out how all of this had happened and how she’d managed to get so far under his skin without him noticing. Until the boar attack, he’d honestly thought he fancied her, maybe a little too much, but he could live without her in his life since her position meant nothing could happen between them. And then he’d been so afraid he would lose her, and to hear that she loved him... He smiled softly when she turned away, looking more at ease than she had all day, and stood, stretching the stiffness out of his limbs. It was crazy, realizing that he’d been so wrong and he couldn’t live without her after all.

@ sun spirit

"It's not hard, Ceren, and because you're still Royal Healer, and you will be marrying me eventually, the title will mostly be for show. I'll help you manage everything, and you won't have to worry about it. But if Nyrel were to keep the title, I'd be afraid that he would just keep trying to manipulate people into doing what he wished, and keep trying to gain more power. Without a title, he can't do any of that." Elwin explained, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before pressing a kiss to the back of it. "He has to have some penalty other than just being banished from the castle, Cer." He pressed a kiss to her cheek, frowning. "I'm trying to be as fair as I can.."

---

Aerith slept soundly, and at some point Theseus, who had been relaxing on a stack of books, hopped over to the girl and sat on the pillow by her head. His eyes seeming to study Nyrel suspiciously, and after a while he croaked at the older elf, not necessarily in approval, but in tolerance. Aerith slept soundly for a little while longer before her growling stomach woke her up, her hunger beating out her need for sleep, and she sat up slightly, surprised to find that she was almost in no pain. She smiled when she spotted Theseus on her pillow, pressing a little kiss to the frog's head before carefully sliding out of bed, picking him up to return him to his cage. Of course, she probably shouldn't be walking around her room, but she was being careful, and she had been good about resting and staying in bed up until now, and she figured a brief walk to the other side of her room couldn't hurt.

@ katahdin

Though she hated to admit it, Elwin made a good point. If Nyrel were banished, it would get him away from Aerith, but he wouldn’t change. And she wanted him to, because she knew he could be different. At one point, she really had been close to him. But then their parents died and he became Baron, and he changed. Ultimately, it was that and knowing he couldn’t just be left alone to keep the way he was that made her nod in acquiescence. “Okay,” she said softly. “That’s what will happen then. I’ll need help, but I’ll figure out how to be a baroness, and hopefully being home will be good for him.” She scooted forward in her seat and pressed a kiss to Elwin’s cheek, then hugged him. “I know you don’t like Rel or what he’s done, so thank you for going easy on him.”

---

Though he stayed with Aerith for a while while she slept and let himself be sized up by her frog, Nyrel did eventually leave. It was only after writing a note to let Aerith know where he’d gone and that he would be back soon though. After leaving the note on the table, he went to his room to make sure there wasn’t anything that immediately needed his attention, then left to ask for some lunch, his stomach rumbling, and made sure to ask for some for Aerith even though she never ate dinner the night before or breakfast earlier that morning. He returned to her room with a tray of food in his hands, not knocking since he thought she would still be asleep. When he came in, however, her bed was empty. Thankfully, Aerith wasn’t missing, as he found her across the room with her frog. Seeing how carefully she moved, he frowned. “I don’t think you should be up and about yet,” he said, setting down the tray and walking over to her, his worry overriding the relief that she felt well enough to move.

@ sun spirit

Elwin wrapped his arms around her securely as she hugged him, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "He's your brother. And I know that Aerith cares for him, even though his feelings for her are a lie, and sentencing him to death would be hard on her too." He explained softly, gently brushing his thumb over her cheek as he looked down at her. "When you're ready, I'll have you go to Aerith's room, where I'm assuming he is, and ask him to step outside so that you can talk to Aerith privately. I'll have guards waiting outside the room to arrest him and bring him to the dungeons, and you'll need to keep Aerith in bed, because I'm sure if she's awake she'll put up some sort of a fight and hurt herself more."

---

Aerith jumped a little in surprise when she heard him spoke, quickly turning to look at him, needing to grip the shelve she was standing next to to keep her balance. She was fine after a moment though, smiling sheepishly up at him as he walked over, feigning innocence. "Theseus needed to be put back.. And I was feeling better, and walking to the other side of the room won't kill me.. Plus, I'm hungr-" She was cut off when her stomach audibly growled loudly, a blush lighting up her cheeks as she looked up at him in embarrassment. "...hungry." When she smelled the food that he had brought though, she peered around him at the tray he had set down, her eyes turning to look up at him hopefully. "Is there enough for me?" she asked, hoping that he would share.

@ katahdin

“Still, I appreciate it,” Ceren said, managing a small smile. With what was happening, the last thing she’d call herself was happy, but she was grateful for what Elwin was doing. She listened as he laid out his plan, sure that the only reason he suggested drawing Nyrel into the hall first was for Aerith’s sake, and gave a little nod. Normally, she would argue that there was no way she’d be able to hold Aerith back, but she knew what sort of shape her friend was in and that it wouldn’t be impossible. “Okay... Would you wait with the guards though and come in after it’s over? I think I’m going to need help explaining what’s happening to her.” She couldn’t imagine what this would do to Aerith emotionally and wished there was some way her friend didn’t have to find out.

---

Seeing Aerith grip a shelf like she was about to fall over, Nyrel started forward with hands outstretched, prepared to catch her if she fell. She righted herself though, and though he remained tense, he relaxed his stance with a sigh. “If you’d fallen over and banged your head on that shelf, it could’ve killed you,” he told her, smiling a little as her stomach growled right when she’d decided to admit how hungry she was. “I’m guessing you never saw my note,” he said, leading her to the table where he’d set their meal. “It said I’d gone to get us lunch. You never ate last night or this morning, so I thought you might finally be hungry now.” He pulled out her chair for her, making sure she got into it without collapsing before he took his own.

@ sun spirit

Elwin nodded a little at her suggestion, knowing it would be best if the two of them spoke to Aerith together. "Plus, we should tell her about the engagement.. She deserves to know." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, holding her close. He was stalling, not wanting to have to face Aerith and tell her every horrible thing Nyrel had done to Ceren and herself, and so he was happy to sit with Ceren and wait until he knew he couldn't wait any longer. "How does your wrist feel?" He asked curiously as he pulled back a little, wanting to make sure it was feeling better.

---

Aerith looked up at him sheepishly as he moved closer, prepared to catch her if she fell, although after a moment she offered him a faint grin as she placed her hands in his outstretched ones. "But I didn't hit my head, and I'm confident you would have caught me." She smiled as they walked over to the table, shaking her head a little as she sat and he asked about the note. "No, I only just got up when you came in.. But I'm very grateful that you have brought lunch, I thought I was going to starve to death if I had to sit in bed any longer." She smiled across the table at him as he sat down across from her, waiting patiently for him to tell her what she could eat from what he had brought with him.

@ katahdin

“Do you really think we should tell her right after we tell her about Nyrel though?” Ceren frowned. She didn’t want to hide it from Aerith, but she didn’t want to tell her at a bad moment either. They didn’t get to yesterday because of the accident, and telling her right after telling her about Nyrel felt insensitive. When Elwin asked about her wrist, she offered him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. The swelling made it look worse than it really is, I promise.” She took a breath then, pulling out of his arms, and stood. “Let’s get this over with.”

---

Nyrel gave Aerith a look that stated clearly how not amused he was with her. “But you could’ve hit your head before I came back,” he pointed out. He let it go there though and chuckled at her theatrics. “It wasn’t because you were in bed. It’s because you’ve slept through the last two meals. I wasn’t even sure you would wake up for this one.” When they sat and she didn’t immediately attack the food, he took his portion off the tray and pushed the rest across the table to her. There was plenty left for her too.

@ sun spirit

"Part of explaining to her what happened with Nyrel and what he's been up to is telling her about the marriage.. I know it's not the best way to tell her, but she'll find out eventually. Plus, she's clever." He explained, smiling a little when she reassured him that her wrist was fine. He wasn't completely at ease, but for now he wasn't going to worry too much, more concerned with dealing with Nyrel. He reluctantly stood with her, letting out a little sigh as he nodded in agreement. "I will go get a few guards, and meet you outside of Aerith's room in a few minutes." He said, pressing one final kiss to her forehead before heading out of the infirmary to fetch the guards.

---

Aerith grinned sheepishly over at him when he gave her that look, nudging his legs with her feet under the table. "But I didn't. You can't be mad at me for something that didn't happen." She pointed out, happily taking the remaining plate from him before digging in, trying to pace herself so that she didn't eat so quickly that it made her throw up. She smiled over at him as they ate, nudging her feet against him again. "Thank you for taking care of me, Nyrel.. You're nicer than some boring and rude healer."

@ katahdin

Ceren had actually planned on telling Aerith about Nyrel while trying to skirt around the whole marriage thing in the hopes that she could find a better time to tell her friend, but unfortunately, Elwin made a good point. And soon the entire castle would know, meaning they couldn’t hide it much longer. So she reluctantly agreed and after giving Elwin’s hand one last squeeze, left the office with him. While he went to get the guards though, she went straight to Aerith’s room and tried to think of what she would say as she waited for Elwin to arrive with backup.

---

Nyrel rolled his eyes playfully at Aerith’s actions and words, though he didn’t retaliate and nudge her back. “I can fake it though,” he countered, pulling a half-assed angry face that went away as they dug into their meal. Just as Aerith thanked him, however, there was a knock on the door. He’d expected to see a maid or possibly a healer, but when Aerith called to let the person in, it was Ceren who walked in the room, bandages around her wrist that hadn’t been there earlier that morning and felt a quick pang of guilt for it even as he studied her, trying to determine what she was here for.

Ceren felt the heavy weight of her brother’s stare, but it was Aerith she studied, who she hadn’t expected to see out of bed or looking half as cheerful as she did. “Umm, Aer, can I talk to you alone?” Her eyes flickered back to Nyrel, who was frowning a little now.

@ sun spirit

Aerith looked up when she heard the knock at the door, surprised that the maid or healer hadn't simply just walked in. She was pleasantly surprised to see Ceren though, although when she asked to speak to her alone she frowned a bit, assuming that it was so she could be scolded for being out of bed. "I've been resting like you told me to, Ceren, and I only just got out of bed to sit at the table and eat my lunch. Nyrel can tell you, he's been here the entire time. I promise I've been good." She said quickly in defense of herself, so used to Ceren scolding her for not taking her advice when it came to her healing, although this time her injuries were bad enough to where she'd actually listened.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" She asked after taking another bite of food, eyes studying her friend, noting the bandage around her wrist that hadn't been there yesterday, as well as how nervous she looked. "Is something wrong? Am I dying?"

While Ceren was inside attempting to get Nyrel out of the room, Elwin was outside of Aerith's room in the hall with two guards, quietly explaining to them what was to be done with Nyrel. He explained that he was to be brought to the dungeons, where he would wait until a carriage had been prepared to bring him and his things back to his home in Ashwick.

@ katahdin

As soon as Aerith went on the defensive, Ceren shook her head. “No no, I’m not here to scold you,” she immediately denied, because it was the truth. From what she’d heard, she knew her friend was listening to her instructions. “No, Aer, you aren’t dying. The pain is just your body in shock. Except for some bruises, there’s nothing physically wrong with you.”

Ceren was hoping Aerith would just talk to her alone because she’d requested it, but now that she needed a reason, she searched for something that would justify sending Nyrel outside temporarily. “I umm... I actually wanted to talk to you about Elwin... nothing’s wrong with him, before you ask, but something happened with us, and I need to talk to you about it.” Somehow, she felt better knowing she was telling the truth, minus the parts about Nyrel.

Of course, Nyrel noticed Ceren’s nervousness and was curious what had happened with her and her friend. And why she was trying to keep him from hearing about it. “Maybe I could offer some advice too?” He suggested.

@ sun spirit

Aerith was relieved when Ceren said she wasn't dying and that there wasn't anything wrong with her. Despite what people might have assumed about her, she didn't want to die. Not in the slightest. When Ceren mentioned talking to her about Elwin, she frowned a bit worriedly, but nodded. "Ok.. Is something wrong?" She asked before looking at Nyrel when he offered his advice.

"It's ok, Nyrel. I'm sure Ceren doesn't want to bore you with our boring friendship drama. You should finish your lunch and then go take care of yourself. I'm sure you'd appreciate some time off after you've been so busy taking care of me." She smiled, scooping another bite of food into her mouth as she looked across the table at him.

@ katahdin

Nyrel came just short of frowning when Aerith essentially dismissed him, but he didn’t attempt to argue. He knew he could find out about it all later anyway. Instead, he nodded, giving Aerith a smile. “I’ll take you up on that then. I probably could use a shower and a change of clothes, after being here since yesterday. I’ll take my food with me so the two of you can go ahead and talk.” He stood and picked up his plate, gave Aerith and Ceren his best bow, and walked to the door.

As Nyrel retreated, Ceren walked over to where Aerith sat, biting her lip. “There’s nothing wrong between Elwin and me, though there is something you need to know,” she said quickly, speaking softly enough that Nyrel wouldn’t hear her and hoping to get out what she needed before he opened the door. “Nyrel isn’t who you think he is. I know you like him, but he uses people to get what he wants. He tried to make me get Elwin to fall in love with me so our family would be connected to the throne, and he’s hurt me to get me to cooperate with him, and I’m afraid he’s using you too.”

Ceren was in the process of whispering that last sentence to Aerith when Nyrel opened the door and came face to face with a group of guards and Elwin lurking in the hallway. Before he could ask what was going on, the plate he held was snatched away and he was being forced against the hallway wall, a pair of handcuffs clicking around his wrists. “Unhand me!” He demanded. “What is the meaning of this?”

@ sun spirit

Aerith smiled a little as she watched Nyrel leave, although when she turned her eyes to Ceren and listened to what her friend was telling her, her smile disappeared. She felt her chest tighten as Ceren spoke, biting her lip as she shook her head a little. While she believed that he might be capable of using his sister to get what he wanted, she didn't believe he would hurt her, although when she cast a glance at Ceren's injured wrist, she knew that she was wrong about that. What she did know was that Nyrel wouldn't lie to her. She knew in her heart that he wouldn't.

"N-No.. There has to be some mistake, some sort of misunderstanding... H-He wouldn't lie to me, Ceren. I know it." She frowned deeply as she looked up at her friend, although when she heard the commotion outside of her room, and saw Nyrel being forced into handcuffs, her first instinct was to stand and go to the door. She didn't make it very far before she lost her balance and fell to her knees, tear threatening to fall as she watched helplessly as the man she loved was arrested.

Meanwhile, Elwin stood to the side as the guards placed him in the handcuffs, glaring down at him. "Nyrel Stonewater, you are under arrest for assaulting a member of the Royal Council, and for conspiring against the Crown. Your title and position as head of your family will be transferred to your sister, who is kindly allowing you to remain at your family's home in Ashwick under house arrest, where you will remain permanently. Until the carriage has been prepared to take you to the estate, you will be put in a holding cell in the dungeons."

Elwin resisted the urge to punch him, to hurt him for hurting Ceren and toying with Aerith's feelings, but he knew that taking away his precious title would be enough of a blow.

@ katahdin

Ceren hated how hurt Aerith looked, hated the denial and that this was even happening. She didn't even have the words to argue with her friend, and when Aerith surged to her feet to go to the door, Ceren rushed to her, catching her before she fell. They both sank to the ground anyway, Ceren swallowing her pain as her wrist expressed its displeasure with her for supporting part of Aerith's weight, but rather than let go, she hugged her friend instead. "I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen either," she said as she held Aerith. "He won't be hurt, I promise. He's just being sent away." She knew she could trust Elwin to that, and despite what she believed of Nyrel, she had to give Aerith this bit of comfort.

In the hall, the commotion of Nyrel's arrest had garnered attention from a scattered group of nobles and servants alike, who ranged from open gawking to peering from behind cracked doors, and Nyrel himself gaped at the charges set against him. "Assault? Conspiring against the Crown? I've done no such thing!" he insisted, attempting to jerk his arm out of the grasp of the guard that held his arm. The guard's grip was only tightened however, and a second arrived at his other side to grip the other arm.

@ katahdin

Ceren hated how hurt Aerith looked, hated the denial and that this was even happening. She didn't even have the words to argue with her friend, and when Aerith surged to her feet to go to the door, Ceren rushed to her, catching her before she fell. They both sank to the ground anyway, Ceren swallowing her pain as her wrist expressed its displeasure with her for supporting part of Aerith's weight, but rather than let go, she hugged her friend instead. "I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen either," she said as she held Aerith. "He won't be hurt, I promise. He's just being sent away." She knew she could trust Elwin to that, and despite what she believed of Nyrel, she had to give Aerith this bit of comfort.

In the hall, the commotion of Nyrel's arrest had garnered attention from a scattered group of nobles and servants alike, who ranged from open gawking to peering from behind cracked doors, and Nyrel himself gaped at the charges set against him. "Assault? Conspiring against the Crown? I've done no such thing!" he insisted, attempting to jerk his arm out of the grasp of the guard that held his arm. The guard's grip was only tightened however, and a second arrived at his other side to grip the other arm.

@ sun spirit

Aerith finally couldn't stand to look at what was happening in the hall, turning to bury her face in her friends arms as she wept softly, trembling a little in her arms. "H-He wouldn't, Ceren... I-I know he wouldn't..." She kept whispering to her, shaking her head a little. "Please... Please don't send him away.." She begged, afraid that if Nyrel were sent away, she would never see him again.

Elwin glared at Nyrel, shaking his head. "You assaulted your sister. You injured her wrist. You attempted to manipulate her to use her friendship with me to help your own, selfish needs. And you tried to manipulate Aerith. You will never see her, or be able to hurt her or your sister again." He stated, stepping over toward Aerith's door, gesturing for the guards to take him away.