A Court of Flight and Valor

@ katahdin

Ramyth held Bridris even tighter as she let out a little sob as if somehow, by holding her close, their situation would magically change, and everything would work itself out. "I love you too, Bridris, more than anything, and I want forever too. I'd give it to you in a heartbeat if I could." He wasn't crying as hard as her, but he still felt some roll down his face into her hair as he held her close. "Please don't push me away though. Please. I'd rather live with the pain later. and get to love you and make you happy now. I'd hate myself the rest of my life if I let you push me away." It was a selfish request, but he wasn't sure he could stand letting her go.

---

"I guess it's a good thing I don't have a reason to want to ignore you anymore then, huh?" Aubrius' grin remained firmly in place as he went on to describe her teasing as torturous, nudging his foot again in answer since her mouth was full. He'd already finished, but it took her a little longer before she was done with her dinner as well. And though she usually didn't go to sleep nearly this early, she had to admit--at least privately--that she felt drained and turning in early didn't sound like a terrible idea. "You look like you're thinking something," she said, realizing that he'd just been silently watching her for a little bit now.

@ sun spirit

Bridris forced herself to calm down enough so that she could look up at him, moving one hand up so she could gently wipe his tears away from his cheeks. "I-I'm sorry that I made you cry.. I won't push you away. O-Or at least, if I start to, I give you full permission to tell me what I'm doing and make me stop." She murmured, standing up on her toes to press a loving kiss to his lips, hoping that the gesture would make him understand how she was feeling. "I love you, Ramyth. With all my heart, for all of my life, until my last breath... I haven't ruined our day, have I?" She asked softly as she leaned into his arms, hoping she hadn't ruined their day. "We can go back to the castle now, if you want, rather than staying. I don't mind."

---

Ailuin chuckled as she nudged his foot, happy to sit and wait for her to finish eating. He shook his head a little when she asked what he was thinking about, giving her hands a squeeze. "Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you. I wish I'd gotten a chance to leave a note on Roedanya's tree today thanking her, but I might be able to sneak away and do it sometime tomorrow before or after the ceremony." He smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he stood. "Ready for bed?"

@ katahdin

Ramyth shook his head a little as Bridris started to apologize and tried to stop the tears running down his cheeks as he offered her a faint smile. "It's not you, it's the same thing that made you cry--our situation," he promised, leaning in to kiss her. "And I'll take you up on that." He held her close, gladly returning her kiss as she leaned in for another, giving her another little smile when they pulled back. "I love you too, Bridris, with every ounce of my being. And no, you haven't ruined our day at all, and I'm sure we would've had to talk about this eventually." He rested his forehead against hers, savoring the bit of contact. "Do you want to go back? You said earlier that you wanted to dance. We're almost out of sunlight, but lanterns will be lit soon, so we aren't out of time if you still want to."

---

As Ailuin revealed what he was thinking, Aubrius' stomach felt a little funny. The first time she'd felt it, she'd thought maybe she'd just eaten something bad, but it'd been a few times now, and though she wasn't sure exactly what the feeling was, it was definitely something only Ailuin had ever made her feel and suspected it had to do with him being her mate or her loving him or both. But she also didn't want to say anything about it or ask and sound stupid either. Honestly, she wasn't sure what to say at all. She wasn't used to hear anyone say things like that and tried to brush them off to make herself feel more normal. "I don't know about lucky... the gods did give you the most stubborn, pain-in-the-ass mate in the whole court. You might be better off praying for patience," she said, fiddling with a loose bit of string at the hem of her shirt, though she had no problems abandoning it and standing as he did, glad to move forward with the conversation. "I wouldn't mind laying down. I'm staying up with you while you wait to hear who the blessed couple is though."

@ sun spirit

Her arms snaked around his neck as they kissed, pressing herself closer as she let it linger a bit, and then gladly rested her forehead against his as they just held each other. "I'd like to dance with you before we go back.. Should we go to where the dancing is, or should we just stay here?" She asked as she leaned into his arms. She could hear the music that was playing over in the nearby square, and because it was so close to sunset the crowd around the tree had cleared out a bit, making it rather nice and peaceful. "Or we could sit here and watch the sunset, and then go dance after?" She suggested, not minding either way.

---

"I wouldn't want anyone else. I wouldn't dream of asking for anyone else." Ailuin smiled, pressing a few kisses over her cheeks and nose and lips, holding out his hands to help her up. "I consider myself the luckiest fae in the world to have you for a mate, Aubrius. I wouldn't change anything." He promised, raising her hands to his lips to kiss her fingers before leading her toward bed, helping her to lay down before laying down next to her, careful to tuck his wings aside so that they wouldn't drape over her while she was awake in case she wanted to do something like read a book or talk. He also wouldn't be surprised if she decided to get up and wander around the room.

@ katahdin

As he held her, Ramyth considered the options Bridris presented on what they should do. There weren't many people around the tree anymore, and they were alone in their area, which was nice, so staying for awhile longer like this sounded nice, especially since he'd noticed she was nervous in crowds--likely because of her glamour but still--though watching the sun set with her had its own appeals too. After several moments, he reluctantly loosened his arms from around her, taking a step back, then, with a smile, sketched a bow and held out a hand to her. "May I have this dance?"

---

There was that funny feeling in her stomach again. Impulsively, Aubrius closed the distance between them, giving Ailuin a long, lingering kiss. Whether or not he was just saying it because of the mating bond, it was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. "I got a hundred times luckier than you, trust me," she said as they walked to the bed, and maybe it was because the funny feeling in her stomach was persisting, but she let him fuss a little and help her into bed rather than insisting she do it all herself, and then, once he was settled next to her, she scooted close and tucked herself in close, draping an arm over him. "If you even think about teasing me, I'll get up and sleep in the chair and never do this again," she warned, pressing her face into his shirt.

@ sun spirit

Bridris was happy to just stand there in his arms for the rest of the night, but knew they probably wouldn't be able to. She looked up at him as he pulled away, thinking that they were probably going to head back to the castle, or at least leave the tree, but she smiled in surprise as he stepped back and bowed to her, giving a little nod as she curtsied and took his outstretched hand. "I would love to.. I have to warn you, Aub didn't help me practice, so I don't really know what I'm doing, and I like to apologize in advance for stepping on your toes." Her smile widened as she squeezed his hand. She was glad they were dancing here, and grateful that it was a quiet spot for them to just be alone for a bit and enjoy themselves.

---

Ailuin gladly returned her kiss, smiling as she said she felt luckier and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Let's agree that we're both pretty darn lucky." He murmured, kissing her again before helping her to bed, surprised that she didn't fuss at him for helping, especially when he tucked the blankets around her and adjusted her pillows to make sure she was comfortable before he too got into bed after changing into his sleep clothes just to be more comfortable. He was even more surprised when she scooted over to snuggle up against him, wrapping an arm around her carefully as he held her against his chest, smiling down at her as she warned him against teasing her. "I wouldn't dream of it, Aub.. I love you." He sighed happily as he kissed her forehead.

@ katahdin

Ramyth smiled as Bridris played along, curtsying and taking his hand, and he gently pulled her close again, helping her position her hands. "Then I'd like to apologize in advance too, because I'm truly terrible at dancing and might step on your toes too," he told her with a little chuckle, though he'd do his best not to step on her. "I thought we both might like this better though, since we get to be alone together, especially since we're terrible and this way, we don't have any witnesses." He gave her a little smile as he hesitantly led them into a slow dance.

---

Aubrius had thought for sure that Ailuin would say something, which was why she'd made her threat, but thankfully, he just put an arm around her and held her close. She wasn't sure what had come over her, since she usually wasn't a "snuggly" person generally, but it was really nice and calming to just lay with him and breathe in his scent. "I love you too," she murmured, pressing a kiss to his chest, then yawned softly. "And for the record, I don't hate your wings covering me at night, I could sleep in every now and then, and nothing could convince me to eat more vegetables. They're bitter and I already eat as many as I can stomach."

@ sun spirit

Bridris smiled as she placed her hands where he instructed her to, keeping close despite there being plenty of room for them with no one else around. "Aubrius said that as long as whoever is leading is confident and not an idiot I'll be fine, and I don't think you're an idiot, so just be confident." She giggled a little, squeezing his hand as he began to lead her in the dance, glancing down occasionally to make sure she was following him properly and not stepping on his toes. "I like being alone with you.. Not that I don't like other people, I've just never been a fan of crowds, or been around lots of people at a time, and it's easier to manage with you here, but it's still a lot at times."

---

Ailuin let out a content sigh as he tucked the blankets around them, smiling when she kissed his chest before he ran his fingers gently though her hair. He laughed a bit as she set the record straight on a number of things, shifting a bit so he could wrap one of his wings around them, effectively shielding them from the lamps that were still lit. "I think you could like vegetables if it were the right ones cooked the right way.. but I've got all the time in the world to convince you to eat more." He grinned, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he gave her a little squeeze, stifling his own yawn. "If you're ready to sleep, I'll turn the lights off and shift a little so I can really drape my wings over you... Or we can keep cuddling, Whatever is most comfortable for you."

@ katahdin

Ramyth was more than happy to hold Bridris close, chuckling as she advised him to be confident so he'd meet Aubrius' standards. "I'm confident that I'm a terrible dancer. Does that count?" he asked as they slowly started to dance. He wasn't leading them with any particular skill, but he at least knew the basic steps and how not to step on Bridris, so he'd consider it a win. He nodded as she explained why she liked this option. "I wasn't sure if you were just anxious because of the glamour or if you really didn't care for crowds," he admitted. "I thought I'd stay on the safe side though. Plus I selfishly want you all to myself." As the sun started to dip below the horizon, a glow started to emanate from the flowers above and around them, and he slowed as he looked up. He'd never been this close to the tree when this happened, hadn't known exactly how beautiful the flowers were as they glowed. Even as he watched though, he felt a weight settle on his head and frowned a bit to himself as he pulled his hand away from Bridris' waist to touch the top of his head, feeling soft petals and waxy leaves under his finger-tips. That didn't make any sense though... He looked back down at Bridris, eyes widening as he saw a glowing flower crown atop her head. "Oh gods."

---

As Ailuin began to run his fingers through her hair, Aubrius practically purred, the feeling soothing and nice. She didn't pay much attention when he shifted a bit, although she opened one eye as the room darkened, smiling a bit as she saw his wing arched over them. "Good luck with that," she chuckled softly as he claimed to have plenty of time to change her mind. She shook her head as he mentioned sleeping though, squeezing him a little tighter. "I'm staying up with you, not sleeping. Only crazy people sleep before the sun's set." She said it with both eyes closed again though.

@ sun spirit

Bridris giggled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I think that counts." She smiled, following him along as he led her in the dance, glad that it wasn't very difficult and she could easily follow him along. "I'm selfish too, so it's ok." She squeezed his hand a bit, slowing with him and looking up at the blossoms on the tree as they began to glow when the sun set, eyes widening in amazement. "It's beautiful.." she murmured, frowning a bit as she felt him pull his hand away from her waist, eyes moving to his as she heard him sound so concerned. "Is something wrong?" She frowned, eyes widening even more as she noticed the flower crown on his head. "O-Oh.." she was about to suggest that they find someone else to give the crowns to, when she heard someone nearby gasp and say something about a human being chosen by Roedanya, and she quickly look to make sure her bracelet was still there only to see that it was gone. "M-My bracelet.. It's gone, but it was just there, I know it was."

---

Ailuin smiled as he heard her purring, glad that she was finally relaxing and seemed to be enjoying herself despite her injuries. He'd assumed that they'd never get to do stuff like this, or that it would at least take a bit of time before she was willing to relax, but he was glad that it hadn't taken that long for her to open up to him like this. "I like sleeping before sunset sometimes, so I guess I'm crazy." He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Besides, it's just about sunset now, which means Roedanya's probably chosen her blessed couple already, so we'll be able to sleep shortly."

@ katahdin

Until he heard the word 'human' being passed around amongst the fae who'd quickly spotted their flower crowns, Ramyth hadn't realized Bridris' glamour had disappeared. He had to concentrate if he wanted to see it and was used to seeing her human self anyway. Rather than her bracelet suddenly failing though, it seemed to be gone, as if Roedanya herself had done away with it when she crowned them. Ramyth took her hands, squeezing them tightly. "It's okay, Bri. We'll figure this out," he quickly reassured her, since she seemed to be panicking a little. "Let's just get back to the castle and tell Ailuin. He'll have an easier time dealing with it all if he finds out before the council goes to him, and he'll know what to do now that your real identity is out." Even as he looked to see how they'd get back to the castle, dozens of fae were beginning to surround them, talking about the fact that Roedanya had chosen a human, a couple getting close with bright eyes as they said Bridris' name, and a chant already starting up for the blessed couple's dance. Holding Bridris close, Ramyth was prepared to pick her up and fly back to the castle if she said she wanted to leave.

---

Aubrius yawned softly. "I guess that shouldn't really surprise me, since I already knew you were crazy," she told him, opening her eyes and giving him a little smile. "Maybe even as crazy as me." She pressed a kiss to his chin--that being about as far up as she could reach without him leaning in and helping and rested her head against him again, content to stay like this until he had to get up or he decided to tease her, whichever happened first. "Hopefully she picked someone who deserves it. I've questioned her decision-making a couple of times."

@ sun spirit

Bridris had tucked herself into Ramyth's arms as a crowd started to form around them, hoping that maybe if she hid enough that they wouldn't realized that she was a human. But as more and more people wandered over it was increasingly obvious that they knew what she was, and it wasn't long before a few members of the crowd recognized her. She felt a little better as Ramyth held her close and reassured her that they'd figure it out, holding onto his tunic tightly as she glanced around the growing crowd as they began to chant for them to dance. "Maybe.. Maybe we should just do the dance, and then they'll leave us alone and we can go back to the castle..." She suggested, waving sheepishly at a few of her friends who recognized her.

---

"I think you're definitely the craziest." Ailuin grinned down at her as she kissed his chin, leaning down to press a kiss to the tip of her nose. "But I like your crazy. Most of the time." He chuckled, running his fingers through her hair again as she settled back down against him again. "I think she has her reasons for her choices. I think whoever she blesses deserves it in one way or another, even if the relationship doesn't last in the long term."

@ katahdin

Ramyth had seen the blessed couple surrounded in the past and fae who recognized those who'd been blessed hugging them and congratulating him, so he was just glad no one got too close to Bridris. He was usually pretty calm, but he might've growled at them to back off right then. And maybe it was because the situation was unusual or maybe it was because they sensed they shouldn't get too close, but he and Bridris had a little pocket of privacy, however small. "You sure?" he asked softly, glancing down at her. "I can fly us back now if you want. I know you don't really like crowds." While the music floating from the nearby square had temporarily gone silent, it started up again just then, and suddenly there were more than a hundred fae urging them to dance, the oddity of a human being chosen apparently not enough to tempt them to break with tradition.

---

Aubrius grinned a bit as Ailuin called her the craziest and kissed her nose, squeezing him a little. "I think it's more like half the time, max. You never groaned like the council when I showed up for our daily chat, but you were pretty unhappy any other time I showed up." Though, to be fair, it was usually because she was in trouble for doing something, was planning trouble, or had been arrested and was being escorted to the dungeons. Though she'd never really stayed long, she was pretty sure they had a specific cell on reserve for her. "Hmm, I dunno. Who knows what the gods think when they do anything they do?"

@ sun spirit

Bridris blushed as the crowd grew larger and urged them to dance, her grip on Ramyth's tunic tightening a bit as she pressed closer. She nodded a little when he asked if she was sure, and although she was still clearly nervous, she offered him a faint smile. "I'll be ok... I want to keep dancing with you, and I can pretend they're not here.. And it's only one dance, and then you can fly us back. I've never flown before, though, and I think I might be more afraid of flying than afraid of staying here and dancing.." she admitted softly, tucking her face into his chest as the crowd jeered them on.

---

Ailuin chuckled, squeezing her in return. "It was annoying, but your points are always mostly valid, and you have good ideas. The council should listen to you. But yes, most other time you showed up I wasn't too happy to see you, because you were always getting into trouble that I then had to get you out of." He pressed a kiss to her forehead as he squeezed her again. "I doubt anybody really knows, even the priests and priestesses.. But they must have their reasons. I'm glad they paired us together, though." He smiled, pressing another kiss to her forehead as he settled further into the mattress, feeling quite comfortable with her snuggled up to him.

@ katahdin

Ramyth gave Bridris a little smile and nodded, holding her close as she tucked her face into his chest. "Okay, if you're sure. And we don't have to fly. I'd feel better if it was day and we didn't have to go a long distance and someone else was around in case something went wrong honestly. I only mentioned it because we're closed in and if you wanted to leave now, it might be the best option." He kissed the top her head and pulled back a bit to take her hand. "We can talk the entire time if it makes you feel better and less like the entire court's watching us?" he offered with a faint smile as his other hand went to her waist, also doing his best to ignore the crowd and the ripples of conversation taking place all around them.

---

Aubrius smiled as Ailuin called her previous daily visits annoying, though it was something of a surprise to hear him say that she had good ideas. She was quiet for several moments before she ventured to say, "You didn't have to get me out of trouble.... so why did you? I'd understand if I did something stupid tomorrow and you helped, but you didn't even know me when you first started trying to help. Not only did you not know me, you must've been told some bad things about me before we even met. Like how I was always getting into trouble and starting fights and disrupting the peace. And I always pushed you away and said I didn't want your help, so I guess I just don't understand why you bothered." She smiled a bit as he said he was glad they'd been paired together. and settled a bit more, pressing a little closer. "I am too. You make me feel calmer. And happy. And wanted. I think the only other person who's made me feel that way is Bri, and I don't know if I count that, since I'm pretty sure when she was younger, she just wanted the snacks I brought or to hear a story or play with my wings. It's different with you. It's nice, but also weird."

@ sun spirit

"I'd trust you to fly us back if we have to. But that should be the emergency option." Bridris suggested, looking up at him after he kissed her head and got them back in the position to dance, blushing as she heard the crowd cheer. She nodded when he suggested that they talk the entire time to try to ignore the crowd, hoping that would help. "Seems like a good plan to me... Will you tell me a story? It can be about anything, I just want to hear you talk.." she offered him a faint smile, stepping close as he began to lead her in the dance.

---

Ailuin shrugged a little as she asked why he'd always helped her, gently rubbing her back. "I'm not sure.. I don't think it would of been fair for me to dismiss you outright before even meeting you, or let everyone else's opinions of you cloud my judgement... You were annoying, yes, and a pain in my ass most of the time, but you knew what you wanted and you were fighting for it. And most of the time when you got into trouble it was defending yourself in some way, and I don't think you deserved to be punished for that... My guess is i probably knew you were my mate on some level, and was trying to make sure that I kept getting to see you, even if you seemed to hate me and want nothing to do with me." He confessed softly, smiling as she spoke about how he made her feel, giving her a little squeeze. "I'm glad I can do that for you, Aub. And I'm sure Bridris didn't just want you for the snacks and stories and chance to touch your wings. I think you're the closest thing to a mother she has, and from what you both have said one of her only close friends, so I'm sure she wanted you to want her as much as you wanted her to want you."

@ katahdin

“Then we’ll save it for if we really need it,” Ramyth assured her, giving her a little smile that he hoped might set her a little more at ease as she stepped back into their dancing position with a little cheer going up from the crowd, and he slowly started to lead them again. He chuckled a bit as she asked him to tell her story rather than have a conversation. “I’m not sure I even have any stories left to tell you. I think you might’ve heard them all. Well, all the ones about the gods and our beliefs anyway. I don’t want to bore you by telling you the same story.”

---

“I’ve never hated you. Especially not after what happened with my parents. The old king probably would’ve tried to take their side, no matter what the law said and told me I needed to wait until I settled to make a decision like that, which he’d told be before. So it was obvious pretty immediately that you were different. I also didn’t exactly want nothing to do with you. If we’re being fair, I always thought you were attractive, but you kind of felt off-limits, and half the time I’ve been angry with you specifically, it was frustration with myself and a little bit because you helping me out created problems.” Aubrius yawned, letting her eyes close as she rested her head against his chest. She wrinkled her nose a bit, however, as Ailuin brought up the ‘mothering Bridris’ thing again. “She’s one of my closest friends too, but that doesn’t mean I acted like a mother to her. All I did was be careful around her, and I did that because she’s human and I thought I’d break her accidentally. She was nice and thought my wings were pretty, and I was nice back.”

@ sun spirit

"I don't know what to talk about, though. I don't think talking about what's happening right now will really put either of us at ease, since I'm still hoping that maybe it's a dream or a hallucination." Bridris said, squeezing his hands as she looked up at him. "And most conversations we've had today have ended in tears, and I don't really want to cry in front of everyone.. and you'd never bore me, Ramyth. I love your stories, even if I've already heard them before." She tensed a little as she heard the crowd cheering for them, nearly stumbling over her own feet as she gripped him a bit tighter.

---

"I always thought you were attractive too, and also thought you were off limits.. It's sort of funny that we ended up together anyway." Ailuin smiled as she yawned, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he rubbed her back soothingly. "I was nice and think your wings are pretty, and you're not nice to me." He teased softly, giving her a little squeeze as he closed his eyes. He was ready to drift off to sleep with her when a note appeared and landed on his wing, managing to catch it before it fell off the bed. "This must be the report of who the blessed couple is, which also means it's nearly time for bed." He smiled, giving her another squeeze as he opened the note and scanned it's contents, his smile disappearing and his eyes widening. "Oh gods... It's Bridris and Ramyth."

@ katahdin

Ramyth tightened his grip a bit as Bridris stumbled, helping to stop her from tripping, and offered her a reassuring smile. It was obvious that she was nervous and tense because they were being watched. He was a little tense himself, partially because her identity was out now and they hadn’t gotten to the bottom of her kidnapping yet. He was trying to seem calm and help her calm down a little though. “Okay, then I’ll tell you one you’ve heard before. How Roedanya and Syldning came to be mates and the Roedanya tree was sprouted.”

---

Aubrius gave him a little smile. “I guess we should be grateful you have less self-control than me,” she teased, though if she’d ever been drunk around him, she probably would’ve tried to sleep with him. She‘d made enough bad decisions drunk to think she’d have remembered it was a bad idea. She hummed softly as he accused her of not being nice to him. “The only person I’m nicer to than you is Bridris.” She was having a hard time staying awake, comfortable and cocooned next to him, so when she was relieved when he finally said word had arrived on who the blessed couple was. “‘Mmk.” She went quiet as read the paper and told her who it was. “Sounds like Roedanya picked smart this year,” she said without opening her eyes, then snickered softly. “I wish I could see their dance. Ram’s got two left feet, and Bri and I only got in one lesson.”

@ sun spirit

Bridris smiled at him sheepishly as he caught her, her cheeks heating up in a blush. If she could just tune out the crowd she'd be fine, but hearing them chanting and clapping and celebrating as the surrounded them was a lot, and she could tell that even Ramyth was nervous. She gave a little nod when he said he'd tell her the story about Roedanya and Syldning, giving his hands a squeeze as they continued to dance. "Alright.. I like that one. It's one of my favorites." She murmured, pressing closer so she could hear him better over the crowd.

---

Ailuin sighed at her teasing, pressing a kiss to her forehead before carefully unfurling his wing from over them, knowing he needed to get up. "Yes, I think she made an excellent choice as well, but she also removed Bridris' glamour when she blessed them, and now the whole kingdom knows who and what she is. Which means I have to stop cuddling and go tell the council before they start knocking down our door." He looked at her apologetically as he ran his fingers through her hair, glad that she was at least tired enough now to potentially fall asleep. "I won't be long, but don't worry about staying awake for me. You need your rest."