A Court of Flight and Valor

@ katahdin

The situation was definitely a little awkward, not made any better by the fact that they were terrible at dancing, but as Bridris pressed a little closer, Ramyth held her and tried to focus solely on her and tune their audience, smiling a bit as she claimed that the story about Roedanya and Syldning was one of her favorites. "Glad I picked a good one then," he said, and trying not to be too self-conscious about it, leaned in and kissed her cheek. As they continued to awkwardly dance, he told her the story again, concentrating on it and not accidentally stepping on Bridris enough to keep his mind mostly away from the fact that they were being watched. She seemed to calm down a little with it too, though it was still a relief when the music stopped, and the annual dance of the blessed couple was over.

---

Aubrius frowned as Ailuin removed his wing out from around them and told her Bridris' glamour had been removed, some of her tiredness dissipating immediately with the news. Though he hadn't even gotten up yet, she was already sitting up. "I need to go make sure they're okay. Ramyth's smart enough to keep some sort of weapon on him, but he's not in uniform or wearing a sword, and if someone's stupid enough to try something, he might need help." The entire reason Bridris was wearing a glamour was for her protection, and the reason she had only one guard was to keep things as secret as possible and not to draw attention to her when no one knew her identity. The fact that she was injured and supposed to be resting had completely abandoned her mind, even as she moved to stand and grab her weapons.

@ sun spirit

By the time they finished dancing Bridris had moved closer until she could rest her head against his shoulder, eyes closed as she focused on his voice as he retold the story and how nice it was to be dancing with him. The cheering of the crowd as the dance ended and they came to a stop surprised her and brought her back to reality, blushing brightly as she looked around at the crowd nervously, which she only seemed to get bigger and felt like it was closing in on them. "I-I think I'd like to go home now, Ramyth.." she murmured softly as she clung to him, hands gripping his tunic tightly.

---

Ailuin was quick to grab her arm to keep her in bed, hushing her as she fussed. "They're alright, Aubrius. They're nearly done their dance, and as soon as they're done I'm sure Ramyth will bring her right back here where she's safe. So there's no use in you going out into the city to find them when they're just going to come right back here." He said, but seeing how concerned she still was he squeezed her hands. "Once they're back I'll have someone send word that they've returned, and then we can both go see them and make sure they're alright, does that sound fair? I'm sure Bridris will be happy to see you, and Ramyth will gladly listen to whatever teasing you give him."

@ katahdin

Ramyth was about to suggest they leave, seeing a few fae start to push forward and saying Bridris' name as if they recognized her, the rest seeming to collectively return to the mystery of a human being in the court--and chosen--when Bridris said she wanted to leave and pressed close. "Okay, just stay close," he said, kissing the top of her head, and one arm around her, he started to lead them towards the crowd, which circled them and didn't exactly leave an opening, simultaneously using his magic to create an invisible barrier around them that kept others from grabbing Bridris--unless they were strong enough to break through--and helped create a path for them too. Fae tried to talk to them and reach out for them, but he didn't acknowledge them, only keeping an eye on the few who reached out, making sure they didn't break the barrier. It was a little slow, breaking through the crowd that way, but eventually they got past the worst of it and some of the tension eased from him, though he didn't drop the barrier as he continued leading Bridris back to the castle.

---

If it hadn't been Ramyth with Bridris, Aubrius wouldn't have let Ailuin stop her from getting up, and even then, it was with obvious reluctance that she sat back, only relaxing fractionally as he suggested they visit Ramyth and Bridris once they made it back. "Okay," she finally said with a sigh. "But I'm going with you to talk to the council, because I can't promise I won't leave if I decide they're taking too long to get back. At least the council yelling will give me something to focus on, and you can just sit on me or something if I get too antsy."

@ sun spirit

Bridris nodded as he told her to stick close, holding onto him tightly as he began to lead her toward the crowd. She tensed whenever anyone said her name or reached out as if to grab her, pressing herself further into his side in an attempt to stay away. Once they were away from the worst of the crowd she let herself relax a bit, although she didn't relax fully until they were walking through the castle gates, letting out a breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding, loosening her grip on Ramyth in case she was hurting him. ".. Do you think Ailuin will be mad if we don't go see him right away?" She asked as she looked up at him. She was clearly terrified from the ordeal with the crowd, and wanted nothing more than to go back to their room and hide.

---

Ailuin squeezed her hands when she agreed, nodding as he leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips, tugging on his dressing robe before taking her hand to lead her toward the council chambers. Halfway there though he noticed a familiar couple walking through the castle gates after glancing out the window, pausing to point the pair out to Aubrius. "I told you they'd arrive in one piece.. Would you like to visit with them while I speak to the council? Or do you want to be there when the council yells at me for not informing them sooner?"

@ katahdin

Like Bridris, Ramyth felt much better once they'd entered the castle gates. Most everyone was at the festival and the castle would be safer for her over all. Bridris was still clearly shaken about the events of the last half hour though, so rather than stop, he continued to lead the way back to their rooms, letting the magic shield he'd created around them drop at last. "No. I'm sure he already knows what happened. The blessed couple is usually placed first in tomorrow's ceremony, and he'll receive word on who that is before morning. Besides, I can always go tell him what happened on my own later," he assured her, squeezing her gently.

---

Aubrius was glad when Ailuin didn't try to argue and insist she stay in bed, which she doubted would've happened anyway and instead put on a robe before they started for the council chambers. She was confused when he suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway, frowning, but quickly saw the figures outside the window head into the castle, and immediately a good portion of her restless energy was eased. They looked a little tense, but not in the sense that anything was wrong or anyone had been hurt, at least from what she could see, and she was relieved that nothing had gone wrong. "I should probably go with you. I'm the one who found her and brought her to you instead of the council, and they're going to want to yell at me too if we're telling them everything we've been hiding. We can check up on them after the yelling stops," she said, squeezing his hand.

@ katahdin

Like Bridris, Ramyth felt much better once they'd entered the castle gates. Most everyone was at the festival and the castle would be safer for her over all. Bridris was still clearly shaken about the events of the last half hour though, so rather than stop, he continued to lead the way back to their rooms, letting the magic shield he'd created around them drop at last. "No. I'm sure he already knows what happened. The blessed couple is usually placed first in tomorrow's ceremony, and he'll receive word on who that is before morning. Besides, I can always go tell him what happened on my own later," he assured her, squeezing her gently.

---

Aubrius was glad when Ailuin didn't try to argue and insist she stay in bed, which she doubted would've happened anyway and instead put on a robe before they started for the council chambers. She was confused when he suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway, frowning, but quickly saw the figures outside the window head into the castle, and immediately a good portion of her restless energy was eased. They looked a little tense, but not in the sense that anything was wrong or anyone had been hurt, at least from what she could see, and she was relieved that nothing had gone wrong. "I should probably go with you. I'm the one who found her and brought her to you instead of the council, and they're going to want to yell at me too if we're telling them everything we've been hiding. We can check up on them after the yelling stops," she said, squeezing his hand.

@ sun spirit

Bridris let herself relax even more as they entered the castle and began to make the way toward their rooms, nodding a little as he said Ailuin likely already knew. "Alright... Do you think I'll get in trouble?" She asked soflty after a moment, glancing up at him. She knew the council would likely be mad at Ailuin for keeping her presence a secret, but she worried that she'd get in trouble too. Besides, she couldn't participate in the ceremony tomorrow because she was human, yet she'd been chosen, and she was sure that someone would he angry with her because of it. By the time they reached their rooms she felt like she was ready to collapse, having not realized how exhausting today had been until the door was shut behind them and she knew they were alone.

---

Ailuin nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he led her the rest of the way to the council chambers, where about half of the members were currently seated around the table bickering amongst each other about the news. They all fell silent when Ailuin and Aubrius walked in, all the members narrowing their eyes skeptically at Aubrius. "Of course. This all makes much more sense knowing that you are somehow involved." One spat as he looked back at his fellow councilmen, who all looked displeased that Aubrius was there. Ailuin growled though, giving Aubrius' hand a squeeze. "I'd watch your tongues, if I were you. You're speaking to my mate, the future Queen." He knew she hadn't outright agreed to be queen, but the council didn't know that, and didn't need to knew that as far as he was concerned.

@ katahdin

Ramyth gave Bridris a little smile and leaned in to kiss the top of her head. "No, you won't get in trouble," he promised, squeezing her hand gently. "No matter how anyone looks at it, no one can blame you for any of this. It's not like you snuck inside the border or trapped yourself here, and we gave you the glamour and hid you. You'll be fine." Then, finally, they'd reached their rooms. Ramyth didn't let himself fully relax until the doors were shut behind them and he'd done a quick search of the space, just in case, and sure enough, they were alone. "I'm sorry this is happening," he said softly with a sigh. "I don't know why your bracelet just disappeared like that."

---

Aubrius had expected some animosity from the councilmen, who she hadn't seen since the morning after she and Ailuin had sealed the bond, seeing as how she was probably literally the last person they wanted Ailuin's mate to be, and only rolled her eyes at the greeting she received. She was a little surprised at Ailuin's reaction though, the growl being more along the lines of what she normally would've expected out of herself, giving him a little look as he called her the future queen. She figured it was more to upset them than any predictor of how things would end up though and squeezed Ailuin's hand back as she gave the men an unpleasant smile. "You haven't even heard the worst thing I've done in the past week either, so you might reconsider how mad you are about this." She moved to the table, taking a seat next to her mate and perching at the edge for the sake of her wings. "Bridris is here because a month ago, I found her unconscious on our territory, smelling like faerie wine, when she was supposed to be home, getting ready to leave and get married. When I tried to take her back, I couldn't cross the border carrying her. There wasn't anything strange at the cliffs, no way to track who'd done it, so I took her to my house, waited until she woke up, gave her some fresh clothes, and brought her to Ailuin. It was decided it was best if her identity was kept secret until we got to the bottom of who'd kidnapped her in the first place and why. She's had a guard with her at all times to keep her safe, a glamour so no one would recognize her, we've had someone trying to figure out how to break the spell on her, and there's an investigation in place." She glanced at Ailuin at that point, not sure if he wanted to tell them everything just yet.

@ sun spirit

Bridris felt a little better when he said that no one would be mad at her and that she wasn't in any trouble, squeezing his hand again. "I don't want you to get in trouble, though.. You've only been helping me, and I don't think you should be punished for that." She murmured, remaining near the door as he took a moment to search the rooms, but moved into his arms once he'd returned, tucking her face into the crook of his neck, shaking her head a little as he apologized. "It's not your fault, Ram. Roedanya must have took the bracelet, it's the only explanation.. Why do you think she blessed us?" She asked, tilting her head back to look up at him, a small smile spreading on her lips. "I think you look nice in your crown, though.. Do they disappear after the festival ends like the flowers on her tree?"

---

The members of the council fell silent as their king growled at them, although they still looked at Aubrius with disdain as she and Ailuin took their seats. They remained silent as Aubrius explained the situation with Bridris, looking to Ailuin for confirmation, who simply nodded, giving Aub's hand a squeeze. "I don't appreciate that we have been kept out of the loop concerning this, Ailuin. I understand your reasoning, but we should have been informed, so we can decide what to do about this Bridris girl. Humans aren't allowed in the territory, and her being blessed by Roedanya only complicates things." Ailuin frowned, shaking his head. "No, Bridris is staying. She cannot be sent home due to threats on her life in the moral realms. I will not knowingly allow her to be sent back to her death, even excluding the fact that she and one of the finest members of the royal guard we're blessed by Roedanya today, and I don't want to risk upsetting the gods."

@ katahdin

"If I get in trouble, it'll be with the council, and I doubt it'll be because of you. If anything, it'll be because of what Aubrius and I did yesterday," Ramyth reassured her, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close when she moved close, taking comfort in having her there and in his arms and feeling much calmer now that they were alone in their rooms. "I don't know... she must've thought we deserved it. Maybe she agreed with Roe and thought we were worthy somehow." He returned her smile with one of his own, chuckling a bit as she claimed to like him in his crown. "Thank you. Yours certainly suits you, especially since your dress was made to look like it had Roedanya flowers on it. You look gorgeous dressed up like this. And yes, they'll disappear at sunset tomorrow. Until then, I'm afraid we're stuck with them. We couldn't take them off if we tried."

---

Aubrius was doing relatively good at being calm and ignoring the looks the council members gathered were casting her way, but it was her turn to growl when one started talking about what to do with Bridris, squeezing Ailuin's hand a little to keep herself seated, though she appreciated how quick Ailuin was to make it clear that Bridris wasn't leaving. Still, she didn't like the way it looked like they were getting ready to argue, to make arguments just because Bridris was human. "Before any of you say anything else, here's something to think about. Ramyth--one of the most loyal and skilled warriors currently in the royal guard--is in love with the human you're trying to leave. If you manage to kick her out, he's leaving with her. He's already said he would. Coincidentally, Ramyth and Bridris are two of three people in this court that I actually give a shit about. If they leave, I leave. The last of the three people I give a shit about is currently holding my hand, and guess what? If I leave, he does too." She squeezed Ailuin's hand, silently willing him to go along with her. He'd said before he would leave for her, but she wasn't really asking for that; she just wanted the council to know they couldn't touch Bridris without repercussions. In this case--losing the court's king, which was a large portion of its power and protection.

Rather than look to Ailuin for confirmation as they had earlier, this time there seemed to be a general consensus of disbelief, with one actually laughing a little before he controlled himself. "What makes you think the king would just abandon the court just because you decided to chase after a human?"

@ sun spirit

"But you shouldn't get in trouble, you haven't done anything wrong." Bridris pouted as she pressed closer, smoothing her hands over his chest as she fussed with his tunic. She nodded a little as he spoke about the goddess agreeing with Roe, letting out a little hum as she leaned further into his arms. "Maybe she was Roedanya? She said Roe was just a nickname, and that she and her mate preferred different festivals this time of year." Bridris suggested, although she knew it was a silly thought. What were the chances of them running into a goddess? Her smile widened as he called her gorgeous, blushing brightly as well as she reached up to touch one of the flowers on his crown. "They're lovely.. You look very handsome all dressed up too, you know. I hope that the crowns won't be uncomfortable to sleep in, though." She reached up to carefully undo the braided him that her hair was up in, letting out a sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair once to untangle it before resting her head against his chest. "I love you, Ram. Thank you for today, I had fun, really."

---

"She thinks it because I've told her that I will follow her wherever she goes, whether she stays in the kingdom or goes to another court or leaves to the human lands." Ailuin stated simply, making sure to look at all the council members in the eye to know that he was serious, squeezing Aub's hand in the hopes that she'd understand that he meant every word. "Nothing, nothing is more important than my mate. Not any of you, not the court. If she goes I go to, and I wish you luck finding another king."

There was a long moment of silence where the council members took in this information, one eventually nodding a bit as he looked at them. "Fair enough.. We will figure out what to do about the girl after the festival is over. You have an early day tomorrow, your majesty, so I suggest that we all return to our chambers and call it a night. There will be time for bickering and arguing later." Ailuin nodded a little as the council member spoke, giving him a look of appreciation as he stood with Aub. "Thank you. We will check in with Ramyth and Bridris before we go to sleep to make sure that they are alright and to see if they are willing to go through with the ceremony tomorrow. I'll also make sure that additional guards are posted outside of their rooms to ensure no one attempts to attack Bridris."

@ katahdin

Ramyth chuckled, squeezing Bridris gently as she suggested that perhaps Roe had been Roedanya. "You know, you might not be entirely wrong. Sometimes parents will name their children after gods as a form of thanks. Roedanya is a popular one to thank, and I've met a couple of them, one of which actually went by Roe. Besides, she just said her mate was a little grumpy." He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose, finding himself relaxing more little by little. He smiled a bit as she blushed in response to his compliment, remembering what she'd said awhile ago about blushing because she wasn't used to receiving compliments, glad he had the opportunity now to tell her everything he thought of her and saw in her that she should've been hearing before she met him. "I'm glad you think so. You aren't going to start being like my family and getting onto me for not taking off my uniform more often though, are you?" He realized he'd do it if she asked though. Without any hesitation. "I hope so too." He rested his head against hers, breathing in the smell of the Roedanya blossoms and her hair. "I love you too, Bri. I'm sorry about both ambushes and the tears."

---

Aubrius had expected more outrage and disbelief from the councilmen in the wake of Ailuin's support of her claim, so when one calmly agreed and suggested everyone get sleep, she was surprised and gave him an appraising look, wondering if he had a mate or was just trying to keep the peace. Whichever, it definitely had the desired effect of stalling the arguments. Not feeling the need to make any more threats or piss them off--there'd be plenty of time for that tomorrow--she left the chambers with Ailuin without saying anything else in, giving her mate an apologetic look and squeezing his hand once they were far enough away that there wouldn't be any eavesdropping. "Sorry, I didn't like the way they looked like they would argue about Bridris staying. Rather than risk them trying to throw her out, I wanted to give them a good reason to want to keep her. They wouldn't miss Ramyth that much and would be more than happy to get rid of me, I'm sure, but not if it meant losing you. I promise I'm not planning on leaving the court. I appreciate you backing me up though."

@ sun spirit

Bridris smiled a little despite her blush when he kissed her nose, pressing a kiss to his chin since it was the easiest place she could reach. She was glad that they were both relaxing finally, knowing it had been a long day for both of them. She giggled soflty as he asked if she'd start asking him to wear his uniform less, smiling up at him as she gave him a squeeze. "Maybe. But I might ask you to take it off for different reasons, though." She blushed at her brazenness, silently blaming the petals they'd eaten earlier before she tucked her head into his chest as he rested his head on top of hers, smiling a bit as he held her a bit tighter. "I love more, I bet. And you don't have to apologise, Ram. It wasn't your fault."

---

Ailuin shook his head as she apologized, raising her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles before he wrapped an arm around her. "I meant what I said, Aub. I'll follow you wherever you go, whenever you want. It wasn't hard to back you up because I was telling the truth." He smiled a bit, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "We're definitely not out of the woods yet with them, but at least we have a few days to figure out our strategy for how to deal with them." He sighed, not looking forward to the conversation. He shook his head a bit to clear his thoughts, looking at her with a smile. "Alright.. Time to see Bridris?" He asked as he led them toward the rooms Bridris and Ramyth had been using, pausing outside so Aub could knock when she was ready.

@ katahdin

Ramyth was a bit surprised at Bridris' words, catching onto her meaning immediately, and he squeezed her in his arms as she pressed close, almost acting like she wanted to hide from what she'd said. "For you, I'd gladly take it off anytime you want. Especially if you're taking your clothes off too," he told her softly, his cheeks warming a bit as well, though he smiled a bit as she challenged whether he loved her more. "It's partially my fault, since one of the ambushes was my family, and you cried because of me, so I'm still sorry. And I wouldn't count on you winning that bet. I think I might love you more."

---

Aubrius leaned into Ailuin, giving him a little smile. "Wherever you are is where I want to be," she assured him. "And I don't know that I'd even want to follow if Bridris and Ramyth left. I'd miss them, but I'd feel like a third wheel, plus you have responsibilities here that you seem to genuinely care about, we're apparently going to try giving me responsibility and see how I do with it, and there could always be visits. If the council asks though, I'm absolutely serious and you can show them my bag of clothes and tell them I'm ready to run the moment they kick Bridris out. And if you're really taking time off, then we should have more than a couple days," she reminded him, giving him a kiss as they reached Ramyth and Bridris' rooms. "Ram, Bri!" She let herself in without knocking, pausing just inside the doorway as she took in the way they were just holding each other and blushing in the middle of the room.

Ramyth started in surprise as Aubrius suddenly burst into the room calling their names, not quite letting Bridris go but standing a little straighter as his blush deepened a bit as she stared at them as if she didn't understand what was happening, catching sight of Ailuin in the hall. "Aub, you have to knock!"

"Why? I always--ooooh. Well, you both look okay so I guess we can come back in the morning." Aubrius winked as she started to back up.

"No--Aub, wait, you didn't--" Ramyth didn't think his face could get any redder and could only imagine how Bridris must look. He squeezed her gently, reluctantly letting her go, though he kept her hand in his. He appealed to Ailuin. "I was actually planning on coming to talk to you soon. Bridris' bracket disappeared when we were chosen as the blessed couple. The entire kingdom knows she's here now."

@ sun spirit

Bridris looked up at him in surprise when he said that he'd take his uniform off if she asked, on the condition that she also removed her dress, her cheeks heating up as she pressed closer. "Well.. Maybe you could help me with my dress, and I can help you with your tunic?" She asked softly, a bit hesitant as she gazed up at him. She nearly jumped out of her skin though when Aubrius barged in without knocking, instinctively holding onto Ramyth tightly as she hid herself in his arms, although she visibly relaxed when she realized it was only Aubrius and Ailuin. "Aub, you nearly scared me half to death.." she frowned, her cheeks heating up at the insinuation of her words, quickly shaking her head.

Ailuin chuckled at the sight of the two very flustered love birds, wrapping an arm around Aubrius before she got out the door, nodding at Ramyth as he explained what had happened. "We've heard. One of the guards patrolling the festival spotted you two and sent me a message to inform me. Unfortunately this means that the council also knows, but we'll have time to sort out what will happen. But I can promise that Bridris isn't going anywhere, unless the council wants to have to look for a new king." He offered the pair a smile, giving Aubrius a squeeze. "It's late, though. You both look exhausted, and gods knows Aubrius should be in bed resting. We'll see you tomorrow before the ceremony, for breakfast perhaps?" He suggested, smiling at Bridris' enthusiastic smile

"Breakfast sounds nice.. Thank you for letting me stay, too.. I'm sorry if I've cause any trouble." Bridris apologized as she squeezed Ramyth's hand, smiling at Aubrius. "You look much better than this afternoon, Aub. I'm glad you've been resting like you're supposed to, and I appreciate that you came to check on us, but we're fine, and you should get back to bed before you get in trouble for being up."

@ katahdin

Ramyth squeezed Bridris' hand as Ailuin caught Aubrius as the backed up and mercifully took over the conversation without any teasing remarks, nodding a bit as he said that the council knew about Bridris--but also that she wouldn't be leaving, a little relieved to hear it. "Thank you. Breakfast sounds good. You didn't have to go to that sort of extreme to get them to agree though, did you?"

Aubrius shrugged. "We could spend weeks arguing with them, or I could tell them they'd lose Ailuin if they tried to make Bridris leave. I thought I'd make the decision easy for them." She then returned Bridris' smile with a little grin. "Well, resting compared to what a usual day's like for me, anyway. And I won't get in trouble. As it turns out, Ailuin's actually a softie." Even as she said this, she was still grinning and leaned in to kiss Ailuin's cheek.

Ramyth shook his head, giving Ailuin a sympathetic look. "If you can get her still enough to let you, she usually falls asleep pretty quickly if you run your fingers through her hair. Healing magic does it too, but with the iron poisoning, that's probably not a good idea."

"Hey!" Aubrius bristled, taking a step towards Ramyth. "What happened to loyalty to your friends?"

"I've been looking out for you for years and know firsthand how difficult it is. I'm just saving Aiulin the pain of figuring it out for himself with trial and error," Ramyth responded, not looking at all put off with Aubrius' combative stance.

@ sun spirit

Bridris giggled at Ramyth and Aubrius' bickering, squeezing Ramyth's hand in return. "We're just worried about you, Aub, and want you to get better as quickly as possible." She smiled, stifling a small yawn.

"Thank you for the intel, Ramyth. I appreciate it." Ailuin chuckled before grinning down at his mate, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he noticed Bridris' yawn. "Alright, everyone to bed. We'll meet for breakfast in the morning, and then you can bicker with your friends all you want." He teased Aubrius softly as he gently led her out of the room after wishing Ramyth and Bridris a goodnight, stopping a little ways down the hall to give her a kiss. "I think maybe you should learn to knock now that Ramyth has a partner. I don't think either of them will appreciate you barging in."

---

Bridris wished Ailuin and Bridris a goodnight, promising to meet them for breakfast in the morning before turning back to Ramyth once they were gone and the door had been locked for the night, letting herself relax a bit as she smiled up at him. "I suppose we have to go to bed now that Ailuin's ordered us to... Which room are we going to sleep in?" She asked after a moment of thought, brows furrowing a bit. "I don't mind either way, so we could switch every night, or just pick one over the other. Whichever is easiest. I think your room is bigger and it has the nice reading spot, but my room has a better view, and I think that it's cozier because of the fireplace."

@ katahdin

Aubrius gave Ramyth a look that clearly said that she wasn't going to forget what they were talking about, but seeing Bridris' yawn as well, she backed off for the moment. "I would never bicker with Bri, just Ram. Since everyone's tired and you'd tell Hanvosi if I fought Ram tonight though, I can wait until breakfast."

"You're welcome." Ramyth shook his head with a little smile. "And I've told you I won't fight you while you're injured before, Aub. Heal up, then we'll talk."

Aubrius stuck her tongue out at her friend, then gave Bridris a smile and wished her goodnight, leaving with Ailuin and shutting the door behind them. She was surprised when Ailuin stopped them a little ways down the hall to kiss her though, smiling as she kissed him back. She blinked a bit when he followed it up by suggesting that she start knocking though, then shrugged. "I guess I can knock. I'm just used to being able to walk in whenever I want with Ram though. And I've never had to worry about that with Bri."

---

After Aubrius and Ailuin left the room, Ramyth stepped up behind them to lock it, looking back at Bridris with an apologetic smile as he stepped forward and took her hands again. She was already talking about getting into bed before he could apologize though, smiling as she gave her opinion on what qualities she liked best about each of their rooms. "I don't really mind either way either. How about this? Did you still want me to read to you tonight? If you did, we could use the reading spot in my room and then move to my bed. If you want to just go straight to sleep, we'll use your room since it's closer."

@ sun spirit

"I'm glad that my mate is so reasonable." Ailuin teased softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he smiled at her, shaking his head as she and Ram postponed their fight for a later date. "Have a good night Ramyth, Bridris." Ailuin called as he led Aubrius out of their room, chuckling a little to himself when he heard the door lock behind them before nodding in understanding as Aubrius said that she was used to just being able to walk in, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I know, Aub. But he's got Bridris now, and I think they'll want some privacy given how close they are. After all, I'm sure you would be upset if Ram barged in on us without knocking." He pointed out, hoping that visual might help her understand why they would appreciate it if she knocked from now on.

---

Bridris wished both Ailuin and Aubrius a good night as they left, happily moving back into Ramyth's arms after he locked the door, giving his hands a squeeze as she returned his smile. "I'm glad Aubrius is ok.. And you two shouldn't fight, you're friends." Bridris pointed out, pressing a kiss to his cheek before humming a little in thought at his suggestions about their sleeping arrangements. "Hm.. I think maybe we should go to my room, since it's late and we're supposed to be up early for breakfast and the ceremony tomorrow, and even though I'd love to stay up reading with you it seems like a bad idea. We can read tomorrow?" She suggested with a little smile, tugging his hands as she took a few steps back toward her room.

@ katahdin

Aubrius took Ailuin's hand and tugged him along as she started to lead the way back towards his rooms, giving what he said a moment of consideration before shrugging. "Maybe a little irritated, depending on what we were doing, but I'd just assume he needed something. That's how it works. I guess I have to think about Bri though. She's not used to how me and Ram are, and she's more proper. She'd probably die if I saw her naked," she said with a little sigh. "At least I don't have to worry about that with you. If a guard tries to stop me, I can just push them out of the way."

---

Ramyth chuckled as Bridris scolded him for fighting with Aubrius, kissing the top of her head. "We don't fight seriously. It's more like competitive training, seeing who beats who. She just likes challenging me when I do something she doesn't like," he explained, going quiet as she suggested they postpone reading for tomorrow and in the meantime go ahead and go to sleep. "That sounds good to me," he said, giving her a little kiss. "I'm sorry we can't stay up tonight." He smiled as she started tugging him towards her room, gladly following her there and pulling back the covers on the bed for her.