A Court of Flight and Valor

@ sun spirit

Bridris frowned a little as he offered to write a letter for her or teach her how to do it herself, giving a hesitant little nod. She didn't want to have to spend a lot of time here, but she supposed that if she could do something useful, like learning how to read and write, it would make spending time here a bit less miserable. She followed closely behind Ramyth as he led her though the halls, lingering a bit in a few spots when she caught a glimpse of something interesting out of a window or down a hall, but always rushed to catch up with him quickly. She wished that if she ended up stuck here she'd be able to really see some of the amazing things that Aubrius had told her about over the years, but if Ailuin and Ramyth really wanted her to remain hidden, she'd likely end up locked up in a room for as long as she was here.

---

"Aubrius," Ailuin called softly as he caught up to her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder to get her to at least look at him. "Aubrius, please, I apologize for what I said. I truly, truly want you to succeed, and believe that you can. But I can't just give you the position until you've passed the exam. My council already thinks I should just stop granting you audiences and hearing your requests, or just ban you from it all together, but I want you to succeed, but it isn't within my power to help." He frowned, giving her shoulder a little squeeze, hoping that she at least understood, even if she was still upset with him.

@ katahdin

Ramyth followed Bridris into the chambers, closing the door behind them. The room in front of them was chaotic, to say the least. Piles of books were stacked in haphazard heaps along with a variety of other objects, some of which appeared perfectly harmless while others seemed more sinister. "I wouldn't recommend touching anything," Ramyth advised quietly as he stepped around Bridris carefully to look around. "Hanvosi?" he called out.

There was a surprised sound followed quickly by a series of thuds. "Ram? It hasn't been a fortnight yet, so I can only assume that hard-headed idiot went and got herself hurt again," came a grumbling voice. A few moments later, a squat green faerie with long canines protruding up from his bottom lip walked around the corner, lowering a thick pair of spectacles over his eyes, though he was clearly surprised when his eyes landed on Bridris. "Either my eyes have suddenly taken a turn for the worse, or that isn't the idiot."

Ramyth suppressed a smile as he shook his head. "Hanvosi, this is Bridris. She's a human who was taken last night and somehow spelled so that she can't leave the court's territory. The King wants this kept as quiet as possible, so you shouldn't mention it to anyone else, but we were hoping you might be able to undo the spell."

---

Aubrius reluctantly stopped walking as the king caught up with her, although she still didn't look at him, her eyes instead finding the guard that had followed him and the few other fae that had paused to see what was happening. She had to take a moment before she could reply, not wanting to accidentally yell again, especially when she'd just berated herself for having nothing to be upset over. When she finally did speak, her voice was quiet. "You have nothing to apologize for. You only told me the same thing you always do, and it's never upset me like this in the past. It's probably just the situation with Bridris that has me on edge, and I should be the one apologizing for how I'm acting." She'd let her eyes fall to his shirt but not any higher, and as she finished speaking, she motioned vaguely ahead. "We should get to the barracks."

@ sun spirit

Bridris gave a hesitant nod at Ramyth's instructions to not touch anything, although she was looking around curiously at some of the wilder things that were lying around. However, when she heard Hanvosi's harsh words that were obviously targeted at Aubrius, she crossed her arms over her chest to glare at the green Fae, dark eyes scrutinizing as she studied him. " 'The idiot' that you're referring to is my friend, and she has a name." She stated coldly, not impressed by this mage. She looked up at Ramyth as he began to explain the situation, sighing as she turned to look at some odd statue on top of a stack of books nearby, tense and frustrated with the entire situation.

---

Ailuin nodded a little as she spoke, offering her a faint, reassuring smile. "Aubrius, it's alright to get upset sometimes, especially about what has happened to your friend. You have no need to apologize. But you're right, we should get to the barracks." He said, turning to wave away the Fae that had stopped to watch the quiet conversation, and informing the guard that they were fine, before following Aubrius to the barracks. Once there he approached the guards that Ramyth had prepared for the investigation, informing them of the nature of the case as well as asking for their silence on the matter. He also asked the guards to work with Aubrius as much as possible since her help was invaluable at the moment, although it was clear the guards weren't very fond of her or the idea of having to work with her.

Turning to Aubrius after speaking with the guards he offered her a little smile. "Good luck. When you are done showing the guards to where you found Bridris and have told them what you know, please return here, since I'm sure Bridris would rather have a friend around than a bunch of strangers."

@ katahdin

As he noticed how upset Bridris was getting on Aubrius' behalf, Ramyth quickly leaned in. "He doesn't mean it in that way. After Aub's accident, her parents tried to seek help from healers, who all told them she'd never be able to fly again. Hanvosi isn't a healer, but he's a skilled mage, and he was the only one who said it was possible that something could be done. He's the one who fixed her wing and has been helping her get in the air again. He's grumpy with her because she's gone against his orders more than once and done things to set back her progress," he explained quietly.

Hanvosi, meanwhile, didn't act as if he'd heard Bridris' scathing comment, having moved to clear books out of a chair upon hearing Ramyth's explanation. "Sit, sit," he said, already moving away to pick up what looked to be a magnifying glass and a green-tinted bottle. "The girl, not you, Ram." He uncorked the bottle, sniffed at it, then wrinkled his nose and put the cork back in, setting it down. He disappeared into a different part of the room, coming back with a bottle identical in appearance to the one he'd set down. "Tell me what you remember. Spells are tricky things to diagnose without specifics."

---

Aubrius still wasn't quite feeling herself, but gave a little nod as Ailuin agreed that they should leave, grateful that the conversation was at least over and trying to brush away the last of her bad mood as they quietly walked to the barracks together and he updated the guards who were to be working on the investigation. They didn't look thrilled at the news that they'd have to work with her, but they didn't outright argue either. Thankfully, by this point, most of the anger and hurt had worked its way out of the system, and she was able to meet the king's eyes again as he wished her luck and asked that she return. "Thank you. I'd already planned on visiting her frequently. If I know Ramyth, he'll take your orders to keep her out of sight to heart, so I'm sure she'll need the company." She hesitated, then quickly added, "I won't ask an audience anymore. I'm not trying to pester anyone into giving me a position I haven't earned. The petitions have mostly been because I truly believe the law should be changed, and that there should be a place in the royal guard for grounded fae. Maybe limited, with those who can fly as being the more elite part of the guard. I have every intention of gaining back full ability to fly, so it isn't for me. Maybe I'd be able to become one of the royal guard sooner, as a grounded member, but it wouldn't be enough for me anyway. But the point is, I'm backing off. You won't see me again until I'm ready to take the test."

@ sun spirit

Bridris glanced up at Ramyth as he leaned down to speak to her, nodding a little in understanding at his explanation, although her arms remained across her chest and her eyes remained critical as she turned back to the short green Fae as he began clearing off a chair. She glanced back at Ramyth as she hesitated before finally taking the seat that Hanvosi had cleared for her, watching him cautiously as he moved about the room. "Ramyth summed it up.. A few Fae asked to say goodbye to me at the woods, they offered me some wine, and I can't remember anything after that. I woke up in Aubrius's home, and she told me what happened, and then we came here." She explained, a bit frustrated with how clearly unorganized the Fae was, silently wondering if he was really the best choice of mage to have come to.

---

Ailuin chuckled a bit at the mention of Ramyth following orders, shaking his head a bit. "I don't think he's ever not followed an order in his life. The next time I see him I'll make sure that he doesn't just keep her locked up in her room all day. It'd be a shame for her to not get to see some of the city while she's here, especially given how much I'm assuming you've told her." He said with a little smile, although it disappeared as Aubrius mentioned not asking for audiences anymore, shaking his head quickly. "Aub, no. You should keep asking for audiences, should keep petitioning for changes to be made. I can only do so much without the council's approval, and reforming the royal guard is one of those things that I need a majority to agree with. If you stop bringing it up, it'll never change." He said, glancing around for a moment before stepping a bit closer, lowering his voice. "Get other people to petition for the same thing to. It's one thing if just one person is asking, it's another matter entirely if suddenly there's a whole group pushing for reform. I hope that you keep showing up, Aubrius. My life would be very boring if you stopped." He said with a little smile, stepping away as the two guards returned to say that they were ready to leave, the king nodding as he wished them luck before returning to his quarters.

@ katahdin

If Hanvosi noticed Bridris' sour attitude towards him, he didn't show it, remaining completely unruffled as she sat in the chair he'd cleared for her and told him what she remembered. "I see," he nodded. "Well, I'm afraid without details, I can only guess at how you were spelled. You see, it might be tied to an object, it might've been woven by a faerie's magic, in which case only the faerie could break it, though few in this kingdom have the skill for such a thing, or you could've ingested it with the wine, and it's nature would determine how it's broken. You haven't had anything to eat or drink since the wine so far as you can remember, have you?" He held up the green tinted bottle he'd fetched. "This is a revealing agent. One drop won't have any ill effects on you, but it will make magic visible. If the wine was spelled, I would be able to see the nature of the spell and once I know that, I would know how to break it. This will only work if the wine was spelled and you haven't consumed anything else, however."

---

Aubrius had honestly expected Ailuin to be relieved when she announced that she'd stop seeking audiences, since it was the same thing over and over and he'd mentioned earlier that he was receiving pressure to put a stop to it, so she was shocked into silence when he not only encouraged not to stop but tried to give her advice on how to succeed where she'd so far failed and even went so far as to suggest that he'd miss her if she stopped coming. She was thankful for the guards' timely return, because she sure as hell didn't know how to respond to his encouragement and merely ended up offering her bewildered thanks as he was leaving. It was all she could do not to stare after him and instead head to the nearest exit with the two guards.

Since it was the quickest way to the cliffs (and she wouldn't let them accuse her of slowing them down), Aubrius flew there with the guards, pushing the limits of the progress she'd made to make it all the way to the far territory without pause or switching over to her feet. It was a strain she took pains to hide, especially when the flight had obviously been easy, like second-nature to the two she flew with. When they landed, she showed them to the spot where she'd found Bridris. They started to conduct their investigation, but it was tense, especially as she tried to offer her thoughts and help, and before long, they'd made it perfectly clear that they weren't going to accept any aid from her beyond what she'd already given, that they had no intentions of discussing the investigation with her, and that they generally considered her a nuisance and wanted her to leave.

She managed to control herself and not snap at them or do anything else stupid and soon left them to their own devices. She still fully intended on looking into things on her own, but she couldn't as long as they were there. Since she'd missed out on her exercises that morning, she might've decided to do those then, except she was drained from the flight, and she knew she needed to give her wings a break. Maybe Bridris would be done with the mage by now then and have news or need a distraction. Aubrius angled her course for the palace and began to walk.

It was nearly two hours before she reached the palace's entrance again, not because she'd gotten tired but because it was that damn far. It was a lot of time to reflect and think. She more or less had a plan of action for tomorrow, had thought to offer to get clothes from Bridris' house for her--along with anything else she wanted--since her friend had once showed her where she lived, and realized somewhere along the way that she'd stopped being hurt and angry at Ailuin and believed that he'd just happened to say the wrong word to the wrong person and that she owed him a more sincere apology for her behavior. For whatever reason, it seemed as if he'd actually placed his belief in her and was undeserving of the way she'd yelled at him. Hell, he'd taken the yelling well and had let her get away with it. If she ever had an opportunity for a private conversation again, she'd have to apologize.

These were the thoughts running through her mind as she entered the palace and started the hunt for Ramyth and Bridris. They had to be done with the mage, which meant they were either wherever Bridris would be sleeping or walking or.... well, anywhere. Resigned to having to just search and hope she caught onto one of their scents or something, she began roaming the halls. She was navigating one of the busier spots in the palace when she passed a couple of royal guards and caught a snippet of the conversation. "--just trying to get attention. No one worthwhile would touch her with that disfigured wing, so something like the royal guard's the only way she can keep from being a servant, but she doesn't have the skills, so she pesters the King and the council constantly trying to get a handout, as if anyone in the guard would even accept a crippled, bad-tempered free-loader like her even if she cheated her way in."

Aubrius stopped on the spot and turned on her heel. "Say that to my face." Her voice carried the challenge, practically a snarl, and she felt others stop and turn to look as the two guards slowly turned. One had the sense to look nervous about a confrontation in the middle of the hallway, but the one that had been speaking dismissed her at a glance.

"I said you're just making a big fuss about getting into the guard for the attention because it's the only way you'd be able to do anything and anyone would look at you twice with that disfigured--" She punched him before he finished speaking, hearing a satisfying crunch as she broke his nose with the first shot, going in for another punch before he could react to the first one. The second one found his jaw while her knee found his groin. She wasn't giving him a chance to catch his ground or fight back. She was seeing red and would show this asshole just how unfit she was to be in the guard. And she might've taken him down without him getting in a single hit of his own if his friend hadn't stepped in. There was yelling--from the two guards, from others in the hallway--but her world narrowed to block and parry, to the sharp tang of blood in her mouth and the impact of her fists or elbows or knees or once even her head as she stood her ground against the guards.

@ sun spirit

Bridris shook her head as Hanvosi asked if she'd eaten anything else other than the wine, frowning a bit. "No.. I don't think so. I think I might feel sort of hungry, but I'm mostly just tired, and frustrated, and I want to go home.." She sighed in frustration, looking up at Ramyth before looking back to the green Fae and the little bottle in his hand. "So I just... Drink that, and then you'll know what happened?" She asked, clearly a bit nervous about drinking some strange magical potion, especially after everything she'd already been through.

---

Ailuin had spent the next two hours preparing for the upcoming visit of some delegate or another, as well as preparing a room for Bridris and Ramyth, sure that the guard wouldn't want to leave his charge alone given the danger she could be in if he did. His attention was pulled away from the letter he was drafting when he heard a commotion in the hall, however, frowning as he headed out to investigate. A small crowd had gathered to watch Aubrius and the two guards fight. For a moment he stood there in shock as he watched them, impressed that Aubrius was holding her own against the two guards, but as he realized that one was reaching for his weapon he stepped forward, unleashing his magic to separate the three Fae, pushing the guards to one side of the hall and bringing Aubrius to him.

"Enough." His voice echoed loudly through the hall as everyone else fell silent, those who had been watching quickly excusing themselves to avoid getting in trouble with the king. His eyes settled on the guards and gave them a stern look. "You two. Back to the barracks. You'll be undergoing two weeks of training, since yours has clearly lapsed so much that you can't even take down a civilian." He said, turning away from them as he released his magical hold on them, waving a hand to dismiss them.

Turning to Aubrius he saw new guards arriving to take her off to the dungeons for starting the fight, but he simply held up his hand and waved them off. "I'll deal with her." He stated simply, loosening his magical hold on her enough so that she'd be able to follow him back down the hall to his room, but not enough so that she could escape. Once within the safety of his room and making sure the doors were shut and locked he released her with a sigh, running a hand over his face in frustration.

"What the hell were you thinking, Aubrius?" He demanded angrily, looking at her with a frown.

@ katahdin

Noticing that she looked just as frustrated as she claimed to feel, Ramyth tried to offer Bridris a reassuring smile, although he wasn't sure how much it would actually do for her mood. There wasn't much else he could do though, since she'd just have to sit through Hanvosi's test or tests. Meanwhile, Hanvosi was nodding a little at her answer. "Yes, I'm sorry you have to do this. Since you haven't eaten that you can remember though, we'll be optimistic and say the test should work." He quickly shook his head when she asked about drinking the potion though. "Tiny Gods, no, not drink. I'll put a drop on your tongue. This is harmless in small quantities, but if you were to drink it, it would go bad for you." This said even as he uncorked the bottle, though he hesitated as he noticed her expression and his no-nonsense face softened. "I promise I know what I'm doing, child. A drop is all. You shouldn't taste it, shouldn't smell anything or feel anything funny. One drop, I look, and then you're done, no side effects whatsoever. If whoever took you spiked your wine, I'll know what they did it with and if not immediately how to reverse it, then at least know where to look to find the answer."

---

Aubrius was so focused on the fight, on every move she and her opponents made, that she hardly noticed the crowd spectating, much less when Ailuin appeared, and for a few heartbeats, she didn't realize that magic had taken hold of her body and forced her away from the guards, still trying to lash out. If she hadn't been forced to freeze, she would've anyway at the sound of Ailuin's voice though. She couldn't see him from where she stood, but he sounded pissed, and she didn't have any illusions that it was at the guards, even if he dealt with them first. His voice alone was like a bucket of ice water, and though her anger didn't dissipate entirely--not in the least--she cooled enough to regret that first punch, even if it had been a damn good one.

Any relief she might've felt when he waved away the new guards that had undoubtedly shown up to escort her to the dungeon was short-lived as she was forced to follow him, still feeling his magic pressing against her body, making it clear she wasn't slipping away, although there was some confusion when the room he led her to looked to be... his bedroom? She breathed a little easier once the door was closed and his magic fell away, though she looked away as he at last turned his anger on her. "Obviously I wasn't, or I would've waited until he was alone." She carefully touched her lip and winced as she felt where it had been split, pulling her sleeve down over her fingers and pressing it to the wound to stop the blood flow. "What's my punishment?" She wanted it over with, wanted this day over with.

@ sun spirit

Bridris looked obviously skeptical, especially after hearing that anything more than a drop was dangerous to her. Ramyth's smile did help a little bit, since at least he seemed calm and at ease with the whole situation, so after turning back to Hanvosi she gave a little nod. "Alright.. I guess it's alright." She murmured as she scooted to the edge of her seat so that it would be easier for the green Fae to give her the dose. She was obviously nervous as she opened her mouth when instructed, squeezing her eyes shut as if she were expecting to be hit or startled, only relaxing her shoulders and opening her eyes when Hanvosi said that it was done and she was sure the worst of it was over. "So... Anything?" She asked, trying not to sound too hopeful, but it was still clear that she desperately wanted an answer, even if she wasn't sure about the mage.

---

Ailuin gave her a hard look at her statement, obviously unimpressed by her answer. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that, and assume that you attacked two members of the royal guard for a legitimate reason, like self defense." He sighed as he noticed her split lip, moving to a cabinet on a nearby wall to grab a rag and a bottle of ointment that would help ease the pain of some of her injuries while he worked on healing them. "Sit." He ordered, tugging the chair away from his desk before gesturing to it, waiting until she'd complied before kneeling down next to her to begin tending to her injuries. "You're a fool, Aubrius. Starting a fight with the royal guard.. Do you have any idea the damage that could have been done? How many months or years you could have been setback just because you lost your temper?" He was clearly frustrated and angry, although he was gentle as he spread the healing ointment on her bruises and smaller cuts, using a bit of his own magic here and there on the worse ones, although he had no intention of completely healing her. He hoped that letting her suffer with a few painful bruises would be a reminder to not do something foolish like this again, although he doubted she'd learn her lesson.

@ katahdin

Hanvosi tried to be quick, since she obviously seemed to be worried about the whole process, administering the drop and then examining her tongue through the lens of his magnifying glass. He waited, giving it time to take effect, but it quickly became obvious that nothing was going to show, and after a few minutes, he let her close her mouth. "I'm sorry. Either you consumed something else last night and have no recollection of it, or the wine was not the source of the spell." He glanced between her and Ramyth. "There's nothing else I can do to identify and break it until you catch the faerie who created it. A spell such as you described could be broken in a hundred different ways, not all of them pleasant and many of them very specific. I can do some research and try to uncover the easier solutions, which we can test while we wait, and perhaps we'll stumble onto the solution, but short of trial and error, there's simply nothing more I can do."

---

Knowing any explanation she gave wouldn't be good enough, Aubrius wisely kept her mouth shut and let Ailuin pretend she'd been acting in self-defense. Even if she was. sure there were about half a dozen sets of eyes to say otherwise. She reluctantly sat when she was ordered to, albeit on the edge of the chair, as if she were ready to get up and run at a moment's notice. She expected a long-winded lecture followed by some punishment she'd endure because she'd been a damned idiot and would deserve it, but it was almost worse when instead he kneeled beside her, gently took her hand, and started carefully healing the injuries he could see. There were plenty more hidden under the folds of her clothes, which hid more of her than they exposed, but she didn't volunteer that information. She didn't know what to do with this, almost like he was worried. Definitely still angry, but caring for her nonetheless. "You think I don't know that?" She couldn't have this conversation while he was sitting there, gently tending to her wounds. She pulled away, got up, and started pacing. With the adrenaline rush of the fight wearing off, the pain and exhaustion was crashing back in, but she didn't let herself stop. "Of all the fights I've picked over the years, I've very specifically avoided getting into one with any member of the royal guard. I knew how it would end. And what the hell are you doing? I'm a blasted moron." She stopped pacing and turned to him. "Worse, I'm the blasted moron that started a fight with your guard unprovoked, and rather than yell at me about that or tell me that I deserve everything I got or threaten to have me barred from the palace, you're--you're playing healer and lecturing me about my goals and well-being. What kind of a fucking king are you?" She was just digging herself deeper, purposely trying to provoke him, but she couldn't take the worried, caring act.

@ sun spirit

Bridris tried to not show how upset she was when Hanvosi apologized and said that there was nothing he could do other than trial and error until the Fae responsible was caught, giving a simple nod as she swallowed her emotions. "Thank you for trying.. It is was a long shot anyway, I'm sorry to have wasted your time." She murmured as she stood, softly excusing herself before heading out of the room and down the winding stairs, although she was smart enough to wait at the bottom before heading out into the hall, not wanting Ramyth to get upset with her for going out where she wasn't supposed to.

---

Ailuin frowned as she stood, standing up to look at her as she paced around the room. He knew she was upset, about what he wasn't quite sure but could probably guess at, although he wouldn't put up with her yelling at him. When she stared in on him he stepped forward, grabbing her arms to keep her from pacing as he gave her a hard look. "Gods, Aubrius, would you shut up? I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say you attacked a guard unprovoked, because then I'd have to throw you in the dungeons. Can't you get it through your thick head that I'm trying to help you?" He squeezed her arms tightly, trying to get her to understand, even if he was still pissed. "I'm the kind of fucking king that wants you to succeed, and is willing to put his neck on the line to make sure you don't get set back and permanently banned from the castle or thrown in the dungeons. So can you just shut up and let me fix your damn wounds?"

@ katahdin

When Bridris made to leave, Ramyth started to go after her, then hesitated, not wanting to run without a word. "Thank you," he said to Hanvosi. "There's already a team out looking for answers, and hopefully they'll be able to track down the faerie responsible soon. If you're sure you don't mind, it would be appreciated if you could look into some possible ways to break the spell. Even if it's a long-shot that we stumble onto the right one, I'm sure she'll feel better if we're looking rather than just waiting."

Hanvosi nodded in understanding. "Of course, of course. Now go. I'll send word when I find something and know you'll do the same."

Ramyth quickly thanked Hanvosi again, then left the mage's chambers, glancing around the hall for Bridris and not finding her, followed her scent to the stairway, finding her at the bottom, lingering as if she weren't sure whether to go out into the adjoining hall or not. "I'm sorry," he murmured as he joined her, knowing she was upset at the lack of progress that had been made. "Hanvosi's going to look for ways to break the spell that can be tested. He won't suggest anything unpleasant or painful unless we're sure it's the only way to break the spell, and it'll be a long-shot, stumbling onto the right answer, but he's looking nonetheless. If you'd rather wait until we find the faerie who did this, I'll send word and let him know; I thought you might appreciate doing something other than waiting though, so unless you don't want to do this, I asked him to let us know when he finds something." He hesitated, then added, "You mentioned you were hungry earlier? Would you like to get something to eat?"

---

Aubrius only stilled when he grabbed her arms, and then only because he tightened his hold on her when she tried to shake him off and she wasn't stupid enough to hurt the king just because he was making her face him instead of letting her pace. "No, I'm not going to shut up, because I don't want your damn pity or-or preferential treatment because you think it'd be boring if I wasn't around to make a spectacle of myself or whatever the hell it is. There are enough vendettas against me without anyone thinking you're pulling strings behind the scenes, making things happen. So fucking punish me. I'm an adult that made a decision and can live with the consequences. I'll figure out how to get to my goal by myself." With the last few sentences, she'd crowded him, all but spitting the words in his face as they nearly came nose to nose.

@ sun spirit

Bridris was silent even as she heard Ramyth come up beside her, watching the fae in the next hall as they passed by or lingered to talk with one another. She couldn't hear much of the conversation, but two of them seemed to be discussing the preparations being made for one of their weddings, the female fae obviously quite excited about it as she discussed it with her friend. Her attention was pulled away from them as they left and she heard the guard next to her ask if she was hungry, giving a little shake of her head after a moment. "No... I've lost my appetite... You shouldn't have to follow me around all day, though, so just.. bring me to wherever you need, and I can remain there until Aubrius comes back, or until the king needs me, or.. or however long I need to be there." She murmured, fidgeting slightly with her sleeves as she tried not to let her emotions show.

---

Ailuin felt his blood boiling as she snapped at him, especially as she asked him to punish her, and insisted that he should stop helping her. Did she not understand everything that he did for her? How often he stuck his neck out for her and put his reputation and respect on the line for her and her cause? He was furious, and was struggling to put his emotions into words, especially with her yelling in his face, so after staring at her angrily for a moment he crashed his lips against hers, his grip on her arms tightening a bit as they kissed, before one hand moved up to hold her face. He could taste her blood coming from her injured lip, but it didn't really deter him, emotional and frustrated that she seemed to hate him despite everything he'd done for her over the years.

@ katahdin

She was so silent that Ramyth wasn't sure she'd heard him at first, feeling a little relieved when she belatedly turned to him and answered his question, albeit not in quite the way he'd hoped. She seemed almost... dejected, and he had a feeling that if he left her to herself, she'd sit in that room alone and cry until someone showed up again. "I don't know that you have a room yet, but if you'd rather be alone, I could find somewhere, I'm sure. Although I should warn you that I'm not leaving." He paused to think. It seemed like she needed a distraction, not to focus on what was upsetting her, so he wouldn't suggest they go to the library and write a letter or attempt a lesson on reading. A walk on the grounds was probably too exposing, at least for the moment. Maybe they could create a disguise or get a cloak for her to make moving around a little easier. She wasn't hungry... A card game maybe? Not many were fun with just two players, but Aubrius would show up again before the afternoon was spent, he was sure. "Actually, I think I know just the place."

---

Aubrius could see the anger in his eyes in the moments following her words, was sure that she'd pushed him to his breaking point and he'd give up and throw her out, but then suddenly he'd closed the distance between them and was kissing her. And even though he was one of the last people she would've expected to kiss her and she should've shoved him back and he'd pushed his lips to hers so forcefully that her injured lip throbbed, she couldn't deny that there was something about it that she liked. A lot, actually. She kissed him back just as forcefully, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and pulling him closer as the kiss deepened and the taste of blood in her mouth became less pronounced. She didn't even know she'd bitten him until she tasted his blood and heard a low noise of approval--not that she could say for sure which of them it had come from.

@ sun spirit

"I don't need a babysitter." Bridris snapped as he said that he wouldn't leave her alone, turning to glare up at him for a moment before she looked away stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest as she frowned at the floor in frustration. She was tired, and upset, and scared, and didn't feel like being treated like a child just because she wasn't a Fae. She only nodded a little when he mentioned knowing a place to bring her, waiting for him to gesture for her to move before following him. She felt bad for snapping at him when he really hadn't done anything to deserve it, but she was at a loss for what to do and how to handle her emotions, and was too stubborn to apologize.

---

Ailuin let out a pleasant noise as she returned his kisses, even letting out a needy growl when she bit his own lip and he tasted his own blood, although he was sure he heard a noise of approval from her as well. Grabbing a fistful of her hair with one hand and her hips with another he kept her close while simultaneously pushing her back against the nearest wall. He was a bit rougher than necessary in pinning her, but was too caught up in the kiss to really pause and apologize.

@ katahdin

Ramyth went quiet when Bridris snapped at him, not quite sure how to act, if he should try and pacify her somehow, or if he should just ignore the waspishness. He knew what to do when Aubrius was angry because he was around her often enough that he'd learned, but he'd just met Bridris and it wasn't as if Aub's stories helped any. Finally, he just decided to tell her he knew somewhere they could go, relieved when she motioned for him to lead the way instead of snapping at him again. And so he led her through the winding halls of the palace again, and eventually they arrived at a decent sized room hidden around the corner at the end of a hall. Inside was a table that could comfortably fit half a dozen people--twice that if you were willing to be uncomfortable, a couple of beds, and scattered belongings. It was empty at the moment. "This is where guards go to play games, drink, relax in general," he explained. "It's secluded, so we can afford to get a little loud, plus we don't bother anyone trying to sleep and don't have to worry about appearances. It's usually only really used at night, so I doubt anyone will bother us for awhile." He hesitated in the doorway as she looked around. "I'm not trying to act like a babysitter. I'm just trying to keep you safe. Going off and doing something and leaving you all alone for a couple of hours would feel neglectful.... If you don't mind company, we could play cards, but I understand if you need to be alone for awhile. It's pretty safe here since not many people know about it, and there's only one entrance, so I could sit in the hall, far enough not to accidentally overhear anything I shouldn't." He left it for her to decide.

---

Aubrius groaned as he pushed her against the wall, her ribs--which were at the very least bruised--voicing their protest, though that was only part of the reason for the noise as his body pressed against hers. Something had possessed her, some impulse or need, and all she knew was that she wanted more. As their savage kisses continued, she reached behind him and grabbed his ass, roughly pulling him flush against her and grinding herself into his arousal, smirking as she thought she heard a little growl from him.

@ sun spirit

Bridris remained silent as she followed him through the castle, occasionally wiping at her eyes as she forced herself to keep her emotions in check, and nearly ran into Ramyth's back when he came to a stop in the room he'd led her too, blushing a bit in embarrassment as she stepped back and looked around the room. It seemed nice enough, but it still felt stifling. Her shoulders slumped a bit as she listened to him speak, slowly moving over to one of the beds to sit, staring out the dirty window quietly, giving a little shrug as he finished speaking. "It doesn't really matter.. A prison is a prison no matter how nice it is or how much fun you can have in it.." She mumbled, looking down at the matress as she picked at the blanket there.

---

Ailuin didn't know what had come over him, but any reservations he was having disappeared when he felt Aubrius grab his ass and grind against him, letting out a needy growl as his lips clashed against hers. His lips soon found their way to her jaw and neck, sucking and biting as he went, while one hand moved up under her shirt to grope at her breasts while he shoved the other down the front of her pants. "I'll show you what kind of king I am.." he growled lowly, tugging at her clothes. As much as he wanted to rip them off in the heat of the moment, in the back of his mind he knew he'd regret it later on when she would inevitably have to leave his room.

@ katahdin

Ramyth was really trying, and he couldn't help but sigh as she sat down, this time claiming not to care if he stayed or not. He knew--knew--given what happened that it wasn't him and was probably completely normal, but he couldn't help but feel like he should be doing better anyway. He walked in, sitting down on a cot across from her. "Aub would probably laugh if she heard you say that. She's been imprisoned a few times. It should be more, but I step in sometimes." He rested his arms on his legs as he looked at the floor, not sure what to say--do to. "Tell me how you met her. I know you've been friends for awhile, but I don't think I ever heard how it happened." He'd almost asked about the fiancé, but he didn't think that would make her feel any better. Not that this would, but at least it probably wasn't a sore subject.

---

Ailuin surprised Aubrius in immediately answering her silent challenge, though she growled in approval as he kissed and bit and groped, finding pleasure in the little wounds he inflicted. "One who can't figure out how to get a single woman to shut up, apparently." She snarled her answer as she helped him with her clothes, reaching back to unfasten the buttons above and below the hole that accommodated her wings, her tunic slipping onto the floor once it was completely unfastened and he'd pulled the sleeves off her arms. She hooked a leg around him and pulled him against her before a hand could slip beneath the fabric of her pants again, this time as she attacked his neck with her mouth toyed with the sensitive area on his back where flesh became wing, letting her nails dig in a little.

@ sun spirit

Bridris glanced up at him when he sat down on the cot across from her, dark eyes studying him as he spoke about Aubrius and then asked her to explain how they had first met. She remained silent for a few minutes, thinking over whether or not she should say anything before letting out a little sigh as she shifted a bit in her seat to get more comfortable. "I was a little girl. I'd gotten lost in the woods, and she found me and took me home. I thought her wings were pretty, and she told me stories so I kept going back to the woods to look for her, and eventually they just became regular visits." She explained simply, rubbing at her arm sorely, it having been bruised at some point between when she had been kidnapped and when Aubrius had found her.

---

Ailuin growled needily as she dug her fingers into the skin nears his wings, his wings fluttering as he ground his hips into hers. "If you won't shut up, I'll at least get you to say something I want to hear." He grunted as she removed her shirt, head dipping down to kiss over her breast. Before long he grew impatient, shoving her leg down so that he could tug her pants down impatiently, practically ripping them and her underwear off of her before discarding his own shirt and tugging his pants down, although they had barely reached his knees before he was pinning Aubrius against the wall again, lifting her up so that her legs could wrap around his waist as he pushed into her with a needy groan.

@ katahdin

Ramyth smiled a little at Bridris' story, however short. "That's probably what endeared you to her right off the bat," he said, scooting back on the bed he sat on until his back hit the wall. "Though gods know what the hell she was doing outside of our territory. Something she shouldn't have been, without a doubt." He noticed her rubbing her arm, but figured she was just feeling awkward about talking about personal stuff with him. She seemed a little less downcast though. "You had a nicer meeting than me. I was with some others and saw her shortly after her accident and one of them asked what happened to her wing. He didn't have the sense to at least ask quietly, and she stormed over and started wailing on him." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I had to drag her off him and got hit a couple of times as well. I've been dragging her away from fights since then. I've gotten pretty good at predicting when they'll happen and can stop them sometimes too."

---

Aubrius' attempt at a response was cut short by a needy growl, and growing impatient with their beating around the bush, she pulled at the jacket he wore, having just impatiently discarded it when Ailuin apparently decided he was done with the game too. The last of their clothes had barely been stripped away when she was wrapping her legs around his waist and being pressed back against the wall again as he pushed into her. Something that almost sounded like a cross between a growl and a purr came from her as her nails dug into his back, barely adjusting to having him inside her when he pulled back and thrust into her again and again. "Is that all you've got? I thought you had something you wanted to hear."