A Court of Flight and Valor

@ sun spirit

Ailuin was relieved that she was putting up with his fussing over her, pressing a kiss to her forehead once he was finished attempting to detangle her hair, although he was a bit worried that she didn't seem to be in the best of moods. He knew that she'd been keeping herself busy the past few days, leaving well before dawn to train and then returning for a late dinner before heading pretty much straight to bed, and if he were honest with himself he would admit just how much he missed getting to spend time with her, and he hoped that her bad mood was just because she was keeping busy, and not because he had done something wrong. He chuckled at her threat though, grinning as he nudged her a bit. "No no, don't." He said, holding up his hands to signal that he was backing off before turning to their friend, offering him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, we'll behave, we promise." He said, nudging Aubrius again for good measure to make sure she knew that he was including her in that statement, before taking off after Ramyth once he instructed them to follow him. They stopped outside of a nice looking dress shop, which when he glanced over the displays in the window definitely seemed to suggest that they primarily sold wedding dresses, but he supposed that Ramyth was too nervous to notice, especially considering how he hesitated at the door and turned to express his concerns to them both.

Before he could reassure the guard Aubrius had stepped forward to do so, albeit in a very short statement, and he was quick to gesture that they follow after her. He was shocked when, without skipping a beat, congratulated Bridris and spilled the beans on everything Ramyth had been hiding in one fell swoop. It was certainly one way to deal with things, and he offered Bridris and then Ramyth's family a smile as he nodded. "Yes, congratulations. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that we're thrilled by the news. Also, you look lovely in that wedding gown." He said, turning to nudge Ramyth, who had stopped to stare at Bridris once he saw her in the wedding dress she was wearing.

Bridris had agreed to go try on dressed as part of the girl's day out that Orabell and Ramyth's sisters had planned, having found that she enjoyed spending a few hours with them a week roaming around the city and experiencing new things. It was nice to get out and see everything, and also to talk to new people after being cooped up for so long. She also liked to hear stories about Ramyth, but that was a bonus. They had all failed to mention that she was trying on wedding dresses though (especially considering that she'd made sure that they knew she wasn't planning on marrying Ramyth), and the news that she was to become a fae thanks to Ramyth and Roedanya's efforts on top of the realization that she was wearing a wedding gown was quite a lot, so it was no surprise when her eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed bright red, a contrast to the dress that she was wearing.

"This is fantastic news!" Mirella cheered from where she was standing near Bridris, having been the one to help her in and out of the dresses while Aya and Orabell picked out ones for her to try on and sat around waiting to judge the ones she did. "Oh, I hope you'll let me make your wedding dress, Bridris. You've looked so pretty in all of the ones you've tried on here, I know that I could make you one that you'd absolutely love!" She beamed, hurrying over to her mother and sister to stand with them and start talking about all of the ideas she had and plans that needed to be made for a wedding.

Bridris looked at Mirella with wide eyes as she spoke, taking a moment to look at everyone before her eyes settled on Ramyth, nervously taking a few steps toward him so that she wasn't so far away. "Ramyth..? Is.. Is that all true?" She asked softly, reaching up to smooth her hands over his tunic out of habit. "Am.. Do I really get to become a fae like you?"

@ katahdin

The moment Aubrius preceded them into the store instead of pushing him in—or something along those lines—Ramyth had a pretty good idea what she was planning, and he quickly followed in after her to stop her, not just wanting to tell Bridris himself but also sure it would come better from him, except when he found her with his family, he was surprised to find her in a wedding gown. And even though it didn’t have much color, she still looked gorgeous in it, and as he stared at her, he forgot to stop Aubrius from sharing the news herself. Not even Ailuin nudging him did much to get him to speak.

The moment Ailuin confirmed Aubrius’ seemingly crazy claim, Orabell burst into tears and pulled her son into a big hug as she congratulated him, then went to hug and congratulate Bridris as well, Araya joining her, the two women eager to join Mirella in starting in on wedding ideas and plans and the sort of dress they’d make for Bridris.

As Ramyth’s family started crying, hugging, squealing, and chattering, Aubrius had not-so-conspicuously backed away towards the entrance. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Bridris and didn’t want to give her a hug or congratulate her properly—the women in Ramyth’s family were just a little much for her, and she didn’t want to chance getting pulled into that accidentally. She started when she realized she’d back up into something, though glancing back, she realized it was Ailuin, lingering near the back of the room, and she relaxed. “If one of them tries to hug me, I’m using you as a shield,” she warned as she moved to stand beside her mate.

Meanwhile, Ramyth finally found his voice again as Bridris approached him, taking her hands out of habit as she stepped close. He gave her a little smile as she asked for confirmation, nodding. “It’s true, Bri. Roedanya and I—we didn’t want to get your hopes up if the gods decided not to make you fae, and she thought you might try too hard to impress them if you knew. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but that’s why. And-and Roedanya came to see me today to tell me the good news. She says whenever you want to do it, they’re ready to go through with the transformation. You really get to be a fae.” He squeezed her hands gently and kissed her. “And—umm, well, you’re free to say no if you still don’t want to, I’ll understand and won’t pressure you, but… since you’re going to be fae soon… I want to declare my love, Bri. Nothing could make me happier than being with you forever.”

@ sun spirit

The hugs and congratulations were a blur to Bridris, since once her eyes settled on Ramyth everything else seemed to fade away. She squeezed his hands as he took hers, tears of joy welling up in her eyes as he spoke. She didn't think it was possible, hadn't even considered this as a possibility even in her wildest dreams, but here he was saying that he'd somehow convinced the gods to turn her into a fae so that she could be with him forever. She gladly returned his kiss and squeezed his hands again, pulling one of them back to wipe at her eyes, although she smiled when he said he wanted to declare his love for her. She started to say something but couldn't find the words, instead settling on wrapping her arms around his neck and standing up on her toes to press a very loving kiss to his lips, not caring that his family and their friends were around when she let it linger a bit. "I love you so much, Ramyth. I want to spend forever with you." She murmured softly as she gazed up at him adoringly.

Ailuin had moved back away from the commotion once the talks of wedding planning began since this seemed like family business and he didn't want to be in anyones way, least of all Bridris and Ramyth, who were locked in each other's arms at the center of the room as if they were the only ones here. It was incredibly sweet to watch, really, and he couldn't help but chuckle as Aubrius bumped into him before settling into his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Even if it's Bridris?" He asked teasingly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "We'll have to offer to help them with the wedding preparations, you know. It seems like Ramyth's family will be making the dress, but I'd like to offer to pay for the materials so they can go crazy and not have to worry about affording everything for the wedding. It's not everyday something like this happens after all."

@ katahdin

Ramyth experienced a moment of panic as tears welled in Bridris' eyes, quickly reaching up to brush them away as he frowned at her worriedly. "Bri, I... you don't have to do it if you don't want you. I'll love you with all my heart whether you're a human, fae, or anything in between. Or-or if it's me declaring my love, I can take it back. I know Sidero didn't treat you well, and if you don't want to marry, we don't have to. I'm so sorry. I just got excited, and I took the chance that you'd be too--" She cut him off with a kiss before he could continue apologizing and trying to backtrack, and as it deepened a bit and lingered, he realized she wasn't sad or upset with him, that the tears must've been something else. Maybe just happiness. He'd been so overwhelmed he'd hugged Roedanya when he'd found out, after all and he'd known about it all along, unlike her. And her words as they pulled away only reassured him further. "I love you too, Bri," he murmured, reaching out to cup her cheeks. "More than anything. I'd be honored to spend forever with you." He grinned down at her, his previous excitement starting to show through again now that he'd calmed down and had been reassured that Bridris was happy with this and wanted to be with him. "Does that mean you'll marry me now? Because I already asked Ailuin to give me a quest, and since he only wanted me to find Aubrius earlier, I've already technically completed it too."

"Of course not. I never hide when Bri tries to hug me. It's Ram's family I'm worried about. They're... really easily excited and touchy," Aubrius said, wrinkling her nose even as Ailuin kissed her forehead. Part of her wanted to lean into him and enjoy the closeness of her mate, but she stayed as she was, halfway keeping a cautious eye on Ramyth's family, the other part of her attention on here friends. Ailuin was right that this didn't happen every day, and she certainly couldn't think of two people better for it to happen to. "I'm sure they'll appreciate it," she said, although she frowned as she heard Ramyth mention that he'd asked Ailuin for a quest, and he'd already given him one that he'd completed. "You just... let him off that easy?" she asked incredulously as she looked up at her mate. "Why didn't you wait and talk to me? I wouldn't have given him anything impossible, but I would've made him work for it a little bit! Bri's too good to just let someone get off easy like that, even if I approve of them." She wasn't sure if she wanted to be angry or to pout, but if anything was clear, it was that she was actually upset that she hadn't been consulted.

@ sun spirit

Bridris was quick to shake her head as Ramyth began to apologize, making sure to press a few more reassuring kisses to his lips, wanting to make sure that he knew how she felt and that she was thrilled by his news. "No, no of course I want to marry you, Ramyth. I just.. I never even thought that this could be possible, so I never even considered it beyond being an impossible wish that I could only dream about.. I-I can't believe you really did all of this for me." She murmured, fresh tears welling in her eyes as she kissed him again, her hands moving up to cup his cheeks. She smiled up at him as she saw him grin, feeling like her heart might explode out of her chest given how excited she was and how overwhelmed with love she was for him, her eyes lighting up as he asked her to marry him. "Of course I'll marry you, Ramyth. Not right now, though. I have to find a wedding dress first." She smiled, looking down at the one that she was wearing with a faint blush. "I didn't know they were making me try on wedding dresses before you came... Do you like this one? It's supposed to be bad luck for the groom to see his bride in her dress before the wedding, but if you like this one I can get it. And I don't want your sister and mother to have to make my dress all on their own, it seems like so much work, and I'm happy to just buy one myself."

Ailuin chuckled at his mate's comments, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he squeezed her in his arms. "To be fair, I'm pretty sure that Ramyth's mother was convinced her son would never find love or get married, so I think she has a decent reason to be excited and touchy." He teased softly, smiling as he watched Ramyth and Bridris talk. It was funny how everyone else in the room didn't matter to them, and he was sure that to them it seemed like they were the only two in the room. He looked down at Aubrius though as she fussed at him about giving Ramyth too easy of a quest, a small grin forming on his lips as he gave her a squeeze. "Careful, Aubrius. You're acting like an overprotective mother." He teased with a chuckle, bracing himself for a hit or shove that Aubrius would surely give him. "I gave him something easy because I felt like he's proved himself over and over again. Particularly when he went to take care of Sidero. Besides, giving him an impossible task seems cruel, especially with Bridris becoming a fae." He explained, hoping she'd understand his reasoning a bit better.

@ katahdin

Ramyth felt a little foolish, making Bridris reassure him that she wanted to marry him like this, but Aubrius and his family had sort of jumped the gun on everything, and he’d had his doubts, and he didn’t want her to feel pressured. Her kisses and reassurances soothed his worries though as he reached up and wiped away the fresh tears that appeared in her eyes. “I’d do anything for you, Bridris. Anything. You have Roedanya and yourself to thank for this though. She came up with the idea, and it was you who convinced the gods.” He leaned in and kissed her, chuckling a bit when she joked about not getting married then and there. “I suppose I can wait a little longer,” he teased, nodding a bit when she admitted that she had no idea that she was trying on wedding dresses. Of that, he had no doubt, though whether it’d been kept from her intentionally or out of forgetfulness was another matter. “That’s really considered bad luck for humans?” He asked, surprised, as she mentioned it being bad luck to see the dress before the wedding, but he pushed forward after that. “It’s nice, but I think you’d look beautiful in anything. This is a special day though. Pick something you love.” He kissed her again and murmured against her lips, “You might have trouble convincing my mother and Mir to let you buy one though. I can hear them arguing about styles and materials.” The reason he was murmuring it quietly was for fear that he’d attract their attention if he spoke too loudly, and then they’d swarm him and Bridris again, and he was enjoying having this semi-private moment, and he was sure Bridris wouldn’t want to be crowded again either.

Aubrius shook her head. “Ram getting married wasn’t an if—it was a matter of time. He’s handsome and a good, caring person. And in the royal guard. You’d be surprised how much some girls like that. It was just a matter of finding the right person,” she said, relaxing into her mate’s side. After a few moments though, she caught someone looking at them, and suddenly self-conscious, she forced herself to stand straight again, staying close but moving out from under his arm. She glared at him when he started in on his ‘you act like Bri’s mother’ thing though, instinctively elbowing his side. “For the last time, I’m just being a good friend. And it isn’t as if I don’t want them to be together. I haven’t done anything to Ram yet, so obviously I think they’re good together. I just want Ram to beat me in a fight and prove he can take care of her. I don’t think that’s unreaso—“

Aubrius trailed off as an elderly faerie approached them. It was the woman she’d noticed staring earlier. “My King,” she started, making a quick curtsy and offering a warm smile. “I couldn’t help but notice you and your mate in this corner. My apologies for not coming over sooner; I was under the impression that you had arrived with the young guard over there, but standing in this corner…. Could it be that the two of you are also looking for a dress? I would be more than happy to help. If there are certain cuts or colors you prefer, I could look through those or draw my own suggestions. I’ve been dressing bridges for ages, and I have an eye for these things.” She winked and took stock of Aubrius. “I have a few darker colors, of course, if that’s your preference, but all of this black makes you look so severe. You can hardly tell how green those eyes are, and then there’s the lovely colors in your wings. You know, something with a great deal of white will draw out all of that color, or something more colorful. You know what, just let me go get some dresses. I’ll find something dark, something with color, and something white, and we’ll use that to narrow down what you like best and then we can look within that area. I’ll just be a moment darlings.” She patted Aubrius’ hand and left before the caelus could get in a word to stop her.

@ sun spirit

Bridris gazed up at him adoringly as he spoke to her, leaning her head into his touch as he wiped away her tears before gladly returning his kiss. She smiled a bit at his teasing, reaching her own hands up to cup his face and brush her thumbs over his cheeks adoringly. "I don't want to wait long. Which is another reason I'd rather just buy a dress, instead of having your mother and sister make me one." She explained softly between kisses, glancing over at his family as they stood off to the side discussing various aspects of the upcoming wedding before looking up at him again. "I should probably change out of this dress so that I can go do things with you, like plan our wedding and give you lots more kisses, but I need some help, and I don't really want to bother Mir or the nice shopkeeper who seems to be tending to Aubrius and Ailuin... Would you come help me?" She asked softly, a faint blush on her cheeks as she tugged a bit on his hand.

"Careful, I'm not very fond of my mate calling another man handsome, even if he is spoken for." Ailuin warned, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips to prove his point, pouting a bit as she straightened up out from under his arm, although he insisted on continuing to hold onto her hand, giving it a little squeeze. He chuckled as she elbowed him and glared after he mentioned her acting like Bridris' mother, grinning down at her as she denied it once again. "The more you try to deny it the more I think it's true." He teased, looking up at the shopkeeper as she approached them, offering the old woman a smiled and a polite bow of his head in greeting. He blinked a little in surprise as she began to speak about them looking for a wedding dress, starting to shake his head and explain that they were only here to help their friends, although the woman kept on speaking, and not having the heart to interrupt her as she spoke to Aubrius about what colors would look good on her he fell silent, giving his mate a little squeeze of her hand to signal to her to behave. He looked down at his mate after the woman turned to leave, a little grin spreading over his lips. "I think you should humor her and try one on. I'm sure Bridris would be happy to not be the only one getting all of the attention anymore."

@ katahdin

Given his doubts about Bridris wanting to marry him at all, Ramyth was surprised to hear that she didn’t want to wait long to marry, smiling as she explained that it also played into her wanting to buy a dress. “Well, I certainly can’t argue with that,” he said, pressing another kiss to her lips. “We’ll have to plan when your transformation will be too though, and decide whether you want to marry before or after you become fae.” He nodded as she mentioned changing out of her dress, smiling as she gave her reasons for wanting to do so. “We can plan between kisses,” he suggested, though he was surprised when she asked for him to help—and at the mention of the shopkeeper helping Ailuin and Aubrius. Then again, it was only a matter of time before the others stopped hanging back, and having a little bit of alone time for kissing didn’t sound like a bad idea… “I’d be happy to,” he answered, leaning in for one more kiss and squeezing her hand as he motioned for her to lead the way to the changing room.

“Objectively,” Aubrius protested, though she was more than happy to return Ailuin’s kiss. Although she also hadn’t thought much before saying it either. She definitely wouldn’t like any implication of Ailuin being attracted to someone else. “To be clear, I am absolutely, in no way attracted to him, and even if we weren’t mates, I wouldn’t consider it.” She didn’t get a chance to take up the hand-holding thing with him before the shopkeep approached them, talking about wedding dresses, and Aubrius was on the verge of interrupting with a growl just to get the woman to pause for a moment so she could understand that they weren’t looking. They’d washed each other’s wings and sealed their relationship; it wasn’t as if they’d done things like usual and had the whole ceremony leading up to the mating bond being sealed. But Ailuin squeezed her hand—she knew what that meant—and she kept her mouth shut until the woman had disappeared to retrieve the promised dresses. Turning to Ailuin, she gave him an incredulous look as he suggested she humor it. “Ailuin, I could just break something or get into a fight or take my shirt off again if you really want a distraction for Bridris. Besides, if I try one on, suddenly everyone’s going to think we’re planning a wedding. Ram’s family would probably start talking about a double wedding or something. Not to mention I’ve never worn a dress and wouldn’t know which way was up trying to put it on.”

@ sun spirit

"I want to marry you after I become a fae." Bridris said immediately between kisses, looking up at him as she squeezed his hands. "You said that when fae get married they touch each other's wings for the first time. I-I know I might not end up being a caelus like you, but even if I'm a faun or some other kind of fae I want to be able to share some special part of myself with you like how you'd be sharing your wings with me.. I know you'll just say it doesn't matter, but it matters to me." She admitted softly, giving him another kiss and smiling as he agreed to help her out of the dress, returning his last kiss before she led him to the back dressing room where Mir had been helping her in and out of the dresses she'd been trying on, making sure that Ramyth had shut the door behind them both before she stood up on her toes to give him a kiss she definitely wouldn't have given him in public.

---

"I'm glad we've made that clear." Ailuin murmured after he reassured her, smiling down at her. He quietly thanked the shopkeeper as she headed off, chuckling as he looked down at Aubrius. "It'll be fine, Aub. No one is going to expect us to marry just because you put on a dress. And now that you've mentioned that you've never worn a dress you definitely have to try on a dress." He grinned, leaning down to kiss her cheek before looking up to see what Bridris and Ramyth were up to, although he was surprised to see that they'd both seemed to disappear. "Huh. I wonder where they went."

@ katahdin

Ramyth wasn’t surprised about her answer. Given everything she’d said to him, he’d guessed that was what she would want even as he asked, but it was still nice to have confirmation. He was a little surprised about the reasoning though, and she was right, he was on the verge of telling her that none of it mattered to him when she said she knew it was what he’d say. “I won’t say it then. And because it matters to you, I have no complaints about waiting until after your transformation—no matter what sort of fae the gods make you,” he said, squeezing her hands and returning her kiss. He followed her into the dressing room then, which no one else seemed to notice, surprisingly, making sure to close the door behind them. Once they were alone, he happily returned Bridris’ kiss, kissing her lovingly and deeply as he pulled her close.

---

“You don’t know Ram’s family like I do. His little sister saw him with Bridris during Roedanya and decided they were getting married and told the whole family. Bri wasn’t going to marry him while she was human either, and they still have her at a dress shop. They might think there’s some big announcement or something like that being planned for us,” Aubrius argued. Maybe she wasn’t entirely being fair, but she’d been around them enough to know what they were capable of. She wrinkled her nose as he said she had to try on a dress just because she’d never done so previously. Rather than let him needle her if she argued or listed the reasons why she’d never tried wearing a dress, she just said, “The day you put on a dress, I’ll do it too.” She blinked when he brought her attention to the fact that Ramyth and Bridris had disappeared though, glancing around. They still had to be in the shop, since she and Ailuin were in the entrance. “They probably wanted some privacy to celebrate that they’re getting married. That’s what I would’ve done if we’d gone through the whole declaration thing like normal. Well, what I’d do now. I actually probably would’ve been angry at you and made the council very happy by saying no. Honestly, the smartest thing you could’ve possibly done was probably waiting until I’d been miserable and drunk for three days. And then lure me to the castle and keep me distracted with sex so I don’t second-guess my drunk decisions for a little bit.” She’d started off serious, but by the end, she was just teasing him.

@ sun spirit

"I hope they make me a caelus like you, but they're already giving me such a gift in turning me fae that it feels selfish to ask them to ask that of them." Bridris murmured with a little smile, as she squeezed his hands. She wasn't sure she'd ever fly even if they did turn her into a caelus since it seemed absolutely terrifying, but she wanted Ramyth to be able to touch her wings, especially if he was going to let her touch his. She practically melted into his arms as he returned her kiss with more of his own, her hands moving to grip the front of his shirt as she pressed closer. After a few very nice kisses she moved her hands from his chest so that she could begin to take off the dress, although with so many pieces it was a bit difficult, and they had to part occasionally so that he could help untie something or so she could set the pieces of fabric aside. Once she'd gotten down to the basic robe underneath she moved back into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him lovingly. "I can't wait until I'm your wife.." She murmured against his lips, smiling a bit as she pressed her forehead to his for a moment.

---

Ailuin gave a little shrug as she said that he didn't know Ramyth's family the same way that she did, knowing that she had a decent point. He hoped he could get to know them a bit better, though, since in some ways Ramyth was like a brother to Aubrius, and they seemed like lovely people in general. "Fair. But I'm sure they're reasonable and if I make it clear that I'm just making you try one on to humor me I'm sure they'll understand. And if I try one on too then they'll definitely know it's not real." He pointed out with a grin, tucking a stray strand of hair away from her face before turning to glance around the shop to see where Ramyth and Bridris might have run off to, although he couldn't blame them for wanting some privacy. Their kisses had been much more intimate than the few they'd shared in front them before, so he could easily imagine them wanting some time away from prying eyes to fully celebrate their engagement and the good news Ramyth had brought. "If you had it your way you probably would have just celebrated with me wherever we had been at the time." Ailuin teased, giving her a playful nudge, chuckling a bit at her teasing. "It was an unorthodox way of doing things, but I don't think we're a very orthodox pair." He smiled lovingly at her, giving her another kiss.

@ katahdin

Given the option to become anything at all as far as fae were concerned—and Bridris had learned about plenty of species from a book she’d borrowed from Hanvosi—the fact that she wanted to be like him, a caelus, warmed his heart. Ultimately, it didn’t matter to him. He loved her as a human, and he’d love her even if she were made into a troll, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t think she’d make a beautiful caelus. And she wanted it, besides. She might not plan on asking for it directly, but he hoped some god was watching and paying attention. That was just a passing thought before they started kissing though, which he’d suggested, they did in between undressing her. They were mostly able to continue kissing while removing and undoing the pieces of her dress with a few exceptions—they’d had practice kissing and undressing that helped now—and all too soon, Bridris was left in only her shift. “And I can’t wait until I’m your husband,” he murmured, resting his forehead against hers and resting his hands on her hips. “I love you, Bri. So much.”

---

Aubrius knew the craziness of Ramyth’s family was something that had to be seen to be believed, so as Ailuin insisted that he was sure they were perfectly reasonable, she didn’t try to argue, laughing instead as he talked about putting on a dress. “Or maybe you just want to be pretty for your wedding too,” she joked, returning his grin and shrugging her shoulders at his teasing. “At least you know I like you,” she said, gladly returning his kiss, though she pulled back as she caught sight of the shopkeeper returning with an armful of dresses, each vastly different from the others.

“I had trouble picking what we should start out with to get a feel for what you want, but I think these three are good to start with. If you’ll come with me, we’ll get you set up with a changing room. I can go with you if you need help changing, since these dresses can be tricky, but you’d probably prefer your mate,” the shopkeep said with a wink for the couple, clearly not having missed their kiss.

Halfway worried that the shopkeeper would try to drag her after her, Aubrius stepped back, already shaking her head. “We aren’t getting married and aren’t looking at wedding dresses. I’m not trying anything on,” she said. Despite their teasing, she didn’t actually believe Ailuin would put on one of the dresses.

@ sun spirit

Bridris practically beamed up at him as he refered to himself as her husband, liking the sound of that very much. So much so that she kissed him again for good measure. "I love you too, Ramyth. With all of my heart." It was probably the hundredth time she'd said it to him today, but it was true. She loved him and she'd never stop letting him know how she felt. After a few more kisses she let out a little sigh, leaning into his arms as she smoothed out the front of his shirt a bit. "I wish we were home, so that you could be undressed too." She admitted softly, not wanting anyone outside the dressing rooms to hear. "It's not very fair, especially when your kisses are so nice."

---

Ailuin laughed at her teasing, giving her shoulder a squeeze as he wrapped his arm around her. "Of course I want to look pretty for our wedding, I'm King, after all." He teased, smiling at the shopkeeper as she arrived with multiple dresses for Aubrius to try on, offering the woman an apologetic smile as Aubrius stepped back. "It is true, we aren't planning on getting married since we've already mated and that's more than enough for us. We're just here for our friends Ramyth and Bridris, the guard and the girl who've seemed to wander off somewhere, since the gods have once again blessed them and Bridris has finally agreed to marry Ramyth. We wouldn't want to distract from any help they may need.. Although my mate did agree to try on a dress if I also put one on, so I'd be happy to try on something if that's alright with you, ma'am."

@ katahdin

Ramyth was more than happy to keep kissing Bridris as she said she loved him too, something he’d never get sick of hearing, no matter how much she said it. He simply felt too lucky to have her in his life, that she loved him, and now, that they could be together forever. No longer would they have to worry about dwindling time or making sure they did everything they could do together while they had the chance. As she finally pulled back, he smiled down at her, holding her close as she admitted that she wished they were home and chuckling softly at her words. “Well, I know this was supposed to be girl’s day, but I don’t think anyone could blame us if we wanted to spend some time together, given what we just found out. I’m sure Ailuin and Aub will want a moment, but then we just have the afternoon to ourselves,” he suggested, pressing another kiss to her lips in the hopes it would help convince her that he had a good idea.

---

“What’s that got to do with wanting to be pretty?” Aubrius elbowed him again, though this time much more gently, although her easy smile disappeared at the reappearance of the shopkeeper, whose expression went from confused to disappointed as she said she wasn’t trying on any dresses, then Ailuin confirmed it. Aubrius gave her mate a look as he continued to ask if he could try on a dress though. “I only said that because I didn’t think you’d actually put on a dress,” she argued immediately, but a knowing smile had already blossomed on the shopkeeper’s face.

“Oh, absolutely!” She said, cutting in before Aubrius could make any more arguments. “All of my dresses are spelled to automatically fit to whoever wears them. You can have your pick of whichever you want to try on,” she said happily. “If you really aren’t planning on a ceremony, I understand wanting this one chance to see your mate dressed up. And I’m sure she isn’t so cruel as to begrudge you this.” She gave Aubrius a warm smile, then suddenly seemed to realize something. “Oh, well if we only have one chance, I have to look harder for the right dress! Your Highness, would you like any color in particular for yourself? Oh, and I might have a hair clip if we want to make it all absolutely perfect. Maybe a touch of make-up…” And so muttering to herself, the shopkeeper disappeared off into the back again.

@ sun spirit

Bridris smiled up at Ramyth as he held her close, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pressed closer. She was beyond excited and thrilled to be with him forever now, and she had a million thoughts and ideas about what they'd get to do for the rest of their long long lives. The past few weeks it had felt like they'd been trying to fit in as many things that they could do together as they could because of their limited time together. She smiled a bit at his suggestion that they leave girl's day early, returning his kiss with one of her own as she squeezed her arms around him. "Are you sure..? I was going to get lunch with your mother and sisters after this, I don't want them to be mad at me for leaving early.." She admitted, pressing another kiss to his lips. She didn't want to upset them, but also was much more interested in spending time with Ramyth, so maybe he was right, and they could leave early. "I'd have to get dressed again if we're going to leave, but that means we can't keep kissing."

---

"I always have to look my best, that means being pretty." Ailuin teased as she elbowed him, looking up again as the shopkeeper returned. He chuckled a bit as Aubrius confessed that she hadn't thought he'd actually put on a dress, grinning down at her as he nudged her side. "You underestimated how badly I want to see you in a dress." He grinned, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He smiled politely at the shopkeeper as she spoke about how all of her dresses were spelled to automatically fit whoever tried them on, giving a nod as the shopkeeper said she understood his want to see Aubrius in a dress. "Thank you, ma'am, I appreciate it. I don't have any specific colors in mind, I'm happy to try on whatever Aubrius wants me to." He turned back to his mate, giving her hand a squeeze.

@ katahdin

Ramyth gave Bridris a little smile as she worried about leaving his mother and sisters, like he’d guessed she would, though as they kissed a couple of more times, he was glad to hear her seem to change her mind on that front, pressing a deeper kiss to her lips as he tugged her close. “I think we could sacrifice a few minutes of kissing for a whole afternoon together,” he murmured against her lips, kissing her again for good measure. “I’m sure everyone will understand.” He pulled back just a bit, enough to give her his best pleading face.

---

Aubrius snorted softly. “Okay. You be pretty all you want,” she said, patting his cheek with a smile. “It can’t be that important. It’s just two seconds in a piece of clothing,” she said, obviously exasperated, even as he grinned and leaned in to kiss her forehead. She didn’t argue as the shopkeeper once more disappeared to look for dresses again though, even with the comments about hair clips and make-up. If he really wanted it bad enough to put on a dress himself, like she’d just said, it was two seconds in a piece of clothing. It wasn’t like she’d agreed to wear a dress for a whole day. And she left it for the shopkeeper to decide what color to put on Ailuin.

@ sun spirit

Bridris let out a pleasant hum as he pressed a dizzying kiss to her lips, practically melting into his arms again as she returned it. "I suppose you're right.. But I'd also like to spend tomorrow with you too, just the two of us." She insisted, making him promise between kisses before she finally pulled back to take off the shift she'd been given to wear while shopping and pulled on her dress, turning back to Ramyth to press a loving kiss to his lips before smiling up at him. "Remind me sometime when we're not too busy kissing to write a thank you letter to all of the gods. I can't believe they're being so kind and generous to us, and I don't know how I'll ever pay them back for giving me the chance to spend an eternity with you."

---

"I don't think I'll be as pretty as you, though." Ailuin grinned, unable to help but complement her even though be knew he'd likely get elbowed because of it. Once the shopkeeper left he squeezed her hands and offered her a smile. "You don't really have to put on a dress if you don't want to, Aub. I'll try one on to appease the shopkeeper, and then I can say we're going to be late for a meeting and don't have time for you to try on a dress." He murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I think you'd look lovely in a wedding gown, but it's not something I have to see to know."

@ katahdin

Ramyth was more than happy to promise Bridris that they'd spent the next day together, no one else involved, though it was entirely possible that he neglected to let her know immediately so that they could keep kissing a little longer, and even once he agreed, he let Bridris go only reluctantly so that she could change back into her dress, which she looked just as beautiful in as in the wedding gown. As she moved close to kiss him again, he pulled her back into her arms, returning her kiss and smiling as she asked him to remind her to thank the gods. "We'll have to write that letter together. I tried to thank Roedanya when she told me, but I'm not sure I did a good job of it, and I know the rest were involved too." He pressed a few more kisses before making himself pull back. "Okay, we should let the others know we're leaving."

---

Over the last month, Aubrius had gotten slightly more used to Ailuin's compliments, enough that she avoided hitting him by turning away from him instead, muttering "shut up" as she did so. He tried to reach for her hands, undoubtedly trying to convince her to relax like he always did, and she let him because it'd been awhile since they'd done anything except sleep together--literally sleep, that is--and even if she was usually uncomfortable with them getting too touchy around others, she couldn't help but want physical contact now. "No, if you're putting one on, I have to. I was the one who said I would, and besides, I'm not so cruel that I'd let you be humiliated alone." She quirked a little smile and kissed his cheek. "Besides, I have to prove you wrong about thinking it'll look good on me. You might've washed off the blood and most of the dirt, but I'm still a stinky sweaty mess with my hair all tangled from flying." All true. She'd taken her hair down to wash earlier and had forgotten to put it back up, and after catching sight of herself in a mirror earlier, she knew it was a nightmare. One she wasn't looking forward to brushing later on.

@ sun spirit

Bridris would have been happy to spend the rest of the day in the changing room kissing her fiance, but as she heard the shopkeeper or her assistant moving around outside she reluctantly parted from Ramyth just enough so that she could look up at him, smiling as he said they should write the letter together. "You'll have to be the one to actually write it, since my handwriting is still very sloppy and I'm not good at spelling. But I can tell you what I want to say and you can put it down along with what you want to say. Oh! And we'll have to invite them to the wedding." Bridris said as if it were a matter of inviting some distant relative and not the gods, giving his hands a squeeze as she returned his last kisses before linking her arm with his to head back out to where his family was still standing making plans.

At the sight of her brother and soon to be sister-in-law Mirella broke away from the group to hurry over to them, squealing excitedly as she hugged them both. "Ramyth! You should have told me sooner so that we would have more time to plan! Ma says that you'll want to be married as soon as you can, but I think you should wait so that we can plan the perfect wedding. Bri, we'll have to talk all about what you want your dress to look like at lunch after this, since that's the most important part. Oh, I can't believe I'm going to have a sister!" She said excitedly as she pulled Bridris into another hug, the poor girl looking a bit lost for words as she looked at Ramyth for help in navigating the situation.

---

"I don't think you'll humiliate yourself. I don't think you'll like whatever dress you put on, but I think you'll look lovely. And I'm sure the shopkeeper has some.spells or potions that would help with your hair and the smell." Ailuin teased with a grin, leaning down to press a brief kiss to her lips for good measure. He'd missed her over the past few weeks, only really seeing her at the occasional meal and briefly in bed as he fell asleep, as she'd leave at the crack of dawn to train and not come back sometimes until he'd already gone to bed. He longed for the few weeks of solitude he'd gotten with her when he took vacation, hoping to do so again as soon as he got the council off his back.

@ katahdin

Ramyth nodded as Bridris said that he’d have to write the letter for them, more than happy to do so, though he blinked in surprise when she suggested inviting the gods to their wedding. He knew her relationship with the gods was a little…. unique, but it had never crossed his mind. It couldn’t hurt though, and she wanted to, so after only a second of hesitation, he nodded, kissing her forehead. “Of course. I don’t know if I would expect them to accept though. They’re very busy, I’m sure, so they might not be able to make it,” he said, not wanting her to get her hopes up for something that didn’t have a particularly high chance of happening. Roedanya and Syldning were probably the most likely to come, but he was hesitant on the others.

They’d just barely exited the changing room when MIirella ran at them, squealing as she hugged first him, then Bridris—twice. Aya, just as excited, was right behind her and asking Bridris if she could be the flower girl at the same time Mir started talking about his wedding. Only his mother hung back, though it was just barely. “Mir, Mir,” he said, gently separating his sisters from his fiancé, “I came here as soon as I knew. It isn’t as if I’ve been hiding anything. We weren’t going to get married before today. Ma’s right though. We do want to have the wedding relatively soon, but after Bri’s transformation. And Bri wants to buy her dress. She doesn’t want to put you to any extra work.” He didn’t add the part about it taking too long, not wanting to offend everyone.

Orabell immediately shook her head, however. “Nonsense! You only get married once, so you have to do it right. Bri, sweetie, we’ll make your dress, don’t worry. It won’t be any trouble. I’m excited about it actually! I designed Mir’s dress myself when she and Tad were engaged and absolutely loved it. It was perfect. And I’m going to do the same for you and Aya and this baby if it’s a girl or whoever it marries if it’s a boy. Mir wants to help me, and I’m more than happy for the help, especially being so close to my due-date, but we’ll handle it. I promise you’ll have the most beautiful, perfect dress you could dream of,” she said, taking Bridris’ hands and squeezing them as she made her vow.

---

Aubrius rolled her eyes at her mate’s teasing, and the only reason she didn’t elbow him again was because he held both of her hands and she couldn’t. “It’s my tangles and my smell and I’ll get rid of them both on my own, even if I have to cut the tangles out.” She’d done it before, and she’d do it again. As Ailuin leaned in for a kiss though, she was more than willing to return it, only pulling back when squealing from across the room startled her out of it. Looking back, she realized Bridris and Ramyth were back, too soon to be doing what she’d thought, and as predicted, Ramyth’s family has surrounded them and were all talking over each other.