A Court of Flight and Valor

@ sun spirit

Ailuin chuckled a bit as Aubrius brought up the box that the council tried to put him in and reminded him about how much she hated it, shaking his head a little as he squeezed her hands. "I know you hate the box, and I'm doing my best to get out of it, but not all battles are worth fighting. If I'm not strategic in what I push back against the council will just get even worse about things, and we don't want that." He said, wrapping his arms around her in a hug, squeezing her against his chest for a few moments before kissing her forehead and releasing her. He appreciated how much she cared for him and how she pushed for him to be himself, even if it meant pissing off the council to do so. She was so strong and brave, and he hoped that he could be have as strong and brave as her one day.

His eyes softened and he smiled at her adoringly as she blushed and told him to shut up after he complimented her, pressing a kiss to her cheek before brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. "It's true, but I will shut up so you don't ruin the dressed trying to fight me about it." He teased softly, his smile brightening when she admitted that she didn't hate the dress nearly as much as she thought she would. That still meant that she probably hated it, but it was still a small miracle to hear her admit it. "I'm glad that you don't hate it, Aub, or at least that you don't hate it as much as you thought you would." He fell silent as she looked at him the way she always did when he was feeling bad, his arms wrapping back around her as she rested her forehead against his, letting out a little sigh as she apologized. "You shouldn't have to apologize, it's not your fault. They're all just.. I just don't understand why they think it's so crazy that I love you, that I'm your mate and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. There isn't anything crazy about that, not to me, anyway." He murmured, offering her a little smile as she said that she wished she could do something to help. "You staying at my side is all I need, Aub. The world could be falling apart around us, but as long as I have you I know that I'll be alright."

---

Bridris was watching Ramyth spread his soup across his slice of bread to eat it curiously before she'd asked her question, having started to pick up on some of Ramyth's strange eating habits. None of them were particularly outlandish or off-putting, some were just a little odd, like spreading soup on bread before you ate it. That didn't mean that she wasn't going to try it to see if it was any good. His blush and cheeky reply caught her off guard though, and her own face flushed red and she nearly dropped her spoon in her bowl, giving him a little look as she nudged his foot under the table. "You know that that's not what I meant, Ramyth." She scolded softly, knowing full well what they'd be doing on their wedding night. She nodded a little though as he began to speak about helping her to adjust becoming fae as she took a bite of her bread with the soup on it, letting out a pleasant hum at the taste before taking another one. She blushed again though as he mentioned the transformation potentially affecting the birth control Hanvosi had been kind enough to give her, looking down at her bowl for a few moments in thought before looking back up at him. "If it does mess with my birth control, would you want me to retake it?" She asked softly. They'd never really spoken about having children before beyond the brief mention of having a family five minutes earlier and when they'd gone to Hanvosi to get her birth control to avoid having any sickly children that wouldn't make it a year, but she knew that she wanted to have a family with Ramyth, and if it were true that it took a very long time for fae women to get pregnant, she figured that the sooner they started trying the better their chances would be, although she'd understand if he wanted to wait a few years so they could have each other to themselves.

@ katahdin

Aubrius wrinkled her nose at the idea of picking battles, shaking her head decisively and giving Ailuin a kiss. “You just worry about what you wanna do. If you don’t like something, don’t do it, and I’ll do all the fighting that comes with it,” she told him seriously. “I like fighting anyway, and I don’t lose. So as long as I’m doing the fighting, you don’t have to worry about picking and choosing.” She doubted he’d agree as quickly as she’d suggested it, but she hoped he knew that she really would fight for him. She growled at him softly as he insisted that she was beautiful, grateful that he was agreeing to shut up, though she was surprised at how happy he looked when she admitted that she liked it more than she’d expected to. “I just thought I’d look absolutely ridiculous, and it isn’t as bad as I expected it to be,” she defended, though she wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her in close and held her. “Well, it could have to do with you being a nice, reasonable young King, a handsome one at that, who could be with pretty much anyone he wanted to be, and let’s not forget patient and all sorts of other good traits. And I’m—don’t fuss at me for any of this because I’m repeating what others have said—disfigured, crippled, but that’s an old one, tainted, a slut, mean-spirited, a menace, and pretty much basically the antithesis of everything a good caelus should be. Wanting me is like wanting to keep a feral animal that’s been attacking the court and killing people. Even if we’re mates, which some people haven’t accepted, they figure you’ll eventually wake up and realize you’ve been kissing a feral animal.” Which made a certain amount of sense. It was part of why she’d almost left him during Roedanya and something she didn’t think she’d ever be able to completely shake the fear of. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes with a little smile as he claimed he only needed her though. “You just know I’d figure out a way to make sure you got out alive, that’s all,” she teased. “Really though, let me know if you think of something that’ll help with all the rumors. I’ll do whatever you need me to, even—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—a wedding if you really think it’ll help. I know me saying it like this isn’t romantic or anything, and I hate the idea of my parents talking to you and getting you give you a quest even though we all avoid each other, just because they gave birth to me, but if you think it’ll convince people and put a stop to most of the rumors, I’ll do it. Because this is making you miserable and we have to do something, and I don’t have any better ideas because beating people up didn’t work.”

---

Though he’d expected her to join him in blushing, Ramyth was surprised at the way Bridris started, chuckling softly as she nudged his foot under the table and scolded him. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” he apologized, not sounding particularly sorry as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips and smiling as he saw her curiously try soup on her bread like he’d done, seeming to like it. He was surprised at the question she asked next though, not about becoming fae or the sorts of things they might have to deal with, but about her birth control. They’d never really discussed what they’d do if they could have healthy children, and he wasn’t sure how she felt about it now—not from that one question alone. Slowly, he set down the slice of bread he was holding and reached out to take her hand. “I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to make decisions based on what I want,” he said first. “If you don’t want children, that’s fine. I love you, and I’m happy to spend as much time with you as I possibly can. But if you were open to the idea of starting a family, I’m open to it too. I can’t imagine any better future than one where we have a family."

@ sun spirit

"Fighting only gets you so far, but I appreciate it, Aub." Aiulin smiled down at his mate, pressing another kiss to her lips before wrapping his arms around her waist as she wrapped hers around her neck, swaying slightly with her out of habit. He frowned deeply though as she began to say all the terrible things she'd been called or referred to in the past, opening his mouth to protest a few times, although she was quick to silence him, and he settled on shaking his head when she said that one day he'd wake up and realize he loved a feral animal, squeezing her in his arms. "I already know that, and I wouldn't trade you for anything." He insisted with a little smile, although when she said that she was willing to marry him if it would help with the rumors and make him feel better he stared at her a bit dumbfoundedly, clearly in shock about her offer, although after a moment a large smile spread across his face, tugging her closer. "Really? I mean, I know you don't want to see your parents even if it's to ask them for a quest, and I know you hate the idea of a wedding, so the last thing I want is for you to feel like you have to do this for me... But you do have a point, beating people doesn't really work, and I think that if we did have a marriage ceremony it would really prove that I'm not planning on giving you up." He said, holding her cheeks in his hands as he gazed down at her lovingly. "You'd really marry me? Even though I fuss about you and compliment you too much?"

---

The look Bridris had been giving him disappeared as he leaned over to kiss her, offering him her own slightly mischievous smile, although she still looked rather innocent despite it all. "You don't seem very sorry. Besides, I have a pretty good idea of what we'll be doing on our wedding night, and I'm very much looking forward to it, so I don't have to ask about it." She stated with a little blush, taking a few bites of her bread and soup before setting it down as he reached across the table to take her hands, giving them a little squeeze out of habit. She shook her head quickly when he spoke about not wanting her to feel pressured into doing anything just because it was what he wanted, squeezing his hands again as she shifted a bit in her seat to lean closer to him. "No, you'd never pressure me into anything like that, Ramyth. And I do want to have a family with you. Spending our future together with our children sounds so wonderful, and I know that you'd be such a perfect father, Ram. I'd be foolish to not want to have children with you."

@ katahdin

Aubrius had thought Ailuin would take more issue with some of the things she said, and while he looked as if he wanted to interrupt and argue with her a couple of times, she was proud of him for refraining from doing so, smiling at him a bit and shaking her head when he only insisted at the end that he wouldn’t trade her for anything despite knowing everything she’d said. “Which makes you crazier than everyone already thinks you are, I’m sure, but I’m not about to complain,” she responded, but when he gave her a shocked look as she started talking about marriage, she was ready to backtrack and tell him to forget it. He started smiling at her all of a sudden though, and she relaxed a bit as he tugged her closer and asked if she was serious and went on to talk about the reasons why she’d been against it. “I don’t, and I don’t want you to be around them either, and there are things about a wedding I don’t like, but… you do have a point. I don’t think anyone could question that we want to be together if we marry. And it’d obviously make you extremely happy,” she said softly. It felt like he only proved her point more as he cupped her cheeks in his hands and asked, once again, if she’d really marry at him, laughing a little at him. She wasn’t sure whether he was just caught in disbelief or was starting to get excited or what. “I’d really marry you. Actually, you’re the only person I’ve ever consider marrying. Probably because you fuss over me and compliment me too much.”

---

As Bridris gave him a slightly mischievous look and called him out on not being sorry, Ramyth chuckled, giving her one more kiss. “I’m not very sorry. Because I have a good idea what we’ll be doing on our wedding night too, and I’m also looking forward to it,” he told her, eating a few more spoonfuls of soup before they returned to the subject of children, squeezing her hand as she gave him her thoughts on the subject. “I don’t know about all that, Bri,” he said with a little chuckle, kissing her cheek as he squeezed her hand, “But I agree that having children sounds wonderful. Even if we only have one child, I’ll consider myself the luckiest man on earth. Having a family with you sounds like an absolute dream.”

@ sun spirit

"Maybe I'm crazy, but I can live with that as long as you can." Ailuin grinned, resting his forehead against hers once more as he tugged her close, giving her a squeeze as she said she didn't really want to get married but knew it would likely be the only way to prove to everyone that they did love each other. He smiled as she said that he was the only one that she'd want to marry, though, and leaned in to press a loving kiss to her lips. "I love you to the moon and back, Aubrius. I'll get a quest from your parents, and then we can marry and prove to everyone that I'm not going to leave you. And since you said that you liked this dress we could buy it, or I'm sure I could ask Ramyth's mother and sister if they would like to make you your own dress, so you could wear dark colors instead of pink." He smiled, pressing another kiss to her lips out of excitement. "I'd always thought that I'd hate my wedding day, so it's a pleasant surprise to be looking forward to it."

---

Bridris giggled a little against his lips as she returned his kiss, her cheeks heating up a bit more as he echoed her sentiment about looking forward to their wedding night, eating a few mouthfuls of soup to try to hide her smile. She stopped though as they continued their conversation about children, giving his hands a squeeze as he kissed her cheek. "I know it's all true, even if you think otherwise." She smiled, gazing at him lovingly as he spoke, giving his hands another squeeze. "But that still doesn't answer my question.. If the transformation affects my birth control, do I take it again? Or do I stop taking it all together? You've said before that it can take fae ages to have children, so it's not like I'd be pregnant anytime soon, but.. but it'd be nice to try."

@ katahdin

“Only because I’m crazier,” Aubrius teased with a small laugh, pressing a little closer as Ailuin squeezed her and rested his forehead against hers again. “I love you too, Ail,” she murmured, returning his kiss. Still, despite her saying she’d marry him, it felt crazy hearing him talking about getting a dress. That she was actually getting married. “I’d rather wear pink for the rest of my life than endure the hugging and squealing,” she said as soon as he mentioned Orabell and Mirella. “But just so you know, we’ll only be asking my mom about the quest. She might be a little difficult if she’s still talking to my dad, but my dad would give you an impossible task.” Of that much she was fairly certain, given how vocal he’d been in council meetings. She smiled and chuckled as he kissed her again. “What, you thought I’d make things horrible?” she teased, knowing that wasn’t what he meant. He’d probably thought he’d have to marry for political reasons for awhile. “I’m not sure how you’re staying so calm by the way. I can practically feel you vibrating with excitement or happiness or whatever all is going on in you right now. Do you need to go fly off the excess energy real quick? Maybe run? Are you fighting the urge to ask where my mom lives?” She was teasing, but she was partially serious too. He seemed more charged than her on a bad day.

---

Ramyth kissed Bridris lovingly as she insisted that she was right about what she’d said about him as a father and having a family with him. “I’m the lucky one, Bri, I promise,” he said, smiling at her, going quiet as she repeated her question from earlier. “I think it’d be nice to try too,” he said, squeezing her hand gently. “Whether we found out we were going to have a baby in 5 months or five hundred years, I’d be thrilled. So I think my vote is with stopping too.”

@ sun spirit

Ailuin chuckled as she said that she was crazier, but was very very pleased when she returned his kiss, letting it deepen for a few moments before pulling back to smile at her as she said that she loved him, giving her a little squeeze. He laughed again as she said she didn't want to put up with the hugging and squealing if he asked Orabell about making her dress. "Fair enough. But you don't have to get this one, and we don't have to make any decisions about a dress today, we can come back here some other time." He said, pressing a kiss to her cheek, although he frowned when she mentioned only going to her mother. "Why would your father give an impossible task?" He asked. He knew that her parents hadn't married, and that she grew up with just her mother around, but he didn't know why going to her father would be such a bad idea. He laughed a little when she asked about him flying off his excess energy, shaking his head. "No, no I'm alright. I would like to go see your mom, but we don't have to do it now. Personally I'd like to go home and spend the rest of the day with you, but only if you want."

---

Bridris returned his kiss happily, smiling lovingly at him as he said he was the lucky one. "I think we're both lucky." She murmured sheepishly. Her eyes softened as he said that he wanted to try for a child, squeezing his hand as she looked at him. "Alright, then we agree. I'll stop taking my birth control, and we'll try for a baby." She smiled at the thought, squeezing his hand again before going back to eating.

@ katahdin

Given everything, it was entirely possible that no matter where they turned, they’d be tasked with something impossible, and Aubrius wasn’t exactly hopeful knowing her mom was their best shot. So As Ailuin suggested they not make any decisions for now, she nodded. “I think we better hold off. We might not be able to marry at all,” she said, shrugging as he frowned at her and asked about her dad. “Because he hates me. He left because he hated me, even before the accident happened,” she explained, matter-of-fact, though she grinned as he laughed at her teasing, shaking her head as he mentioned seeing her mom or going home. “Home. Home before my mom, any day,” she said immediately. “Actually, I should probably get back to work and training, with my exam coming up. I only have a couple more days, and this has already gone on longer than I’d planned.” She didn’t sound particularly thrilled at the idea, not when she was starting to realize just how much she’d missed her mate, from just being around him to kissing to sex, even. If she hadn’t been coming home nearly too exhausted to even eat before she passed out, she was sure the mating bond would be driving her crazy.

---

Ramyth smiled softly at her, kissing her forehead. “I’m glad you think you’re lucky, too,” he said. He was just glad she hadn’t married Sidero. At one point, he thought he could’ve lived with it and could have protected her from a distance, but he was sure now that he would’ve killed the man anyway. He nodded as she said she’d stop taking the birth control, smiling down at her adoringly, and gave her one more kiss before they turned back to their lunch. They were really going to try for a baby. They didn’t even have room for one. Was it too soon to start thinking about fixing that, since she wasn’t even fae yet and they weren’t married? But that would all happen, soon if they had their way about it. Ram contemplated all of this and more as they started back in on their soup and bread.

@ sun spirit

Ailuin frowned as she said that they might not be able to marry at all, giving her a squeeze as she explained that her father hated her and that he'd left her mother because of that hatred, pressing a kiss to her lips. "I'm sure that's not the case, Aub. I know that your mother might have told you that, but it's probably not true. It was probably something between her and your father that made him leave, and she used you as an excuse. And she shouldn't have. No mother should blame their child for something like that." He frowned, cupping her cheeks in his hands. He nodded a little when she said that she wanted to go home, pressing a kiss to her forehead, although he shook his head when she said that she thought that she should go back to training. "No way, you're coming home with me. I haven't seen you in ages, and I want to spend time with my mate." He insisted, giving her a little squeeze as he pouted a bit to try to convince her.

---

Bridris returned his smile as they took a few moments to just gaze at each other lovingly, giving his hand a squeeze and returning his kiss before they went back to eating. She was thrilled that she'd soon be a fae and that they'd be married, and that hopefully someday soon they'd have a baby too, although she didn't count on that happening anytime soon. But they'd still be trying, and one day they'd have a family and everything would be perfect. She was happy to sit in silence with him as they ate, occasionally bumping her foot into his or glancing up at him to smile, and once she was finished she stood and began to put the dirty dishes and leftover food away, humming as she did so. It was only fair that she clean up since he had set everything up.

@ katahdin

Realizing Ailuin was frowning at her like that out of concern, Aubrius pressed her hands over his where they cupped her face and shook her head. “Ail, it’s fine. I don’t care that he hated me. He’s basically a stranger anyway. And my mom wasn’t wrong. I don’t remember a lot about him, but I remember a lot of yelling. At me, about me. It might not have split them up, but I’m sure it didn’t help things between them any.” She couldn’t help but laugh a little at his insistence that she go home with him then, smiling at the pout he gave her. “C’mon, you know pouts don’t work on me,” she said, and unable to help herself, she teasingly pinched his cheek. His reasons echoed her own thoughts though, regardless of what she should be doing, and she let go of his cheek, she ran a hand through his hair. “I remembered you being more convincing than this. And assertive. What, I get busy for a while, and you go back to letting me walk all over you?” she teased, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips before pulling back to start taking off the dress—as best she could anyway, not quite remembering how Ailuin had arranged all the pieces in place.

---

As they finished up lunch, Ramyth was more than happy to answer Bridris’ little foot-bumps and smiles, guessing she had her thoughts she was pursuing privately as well as they ate, and in fact, she seemed happier than she had in awhile, even as she got up with her newly empty dishes and started to wash as he finished up his lunch. Once his bowl was empty and bread gone, Ramyth got up to bring his dishes to the sink as well, pausing behind Bridris and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Let me do the dishes,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her neck. “Since you were picking up earlier and then doing laundry and I only watched.”

@ sun spirit

Ailuin only frowned more as she spoke, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before squeezing her hands and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But I thought that your parents participated in the ceremony for Foralis? Why would he hate you if he went through a ceremony that's all about asking the gods for a child?" He asked, smiling a bit as she said that his pouts didn't work. "It's worth a shot. And who knows, maybe one day it'll work on you." He gave her another squeeze and leaned his head into her hand as he ran her fingers through his hair. "Well I miss my mate, and I feel like I shouldn't have to convince you to come home with me because I know you miss me too." He smiled, happily returning her kiss before stepping back to take off his own dress and then help her out of hers, peppering her face with kisses. "We can eat lunch, and take a bath, and then maybe take a nap so you can get some more rest."

---

Bridris let out a pleasant hum as she felt him come up behind her, leaning back into his arms as they snaked around her waist and lifted her least soapy hand up to rest against his cheek as she tilted her head when he kissed her neck. "No, you set up the table and served our food, so it's only fair that I wash the dishes. And I'm almost done anyway." She smiled up at him, turning back to the sink to wash up the bowl and dishes that he'd brought over, although she kept leaning into his arms, enjoying the closeness.

@ katahdin

Aubrius knew Ailuin didn’t like the idea of anyone hating her, and from their various conversations, it was pretty clear that he wanted to believe her family situation was a series of misunderstandings. She couldn’t help but wonder how he’d feel when he found out it was all as simple as she claimed. “I don’t know, Ailuin. Maybe I wasn’t the child he wanted. Maybe he didn’t actually believe they’d be blessed. My mom told me he had a wife and a son, so maybe I was a reminder that he made a mistake. Maybe all of it. I don’t know what to tell you, Ail. He really did hate me. And after he left my mom, so did she. That’s just how it happened.” She wasn’t eager to keep talking about it though, and so she kissed him deeply, hoping to distract him from the subject even more as they talked about going home. He seemed awfully sure about her missing him though, she realized. It seemed cruel to even insinuate that she didn’t, so rather than tease, she paused in running her fingers through his hair and looked up at him curiously. “How can you tell?” Despite being determined to work her way out of the dress herself, Ailuin removed his own completely and had to step in to help as she was getting particularly frustrated, and even the kisses he peppered across her face only helped so much. “Minus the nap, that sounds like a pretty good plan. I’m starving.” But then again, she was always starving.

---

Ramyth smiled as Bridris leaned into his arms, not minding her soapy hand in the least as she pressed it to his cheek. “But you’re the one who put it on the stove to warm,” he argued, except she was already working on the bowl he’d brought, and with a little shake of his head, he squeezed her gently and contented himself with nuzzling into her neck, pressing a couple of idle kisses to her skin, enjoying holding her like this.

@ sun spirit

Ailuin still didn't look happy as she insisted that her family hated her, and after he returned her kiss which was obviously supposed to distract him, he gave her another squeeze in his arms as he made her look at him. "You know that I'll never hate you, right?" He asked softly. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that he'd just end up hating her one day like her parents did, and so he wanted to reassure her of the opposite. "Because I won't. I might get mad or frustrated sometimes, but I'd never hate you." He promised, pressing one more kiss to her lips before she changed the subject to how he knew that she missed him, giving her a loving smile. "You let me hold your hand in front of everyone. Usually you don't like it if I touch you or do stuff like that in public, but you did today, so I figured it was because we haven't been spending as much time together lately and that you miss me." He explained as he helped her out of the last few pieces of her dress, pressing a few kisses to her jaw as he chuckled when she mentioned that she was starving. "Well, we can either cook for ourselves at home, or pick something up before we head back. Whichever you want."

---

"But that's barely any work, Ram." Bridris laughed, turning her head to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'll be done in just a minute, and then you can have your kisses, I promise." She smiled before turning back to the sink to finish washing up his bowl and spoon, setting them off to the side with the others to dry before she wiped off her hands and turned around in his arms to face him, gazing up at him lovingly as she rested her hands against his chest and leaned back slightly against the counter. "There, all done."

@ katahdin

Aubrius was surprised by Ailuin’s sudden reassurances, and though she hadn’t been thinking about it then, it was a fear she’d dwelled on before. “I’ll try to make sure you don’t. Of everyone in the world who could possibly hate me, I’d take it the worst if it were you,” she responded, kissing him back, and as he explained how he was sure she’d missed him, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, you’re right, but I’d also like to point out you were extra clingy today. I was halfway convinced that if I didn’t let you hold my hand, you’d wrap me up in a hug and refuse to let go,” she teased as they finally got the last pieces of the dress off, a little sound almost like a purr leaving her as he kissed her jaw. “Mmm, I vote leftovers, since that sounds fastest. I’ve been finding them a lot at home recently, which is very nice of you by the way. I haven’t even been bothering to heat them up again before I eat.” He’d also been asleep before she came home a lot, so he hadn’t been witnessing her with her dinners.

---

“Which is where the other things you did come into play,” Ramyth pointed out, smiling as she turned to kiss his cheek and promised kisses soon. He decided to be good and waited patiently since she really was almost finished, grinning down at her as she turned in his arms to face him. “Finally,” he teased, squeezing her gently, then chuckled as he noticed the way she was leaning back against the counter a bit. “I don’t know how we’re supposed to kiss when you’re all the way over there though.” That said, he had an idea. Unwinding his arms from around her, he lifted her up and set her down on the edge of the countertop, his arms going back around her as he stepped in close. “That’s better,” he murmured, pressing a loving kiss to her lips.

@ sun spirit

Ailuin smiled down at her as she said she'd try to keep him from hating her, shaking his head a little. "Don't worry, you won't make me hate you, Aub. I promise." He murmured against her lips, grinning a little as she said he was being clingy. "I just might have. But I can't help it, I've missed you too much." He teased, happy to hear the little purr that left her as he kissed her jaw. He nodded in agreement as they got dressed again at her suggestion that they just eat leftovers. "That sounds like a plan to me. And it's no problem, really. I like cooking, even if I'm not good at it, and I'm glad it's good enough for you to eat." He smiled, giving her hand a squeeze as they finished dressing. "Ready?"

---

"But I like tidying up. It's never a problem, really Ramyth." Bridris shook her head a little at him, grinning at his teasing as she turned around. She laughed too as he said he wasn't sure how they'd kiss with her leaning against the counter, and let out a surprised squeak as he lifted her up and set her back down on the edge of the countertop before he wrapped his arms around her again, giggling as she returned his kiss, pulling back after a moment to smile at him lovingly, lifting a hand to rest against his cheek. "Now I'm almost as tall as you. I love you, Ramyth." She murmured, pressing a loving kiss to his lips as she tugged him closer.

@ katahdin
(If you still want Ailuin's ex to show up and get him frazzled, I left things open for them to run into her outside/leaving/whatever you want. And if she tries to pull the "Ailuin's just gonna leave you card", Aub will not hesitate to pull the marriage card now XDD)

“I’m going to be very upset with you if you break that promise, you know that, right?” Aubrius asked, but it was with a little smile. She’d settled into being Ailuin’s mate a little better since that first week, with a space that was theirs and her clothes actually put away in a dresser, and and Ailuin still giving no sign that he was sick of her in any way. If anything, it was the opposite, and it gave her a little more confidence in believing him when he promised he wouldn’t change his mind. She laughed at his teasing and his grins, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. “I’ve missed you too. I’ve been keeping myself too busy to let myself feel it too badly, but I’m starting to hate them for scheduling my exam right after we moved out of the castle.” It was only reluctantly that she let him go and moved away so they could both get dressed again, though they were both quick about it. “You’re a lot better than when you started, trust me. And you’re lucky I’ve been coming in too late and too tired to complain about all the vegetables, or I’d insist on taking over making dinner again.” Feeling guilty that she was too often home after he’d gone to sleep and up before he was awake though, she’d been taking care of breakfast and leaving him out some every morning. “Absolutely. I’m always ready for food, especially recently.” She squeezed his hand in return as they left the changing room. Ailuin did most of the talking with shopkeeper, thanking her for letting them try on the dresses, and then, thank the gods, they were finally leaving the shop.

---

It was great to see Bridris so happy, and Ramyth smiled widely as she giggled and lifted a hand to his cheek, leaning into her touch. “I could find a stack of puts to put under you if you really want to be as tall as me,” he teased gently, kissing the tip of her nose, his smile softening as she said she loved him. “I love you too, Bri. More than anything,” he murmured against her lips as they kissed, more than willing to be pulled close and to hold her close in turn.

@ sun spirit

"I know. That's why I intend to not break it." Ailuin smiled at her lovingly, meaning every word. He'd sooner cut off a finger or jump off a cliff or lose his wings than break that promise. He was very happy to return all of her kisses as he held her close, feeling like it was the first time in ages that they'd been able to be this close, and he was incredibly grateful to hear that she'd missed him too. "I've been practicing while you've been away, and I always leave the better parts of what I make for you when you get home." He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "And I appreciate you leaving me breakfast too, but I'd like it more if we could actually eat out meals together again.. I know you have your exam and you're busy with last minute training, but I think taking a break would be good for you." He suggested, pressing one more kiss to her lips before leading her out of the changing room. He thanked the shop keeper for letting them try on the dresses and even said that they might be back sometime to try on more, much to the shop keeper's deligh, before he wished her a good day and led Aub outside.

They hadn't gotten far when someone called out Ailuin's name, the king pausing to see who it was before paling and tensing a bit as a pretty blonde caelus walked up to them both, although she had a nasty smirk on her face. "Ailuin, is that you? It's been too long." She said, stepping up to the king and pressing a kiss to his cheek in greeting, even leaving a bit of lipstick behind before she turned to look at Aubrius, not even trying to hide her disgust before she turned back to Ailuin. "I had heard the rumors, but didn't think it was true. Did she put a spell on you or something? Or did she hold you at knifepoint until you sealed the bond?" She asked, looking at Aubrius again. "There's no way you'd be with her willingly. I mean, just look at her." She snickered.

Ailuin's grip on Aubrius' hand had become nearly bone crushingly tight as the woman continued to speak, but when she insulted Aubrius he let out a little growl in warning. "Ulesse, enough." He growled, although his reaction only seemed to amuse her.

"Oh, that's too funny, Ailuin. Almost as funny when you realized that the monks were the ones that were behind our little fling." She snickered, glancing over at Aub before looking back at him. "When you realize the mistake you made mating with her and want to make up for it come find me. I'm sure I'd make a much better wife than her."

---

Bridris laughed as he teased her again, shaking her head a little so that her nose brushed against his. "No, I like that you're taller than me." She smiled as he said he loved her, and even though she'd probably heard him say it a thousand times by now, it was still always like she was hearing it for the first time. "I love you more." She hummed happily against his lips as they kissed, her arms snaking around his neck as he moved closer and her fingers tangling in his hair, her legs spreading so that she could wrap them around his waist.

@ katahdin

“I suppose I can get home at a reasonable time… but I have to train. I only have a couple of days until my exam. I can’t stop,” Aubrius was saying as they moved out onto the street, cut off at the sound of Ailuin’s name. She turned to look at who it might be and immediately hated the look of the blonde caelus approaching them, especially as she strolled right up to Ailuin and kissed his cheek as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She growled as she stepped forward, all but inserting herself directly in between the two. Anyone with half a brain cell would’ve backed off immediately, but this one had to keep talking and digging her hole.

But the thing that got her hackles up, even more than this woman’s attitude and the things she was saying, was Ailuin’s reaction. He’d completely frozen and locked up, and regardless of anything else, she didn’t want anyone who made her mate react like that around. She barely even noticed the insults thrown about her and how she must’ve forced Ailuin to become her mate because of how tightly he was holding onto her hand. Whether he was angry or something else entirely, she didn’t really know. But he wasn’t saying any of the words they’d decided to use as their code when he needed her, and the bitch made her final mistake when she revealed who she was: the one the monks had bribed into seducing Ailuin.

Oh, she was going to enjoy this.

Just in case this Ulesse suddenly grew a brain cell, Aubrius didn’t bother freeing her dominant hand from Ailuin’s hold, landing her punch with her “bad” hand and sincerely hoping she broke something in the process. Then she pulled away from Ailuin and punched the bitch twice more and hauled her, bleeding, back to her feet. “Hi, I’m Ailuin’s mate, and as you can maybe tell, I’m not really a friendly person, so I’m going to say some things, and you’re going to nod when I want you to and do anything else I tell you to, and when I’m done, neither Ailuin or I are ever going to see you again or else you won’t have to find out what I’m like when I’m really unfriendly. Got it?” The terrified nod she got in answer was all the answer Aubrius needed. “Great.”

As much as she just wanted to punch Ulesse’s face in and as many fights as she got into, Aubrius only seriously hit people who hit her back and went easy on those who obviously couldn’t hurt her. The three punches were all she was allowing herself unless the bitch suddenly decided to fight back, and that didn’t seem likely to happen. “First, just because this is the sort of thing Ailuin cares about, I didn’t force him into shit. If it’d up to me, I probably would’ve left and have never seen him again precisely because of fuckholes like you disrespecting him and questioning him because of me. Whether or not you believe me, I happen to love him, and he loves me enough to want to be with me even though it’s making problems for him. We’ll even be getting married, not that you’re invited. The second thing you should know…” And here Aubrius made sure to get close as she growled, “is that the only reason I haven’t hit you more is because you’re too pathetic, but if you EVER fuck with my mate again, I will end your existence. That means you will not touch him. You will not talk to him. You will not even see him, outside of the ceremony during Roedanya. If I suspect you’ve done any of that, you’re dead. I know your face now. I know your name. The only reason you haven’t gotten a visit from me up until now was out of the kindness of his heart in not giving me any details about you, but you fucked up a good thing for yourself. So if I even suspect you of being near Ailuin in some way ever again, I will hunt you down, and I’ll take my time killing you slowly and enjoy every minute of it. And just in case you aren’t afraid enough because I decided you weren’t worth the effort right here and now…” Still gripping Ulesse with one hand, she grabbed one of the daggers she always kept on her with the other and drove it through the bitch’s hand, letting go of her at last as she screamed. “Remember I don’t play. Keep that, as a reminder of who’s coming for you if you ever fuck up. And I recommend you find a healer.”

As she turned away from Ulesse finally, Aubrius realized she’d attracted a crowd. A crowd looking at her with a mixture of shock, horror, and disgust. A crowd that probably thought she’d driven a knife through a woman’s hand out of petty jealousy, not to protect her mate. One that probably now looked at her worse than ever. She turned away from them though, focusing her attention on Ailuin. Not that she wanted to know if he’d be horrified too. She couldn’t make herself look at his expression and found herself focusing on the lipstick still present on his cheek. Pulling her shirt sleeve down, she put a little spit on the fabric and rubbed the stain away, then took his arm and tugged him down the street with her. She didn’t regret her actions, not quite, but that didn’t mean she wanted to know if her mate was looking at her like she was a monster either.

---

Ramyth chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to her lips. “Now that you mention it, I think I might like being taller than you,” he said, smiling as she returned his words of love. “Nuh-uh uh. I love you more,” he murmured against her lips, tugging her closer as she wrapped herself around him and kissing her with every ounce of love he held for her alongside every bit of happiness he felt in light of their most recent bits of good news.

@ sun spirit

At the sight of Ulesse Ailuin had practically shut down, the only thing keeping him from flying off being his years of dealing with uncomfortable situations like this and his grip on Aubrius' hand, since there was no way he was going to leave without her. Not because he was worried about anything that Aubrius would do, but more because she was what was keeping him calm. He was still shocked when Aubrius punched Ulesse, though, staring at her in disbelief as she did it twice more before pinning the girl to a nearby wall to threaten her. Not because she was jealous, no. Aubrius wasn't the type to get jealous, or at least he didn't think she was or that she'd show it in this way. No, he was defending him, which had been made clear when she'd stepped between him and the blonde caelus when she'd first shown up. If he'd been able to say anything beside his mate's name at the moment he would have scolded her or intervened to keep her from making too grave a threat, especially as a crowd gathered, but he couldn't help but just stand by and watch in amazement as Aubrius told her to stay the hell away from him. He finally moved though when Aubrius stabbed one of her daggers through her hand, stepping forward to pull her away, but she'd already turned around to come back to him, grabbing his arm and tugging him down the street. If she'd been looking she would have seen the gratitude on his face, but she didn't seem to be wanting to meet his eyes, so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders securely and used his wings to shield them from the growing crowd behind them that had been attracted by Ulesse's screams.

After walking a few blocks and traveling though a few winding side streets to put some distance between them and what would definitely be considered a crime scene, Ailuin stopped them before they headed back out onto one of the main streets, pulling his mate into a tight hug as he tucked his nose into her hair. "Thank you, Aubrius.. I don't condone what you did, and I ask that you never do something like that again in public, but.. but thank you." He murmured, giving her hand a little squeeze as he looked down at her. His hands had started to tremble a bit as the initial shock from seeing Ulesse disappeared, and he was very much ready to fly home and spend the as much time as he could with his mate before she had to run off to train again.

---

"My perfect strong, tall, soon-to-be husband." Bridris giggled between kisses which were definitely lingering more and more as they pressed closer to each other, the woman grinning as he insisted that he loved her more before kissing her again. "No, I love you more." She insisted, always enjoying the little game they played, although she knew that they both loved each other the same amount. His kisses were intoxicating though, and it wasn't long before anything she was going to say got lost as she instead focused on returning his kisses, one hand tugging a bit on his hair to keep him close while she ran the other down the front of his chest to tug at his shirt a bit.

@ katahdin

Aubrius had halfway expected Ailuin to want to get away from her, so it came as a surprise when instead he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, shielded her with his wings, and pulled her down some side streets to get away from the witnesses. Even more surprising was when he suddenly stopped her after awhile and pulled her into a tight hug and thanked her. “I... you’re not angry? Or horrified?” She asked as she pulled back to look at him. “I didn’t accidentally hit you too, right? And you aren’t afraid I’ll stab you next?” She realized he was shaking then. “Gods, I freaked you out, didn’t I?” Even though he’d thanked her, her brain just couldn’t accept that it was sincere at that moment. Not when she’d just beat up and stabbed someone for acting a little nasty.

---

“And proud of it,” Ramyth agreed, kissing her again with a wide smile, chuckling softly as she insisted that she loved him more. But as their kisses lengthened and deepened, he abandoned all thought of trying to continue a conversation and focused instead on Bridris. They’d started removing clothes before they thought to move to their room, where the rest of their clothing came off, and together they celebrated her becoming a fae and their getting married, laying curled up next to each other afterwards, snuggled close. “I don’t plan on getting up any time soon, but when we do, we’ll have to write that thank you letter to the gods,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.