A Court of Flight and Valor

@ sun spirit

Ailuin nodded a little at Hanvosi's explanation, running a tired hand over his face. "Alright.. In that case I might bring her back to my chambers, at least there I might be able to get some sleep. The door will be unlocked though, in case you need to come in and tend to her at all. Thank you, and have a good evening, Hanvosi." He said, leaning down to carefully lift his mate into his arms and carry her back to his chambers, where he spent a good bit of time getting her out of her dirty clothes and into clean ones while causing her the least amount of pain as possible, washing some of the blood from her skin before tucking her into bed, settling down next to her with a tired sigh.

---

Bridris nodded a little as Ramyth squeezed her hand, moving into his arms again to tuck her face into his chest. "I know, Ram..." She murmured against his chest, sniffling a little as her tears subsided a bit. "I-I was just worried about you all day, e-especially when you didn't come back after sundown.." she sniffled as she pulled back to wipe at her eyes, following him to their rooms. "You don't have to apologize for lying.. I-I know you were just trying to do the right thing.." she murmured, squeezing his hand as she looked up at him. "A-Ailuin said you did it because you love me, but I told him he was being silly because I-I'm just a human, and you're a faerie, and you wouldn't think of me like that.."

@ katahdin

When Aubrius woke, it was near dawn--still dark but not quite black--and everything hurt. It was almost like a burning sensation, all throughout her body, even in her wings. It felt the worst in her wings, actually. She remembered Ramyth pulling a sword out of her wing before she blacked out, the burning feeling had been worse then, and remembered them realizing it was iron. She recognized Ailuin's rooms as she sat up and Ailuin beside her. She didn't remember getting back to the castle or changing and didn't know why her wings felt heavy, but she knew one thing for certain: Ailuin had to be pissed. She'd known before leaving that he would be, but she'd expected to come back with a couple of scrapes at most and good news. Now, she pushed the covers off and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, moving to stand, wanting to get to a mirror and see for herself how badly she'd fucked up.

---

Ramyth wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or a little guilty as Bridris seemed to accept his answer and drop the subject of Sidero altogether, hugging her to him again as she stepped back into his arms, trying to offer her some comfort, then holding her hand when she eventually pulled away so they could continue walking to their rooms. "I'm sorry..." he said softly, trailing off as she told him that he didn't have to apologize for lying and then proceeded to tell him everything Ailuin had told her, squeezing her hand tightly. It hadn't occurred to him that Ailuin would tell Bridris that Ramyth loved her. It should have, it should have with the way both Ailuin and Aubrius had been talking to him recently, but it hadn't. "He..." Ramyth struggled for words for a minute, before quietly admitting, "He isn't wrong. I-I swear it doesn't have to be awkward though. I won't do or say anything you don't want, and I'll still act the same. I'm just your guard and your friend, I promise. Al-although if you don't feel comfortable being around me, you could always ask Ailuin to give you a different guard. I'd understand."

@ sun spirit

Ailuin had fallen asleep on his stomach like he usually did (sleeping on your back with one set of wings was tricky enough, but with two it was nearly impossible), face tucked into his pillow as he snored softly, one of his wings draped over Aubrius' body gently. He didn't think that his wing would keep her in place, he'd be a fool to make that assumption, but he knew that in order to get up she would have to move his wing, which would in turn wake him up, and he'd be able to scold her and keep her from going anywhere. He stirred slightly as he felt her move his wing, reaching a hand out to grab her wrist before she could stand, giving it a squeeze. "Don't make me use my magic on you to keep you in bed, Aub... I'm exhausted, and pissed, and I don't want to fight you right now, cause I'm not going to let you win, and you're not going to like losing." He warned, although his voice was partially muffled since he was talking into his pillow and he was still half asleep. But he knew that she knew he was serious, and could only hope that she did as he said and got back into bed.

---

Bridris felt her heart skip a beat when he admitted that Ailuin had been telling the truth, forgetting to breathe for a moment as she looked up at him. He loved her. And she loved him. She hadn't been sure if that's what the feelings she'd had for him meant over the past week, but she was sure of it now, and she realized that she'd never really loved anyone before, at least not like this. The only time she'd said that she loved her ex-fiance to his face was after he'd forced her to say it, and looking back he'd forced her to say and do a lot of things she hadn't wanted.. But not Ramyth, he'd never been anything but kind to her, and she knew without a doubt that she loved him too. "Ramyth, I.." She started, her voice catching in her throat as they walked into their rooms, squeezing his hand tightly, a bit afraid that he would let it go, given how nervous he seemed, and how willing he was to leave if she was uncomfortable. "I wouldn't want anyone else to be my guard, Ram.. I.. I love you. And I'm not just saying it, either... I-I really do love you, and I'm glad you're safe and alright, and that you're my friend.."

@ katahdin

As she felt Ailuin grab her wrist as she worked on getting up and then heard him speak, she winced--not because he'd hurt her in any way but because he was half asleep, wasn't even talking to her in a harsh tone, and she could already tell it was going to be bad when he did wake up. Slowly, she eased herself back into the bed with a little groan. "I just wanted to see how bad it was. I didn't plan on going far, trust me," she said, hissing a little as she tried to find a comfortable position and instead aggravated something. After shifting around a bit more, she just gave up and pushed herself over onto her stomach like Ailuin, each at least helped her wings out somewhat. "Go back to sleep. I'll be here for you to yell at when you wake up," she said softly, feeling him shift his wing over her again as she settled.

---

Ramyth felt Bridris staring at him, heard her start to speak and cut herself off, and couldn't bring himself to look at her, afraid of what she might say. He'd been trying to push back how he felt for weeks, to just tell himself that it was because she was his friend, that he'd just taken to her quickly and it was different because she was human and needed protecting. If not for Ailuin making him talk about it and Sidero threatening her, he might not have let himself see what it really was. And while her sending him away would hurt, as long as she was safe and happy, he could live with it. He dared a glance over at her as she said she didn't want anyone else to be her guard though, his eyes widening as she continued to claim that she loved him. She must've expected him to ask, because she said it again a moment later. And even though he was bloody and dirty and smelled worse than Hanvosi's iron-drawing paste--which was also on him--and already felt bad that her dress had gotten ruined because of him, her words were so unexpected and made him so happy that he stopped and kissed her on the spot. "I love you, Bridris. You could be a human or a faun or a talking tree and I still would. And I asked Ailuin today, and he said you can stay, if you still want to. And Aubrius is offering you her house if you want to move out of the castle, since she's moving here."

@ sun spirit

Ailuin hummed a little as he felt Aubrius lay back down, lifting his wings so that she could, and attempted to help her get comfortable, resting his wings over her once she'd settled as he scooted closer, taking her hand in his. "It's bad, Aub. There's a hole in your wing, and you've got some nasty iron poisoning that will take a few days for Hanvosi to treat. And you're not allowed to leave this bed until he says, because he says that if you do move you'll only get worse, and I'm not going to lose you right after I got you." He murmured, squeezing her hand as he opened his eyes a crack to look at her, offering her a weak and tired smile. "You need to sleep too.."

---

Bridris was quite nervous about Ramyth's reaction, or lack there of, to her confession of her feelings, and as they stood there in silence she started to apologize, but before she could he'd pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She squeaked a little in surprise as his lips were suddenly on hers, although she was quick to wrap her arms around his neck and press close, returning his kiss happily. "I love you too, Ramyth. I've never felt like this about anyone, and I'm... I'm so glad it's you." She murmured softly, resting one of her hands against his cheek as she looked up at him lovingly, smiling a little as he said that King Ailuin had given her permission to stay, and that Aubrius was offering to give her her home as a place to live, her eyes softening as she looked up at him. "I.. Would you live there with me?" She asked softly, voice hesitant. Just because he loved her didn't mean he'd want to live with her, after all.

@ katahdin

Aubrius didn't really expect a reply from Ailuin, since he hadn't even opened his eyes to threaten her, guessing he'd fall asleep again once she laid down, so she was a little surprised when he gave her a summary of how bad it was, squeezing his hand a little as she listened. "You aren't going to lose me," she reassured him softly, turning her head towards him. "If I told you half the things I've survived, you'd have no doubts I'd be fine now. But you'd probably never let me out of this bed again either." She gave him a wan smile, nodding as he said she needed to sleep. "I will." With the way she felt, she didn't actually think she could go back to sleep, but he looked so haggard and tired, like he was the one who'd been injured, that she was sure he needed to sleep rather than worry about her.

---

Ramyth almost jumped back and apologized as Bridris squeaked when he kissed her, but almost as soon as the sound left her mouth, she was wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back. When they parted, he was sure he was smiling like a fool though his facial expressions usually being more on the reserved, hard-to-read side, and he held her close as she said those three words he'd never imagined hearing from her once more. "I'm happy it's you too," he responded softly, almost reaching up to cup her cheek but remembering how dirty he was before he could. He was surprised when she asked him to live with her in Aubrius' house though. "I... I don't think I can," he started hesitantly, but realizing she wouldn't understand, he quickly explained, "Royal guards usually stay in the castle. That way we're close at all times in case of an emergency. Usually we're in the barracks, but I've been sharing rooms with you since I'm your only guard and I have to sleep, that way I don't have to be halfway across the castle every night. Some guards are given permission to live in the city with their families, but not many. Usually, it's encouraged that they try to convince their mate or spouse to move into the castle. More problematic is that I'm not your mate... or your spouse. I could ask all I wanted to live with you, but the council is in charge of that, not Ailuin, I'm fairly certain they don't know you exist yet or that you're staying, and because we have no legal relationship, they wouldn't approve the request."

@ sun spirit

Ailuin hummed a little as she spoke, his eyes closing again as he seemed to drift off to sleep again, although he still hung on to her hand, tugging it close so that he could tuck her hand in against his chest, almost as a way to ensure she couldn't leave once he fell asleep. "I don't want to take any chances.." He murmured, giving her hand a squeeze before he drifted off to sleep, snoring softly into his pillow once more. It was a few hours after dawn when he finally woke, groaning tiredly as he rolled to lay on his side, making sure to tuck his wings out of the way as he did, looking at his mate sleepily as he reached over to stroke a hand through her hair. "I should probably get Hanvosi to come tend to your wounds.."

---

Bridris beamed up at Ramyth, finding his smile to be one of the nicest things she'd ever seen, her fingers lightly brushing against his cheek as she held onto him with her other arm, happy that he was holding onto her too. Her smile faltered though when he said that he wouldn't be able to come live with her at Aubrius' house, moving back shyly as she listened, nodding quickly. "No, I understand, that makes sense... For all we know, the council won't let me stay here at all when they find out about me, and I don't want to cause any trouble.." she murmured, offering him a weak smile. Besides, just because he loved her didn't mean that he'd want to have a legal relationship with her. Especially since she was a human, and even though he said that it didn't matter, she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't want to marry her only for her to live such a short life. Her life was practically the blink of an eye for him, and she could understand why he wouldn't want to get too attached.

@ katahdin

Aubrius watched Ailuin as he tugged her hand towards himself, letting him take it captive and hold it against his chest. She doubted it was entirely the fact that he was half asleep that had kept him from yelling at her; given what he'd said about losing her, and guessing she looked as bad as she felt, she knew he had to be worried, and if hugging her hand against his chest made him feel better, she figured she probably owed him that little bit of peace. Despite her prediction about not being able to sleep, she did drift off again for a few hours, before waking again. Her wing felt stiff and wouldn't move in certain places, not that she tried to hard to make it since it hurt to do so. There were several wounds that had the same feeling, like her body was partially paralyzed. By the time Ailuin woke, she'd managed to shift to get her free arm, and the greenish shell that was plastered to the skin around a cut she remembered receiving, with reach of her captured hand and was picking at it, whatever it was making her skin crawl. She stilled as soon as Ailuin rolled over though, subtly moving the arm she'd picked at out of sight as her mate reached out to her. "Whatever he did, I'm starting to feel better already. I don't hurt as much."

---

Ramyth frowned as Bridris backed off and tried to backtrack, a good portion of the happiness seeming to leech out of her eyes as she did so, and despite her saying she understood, he couldn't help but suspect that she'd misunderstood something. He reached out for her hands, taking them in his and squeezing gently. "Bri, if it was solely up to me, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. And Ailuin, Aubrius, and I--and maybe even Hanvosi--will fight for you to stay if the council tries to say you can't. I don't think anyone's trying to make you leave though, and I meant what I said a few days ago. If you go, I want to go with you." He squeezed her hands, then raised them to his mouth, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "And I said that I didn't think I could, not that I definitely couldn't. Ailuin knows the law and how to talk to and deal with the council better than anyone. I'll talk to him and see if he can help."

@ sun spirit

Ailuin smiled tiredly, leaning over to press a kiss to her forehead, giving her hand one last squeeze before releasing it. "He made a salve that when placed on your wounds draws out the iron in your body as it dries. He said you'll need multiple applications of it, though, and that you still need to stay in bed while it does, since running around doing things will only draw the iron deeper into you." Ailuin explained with a tired groan as he sat up, grabbing a scrap of paper and a pen to quickly write a note to Hanvosi, knowing that the sooner he tended to her wounds and told her what not to do would be for the best. Once the not was sent he turned back to his mate, a frown settling on his features as he took in her wounds, especially her damaged wings. "Aub.. Why did you do it?"

---

Bridris looked up at him as he took her hands and lifted them to his lips, blushing as he kissed her knuckles and taking a little step closer. "I don't know if I can even leave the court, because of whatever curse the Fae who kidnapped me put on me.. If the council says I have to leave, I-I don't know where I'd go. And even if I could leave, humans hate Fae, you'd be in danger no matter where we went, and I couldn't put you through that... Besides, you don't want to give up everything just to leave for fifty years or however long it takes me to grow old and die, and then have nowhere to go.." Bridris frowned, looking away as she squeezed his hands a little. "Even if you can stay with me, you'll just be back in the castle after I'm gone, and I know fifty or sixty years isn't really a lot to you, but what if people look down on you for it? And how will you be able to be a royal guard if you're not at the castle to do it?" She sighed, looking down at her ruined dress with a frown, shaking her head a little. "It's alright.. I can live in Aubrius' house, and just come visit you. I'd want to see Aub too, so it'll all work out."

@ katahdin

Aubrius almost started to sit up as Ailuin did, but seeing her mate scribbling a note to who she could only assume was Hanvosi, she stayed where she was. If the healer was coming, he’d want her laying down anyway. She didn’t like the sound of multiple applications and more than one day though. It’d been more than a hundred years since she’s last been that still. Then came Ailuin’s question. She groaned, sitting up as well despite having just decided to stay where she was, and reached out for his hand. “For Bridris. Ramyth too, but mostly Bridris,” she said softly. “Ram wasn’t going to be able to do it alone, or was too cautious too, so I said I’d go with him. I know you said you’d talk to the council and do things right, that you wouldn’t give up Bridris, but we both know the decision isn’t always up to you. Their only job is to protect the court, and she isn’t fae. And like you said, as soon as she found out, she’d offer herself. And Ram’s in love with her, and I could tell as soon as you mentioned the possibility of Sidero getting past the border, that he couldn’t let that happen. He would’ve gone alone even if I stayed. And I couldn’t stop him because I wanted to do the same thing anyway, it seemed like the best thing to do, and I understand. I would’ve done worse if it was you in danger.” Despite the damage to her wings and the pain, it was clear that she didn’t regret her actions. Or if she did, she hid it well.

---

Ramyth frowned as he held Bridris’ hands and listened to her speak, about herring kicked out, about putting him in danger and her getting old, squeezing gently as she kept voicing concerns, then leaning in and kissing her again. “I love you. I will gladly take any and all time I can get with you, no matter the situation, and I mean that,” he told her earnestly. “The council can’t make you leave before the spell’s broken, and you’d stay here anyway. Given everything we’ve already hidden and lied, we could just come up with something if we have to, but I don’t think we will. And even if, by some chance, you do leave, I’m coming with you. I can protect myself. As for what anyone here thinks—I’m one of Aub’s only friends and can’t tell you how many times I’ve helped her or stopped her from doing something stupid. And I’m just a guard, not really important in any way. Being with with the kindest, most beautiful woman in the kingdom, regardless of her species, can’t hurt me.” He kissed her forehead. “I love you and want to be with you. It’s that simple for me, Bri.”

@ sun spirit

Ailuin sighed as he took her hand, giving it a squeeze as he listened to her explain why they did what they did. He couldn't blame them for it either, not really. In all likelihood they saved Bridris' life, even if they disobeyed his orders and potentially caused more problems for him down the line. "I know, Aub.. I just.. I wish you'd told me, instead of lying. I'm furious that you disobeyed my orders, I'm pissed that you put yourself at risk, especially with the balance issues you've been having with your wings, but I was terrified when you didn't come back, when I couldn't find you at the cliffs, or anywhere in the city. I didn't know where you'd gone, or what had happened to you, or if you'd come back and I.. Please, Aub, don't do that again." He murmured as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he tried to get a handle on his emotions. Of course he was furious, but he'd been scared too, and that was what was upsetting him the most.

---

Bridris hummed a little in surprise as he tugged her close and kissed her again, looking up at him as he spoke and eased her worries. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes again, and she quickly wrapped her arms around him again so she could hide her face against his chest, squeezing him a little. "I love you too, Ram... Can we go to sleep, now? You need to get cleaned up and rest so you don't get sick like Aubrius.." she murmured as she pulled away, wiping at her eyes. "I can pull clean clothes out for you while you wash up and turn down the blankets on your bed, and then that way you can go right to sleep after you're finished. And I promise if I wake up earlier in the morning than you I'll be quiet, and I'll make sure the nice lady who brings breakfast is quiet too, that way you can sleep as long as you want." She offered him a small smile, giving his hands a squeeze, wanting to help take care of him like he was always taking care of her.

@ katahdin

As Ailuin spoke, it was clear what had gotten to him more than the anger, and if she were being honest with herself, Aubrius hadn't even thought about it. That he'd look for her after several hours, that he'd get worried when he couldn't find her where he'd expected or or anywhere else and didn't know what happened, though he had to have had his guess with the situation. "I'm sorry," she apologized softly, squeezing his hand. "For worrying you. All I thought about was that you'd stop us if you knew, even if you agreed it was the best thing for Bridris because you're the king and you have to do things by the law. I.... it didn't even cross my mind that you'd get worried." She almost sounded ashamed admitting that. "I'm sorry." The more she thought about it, how he must've felt, especially within days of her leaving him once already, the more awful she felt. Gods, she was a horrible mate. She squeezed his hand again as he rested his forehead against hers. "Ailuin, whatever happens, whatever I do, I promise I'll always come back to you, okay? Always."

---

Ramyth happily wrapped Bridris in his arms as she pressed close again and squeezed him, honored beyond words that she loved him too and grateful to the gods for introducing her in his life. He smiled down at her as she spoke, leaning in and kissing the top of her head. "I'm not going to get sick like Aub, I promise. I know it looked like Hanvosi hardly looked at me, but I didn't get hurt like her. Sleep sounds great though. And you don't have to do any of that. I promised to spend the festival with you and dance, and there's only two days left. I'm happy to get up as early as you want," he assured her, squeezing her hands as they started to walk again, not too far from their rooms. He was drained, but he could catch up on sleep once Roedanya was finished.

@ sun spirit

Ailuin glanced up at her as she apologized, squeezing her hands in return. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms and hold her for the rest of the day, but he knew he couldn't because of her injuries. But he appreciated her apologies, and how she seemed to understand how he felt even though he wasn't sure how to properly say what he was feeling. He offered her a faint smile a she said she hadn't even consider how he'd feel, shaking his head a little. "It's fine, Aub... I know what I sighed up for when I became your mate, and I'll get used to it, I promise." He reassured her, giving her hands a squeeze. "I'm just glad that you agreed to be my mate in the first place."

---

"But I want to take care of you like you take care of me." Bridris pouted a little a little as she followed him down the hall to their rooms, only pulling out of his arms once they were inside their rooms, stifling a little yawn. "And I don't mind missing Roedanya, especially if going it meant that you wouldn't heal. There's always next year." She offered with a little smile, squeezing his hand. "You go get cleaned up, I'll get everything set for you in your room, and you can sleep as long as you want." She stood up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek before moving to his room to do as she'd said that she would.

@ katahdin

Aubrius knew Ailuin hadn't had any illusions about her--she'd basically told Ramyth the same thing--but that didn't necessarily mean he deserved to be constantly worried out of his mind, and she resolved to think through her actions more in the future: at least enough to take in consideration how Ailuin would feel about it. At the very least, if she thought something would worry him, she could think of a way to ease his worries. "Well, I'll try to think of ways to worry you less in the future. I'm not saying it'll always work or that I won't worry you again, but I'll try." She gave him a little smile as she squeezed his hands back. "Of course I did. You saw what I was like without you. I'm the one who got lucky here. If not for you, I'd be alone forever. I honestly don't think I could've made a relationship with anyone else work."

---

Ramyth smiled a bit at Bridris' reasoning for offering to do things for him, finding it hard to argue with her reasoning. Besides, it was sweet of her to want to things for him, however small. And if she'd been up this entire time, she probably wanted to sleep in too. "Okay, okay, just this once," he said, squeezing her hand back and kissing her cheek. "You should get cleaned up before you go to bed too. You aren't nearly as bad, but I've definitely transferred onto you." He moved to the bathroom as she shooed him off though, lighting a couple of lanterns to see by and then drawing water. Thankfully, most of what was on him was stuck to his clothes and removing them meant shedding a good bit of the filth, but his water still quickly grew dirty, and he had to fill a second tub to get fully clean.

@ sun spirit

Ailuin smiled as she promised to at least try to worry him less and think through her actions before doing anything, which was more than he could have ever dreamed of asking for. "Thank you, Aub. I appreciate it." He said, squeezing her hands as he pressed a loving kiss to her lips before sliding out of bed. He looked over as a note appeared from Hanvosi, reading it over quickly before standing and stretching his wings with a little groan. "Hanvosi would like to come help clean off the dried salve and apply more, but he can do it either here or in his chambers, although if you want to go to him I'll have to carry you, since you're not allowed to move."

---

Bridris blushed faintly as she looked down at her soiled dress, noticing the dirt and blood had gotten onto her skin too when she'd hugged him, although she knew she was nowhere near as dirty as Ramyth was at the moment. "I will, but you should get cleaned up first, since it won't take me as long to get cleaned up and you need your rest." She smiled as he kissed her cheek, watching as he disappeared into the bathroom before going to his room, pulling a clean shirt and pants from the dresser there out and setting them on the nightstand, before turning down the sheets and making sure everything was ready and comfortable for him when he was finished bathing. She even got him a glass of water and left some cookies and grapes that had been brought to her earlier on the nightstand for him, unsure if he would be hungry at all. Once finished in his room she returned to her own, patiently waiting for him to finish before she headed in with her change of clothes, taking a very quick bath and tidying up the bathroom a bit before changing into her nightgown and returning to her room, feeling much better about going to sleep knowing that Ramyth was in the next room.

@ katahdin

Aubrius kissed Ailuin back, glad she could make him feel a little better, though she frowned a little as he summarized Hanvosi's response. "I'm surprised he let me out of his sight," she admitted. "He's usually stricter than that. I don't think my wings can take being carried though, so I guess it'd be better if he came here." She watched her mate send off his response and get dressed for the day, which she might've enjoyed more had she been watching for fun, and soon Hanvosi was there and was instructing her to lay on her stomach so he could examine her wing. He gave her a small vial of something to drink first though, that he claimed would ease the pain from her wounds and the iron poisoning. Then she just had to lay there as he chipped away at the hardened salve he'd placed on her wings, then replaced and wrapped it and did the same to other wounds, though it went much faster on skin. The medicine he'd given her started working before he moved on from her wings, making her brain a little fuzzy, but her body visibly relaxed a little as the pain eased. She also caught glimpses of her wounds, in between the stages where Hanvosi uncovered them and reapplied the salve, and despite knowing that iron prevented healing, was still surprised at how raw they looked. If her wing was the same, it was no wonder it still hurt so much. Eventually, Hanvosi was done chipping and pulling and applying and wrapping. "I've done all I can for now. It should be hard again by this afternoon, then hopefully again later tonight. Hopefully by tomorrow morning, all the iron will be drawn out, and I can have her healed well enough to attend the ceremony," he said to Ailuin.

"If there's only a little, I can still go. Ram was walking around fine yesterday, and he got cut," Aubrius said, having sat up so Hanvosi could treat her side and refused to lay back down yet.

Hanvosi looked at her with a sigh. "That's because he was only minorly cut. Think, Aubrius. If you receive a large dose of iron through a small cut, you will feel terrible from the iron, your body will be weakened, but once the iron is gone, you feel better fast because the effects of iron are contact-based. If you receive a low dose of iron poisoning but have major wounds, the situation is far more dangerous. You'll likely die before the iron can be drawn from your body because the extent of your wounds is more dangerous than the iron. The iron simply prevents your body from healing and deflects use of magic, so the wounds cannot be healed that way. The salve I've been applying draws the iron out and keeps you from bleeding out and your wounds are not life-endangering on their own, but I've no idea how much you bled before Ramyth brought you to me, and your body is sure to be weak. Even if most of the iron is out of you, you'll be in pain and unstable. I wouldn't advise you going anywhere at all tomorrow regardless of whether I'm able to begin healing, but if you are healed and reasonably able to walk on your own power, law demands you attend the ceremony. If not, you'll be here, just as you are today."

---

Ramyth tried to be as quick as possible with his bath, though he made sure he was clean, and when he walked into his room with a towel around his waist, he couldn't help but smile a bit even as he shook his head at Bridris. She'd gone even further than she'd said she would, and it was really sweet of her. He almost started to write a thank you note to leave on her pillow for her to see when she came from her own bath, but he hesitated, not sure if she'd be able to read it, and instead determined to thank her in the morning. He was too exhausted to pause for food though, so after pulling on clothes, he climbed into bed, quickly falling asleep.

@ sun spirit

"He was willing to let me bring you here because he knows that I'll listen to him and keep you in bed like you're supposed to be." Ailuin pointed out with a little smile, sending his reply to Hanvosi before changing. He noticed her staring as he dressed and might have considered mentioning it had he thought it was a good idea, taking a seat at the edge of the bed once Hanvosi arrived and began tensing to Aubrius' injuries. He watched the man work carefully, glad to see his mate relax after drinking whatever it was the mage gave her, although he was still worried after seeing the state of her injuries, shaking his head quickly when Aubrius spoke about getting up and walking around. "Not going to happen, Aubrius. You're going to stay in bed until Hanvosi says you can leave, and even then you'll only do what he says you can do. And don't think for a second that I won't use my magic on you, or have you sedated to keep you here." He said definitively, not wanting for her to think that he'd give in with enough pressure.

---

It didn't take Bridris long to fall asleep, but in the short hour she was asleep before waking again her dreams were plagued by nightmares, waking with a start and in a panic. In the dream it had been Ramyth, not Aubrius, who had been seriously injured, much more so than her friends wounds, and the image of his mangled body terrified her. Slipping out of bed she hurried out of her room and across the small hallway to Ramyth's, hesitating for a moment at the door before opening it and peering inside, letting out a breath of relief when she saw him in sleeping soundly in one piece. She wasn't sure she'd be able to sleep if she went back to her room, so after shutting the door she tiptoed through his room to the little loveseat by the corner where they'd sometimes practice her reading. She managed to get as comfortable as possible, tugging a throw blanket over her before she forced her eyes to close, falling asleep not much longer after that, where she remained until morning.

@ katahdin

Between the two instructions, Hanvosi's version was the nice one, explaining what conditions she could or could not attend the ceremony tomorrow earlier, while Ailuin's version was essentially just to say that she would do what Hanvosi said, even if he had to make her. It might have rubbed her the wrong if it weren't just that he was worried and just wanted her to do as Hanvosi said; it wasn't as if the stout fae hadn't sedated her in the past for being uncooperative. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm not moving until I have permission," she sighed, then, because she wanted an answer so she wouldn't argue with Ailuin over it later, "What about changing my clothes or washing or using the bathroom? Can I at least get up and do those things on my own? I wouldn't have to go far or move much for any of that."

Hanvosi studied Aubrius. He knew what she wanted him to say, and she was right to think that none of what she listed would harm her. With any other patient, he might encourage them to move to a chair and do some reading. She might attempt to take advantage of it to move around more than she should though, which was why he'd said she needed to stay entirely in bed in the first place. Ailuin had already mentioned staying with her and would keep her from doing too much, but after going off and getting herself hurt in this manner and then making them threaten her just to follow medical advice, he was disinclined to be nice. So, after a few moments, he shrugged and inclined his head to Ailuin. "No baths. I've covered the salve, but if it gets wet, the iron may seep back into your wounds. Any cleaning would have to be carefully done with a wet cloth. As for walking around for the reasons you've listed... I'll leave that to your mate's discretion and what he deems best for you."

---

Ramyth didn't wake up early as he usually did, instead sleeping in well past dawn. When he woke and started to get up, he paused, eyes drawn to an unfamiliar shape in the loveseat--well, unfamiliar in the sense that he didn't expect to see her there. He stood, his muscles a little sore from the long flight, having to carry Aubrius for half of it, but otherwise, he felt fine. He walked over to where Bridris slept, gently gathering her in his arms and walking through the connecting door to her bedroom, where he carefully laid her down and pulled her covers up over her, gently pushing her hair back from her face and kissing her forehead. He wasn't sure when she'd crept into his room or why... he probably should've asked a guard to stand outside her room last night, given how tired he'd been, but she had to be tired, and he didn't want to wake her before she was ready to get up.

@ sun spirit

Ailuin was relieved when Aubrius agreed to listen to Hanvosi, although he gave her a look when she asked if she could walk around the room to bathe and dress and that sort of thing. Like Hanvosi, he knew if she was given an inch she'd go a mile, and he was glad when Hanvosi defaulted to his judgement about what she could and couldn't do, offering the mage a small smile. "We're just trying to look out for you, Aub. We know it's hard to just sit still, but it's what you need to do to get better, since rushing your recovery will only cause problems down the line." He said as he looked at his mate, squeezing her hand and pressing a kiss to her fingers as he looked at her apologetically.

---

As Ramyth collected her into his arms Bridris stirred a bit, letting out a tired little hum as she settled in against his chest while he carried her to her room, fingers gripping his shirt lightly. She hummed again as he set her down in her bed, her eyes fluttering open to look at him as he pulled back from kissing her forehead, offering him a sleepy little smile as she settled into the blankets. "Good morning, Ramyth... Did I wake you up?" She asked softly, voice barely above a whisper. She was still quite tired, and a bit sore from sleeping on the loveseat most of the night, but at least she hadn't had anymore bad dreams.

@ katahdin

Aubrius knew Ailuin wasn't happy when she asked Hanvosi about moving around, but she'd hoped maybe the healer would see her side of things--or, you know, show a little loyalty--but worse, he answered as if it would've been fine, except he wouldn't say it and just let Ailuin decide. Who'd undoubtedly threaten to keep her in the bed with magic again if she tried getting up, no matter the reason. She sighed as Ailuin spoke, shaking her head at her mate. "I know. Logically I know that, but I'm used to doing things, not sitting still--you saw what my house looked like after two days of me being locked in there drunk and angry--and as soon as I get left alone, with nothing to do and no one around, it's ten times worse." It was the second day of Roedanya, and she knew Ailuin would have to leave. He'd probably do something with his magic so he'd know if she got out of bed or leave a guard to watch her, which was fine. He was the king, and he had responsibilities. And she'd be tempted to try and get out of bed just to see what would happen within an hour of him being gone. Not because she wanted to run around--she was feeling better but not that much better--, just so something would happen. "You should probably just have Hanvosi show you what he usually gives me. I'll take it when you leave for the festival."

Hanvosi, who'd been packing his things and getting ready to leave, frowned and glanced back at the mates. "I thought you were staying with her all day?"

---

Ramyth had tried his best not to wake her up, so when Bridris opened her eyes and spoke as he started to pull back, he felt bad, pausing to smile back at her. "Worse, I slept through you sneaking into my room and woke you up trying to return you to bed," he answered softly, tucking her blankets around her a little. "Go back to sleep, beautiful. You were up late and need the rest." Even he was still tired, but he was so used to his routine of waking at a certain time every morning that he didn't think he could go back to sleep if he tried.