Kire looked at Ed. “What did she say?” she asked. Ed grinned, softly patting her back.
“She said you were crazy.”
Kire chuckled. “She’s not wrong.”
Myka smiled at Ysaryn’s observation about the Gemini. “You’d really get along well onboard the Wench. Where do you keep finding friends like her, Kay?”
Kire shrugged a shoulder. She looked down at her hand, and at the glowing Ring, and twisted it off her finger. She clicked her tongue, seeing that the Ring had, indeed, branded her skin. She switched the Ring to her other hand. At Ysaryn’s mention of food, though, her mind tried imagining her eating and instead made her feel nauseous. She pursed her lips, held up one hand and pressed her other hand over her mouth. After a few moments, her stomach calmed. “Maybe not a big meal,” she said after a while, clearing her throat, “but I need energy. Something sweet to nibble on. Or, hells, I’d take sugar water if they have it.”
“Alright, come on, let’s sit you down. first,” Ed said, gently tugging her towards the tents.
Kire let him, very much eager to rest. Seeing Ruli, she smirked, and when she was close enough she gave his shoulder a pat. “Worked like a charm. Wouldn’t have done it without you,” she said.
Myka watched her friend, her gaze shifting to Ruli. She stepped up to Ysaryn and whispered, “So, what’s the deal with these two, really? Do you know?”

Back at the tent, the rest of the Wyvern camp looked to their Empress with awe, some with a little fear. They knew she had the power of the Paladin, and they knew she was strong, but the display earlier was on a whole different level of powerful. At Ed’s instructions, someone set a platter of fruit in front of Kire and a cup of juice, alongside more water. Kire was silent for a while, nibbling on some grapes and taking sips of water and juice. “So. They’re likely not going to be happy,” she said after a while. “But you can’t say we’ve violate the truce. Still, we should probably be on high alert.”
Ed shook his head. “Honestly, Kire, you need to take a break first.”
“Hey, Kay, I have a question,” Myka put in. “That thing you did earlier with the Gemini. You haven’t been able to do that before, summon portals like that. Is that something you’d be able to do every time now?”
Kire shrugged, chewing on some fruit before answering. “Don’t know. Tonight, I could, maybe. Seems like the Ring took some of that energy for itself. So I could likely bring you two home,” she said, gesturing at Ysaryn and Ruli, “after I take this one back to ours.” She patted Ed’s arm.
Ed looked halfway through an objection, meaning to stay behind and lead the camp while Kire rested, but when he was slow on verbalizing it, Kire grinned. “You’ve been away long enough. It’s your turn to get scolded by Jan and Elva. Nine months’ worth of nagging.” Ed grinned back, rubbing his nape.
“Looking forward to it. I need to check on the soldiers who had gone back, anyway.” He looked at Ysaryn. “I do owe your lovely friend a tour. And she has promised to fight alongside us when we win back your seat.”
Kire’s lips parted in surprise, before she looked at the elf. “I suppose you’re going to say I have no say in this and you’d entertain no objections,” she said to Ysaryn, narrowing her eyes at her. She wasn’t sure whether to feel elated at this or be worried. She shook her head. “Best return you two later, though. We still need to check and see where Narda and Zeke are. By now the Raielwen are probably awake and could help with the search.”

Ruli flashed her a toothy grin as she patted his shoulder. "Yes, but I would rather not attempt it again." He admitted. "But, Envy will be beside himself when you tell him. He's probably going to demand to see the memory of it. I'll try to block out the overwhelming fear." Slowing his pace to match hers, he and Ed each walked alongside of her. He glanced over the woman's head to eye the male cousin. "So, she does this sort of thing alot?"

Ysaryn turned her head when Myka appeared, instinctively brushing her not-so-long-anymore hair over her shoulder. An empty gesture, now. "I do not know." The elf admitted. "I did not know she would look at a male out of choice, and I have never seen him smile before. Where I display my sharp teeth, he hides his." She clicked her teeth together in a mock-bite, grinning at Myka. "She trusts much. I think she is teaching him to do the same."

As they reached the tents, Ruli branched away from Kire, allowing her into the food tent with her cousin. He stood to the side of the entrance, watching the way the Amrians now studied their empress. Ysaryn held no such reservations, strolling in and helping herself to more of the meat left out for them. She plopped onto a chair and braced her feet on the table, her ankles crossed. "Kirai, I do not mind staying." She insisted. Ruli glanced in through the flaps, looking indifferent. Stay or go, he hardly cared.
As Ed mentioned that she promised to join the reclaiming of her throne, the elf grinned wickedly. "Not unless you want war between you and mine." She teased. Hopefully. "I want their blood, Kirai. How many of my people were broken and worse for them?" A soft growl emanated from her throat. "I am owed."

"Narda and Zeke both can care for themselves." Ruli offered. "If they're smart, they'll have gone back to the elves for shelter."

Kire sighed, shaking her head, though she had a smirk on her face as she did so. “Then, to preserve the good will between my people and yours, you will fight alongside us when the time comes.”
“Enough talk for now about fighting. If you insist on bringing me home, why don’t we bring them along with us?” Ed said. “Elva’s manor in the mountains should have more than enough room.”
“Oh. Right. And you can meet the other stubborn Wyverns,” Kire said. Myka chuckled.
“Is there any other kind of Wyvern, though?” the pirate captain put in, to which the cousins laughed softly. “So, if you’re all going back, I’ll say my ‘good nights’ for now. Will talk to my crew and then we’ll all have a nice long rest for the night. Hunting spies is tiring work, especially when you throw a wildcard into the mix,” she said, winking at Ruli. Kire and Ed rose, each embracing Myka. “Come by the ship soon, Ed. And bring Ysaryn. She should be fun to have around.” She grinned at the elf, before taking her leave.

After Kire was finished with her meal, she and Ed spoke with the officers of the camp for a few moments, giving one final round of instructions before she went back to the other two. “Alright. I can bring us all back with a portal, but I think you all know how the sensation feels,” she warned before turning to Ruli. “If you’d prefer not feeling that until it’s time to portal back to your world, you can get the location from me instead and Shadow-Walk.”
Ed grimaced. “I’d rather the latter, honestly.”
Once the others agreed that the other option was infinitely better than experiencing anything portal-related for the night, Kire extended her hand to Ruli. He would have pictured a large hearth and a great stone hall lit with more torches. “It’s warm inside, but just to warn you, it might be snowing a bit this time of year there.”

They stepped out of the shadows into the hall in Kire’s memory. There were attendants about, and as soon as they saw the Empress they bowed and excused themselves to fetch their mistress, having gotten used by now to Kire appearing out of nowhere to see her cousins or conduct her business. “Are you alright?” Ed asked Ysaryn, remembering that she didn’t feel too well the last time she Shadow-Walked.
Not too long after the servant had left, Kire heard brisk footsteps approaching. The moment Ed was in sight, Elva broke into a run and pulled her brother into a tight hug. Next to Ed, the healer’s resemblance to him was unmistakable, though she was much slenderer, her features softer. Kire could be mistaken for a younger sister. “Where have you been?” she murmured after a long, tearful silence, her question rhetorical. Ed didn’t answer, squeezing Elva tight in his embrace before looking back down at her. “Did Kire tell you about Earnest?” she asked. Ed nodded, lips pursed, then, remembering that they had company, cleared his throat and stepped back a little.
“Told you I wasn’t making it up,” Kire said softly, smiling at her.
“Well, you can’t bloody fault me for thinking it,” Elva said with a huff, before turning to Ysaryn and Ruli. “Ahh. You’ve told me about your friends, but proper introductions are in order.”
“Right. This is Ruli and Ysaryn. They helped me a few months ago to hunt down Ikegai and Akuma, and they helped get me to Ed. This is Lady Elva of the Northern Reach, Ed’s sister and one of the best healers in the empire.”
“Tsk. Stop it with the whole titles and such. Except the healer part. I will concede that that part’s accurate,” Elva said with a cheeky grin. She saw the bandages on Ruli’s arm. “How’s that getting on? May I?” She stepped closer to peer at the bandages, the look on her face showing she was tempted to ask more about the injury to see if it had been tended to properly.
“See? Right to work,” Kire remarked. “Elva, if we may trouble you for accommodations for them for the night? And baths too, maybe. Also, where’s Jan?”
“Tired. Asleep. If you want her in a better mood, let’s let her stay that way for now. We can do the catching up tomorrow with her,” Elva said with a grin. “I’ll see to your rooms then. Wait here, or you can bring them to the kitchens, though I suspect you might prefer the cellar.”

“Ooh. Have you got any of that spiced wine brewing in the kitchens now?”
“Of course.” Elva grinned, then pointed to her brother. “Now you, come with me and make yourself useful now that you’re back. I trust you’d want to see to the fifteen Kire dropped off here unceremoniously, hm?”
Ed chuckled, shaking his head. “We’ll be back,” he said before following after his sister, the two of them conversing in Taakalon as they walked away. Kire chuckled softly, watching the two, before turning to Ysaryn and Ruli.
“Alright, got something that might warm you up faster. Come on.”

The mountainside manor was cozy, though as Kire led them to the kitchens, the hallways in between chambers were still cold, the winter chill seeping into the stone. The kitchens, thankfully, were nice and hot, and the smell of mulled wine filled the chamber, particularly the smells of cinnamon and nutmeg. As soon as they saw the Empress and her guests, particularly the lusty look Kire gave the large pot of wine brewing over the fire, they fetched a jug and three mugs, as well as a platter of meat, cheese, and bread. Now that Kire’s stomach had settled, she found she was famished. “Gods, that hits the spot,” she muttered, sitting back as she sipped on the wine after nibbling on some cheese and bread. “Sorry if it’s a bit too cold for your liking here, though at least you’ve got this stuff,” she said, gleefully taking another long drink.
“There you lot are, as predicted,” Elva said a while later, Ed beside her. “We’ll have someone bring those up to your rooms if you want to keep eating, though from what Ed tells me you have all had too long a day.”
“Yup. And you two need a good long catching-up,” Kire remarked, standing up and following her out. “I’m good with just the wine, thanks. We’ll talk longer in the morning.”
Elva smiled at her, then at Kire’s two guests. “Thank you. For helping her get him home.”

After Elva and Ed excused themselves to go to her library and catch up, servants beckoned to them to follow them up to their chambers for the night. Though the manor was large and well-provisioned, there was simple, rustic feel to it as well. They were led up a flight of stairs and down a quiet hall with windows that afforded them a view of the mountainside below. Snow fell gently outside, though in the dark of the night one could only vaguely make out the snow-capped mountains that surrounded them. The Empress had been given a large chamber at the end of the hall, with Ruli’s chamber adjacent to hers. Ysaryn’s was next to his, while another room, presumably Ed’s, was being readied as they were shown their chambers. Each one was similar to the others, with a large bed covered in thick blankets and fur, a fireplace, and tapestries draped over the walls, woven with fine thread. A wardrobe filled with warmer clothes sat at the corner of each room. The servants left some of the food and wine on a table in each room.
“Get settled. I’ll go wash the grime of the day off me, just let them know if you need anything else,” Kire said as she stretched. She was going to feel this tomorrow, she was sure, so she looked forward to the hot spring baths underneath the manor.

Ysaryn smirked at her, looking very pleased with the outcome of the conversation. Ruli only rolled his eyes, turning back to face away from the tent, until Myka subtly mentioned him. "Admit it, you're glad to have met me." He quipped. "A little upset in a routine is good for the soul."
"I am keeping the blade." Ysaryn told Myka with a wink. "Gives me extra reason to find my way back. And I will show you all proper way to cook squid." She turned her head around toward Kire. "You have squid here, right? Yes, because you know them?"

Ysaryn remained in her chair picking at her food again, while Ruli lingered outside, idly chatting with the other Amrians, Myka's crew, and often finding his head tilted back to peer at the stars. Not a single thread of familiarity in them. It was a Gods honest different world, different universe, everything. He inhaled, feeling rather tiny, as he stared up at the black.

"No, I'm with Ed. You keep your portals to yourself." He insisted to Kire when she emerged and offered him the different options in regards to travel. "No wonder you handled my method with such grace. Yours is like being pommeled by a tornado and earthquake at once."
She extended her hand to him, and Ruli gazed at it for the span of three heartbeats before he reached out for it, his thumb wandering over the raw skin on her finger. The Ring had burned her, the magic so powerful its containment overpowered her body. "Watch that." He advised quietly, before he pushed his conscience into hers and felt the warmth of the hearth she pictured. He could smell the ash in the fire, the lingering odor of some sort of mulled wine, and a tobacco that reminded him of the box Kire had brought for Envy.

Stepping into the room itself amplified the scents, and the moment they were physically in the hall, Ruli filled his lungs with all the scents. "Right as a blade." Ysaryn answered Ed's question, turning in place to spy on the room. The afternoon spent eating, drinking, and resting herself had pushed the minor trauma to her brain aside, and she hadn't felt anything in the Walk here.

The hurried footsteps had both Ysaryn and Ruli turning cautiously, each stepping aside in sync in order to allow Ed the space to embrace whom they presumed to be his sister. The moment she realized there was no danger, Ysaryn turned to wander and explore, halted only by Rulitus, who grabbed her belt.
"No." He said firmly, and she grinned wickedly at him.
But, obedient, she turned back around, hands clasped behind her back, rocking back and forth from ball of the foot to heel as she looked around.
"Mm, yes." Ysaryn purred when they were introduced to Elva. "Now very convinced all Amrians are handsome."
Ruli only grinned toothlessly. "Please to finally meet the woman behind the name." At once, she demanded to peer at his arm, and Ruli's eyebrows rose. He didn't move as she approached, clearly apprehensive despite Kire's assurances that she was a master healer. "Uh." Their conversation twisted, and Ruli, having dropped attention for only a moment in anxiety, wasn't sure if Elva was offering them the kitchen or cellar to sleep.
Until Kire asked about wine, and he sort of hoped they were simply taking a detour.

Once the siblings departed, Ruli and Ysaryn followed the cousin, the former keeping an eye on the elf to make sure her hands didn't creep into anything they shouldn't. She did peer longingly out every window they passed, her expression illuminated with curiosity. At once, Ysaryn settled over her mug and the plate of food, her eyes still turned toward the windows. Ruli, still apprehensive, remained standing, his hands wrapped around the mug he drank from.
"I want to see the snow." Ysaryn admitted. "Is it as cold as said? I want to know for my own. Do you not?" She turned toward Ruli, who gave a small shake of his head.
"I'm fine inside." He stated.
She growled. "Is a whole new world, Rulitus, and snow!"
He looked every bit like his answer was unchanged, glad for the interruption of Elva and Ed. When Elva turned to thank them, Ruli offered her a more relaxed smile, bowing his head.
"Should we tell her the 'getting here' wasn't really part of the plan?" Ysaryn chuckled at Ruli.
"No. And hush." He answered. "Now that you are here you'll get to see snow."
She inhaled sharply. "You will let us outside tomorrow, yes?" She requested pf Elva eagerly. "I want to see what it is!"

The others left, and they were beckoned along the corridors, each silent and creating mental maps of the layout of the place should they need it. When they met the upstairs windows, Ysaryn idled, peering out happily, bending and twisting to try to see through different angles. "It is pretty!" She cooed, touching the glass and watching the heat spread from her fingertips along the cold surface.
Ysaryn didn't hesitate in slipping into her given room when the door was opened, circling the room and exploring the wardrobe curiously.
Ruli nodded. "Thanks. Goodnight." He said, watching her slip away before he stepped into his own room.

He went right for the table, finishing his current mug of wine and taking a bit of meat before he rifled through the wardrobe. He picked out a bit of what would fit and provide warmth, then returned to the table to continue eating and drinking. After a while, he slipped out of the room with an armful of clothing and asked one of the servants about a bath.
After the twisting walk into the underbelly of the manor, where the air only grew blissfully warmer but far more humid, Ruli was led to a hot spring. Wet footprints on the ground announce that someone, likely Kire, had only left recently. After looking around to make sure no one was present, including the servant who led him, he undressed and sunk into the hot water with a groan. Mindful of his bandages, he washed and rinsed, lingering for a few minutes to enjoy the heat of the water as it soaked into his limbs.

When he left again, now dressed in the warmer clothing that hugged him delightfully, he felt entirely drowsy. The mulled wine, the hot water, the long day, all of it weighed on him. As soon as he was in his room once more, he muttered a thank you to the servant, though he wasn't sure in which language. After a final mug of the wine, he pulled back the covers and fell into bed.

Kire had enjoyed the long soak. She felt strange, both tired and restless, as if the power the Ring had stored up earlier had sent her mind buzzing as well. She stared at the burn mark around her ring finger, frowning. The past few days had been a whirlwind: she found Ed and his soldiers at a hidden elven stronghold, had her friends stranded for a brief while in her own world, and just a while ago she destroyed a world gate. Granted, it was a smaller world gate than the larger ones that had devastated Amria before, but it was no less dangerous. And I had a Gemini mage in my hands, so close to me. She rubbed her face, then continued with her bath.

Back at her room, she put on a dress and a thick robe over it, idly drying her hair, sipping the wine in between. Her mind now had a different, pleasant buzz from the liquor as she stared out at the window. Some time later she heard the door next to her close. Ruli. She noted how he smiled a little easier around her now, or at least it seemed that way, compared to how much more withdrawn he had been when they met three months ago. She looked back down at her own hand, remembering his touch on it earlier when he pulled the memory of the manor from her mind. She chewed on her lip, swirling the wine in her mug, before she turned to walk out her room.

Her wine in one hand, she stared at his door, hesitating for a few more moments before knocking twice on it.

He'd barely melted into the warm and soft mattress when he heard a knock on the door. He opened his eyes, letting his eyes adjust once more to the dim light of the fire-lit room. He should get up and open the door, be courteous, but he hardly wanted to move. This bed had claimed him.
Closing his eyes again, Ruli sighed and forced himself to flex his arms, pushing himself upright. "It's open." He said, as he gazed at the floor and decided he wasn't going to leave the bed to see who it was. Perhaps only a servant to collect the food he hadn't eaten. He'd insist they leave the wine, though, he doubted it would spoil if left here through the night.

It wasn't a servant though.

"Kire." Ruli said, rising to his feet afterall as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. He pulled the blanket, a half-assed attempt to make the bed. "Is, uh. Everything okay? Ysaryn isn't st-stealing, is she? I asked her not to."

Kire sat herself down, waving a hand at him to let him know he needn’t bother tidying up. “Don’t worry. Everything’s fine. And if she does steal anything, she’s welcome to have it. Unless it’s a knife or a sword. She has enough sharp things on her person,” she added with a chuckle before sipping more wine. “I just, uh, feel like having some company before bed.” Why am I here? She realized, looking down at her mug, trying to sort through her thoughts through her tipsiness. “I should be bone tired. Part of me is. But I feel a little bit like that time I punched through some trees back at your mountains. Like I need to put all the temper I’ve stored up the whole day somewhere else.” She looked at him. “A lot’s happened these past few days. Aren’t you reeling at all?”

He exhaled, sitting himself back down on the edge of the bed when she waved at him. Her comment on Ysaryn had him nodding in agreement; even the elf's tongue was sharper than a few blades he'd come across. As she explained her current emotional state, listing the need for company and the possible need to punch a tree to pieces, Ruli watched her carefully. "You're not here to yet at me, then, are you?" He asked. "The elf next door might be more more satisfying if you need to throw punches, too. So long as you offer to spar in the snow."

Ruli shook his head, not understanding the excitement about the frozen waste outside. As Kire continued, he considered the question, folding his hands in his lap. "I'm not entirely certain its caught up to me, yet." He admitted after some thought. "Though, while you were resting after the gate, I kept looking up. To your sky. Your constellations. It made me feel ... a little homesick."

He pursed his lips, glancing at the wine on his table as if cursing it for his loose lips. After a moment, he glanced back down to his hands, grateful for the thick clothing helping to keep him warm. "It might hit me a few days from now, when I wake up back home to the sound of the sea and be reminded of the roar of the gate while you destroyed it."
His head tilted back at last, and he peered at her. "I'm glad you survived that." Ruli admitted. "I doubt anyone would have forgiven me if it had failed."

Kire laughed. “No, you earned a day off from yelling and nagging. And I’ll spar with her tomorrow, but not tonight. I’m restless but not restless enough to bother changing into proper fighting gear and go out in the snow for a mock battle.” She kept drinking as she listened to him, and when he talked about being homesick, she set down her mug. “I know a little bit how that feels. Felt it a bit three months ago.” She vaguely remembered drunkenly star-gazing while lying down on Ysaryn’s lap. “Nothing quite makes you feel so small as looking up at a totally unfamiliar sky, doesn’t it?”

She grinned when he said he was glad she had survived. “That makes two of us,” she said, leaning back on her chair, crossing her legs. “And don’t worry. I doubt you would be the first target of anger if I died back there. There’s a perfectly good set of Gemini heads that would serve as lovely targets of their rage.” She looked solemnly at the Ring in her hand. “I get the shell-shock. That’s how I felt, too, the first time I used this Ring. And a few more times after that.” She took up her mug again, thoughtful as she sipped the last of it.

“I remember reeling after the attacks at the Capital. There were days on end where we were just on the defensive as we retreated. Assassination attempts, too. Somehow, we survived all that. And then there was this day of calm and I just,” she gestured with her other hand, “it felt like a dream, didn’t quite know what to do with myself, after weeks, a month? Months of what seemed like endless fighting.” She grimaced, going red. “Ended up in bed with someone and regretting it a little. It wasn’t particularly good.” She took a swig, then realized she had already drained her mug, and went even redder.

"Idle hands invite trouble." He offered. "Envy used to say that alot to me when I was younger. It fits, I suppose, in what you've just said. When you slowed down and it caught up to you." Ruli said nothing on her comment on falling into bed with someone she regretted, having no desire to pry into that portion of her past.

When she realized her cup was empty, he gestured to the jug on the table. "More, there. Can't promise its as warm as it should be, but wine is wine." He admitted. "Never had it warm, though. I'll have to look into it for home." Standing long enough to pull down his blankets again, Ruli sat further back into the bed and folded his legs, tucking his bare feet beneath him before pulling the blanket over his lap. "It seems pleasant here, though." He offered. "Family nearby, I'm sure theres a nice view. Even if you hardly seem the type to lay back and bask in nothing. Has Elva had to yell at you about punching all her trees down?"

“Clever elf, that,” Kire said, chuckling as she refilled her mug. She saw his empty one and refilled that one, too, in case he wanted it. “Ugh. Gods. That was embarrassing. Want more?” she asked, holding out the mug she had refilled before sipping her own again. “And it is quite pleasant here, except during a blizzard. Now that’s too cold for my liking. Snowfall like tonight, that I can bear.” She sat back down, idly touching her slightly damp hair.

“Sometimes? Though there would be days I wouldn’t come back here, having to move between different battle fronts. Of late idle moments like this have been rare.” She swirled her mug as she looked at him, and at the bed, thoughtfully. “Besides, Elva’s the last person to judge what I do with my idle time. She’s found her own ways to keep her bed warm here. A lot more fun than going out to punch things in the cold,” she said, shrugging a shoulder as she looked in his direction, her eyes lingering on the empty spot beside him on the bed. “It’s not a bad idea,” she murmured, thinking aloud.

Ruli shrugged, unfolding himself from the bed long enough to take the offered mug, unable to decline since it was already poured. When he was settled again, he embraced the mug with his fingers, glancing out toward the windows. Blizzard. He only knew the word from other mouths, but knew it to be terrible. Hell, even the snowfall outside was too much for his desert-bred body.

He glanced back to Kire as she answered his question about Elva, catching the way her eyes fell on the bed beside him. His mind stopped as he gaze at her, suddenly very much aware that they were alone and drinking. But, no, that couldn't possibly be what she meant. Empress or no, they weren't close, and she had already explained that the last time she reeled from danger and near-death, she fell under someone she came to regret.
Ruli cleared his throat, his eyes falling to his cup. He couldn't tell if he felt warm because of the wine, bath, and blankets, or if it was something else. To busy himself, he took a drink of his wine, which had in fact, cooled enough to teach him that temperature did matter with this particular recipe.

"And you other cousins?" Ruli redirected. "How many of them are here?"

Kire’s mind had wandered, so she blinked in mild surprise at his question. She cleared her throat, sitting up straighter. “So there’s me, Elva, Ed. The ones you haven’t met are Jan, Daryll, and two smaller cousins, Precy and Etta. Daryll’s an alchemist, though mostly self-taught. Most of us lost our parents during the Black Storm, and I had asked that we all move to the Capital after that. There are other branches in the family tree, but we weren’t particularly close, and they’re too distant to be really close family anyway.” She sighed, a little embarrassed at where her thoughts had gone, were still going. Kire looked at her mug, decided to drink some more.

“Out of all of us, only Elva got married so far, which is why she has this manor, and is all the way up here. Wasn’t a happy marriage, but now at least we have a stronghold far away from where the main fighting’s taken place. Sometimes I wonder if I had just been less stubborn about finding a husband if things would be more peaceful in the empire. I can’t imagine going to bed with somehow with whom I’ve only just arranged a match, like a business transaction.” She grimaced at that. “I’d at least want to make sure it’s with someone who knows what he’s doing, right?” she added with a bit of a nervous chuckle.

Ruli nodded along, having heard the name Jan earlier. He focused on the way she described Elva's marriage was 'wasn't' happy, rather than 'isn't', and could hazard a guess that it had been dissolved. Plus, the remark about Elva keeping her bed warm was a giant clue.
"Frankly, I assumed you ... preferred something else." Ruli admitted quietly. "Ysaryn, Narda, Myka, they are all, erm, well. It doesn't matter, as I was mistaken."

He fell quiet on the other matter she'd brought up, that the idea of being put together with someone for the sake of business or breeding. "Its common among elves." Ruli said after some thought. "Arranged matches. Not always marriages, but. You know." He turned his cup in his fingers. "I think the freedom of choice is something people take for granted. You being you, what you are, or, will be again once you chase the slimy bastards out of your home, I'm sure it doesn't make it easy. But I hope you get to choose. As Ysaryn says, I hope you find someone worthy of you."

She blushed as she drank when he voiced his assumption about her choices. “You’re not entirely wrong. I was close to making a move on Ysaryn,” she said, giggling a little at her confession. “Narda and Myka though—no. They’re more like foster siblings than anything else. I’ve gotten close to taking other women to bed. As for men, though, I think that first time, being so dull and unremarkable, I hadn’t thought about taking another man to bed after that for a while. It soured me on the idea for quite a bit, and then after that I hadn’t gotten another opportunity.”

She thought about his explanation about elven matches. “That’s true, about choices. Sometimes being Empress, you think you have all the choices laid out before you, but sometimes being under that scrutiny, your options are few. And to be honest, while I intend to take back the throne, there’s something about not sitting on that throne that—appeals to me. There are things I can do that I would hesitate to do when I’m still trying to act the Empress. Like deciding what to do or who to be with without people commenting on my choices.” She looked up at him then, cheeks flushed. “Or doing something potentially stupid for a night.”

Eyebrows raised, Ruli kept quiet. He wasn't surprised about Ysaryn. The elf was alluring and strong. Even if he'd never felt more than kinship with her, he understood she turned heads. No wonder she caught Kire's eye, too. Kire's admission about the underwhelming man she'd taken to bed made him drop his gaze back down to his wine. A small mix of a reaction rose in him. Pity for the man who had surely been so nervous in servicing an Empress he was now a regret, a related feeling in having such a bad experience in something that it ended all further exploration, though certainly not in that same activity.
And, frankly, a curiosity on if he could do better.

Just as Ruli made to squash that though down, he heard Kire mention a stupid thing to do in the night, and he froze, meeting her gaze. "Kire, I-" he began, shifting to set his still-full mug on the bedside table. No more of that, tonight.
She kept coming back around to that. A way to warm her bed, a stupid decision, a way to cope with the feeling inside her. "Why are you in here?" He asked bluntly.

Kire had half-expected the blunt question, though when it finally came, she still turned crimson and felt her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth. She set her mug down and laced her fingers together. “I—don’t entirely know,” she said, followed by a nervous laughter. “It’s been an awfully long time since I’ve had—since that. And I already know you’re good with your hands.” She looked briefly at him then turned away, a little embarrassed at her awkward come-on. “I think I’m at the point where I can’t go to bed with a complete stranger. And I thought—I thought—you're...” She tried to find the words through all the drunken emotions she was feeling right now. “Can’t I just say I want a nice fuck for the night without a whole speech about it?”

Ask a blunt question, don't be surprised with a blunt answer. Ruli blinked, still caught off guard by her answer, not entirely sure about what to do with that information. They didn't know one another, so he wasn't sure what to think about her being passed taking a stranger to bed. Even if the compliment to his hands was flattering.

Swallowing, he told himself not to look away, to cower away from the offer. "The last time, you said you came to regret it." Ruli reminded her. "We may not be strangers, either, but..." he trailed off with a shake of his head, unsure of which of the many cautions to finish with. His last encounter regretted him deeply, even if not for his skills in the act, but his magic. Kire already knew about his magic, and didn't shy away. She had powers of her own that were just as frightening.
"I don't want to be a regret. To have someone else avoid me." Ruli admitted quietly, still holding her gaze.

Already her ears burned, and it took all she had not to grab more of the wine and just drink it all straight. “I know,” she replied just as softly when he pointed out her own confession earlier. “And I know we have only known each other a short time but, you’re not a complete stranger either.” She didn’t voice the rest of what she felt, that she had this inkling that the loneliness she felt inside her was something she could see in him, too, because she couldn’t quite explain that feeling, either. She didn’t have the words for it yet.

When he confessed to not wanting to be a regret, Kire took a deep breath and, after a few moments of silence between them, she stood and sat at the edge of his bed. “Alright. How about this.” She turned to him. “You know I’m good with my word. I promise I won’t avoid you. I’d like to think what we’ve been through together counts for something, right?” She held his gaze. “I promise we’ll still be friends after this.”

He felt his pulse skip when she stood and came to sit beside him on the bed, his eyes following her. He felt very aware of the thick clothing he wore, and of the softness of the sheets beneath his forearms. She made her promise, and Ruli had no arguement. They had through a lot together. Saved one a other from some harrowing, pain-filled death at least once, each.
It should mean something.

Still, he found himself unmoving. Hesitating. Her choice, her move, and all he had to do was say yes. But his mouth wouldn't open. He could feel the warmth of her, her weight pulling at the blanket folded over his lap, and somehow he felt that it would push her away more if he said no. But he couldn't say that, either.

Inhaling, Ruli twisted towards her, pressing a soft kiss on her lips. She smells of the mineral water from the hot springs, and the spices in the wine. Her lips were soft, and unhesitatingly against his. He broke it quickly, though his lips hovered over hers. He reached behind him to tug the other side of the blankets down, inviting her into his bed.