When she felt his arm rest over her middle, she draped her own over his, her hand resting on his arm as she scooted a little closer to him. “Agreed,” she said about having no expectations. Already she felt more comfortable, and she nestled herself against him, leaning her head slightly against his on the pillow, feeling his warm breath tickle her neck. She chuckled at his remark. “You’ll have no proof. I’ll blame Ysaryn.” She rubbed her thumb softly against his arm. She turned her head to look at him. “Good night, Ruli.” She grinned, before she looked back up again, closing her eyes, feeling the comfort of his embrace lulling her slowly to sleep.

He thought of all the possibilities for proof; the crumbs on her face, the sugar rush, that Ysaryn wouldn't sneak in here for cake without teasing them, but he kept it to himself, feeling her wiggle against his side and touch his arm. "Goodnight, Kire " he answered her.

But it still took him a whole to sleep. The nervousness still didn't retreat, and every time she moved, breathed more deeply, he held his breath. He forced himself to focus on the lullaby of the waves, falling asleep at last nearly an hour later.

Sometime during the night, Kire had rolled into him, curling against his chest, her other arm slung over him. Kire found herself like this when she stirred in the morning, groggy from such a deep sleep. Reluctant to move, she kept still, her eyes closed, feeling the rise and fall of his chest against her. When she finally accepted that she couldn’t fall back asleep, she sighed softly and gently rolled onto her back again, though she kept his arm draped over her middle. “Hey,” she whispered, “morning.”

Her movement woke him, though unwillingly. Ruli squinted and opened his eyes just slightly, enough to peer at her. "Morning." He greeted. Ruli stiffened into a stretch, straightening his back and legs briefly. He he relaxed, he closed his eyes again, drawing her closer. "Can we pretend its not, though, and just sleep longer?" he asked, shifting enough to take the arm from around her middle and rub at his face.

Kire covered her mouth as she yawned. "Mm. Agreed. Not morning yet." She smiled as she nestled back against him, happy to stay in bed with him. "I didn't snore, did I?" She asked after awhile, wrinkling her nose.

After a little while longer, she sighed. "Got to get started on work," she said, reluctantly pulling away to sit up and stretch. She lazily flattened her messy hair before looking at him. "Last night was lovely," she said, grinning. "How about we do this once a week? Is that too often?"

"Like an animal." Ruli smirked at her. "Surprised the roof didn't cave in."
When she sat up and stretched, he remained laying as he was, watching her. "Too often?" He asked. "The way you scarf down dinner, I expected every day to be your demand. Every week is fine."

At last, he sat up and leaned against the wall on the far side. "Not next week, but the next, I want to see this cheese wheel. In the meantime I'll find you some waterfalls."

Kire grinned when he agreed. "Don't tempt me with every day, or else I won't be able to fit in those dresses anymore." She yawned again, stretching, nodding when he listed off their plans. "Sounds good," she said, smiling, already looking forward to it.

She moved off the bed then, towards his dresser. "Sleeping in your clothes is oddly comfortable," she said with a chuckle. Kire turned away, about to pull off the shirt, when she paused, glancing at him. It almost seemed pointless to be shy about undressing, she realized. "You don't have to look away," she commented, before continuing with her task, changing out of his clothes before putting on the dress.

He chuckled, remaining on his bed as she got up and moved across the room. When she reached for the dress, Ruli reclined again, folding his arm over his face to shield her from view. "I do." Ruli answered. "But not for the reason you think."

When she dressed, he uncovered his eyes and got up. "I may not be a fan of fancy clothes, but I do enjoy comfortable ones." He informed her, opening the door. "Can't have been comfortable in the earrings though. But I have little experience in jewelry."

They stepped out, the air chilly, the ground damp from a cloud of mist that had wandered through earlier. Ruli grumbled and shocked his hands in his pockets. "So, if we don't see you before then, a week. For a pork dinner."

“Eh, you get used to them. These aren’t my heaviest earrings, anyway,” Kire said with a shrug as she took the leftover cake with her on the way out. When she felt the chilly air she hissed softly, though she grinned when he spoke about dinner. “Pork dinner in a week,” she confirmed. They made their way to the caves, Kire already wishing they were still wrapped up in blankets back at his bed. “Does having a world literally next door take away some of the mystique?” she wondered aloud as they made their way to the gate.
Once they entered the door that would lead them to the gate, she stopped and turned to him. “See you in seven days then.” She paused, contemplating something, then leaned and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Grinning, she stepped back and stepped through the gate.

Once she stood in the middle of the Seers Chamber, Kire stood still, a smile on her face. The butterflies were back, and she sighed, shaking her head, feeling rather foolish at how girlish she was. She really wished she didn’t have to go to work today. But with a sigh, she turned to head to the door, about to reach the handle, when she stopped. She was wearing armor, and the cake was gone from her other hand. Behind her, a blue light glowed, casting shadows that flickered in front of her. Kire pursed her lips and turned.

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” she said in greeting to the Seer that stood in front of her. As always whenever They made Their appearance, They were wearing white robes that partly obscured Their androgynous features. “Though, to be frank, I was also hoping it wouldn’t be so soon after I had just fought a war and put my country back together.”
“The worlds don’t stand still for us, young Paladin,” They answered, though not sternly. Kire could almost read pity into the voice, but she’d long ago stopped trying to assume Their intentions. The Seer pointed at the gate beside them. “You have set things in motion, and it would do for you to be aware and prepared.”
“What things?” Kire looked at the gate. At the moment, she couldn’t see the caves on the other side. “Is there something or someone coming through the gate?”
“Something is coming through, but not through the gate. Not the way you think.” The Seer folded Their hands back into Their robes. “With the opening of this gate through the Tower, you and your friends have put a crack into the Old Sleep under which the magic of Amria had been slumbering.”
Kire’s eyes widened. “What does that mean?” she breathed. “Are you saying magic is coming back up to the surface?”
The Seer nodded. “It is a small crack—but steel yourself, and use the remainder of your rule to ready Amria for what may come.”
“What would we expect?” Kire asked, not in the mood for the cryptic speech.
“It is hard to say. But everyone knows, or has the memory of their ancestors, of the Old Age. Use that to guide you.”

Kire looked at the gate again. Will they be in danger? Will my family be in danger? “How much of this have you foreseen? Or planned?” she muttered, looking back, but the Seer had disappeared. She was still standing in the middle of the room in her dress, the cake in her hands. When she looked at the gate again, she could see the other side. “Fuck.”

When she returned the next week, stepping through the gate, it wasn't Ysaryn who met her, but Ruli, who stood near Envy. Ruli's eyes immediately went upward in a slow roll, while Envy raised his head when he felt the wards trigger. "Welcome back." The elf said.
Hilariously, Ruli looked very much like the young man on a date, with his father here to supervise.

The conversation had not entirely gone the way Ruli hoped. He'd sat down the day Kire left a week ago to go over lesson plans now that Gavin had made so many leaps ahead, only to have Envy question him about the night of the beach, and Kire's return the night prior. Ruli had not allowed himself to share Kire's plans to abdicate, mostly to see if he could get Envy to stop frowning at the idea without that tidbit. And despite his repeated assurances that he and Kire weren't rushing into anything recklessly, and that they were in fact grown adults, the Kartaian had insisted on greeting Kire tonight.

Sorry. Ruli mouthed to Kire before shifting his weight to face Envy, who gave Ruli an expression that could have said 'i hear that'.
"So. Ruli tells me you and he have come to an agreement about dinner once a week?"
Ruli struggled to refrain from rolling his eyes again. "Even empresses need a break."
"I've dealt with you half your life, you're no 'break'." Envy said indifferently, but he smiled for Kire. "I want to know how often it will be just the two of you secluded away, or if you'll include the rest of us or your friends in the night, now and then."

Kire had been looking forward to dinner the whole week. She had been busy with the business of coming back to work as Empress, arranging the match between Jan and Ulrich properly, and on top of that worrying about the Seer's strange pronouncement. How do you prepare for something if you didn't know what it was? She did eventually tell the family about her arrangement with Ruli. The reaction was a lot better than she had anticipated, perhaps especially after Jan's surprise decision and Ed's own interest in Ysaryn. Maybe the exile had changed them all--or maybe they weren't thinking this would be a long-term arrangement. We'll see seemed to be the sentiment.

She showed up in another dress and a bottle of wine, grinning until she realized Envy was there. She was glad Envy couldn't see her immediate expression, but she recovered quickly. "Good to see you both," she said, shaking her head with a smile at Ruli to let her know it was okay.

She waited for the elf to say his piece, wondering if he would voice disapproval or was here to gauge her intentions. "I'd be happy to include friends and family now and then. Especially since I can't polish off a cake by myself." She grinned at Ruli as she said that. "It would be nice to show people around Amria, too. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?" She looked at Ruli and shrugged slightly, hoping he would be okay with that. Better get on the Kartaian's good side.

Ruli looked mildly amused at her reaction upon seeing the Kartaian; as though she'd been caught with her hand in the cake bin. As Envy asked his question however, Ruli looked around to him. "You mean all this harassment was to ask if she'd bring Narda?"
Envy squared his shoulders. "It is surprisingly hard to find pleasant company. Kire has to travel to the next world over for a good cook."
"Oh, you're mad. Go on."
Envy flashed a grin, then shook his head. "No, I won't join you. Ruli's insisted I leave you both alone anyway. But I wouldn't mind having you over for a group event, one day. With Narda, as well as Ed to keep Ysaryn's claws out of us."
"By the way she's likely going to corner you tonight." Ruli warned, extending his arm to invite her forward. His eyes swept over her dress again, but he held back any reaction. "Come on, its already in the oven, I can't let it burn.:

Envy stepped aside, inhaling as Kire walked by, his face pointed in her direction. "Mind yourselves." Envy said with a bit more of an authoritative tone.
Ruli shook his head as they emerged onto the winding steps outside, headed for Kire's house. "He's been like that all week."

Kire blinked, then grinned when Ruli pointed out the point of Envy's question. "Let's do that, yes," she agreed, when Envy asked for a group dinner in the future. When Ruli beckoned, Kire followed him out of the caves, stepping out with him into the staircase leading to her house. "Ah. I had been wondering how he was feeling about this," she said. "I had thought his question earlier was some kind of test, admittedly. At least he cares. It's a little adorable, if only it didn't mean I'm the object of his concern." She sighed.

She raised the bottle she was carrying. "Went by Elva's. Spiced wine." Kire grinned. "Though if you have other requests for our choice of liquor next time, just let me know."

When they entered the house, Kire breathed in the smells from the kitchen. The aroma alone was almost enough to make up for the tiring week. "By the way, the girls loved the cake." Just like last time, Kire went ahead to set the table. "When is Ysaryn going to try and jump me?" she asked, amused. "She's not going to be barging in, is she?"

Ruli chuckled. "I'm sure it was a test. But how, I haven't figured out yet." He mentioned, continuing on. When she mentioend spiced wine, he grinned at her. "The drink that started it all. Or, at least gave you the spine to start it." He teased, shutting the door and moving into the kitchen to continue his work. On the table was another small cake, simple in design and smelling of vanilla and cinnamon.

"She might. Not sure. And I don't know. I do know its about her wanting to go see Ed, so maybe she'll just wander back with you tonight. Or tomorrow." He added, aware she didn't have to rush back.
Busying himself with dinner, which was a pork cutlet with gravy, mushrooms, and lemons, Ruli gestured to the glasses he'd set out. "I'll take a glass, please. The cake should go well with it after dinner. What kind of cake do they like?" Ruli asked suddenly, turning around to ask about the younger cousins.

"Ahh." Kire nodded, smiling. "Ed will appreciate that. We've had a rather long week. I know he's also planning to set some time aside to see her." When he asked for a glass, Kire poured them both some of the spiced wine, though she didn't touch hers just yet. "Strawberry shortcake. Would strawberries be hard to get here?" she wondered. "They'll probably ask me about visiting again soon, too."

As she sat down and waited for him, her mind drifted back to last week, and what had happened with the Seer right after she crossed the gate. Kire frowned at her wine glass as she slowly swirled its contents, debating on telling him about it. When the food was ready and he joined her at the table, she smiled, pushing the thought aside for a moment. The pork, as expected, was delicious. "Have to admit, a little relieved Envy turned down my invitation," she said, chuckling. "Besides him badgering you about us, did you have a good week?"

"Mostly, yeah." He answered, cutting into his pork. "Went to Cordon with Ysaryn, spoke to a few sailors, may have found you a waterfall, I"ll look into it this week." Ruli grinned at her. "And, as far as I can tell, he's passively judging me during the time we're apart. Apparently, I have passed, so far."

He sipped his wine, looking at her over the rim. "And yours?" He asked as he set the drink down, then paused. "When did we get so domestic?"

"Would be helpful to know the criteria for his tests, though," Kire said, grinning before taking another bite. She wondered what the waterfall would look like here, already imagining how that visit would go. "Might be nice to have a picnic by it, too, if the location allows," she mused aloud. She laughed softly at his comment about domesticity. "'Domestic' would've been the last word I'd have associated myself with. It's a welcome respite, in between magical quests and matters of state." She sipped some wine. "My week was mostly more meetings. Half the work of keeping an empire together is sitting on your ass and putting together contracts. There's my cousin's wedding, too. I haven't had a sit- down with her about the abdication thing yet, but figure I need to get on that very soon."

She mulled over the matter with the Seer again, frowning. "Last week, right after I came back home, I had a visit from the Seer who had given me the Ring." She recounted the meeting in between sips of wine, then paused afterward to cut into her meal some more. "Magic-wise, nothing seemed to have happened yet, but I've just been waiting for the other shoe to drop all week, which I suppose made everything else all the more tedious."

"Truthfully, I don't think he has a criteria. He just silently puzzles it out." Ruli shrugged, pronging a few mushrooms and devouring them. He nodded in agreement at the mention of a picnic by a waterfall. Not that it would be too difficult, having two people that jumped out of the normal means of transportation.
"Are you going to tell her she'll be empress before or after she weds?" Ruli wondered. "Do you think it will impact her decision at all?"

And when she mentioned the Seer, Ruli froze, raising his head and pausing in his chewing. Listening, he continued to chew slowly, blinking. "What does that mean?" he wondered. "How ... how do you prepare for soemthing if you don't ... I mean, say you prepare for another Gemini fiasco, only instead its some plague?"

"I know!--whoops, sorry." Kire had flung up her hand in frustration and almost sent her fork flying. "Fucking-- why do prophecies have to always be so gods-be-damned vague?" She groaned a little, before calming down a bit and continuing with her meal. "Tried asking that before, of course. The explanation I got was that, while they would choose and guide Paladins as protectors, they couldn't overly meddle. Something about preventing undesirable futures they've seen while they--whatever it is they do to cast their vision into the future."

She pushed around the food on her plate with her fork, frowning. "That'd be interesting if shit starts to happen right before Jan gets married. 'Hey, coz, congratulations, also I'm thinking of handing you the throne in a few years, and by the way, magic is coming back to Amria, expect unicorns." She huffed, continuing with her dinner, sinking into silence as she thought about the possibilities of that. When she realized she hadn't spoken in a while, she cleared her throat. "Sorry. Thoughts got carried away. Domestic bliss is still new to me," she said, chuckling a bit.

Ruli's eyebrows raised slightly when she almost flung her fork, then he went back to eating. "Well, it does sound as though they thing magic will resurface, and magic can lead to a lot of disasters, but a lot of good things. The Seer didn't expressly say the thing would be bad, just that you need to be prepared for it. Maybe a bunch of your people will learn to fly, and you just need to make some sort of guidelines."

He grinned at her, letting her know he didn't mind the silence. "At least the silences aren't full of tension and unspoken anger anymore, so we're making progress."