Elemental Hearts

[mtdew4kiri]

Aurina stayed silent for a few minutes as the servants put the desserts out. "Hot spring does sound wonderful..." She subconsciously muttered, then seemed to snap out of a daze. Her face suddenly seemed to carry much more stress than earlier; making her look a bit older than she really was. "I don't know the entire story of the invasion... I just know it's been like this for years... for as long as I could remember. I want to say it has to do with them wanting to take over Rosplayn because of a..." She fell quiet, "inefficient leader... and want to show power..." She shook her head, "If it weren't for some of the things that I've recommended my father had done... Rosplayn wouldn't be here anymore.." She stated, then went to grab a piece of pie. "This is a ryv pie... I highly recommend it." She smiled, her face softening once more, the stress now not so evident.

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Realizing he hit a sensitive subject, he fought the urge to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I apologize if I have caused you any discomfort in my asking such a personal question. It was not my intent."
A flicker of resentment flashed before his eyes as he considered what was happening to Rosplayn. "Men and their constant, insatiable thirst for power and dominance." he muttered under his breath. He reached for a slice of the ryv pie. But rather than eating it, he simply poked at it.
"To see a King bullied by some other King because the former doesn't rule as the latter does..." he shook his head, "It burns me up.
It must be hard to rule a Kingdom when you have someone else breathing down your neck, trying to find a way to take it all from you. All the while, you're trying hard to keep your people happy, and safe, trying to protect your family, your honor."
His gaze was blank, as he stared at the slice of pie. After a few moments, he realized he was thinking out loud, and glanced up at Aurina. "I'm sorry." He looked down at the pie, and decided to try it.
Wow, this is amazing!

[mtdew4kiri]

"The thing is... he isn't being bullied." Aurina stated softly and looked at him. "He let's them stay here, he has no wish or intent on trying to get them out." She explained as she grabbed her fork and broke off a small piece to eat. Slowly, she chewed the piece and stared out at the guests. She watched as the children giggled and talked wildly among themselves and the parents speak softly to each other. Aurina looked down at the pie. "It is a complicated situation we have here.. We have a King that doesn't want to rule, but doesn't want to give up what little power he has... we have foreign guards here allowing limited access, but do listen to the one that showed they have power and won't allow them to walk over... but cannot rule just yet." She sighed heavily and looked at him. "What do you think of it?" She asked and nodded to the near-devoured piece of pie he had.

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Without thinking, Tieler replied. "I think it's unfair. If your father doesn't want the title, why doesn't he choose a successor to take his place? Someone who will fight for the freedom of their Kingdom. That way, he doesn't really lose anything. He gains his freedom to just be a man, as well as the freedom of his Kingdom and it's people. And while he won't really hold any real power, he would have made a difficult decision, and an honorable act; to save his people."
He took another bite of the pie. "This pie is incredible." he mumbled softly, still amazed at it's deliciousness.

[mtdew4kiri]

Aurina nodded and took another bite off her fork. "This has to be my favorite fruit of all the continents." She giggled softly and started to pick the crust of the pie apart. "My father is a complicated man. He likes his position, despite being bad at it." She finalized and continued silently with her piece. As she chewed silently, she grabbed her chalice and took a sip. She thoughtfully tasted the wine in her mouth. "What are some of the foods you have tasted in your travels?" She asked softly and took another sip.

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Tieler was thrown off by this question. He'd never really gave much thought to the foods he'd eaten. He never thought to ask about it. He'd normally just buy what seemed tasty and be on his way. With a sheepish grin, he shrugged. "I actually never really asked. But I will say that never, have I ever tasted such a sweet delicacy." He finished his slice of pie and washed it down with the last of his wine. He then reached for a second slice, as well as something he assumed, and kind of hoped, was a brownie.
"So, maybe your father just needs someone to clear the city for him. Like, a knight or something. Someone who can do the dirty work for him. Not to make it sound bad or anything. I'm sure there's someone he can put in such a position that would gladly try and reason with the other King and tell him to back off and mind his own continent." He realizing he was pressing far too much on the subject, he smiled and shook his head. "I apologize, it's not my place. If I wanted to defend a continent, I should have stayed home. I've just seen many things in my travels, it's made me want to fight for rights and stuff." He shrugged, biting into the brownie.

[mtdew4kiri]

Aurina poured a little more wine into her glass and filled his a little more as well. "I have always been a fan of the local stuff, but I wouldn't mind trying other food, or even different foods from the other part of the continent so I could get to know this land better. I'd feel more connected with the people." She smiled slightly. "We've lived like this and have adopted. They're more like... landmarks now, rather than a hassle like when they first came. If they leave, then no one would know where to go!" She joked, but, at the same time, was serious. "Please, eat up as much as you can! Just, allow me to know when you are ready... I'd like to take you to the hot springs. that... is the place to relax and enjoy yourself." She smiled softly.

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Tieler smiled at her joke. "Yea, I can understand that. It's like slaves who've been freed after a lifetime of servitude. They don't know what to do with themselves once they're free. Thank you." he added as she poured him a little more wine.
Once he'd had his fill of wine and sweets, he dabbed his mouth with his napkin and placed it on the table beside his plate. "This was wonderful." he beamed, glancing around the room. "Thank you again. Perhaps in payment, I can help you all out somehow." He smiled widely as the children cheered. Tieler turned his attention back to Aurina. "I don't know about you, but I'm about ready for some relaxing." he said with a wink.

[mtdew4kiri]

"That sounds like a wonderful plan." She agreed with a single nod of her head. Slowly, Aurina pushed her chair back and stood up. "Thank you all for coming... and a special thanks to those who's harvest we were able to sample today. Without you, we wouldn't have had this fine meal." She thanked. With that, she gave a short bow to them, turned to Tieler, lightly placed her hand on his shoulders and gently and slowly began to lead him away, towards a door in the back of the hall.

"The payment you had spoken about... it's already been paid." Aurina smiled once they had left the hall. As she walked on, she had put her hands back behind her back. "You coming and eating... staying and chatting is more than enough." She declared. "I do hope you wouldn't mind... but I would wish to join you in the hot spring. It is rather large." She giggled softly, and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

[Deleted]

Once again, her question caught him off guard, and he turned to look at her. He shrugged slightly, shaking his head. "I don't see a problem with that, it is, after all, your hot spring." He smiled gently, even though now he felt slightly self conscious.
He never really liked showing people the markings on his skin, and always wore clothes to hide them. He glanced at Aurina from the corner of his eye, figuring it was only fair. She was uncomfortable about her weight, and he was uncomfortable with others seeing his markings.
As they headed to the hot spring, his tension had already begun to ebb away. He was really looking forward to this; he needed it. "I must warn you, I've been known to unintentionally heat up the water."

[mtdew4kiri]

Aurina laughed softly and nodded, "That's fine. Being the elemental I am... it's hard to be overheated." She smiled and lead him to the back of the castle, then out. She lead him through a small courtyard that had many flowers, along with other plants, and a small waterfall. Aurina lead him back to a gate, then pushed it open. No one else was in the spring and off to the sides were two separate places for each sex. "Feel free to go change in there... all the towels are fresh." She instructed with a soft smile as she walked towards her side.

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Tieler nodded and headed to his side. He pulled his shirt off, undid his belt and let his pants fall. He studied the markings on his arms for a few moments, then inhaled deeply. He removed his underwear and folded his clothes, placing them in a neat pile in a corner. He reached for a towel and wrapped it tightly around his waist. Then removed his shoes.
After a few moments, he stepped out and wandered over to the water. Having been raised with his mother, he followed the words 'Ladies First'. He looked around, taking in the beauty of his surroundings. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, a sense of peace washing over him. "This is a long over-due moment." he thought out loud, thinking back on the last time he'd taken the time to actually sit back and enjoy himself. It had been over three years since he did anything but scarf down random foods, shower quickly, sleep a few hours then continue on his merry way. He kept his eyes closed, letting the mist from the spring caress his warm skin.

[mtdew4kiri]

Aurina stood before the towels and glanced around. It had been so long since she herself had gone into the spring, in a towel at least. She played with the clasp to her shirt and let it fall off her shoulders: it was a complicated shirt, after all. Neatly, she folded the shirt and set it on a shelf, then carefully slipped out of her skirt and panties. Quickly, she folded the skirt, pulled out a towel and tightly wrapped it around her chest. Blushing softly, she walked out of the side and looked over to Tieler. Her light blond hair flowed behind her as she walked to the stairs. "You could've stepped in, Tieler." She giggled and walked in. The hot water barely seemed to affect her as she waded into the spring.

[Deleted]

Tieler snapped out of his semi-trance and looked over at her. As he rested his eyes on her he felt his cheeks warm slightly. "Ah, yes, well my mother taught me to let Ladies go first. And I got caught up in the moment of serenity this place offers." He walked up to the edge and stepped into the water. As his foot hit the water, he pulled it back. It felt colder than he thought it would. Slowly inhaling, he stepped in and sat down. He concentrated on letting his natural warmth heat up the water around him until he was comfortable.
"Much better." he sighed, now fully relaxed. "This is wonderful. I can't remember the last time I sat in a hot spring. But I do remember that I've never had the company of a beautiful woman such as yourself."he added with a grin. He then stretched out, folded his arms behind his head and leaned back to look up. "It's not fun, you know. Traveling, I mean. I wish I could go home. But my parents and I both agreed that once I left, I was never to return. Don't get me wrong, I can still visit, I just can't reclaim my place. I have a feeling that a few years from now, I'll regret the decision to leave home and travel. All because I'd rather love the woman I marry rather than marry her simply because she's a Princess." He closed his eyes, a faint smile stretched his lips.

[mtdew4kiri]

Aurina looked over at Tieler at the mentioning of a beautiful woman. She walked over and sat next to him and pulled her hair back, then tied it up with the ends of her own hair. She leaned back against the walls over the spring and slouched down; listening and absorbing all he had stated. "I made it known I would be picking who I was marrying... and as you can tell.. it'd worked.. I'm still to be wed." She laughed softly. "It's just difficult..." She frowned and looked at him. "Where... are you from, anyways?" She asked and tilted her head to the side slightly in curiosity.