It is funny how things change as time passes. For Rosenites, youth passes faster than normal, and Rohan was no exception. Once a scrawny kid, the third youngest Rose was now into puberty and had exploded. Tall like his father, with his mother's sharp features and eyes, he had become quite the handsome young man. His dark hair had grown shaggy and wild, much like his animal spirit, and he had become known throughout Sularia as the most prolific beast master they had. Animal handling was as natural to him as becoming an animal was. And it showed in the racing events that were becoming popular in the oasis city. 

Today was a special treat. Crowds were lining up to see the two most well known riders in Sularia prove which of them was the best: Rohan would be riding a Harenian Lizard, and his soon to be brother in law, Justice, would be riding the Sularian favorite, the Nightmare. 

As the crowds chattered and cheered, Justice and Rohan shook hands, before they mounted their steeds. There was a moment as they both poised to start, that Rohan turned and winked at his betrothed who stood among the crowd, while Justice waved at his own love. There were cheers from all around as the flare was set off and both men shot down the sands at high speeds, wind whipping at their hair and clothes. 

Red sand flew as hooves thundered and claws slithered over the ground, both riders pressing themselves low against their mounts to cut back on wind resistance. The route of the race was from the north gate to the shore of Kirika Lake and back, and from the looks of it, the pair were neck and neck as they reached the white sand beach. 

Hazel stood in the giant crowd. It was always something in Sularia. In all the time that she had lived there, Rohan was the constant. Even now there were whispering about why her? Why the weird one? She held onto her satchel as the plush inside moved a bit. “Calm down Jack.” She whispered to it. “We don’t want any trouble for Ro today.” She crossed her eyes.

She was tall like her mother but not as tall. She was around five foot eight and she was gaining curves the more she got older. She had dark skin but not quite as dark as Bryony. Her mercury eyes watched and her cheeks flushed as he winked towards her. He was very straightforward about their marriage and he had been since they found out about it. A smile crossed her colored lips as she waved back to him shyly.

Anyone would die to be a prince’s wife to be but Hazel wasn’t sure of it all. She didn’t think she was good enough. Her dark hair bounced with wild black curls. She wore a purple dress that stood out against her skin tone. It was one of Rohan’s favorites. She waited with baited breath by the finish line waiting for Rohan or Justice to come in first. She pushed large strands of her black hair behind her ears only for it to be so poofy that it fell out. “I can’t see them.” She got up on her tip toes and looked where they would be coming from.

"They've reached the lake and turned around. Lord Justice is in the lead!" came the cry from one of the watch towers above the spectators. As Hazel tiptoed up to look and see where the racers were, someone pushed past her rather roughly. "Watch it, freak," came the very feminine voice as one of Rohan's many admirers shoved past her with a couple others. 

Meanwhile, Justice and Rohan were on their return, neck and neck now. 

"Now tell me, why exactly are we doing this again?" Justice called over the wind. 
"Simple, publicity," Rohan answered. "Princes have got to make public appearances to make the people happy," he laughed. 
"I guess we may as well give them a show then, HAH!" Justice responded by spurring the nightmare on forward ahead of Rohan. 
"Oh no you don't!" Rohan replied and hissed something to the lizard. Whatever incentive was in his words made the lizard's slithering much faster until within the last leg of the race Rohan pulled ahead and crossed the finish line just a head space before Justice to the immense roar of the crowds. 

"AND THE WINNER! PRINCE ROHAN BY A HEAD!"

Hazel bounced a bit. “Come on Ro,” she wanted him to win not just because he was her betrothed but because he deserved it. He took care of her. People didn’t mess with her when he was with her. When she got shoved she fell and landed on her butt. She managed to scramble out of the way as not to get trampled by the number of women who were still following Rohan around. She sighed a bit. “Guess we might not get to see him finish.”

Finding her way to a roof she managed to sit down on the edge. Here she wasn’t in anyone’s way and she could see the race coming to an end. She saw them neck and neck. She swore she could see them talking about something and it made her smile. That was just like Rohan to make things interesting. She gasped a bit as Justice started to go ahead but like always Rohan pulled off something miraculous.

She listened to the roar of the crowd as she climbed down. Standing out of the way of everyone Hazel waited for him. The Rosenite made sure to stand in a spot where he could notice her easily enough. Though even if the area was crowded Rohan would find her. She had dirt spots on her still from where they had knocked her down but she wasn’t concerned about that. She offered him a smile from where she was and shyly waved in his direction.

It wasn’t like Holly who screamed for Justice and nearly tackled him over. Hazel was gentle and meek. She wasn’t at all the personality that Ro was. Hazel might have stood out for her weird shadow, that was much more in control now than it had been, but she never really spoke up. She was simply there.

Rohan jumped down off his mount and handed it off to the nearest page as he and Justice had a rain of flower petals fall down on them. Justice immediately scooped up Holly, despite the fact that he hadn't won, while Rohan was swarmed with fans, male and female alike, as he scanned the crowd looking for the one person he actually wanted to see, while still being polite to those who mobbed him. Still he pushed through them until he found Hazel, and he wrapped her up in a huge bear-hug and spun her around a couple times before he planted a firm kiss on her lips. 

There was almost an incredulous murmur that went through the crowd as Rohan showed this affection to Hazel. It was clear that his betrothal to the strange rosenite girl was still now well liked, but Rohan didn't care two figs about what they said. 

"What did you think of that, huh?" he asked Hazel with a huge stupid grin on his face. 

Hazel would have run towards him but the crowd wasn’t an inviting place for her yet. Many people had yet to understand that Hazel wasn’t to be feared. That she wasn’t scary at all. The story that was her birth had unfortunately set the tone for the rest of her life. It wasn’t a terrible thing since Rohan took good care of her. He had enough love that it made her feel overwhelmed at times.

She squealed as he picked her up and spun her around. Hazel killed him back just as firmly and blushed as they separated just a bit. She could hear the crowd but the look in Rohan’s eyes told her that he didn’t care… He really hadn’t ever cared. Ever since Lily had told them their fortune he had been all about their marriage. It hadn’t mattered just how young they were or that she only had him.

“Um…” She thought about it and laughed. “I didn’t actually think a Nightmare could be beaten by a lizard… Which means you said something to the lizard.” She gave him a mischievous look. “And I know you so it must have been quite the command.” She was almost a foot shorter than he was which was amazing considering how tall she was. “I couldn’t see for half the race so I had to climb up on the roof of one of the buildings nearby.” She chuckled and smiled at him. “I saw you finish though and that’s all that matters.”

She pushed his wild hair back and hugged herself to him. “Congratulations on your win! I’m so proud of you.” She snuggled herself into him and flashed him a soft smile. “Though I don’t think everyone was excited to see me here. I think I’m a bit of a bad luck token still in their eyes…” She frowned and shook her head. “But I wanted to come and support you since Holly was here for Justice.”

"Not even a command," Rohan chuckle. "More like a promise. A little bit of incentive goes a long way," he said. "Which reminds me," he added before he turned away for a brief moment and went back to the page who was wrangling his Lizard. "Hey there, I promised this fellow half a cow if he could get me across the finish line before that Nightmare. Do me a favor, and don't make a liar out of me, he's deserved it after all!" Rohan laughed as he pressed several coins into the page's hand, who was only too eager to do as the young Prince had asked, and knowing especially that whatever money was left he was welcome to keep. Prince Rohan was known to be very generous to those who served and worked with him. 

Rohan went back to Hazel and took her hand. "Come on. The crowd must be getting to you and Mr. Jack," he said. As he pushed through the crowds with Hazel and headed back towards the house/shop in the Lavender fields. "Next race, I'll make sure you have a watch tower seat," he promised. "If anything, you are proving yourself to be anything but bad luck. I wouldn't have won the race if you hadn't been here," he said emphatically. "They'll warm up to you. It isn't like you aren't a Rosenite after all. Besides, your control has gotten strong enough that we haven't had problems in years."

Hazel eyed him a bit. “That is bribing Rohan Porthyrius-Rose.” she booped him on the nose and laughed a bit while shaking her head. Her mercury colored eyes watched more as he ran off to pay the page to feed the poor lizard who literally earned his keep today. She pulled her shawl a bit closer as Rohan came back. “Alright.”

She held his hand as they made their way back to the lavender fields. It smelt so good as she unlocked the house and before entering looked up at him. “I’m sure you will Rohan. You don’t need to push it though. They need to come around on their own. You can’t just make them like me.” She smiled and kissed his cheek again. It was tender and sweet but quick as she made her way inside the modest-sized shop with a house upstairs. “I’m sure you would have won even if I’m not there. You are the great Prince Rohan ever talented… and a hell of a kisser from what the girls in town were saying.” She teased him.

“I didn’t realize that you spent your time romancing other girls,” it was clear she was joking with him as she brought him up to the second floor. She lit the lanterns and candles. Taking Mr. Jack out of her pouch she set him down on a pillow in front of the window where he liked to look out. He stretched his tentacles and made happy noises.

After a moment she smiled at him again, “My control has gotten better since I started to understand occult magic and legends. The first step to learning to control the being is understanding where he came from first. Autumn Country my father called it. At least that’s what Ma said before he started to forget about it. When I born everything the being gave him was stripped. He wasn’t like me you see. He was probably possessed late in life unlike me. Mr. Jack and I are one and I’m not quite sure if anything can be done to help that. Not that I mind anymore. I have control over it.”

She moved to the kitchen and poured them something to drink. “It’s cold.” Her hands light up in a glorious purple magic as the glasses began to steam. “Here’s some herbal tea. It’s not old at all. I made it myself. I’ve been messing with some of your mother’s recipes for tea. Hopefully, you like it. I used some of the lavender from the fields outside.” She smiled at him more as she was quite proud of herself. She handed it to him and thought about it. “You know Ro… You don’t have to be with me if it causes problems.” She frowned a bit more. She did this every once in a while. “I don’t want to make you suffer too.”

"And it is perfectly legal as long as it isn't doping or bribing the other rider or ride," Rohan laughed. He inhaled deeply of the sweet and deeply relaxing fragrance of lavender as they came up to the house-shop and Hazel let them in. "Gods I love that smell," he mused softly as they slipped into the house. "My skill in kissing can be attributed to you, however, because you have been one hell of a trainer," he said as he gently slipped his arms about her waist and kissed her cheek from behind before releasing her before they headed up the stairs. 

As Hazel dropped Mr. Jack on his pillow, out of habit, Rohan pulled a fresh sardine from his pocket and placed it on the stuffed toy's lap. Apparently, the entity liked sardines. 

"It makes sense to me," Rohan said. "I mean, Da always said that the best way to control something was to learn it inside and out," he said with a soft laugh. 

He gratefully accepted the drink she poured for him and watched with fascination as she lit up the small apartment that they called home. He sipped the cold tea slowly and sorted out the flavors in his mind. "I like this, it is very soothing, very refreshing," he said, straight up ignoring the fact that she gave him an out, again. 

“I think it’s because you like being relaxed and that’s what lavender stands for.” She smirked up at him. She knew he loved the smell so often her perfume had it mixed in with it. It comforted him and that made her happy. “I don’t know I remember very clearly you being the one who wanted practice on me.” She teased him softly as she hugged his arms and let her cheeks flush from his lips. A giggle left her mouth as she teased her and soon they were on their way up the stairs.

Rohan took care of both of them… Both Jack and herself. He knew that it was possible that if Jack got hurt so would Hazel. It wasn’t necessarily that Jack was bad. He was just as young as Hazel was now. He had been reborn into her body. It made her wonder what would happen if the Eldritch being got separated from her.

After a quick thought, some wit left her lips, “Maybe I should ask Drae if he has a manual on his cranky eldest son. So I can learn just what makes Rohan Porthyrius tick.” She moved around him and got their cups from the kitchen. Watching him she sighed a bit as he ignored her statement. “You should let me heat it up.” When her fingers touched the cup the tea in it started to warm up just hot enough so it didn’t burn him. “Magic is a great thing… You know.” She kissed his cheek and fell down onto the sofa. She made room for him and before long patted the seat next to her. “Come on since you are obviously ignoring my worries today.” She gave a soft smile towards him.

“I’ll never understand what you see in me. I suppose though that I am very critical of myself due to everything that has happened. But Jack and I are very, very thankful for everything you do for us, Ro. No one has a bigger heart than you do. Though I won’t go spreading it around Sularia for fear of someone learning that the big strong bear is actually just a teddy bear in disguise.” She teased him softly.