Toya withdrew from Blaine lightly. “The hell she would. You don’t win against Krystopher or your father when the three of you start to go at it. Aurora has a lot to learn. First off I don’t fuck with my sister because I know I’ll win. I fuck with her because I know it pisses her off!”

Toya sauntered back in after she had the tiff with her husband… Gods would tonight be fun for them, always was. “Isn’t Belle a pretty little thing?” While Belle took it in stride it was obviously because she had heard it from lots of others before. “She’s going to be my daughter-in-law. We’re planning a huge wedding between her and my boy. Maybe Hannah… You could come join the celebrations. Sularia weddings are something to witness once in a blue moon. How many more months is it Belle?”

Belle paused and thought about it. “Jay and I are getting married in the fall if everything goes right…” It wasn’t a direct answer but Toya had hounded them for a date when they knew they were sure. “We like the colors in the lower portion of Canelux so it sorta inspired us.” There was a blush before she cleaned up her tools.

Aria listened in when she got volunteered and was about to object. “I can’t go during the high day.” She was easily defeated. “I don’t think I could stay out in the sun for very long… but there is a private part of the beach by the Black Rose Court that the children use. We could use that spot as long as you don’t mind the little ones. I’m sure Shiroi and Angelette will join us.” Aria gave Kingston a smile.

“If Angelette is going to the beach you sure as fuck can guarantee that father-in-law of mine is going. He’s got a thing for Aja.” Toya pointed out as Aja played coy. Things with them were starting to get interesting and Aja didn’t hate the old wolf like she had.

-

The feast had gone off without an issue save for all of the siblings that joined them. It was loud but fun as the Rosenites shared their stories. Each one had different tales to tell from the warriors to the bards. Aria was forced to stay with the Red Court as she was far too exhausted to even carry herself anymore. With the help of the siblings, Aria made it to bed just fine.

In the morning, she had gone home so she could get the little beach spot ready for the invasion as she called it to Kingston. The mother changed into a light sundress and pulled up all of her hair with braids. She helped Cinder as well as they changed into swimwear. It had been so long that Aria didn’t have anything so she knew the dress would have to do.

Toya led the charge to the small inlet and the sand was richly red against the ocean. “The ocean!” Angelette was the first to charge towards it. Her little legs were moving fast as she went across the sand down to the water. She looked up for approval from her father before she splashed in a little tidal pool.

Aria made her way down from the house with her parasol and Cinder wasn’t fair behind. A white-haired girl and a black haired boy a few years older than Angelette were tagging along. “Auntie, can we go play in the water too?” The girl at least had manners.

“Sure, but watch Angelette.” Aria smiled as the children went off and did their own thing. There was still plenty of light out but thankfully the sun wasn’t as overhead. The little inlet was perfect for the number of people they had.

“A Wintercrest still wins out of that. Never said it had to be me, darling.” He stuck his tongue out at her and her reasoning. “Toya…remember the last time you messed with your sister? She got you knocked up with Sparrow… “ He rolled his eyes and headed off back to their house before Aelwen and Angela made their leave too.

“My mother, Angela, is a goddess”, Lucian explained but Hannah put up a hand to stop him. “Even we are aware of who Angela is and her importance. We just never expected her…to to be how she was earlier.” Speaking of which, he was sure that she quelled down the fighting between the cousins. But the bigger picture, at least to Maxen, was to make sure he got them going to the beach so that way he could see that brunette angel again. And that would take the big dog that was his brother off his trail. Fortunately, Aria was too kind-hearted to refuse the offer and he cheered inwardly.

“If that’s the case, then it’ll be fine. I’m sure there will be no complaints about it as long as there’s a beach”, Kingston offered. It had been a while since they had set foot on one, and surely that was all that mattered.

They were used to chaos, but nothing like the sort that their hosts and the others had provided. Still, it was a pleasant event especially since everything had been ironed out. In the coming days, their tribe would receive the supplies necessary before they went on the move again. Sending the night in a well kept and the flourishing house was met with a similar reception and there was some concern that they would have to rip Maxen away from the house the next morning if he didn’t want to leave.

Heading to the beach, Hannah went in a green beach wrap and top while the boys were shirtless and were in loose trousers. They followed Toya, Aria, and the others across the city and were at the inlet. Aurora had come to soak up the sunlight and soon relaxed on a towel and fell quiet. Maxen sat down beside her and pretended to not pay her any heed, which she could quickly see through his ruse. Still, she didn’t argue against it and kept to herself.

“Are you going to be fine?”, Kingston asked Aria. He didn’t want to further her aliment if they could help it. He gave her a friendly smile as he felt onto the warm sand and sat down. His head only turned when he heard some old guy running towards them. Colden, who was also there, shook his head. “And here he is.”


“Now where’s my sweet pea?”,Garland nearly demanded before he caught sight of her in the little tidal pool. “There you are! Here comes the shark!” He trotted over to her and attempted to capture and tickle Angelette.

Toya watched the boy Maxen oogle her daughter and huffed. Blaine would have a field day with that. She had a few boards with them. “MAXEN!” Toya yelled as she looked over at him. “Come here, Boy.”

Cinder ran over and grabbed a board. Soon she ran into the ocean towards the waves and paddled. “Watch what Cinder does.” Soon Cinder was riding the waves and Toya grabbed one of her own. “Instead of oogling my daughter and not saying a damn thing… Impress her.” She shoved a board in his arms.

Aria looked at Kingston and laughed as she overheard Toya. “Your brother is going to be in a lot of trouble. Toya is a master of fire but she spends a lot of time at night catching waves here in Sularia. She taught Cinder how to do it.”

She looked over Kingston though and nodded. “I’ll be fine. Besides, you are sitting right next to me, right? If I pass out you can just catch me or something.” It was a tiny joke that she caught herself laughing at. “Angela gave me an herbal soak last night so I have a bit more energy today than I have in a while.”

Angelette was squealing as she ran around away from her grandfather. “Grandpa, can we play in the water?” She splashed the water up at him. “It’s cold.” The sand was slippery and went through her hands when she picked it up.

Aria looked happy as she leaned into the wind against her back. She closed her green eyes and felt the mist of the ocean against her from the crashing water at the docks. “I am thankful that Kirika thought of me for being your hostess. It’s been a long time since I could enjoy being with my family and with others. I can't remember anything from before I woke up to Casimir over me when the slave traders were all attacked. He turned me without a thought but obviously, it did nothing for my memory. All I have is this strange and wonderful family. I am a soul that shouldn't have had a second chance and set I have my Cinder." With her hair up it was plain to see the scars from gods knew what across her back. Whatever she had forgotten seemed terrifying but not surprising for the desert. "They are good people and you are lucky to have them as allies."

Maxen heard his name and his head darted towards where Toya was and swiftly made his way over to him. As soon as she heard what her mother had in store for him, she smirked and kept an eye on the boy as he watched Cinder ride the waves. “The hell is she doing?”, he questioned just before he was handed the board. What a strange thing it was, but if he wanted to impress Aurora like how her mom said, he would do it. “Seems easy enough, thanks.” And with that, he ran out into the waters to see if he could catch a wave and show off. His brother had far less confidence in his ability. “Yes, and he’s not the most humble of souls I’m afraid. He’ll take the bait if it means that girl talks to him.”

“He has guts, I’ll give him that”, their mother exclaimed but as soon as he saw a wave and headed for it, the fool didn’t know how to quite position himself and ended up wiping out ungracefully. “And that’s about all he has too.”

She left the two for the time being and Kingston looked up to Aria. “Of course I would. Right away too.” He wasn’t the sort to be full of himself like Maxen and in comparison was much more level headed. Perhaps it was because it was due to the difference in age between the brothers.

Garland was in the midst of capturing Angelette in their little game before he nodded and splashed her back a tiny bit. “That sand is wet and mushy, perfect for making a castle, sweetie.”

Kingston’s eyes fell upon the scars Aria carried- the desert life was cruel at times and he knew just how much in his short life. “I’d imagine that no one could forget such atrocities. But as everywhere else says, you only get strong from what doesn’t kill you.” Even with her desert lung, she still drew breath. He glanced for a bit to see that Maxen wasn’t about to quit and tried again to ride the wave, lasting a bit longer than the previous but the same result happened. “Feel up for a walk”, he asked her. “Don’t worry, we don’t have to go far if you don’t want to.”

If she agreed, he got up to his feet and took her arm with his own and went at her pace. Hannah saw this from a distance and prayed to herself that these boys didn’t get too attached to their Oasis counterparts. They would be leaving soon and she couldn’t deal with one heartbreak, let alone two if she knew where this was going. She moved over to Toya, “I swear, these boys are gonna be in trouble if they don’t want to leave.” Again, Maxen found himself eating seawater and his mother laughed.

“I have no doubt that they are. It was why I had Mother make the request. There’s a lot of history between our kins, some good, some bad but mostly indifferent.” Kingston drew them a bit closer to the water, “The desert is known to take whatever it can get. It took my father and later on, Maxen’s as well. Mother and the rest of the tribe raised us the whole time. They are what keeps me going and I’d gladly die for them. Seems like the same was true of your Casimir. He too sounded like he had a purpose greater than himself and he knew it.”

“Surfacing on the wave. Don’t let a child show you up Maxen. A man should be able to do anything he sets his mind to.” Toya watched him run off to the water with the wrong form and didn’t bother to correct him. “He’ll figure it out… Eventually.”

Aria chuckled a bit and looked at Kingston. “Toya taught Cinder when was a wee babe. Would put her on the board with her and surf around. It scared me the first few times because it looked like the ocean would swallow her up. Unlike Maxen once Cinder started to learn to do it herself… Toya taught her in the tidal pool. How to balance herself and how to approach the wave. She took to it like a fish.”

Toya smirked at Hannah. “It seems to be something that all Rosenites do when they are young. Some of us mature a lot faster than others but… then there are those like Maxen.” Toya knew she set him up and she wasn’t ashamed of it. “It’s kinda like riding on the back of a sand wurm when its really pissed off at you.”

Kingston’s answer to Aria made her flush red for a few seconds. She wasn’t expecting such an answer as it had been more of a joke but she did appreciate it all the same. “Sure, I’ll let you know when I start to get tired.” She had no idea how far she could make it down the beach line but she would try that much was for sure.

Aria was hesitant at first as she took his arm but gave him a light smile as they moved down the beach. She let her feet feel the water and it was a sensation she hadn’t felt for a very long time. That much could be told from the way her face held a certain smile the moment she felt it.

Toya put her hands on her hips. “They are probably going to be in a lot of trouble. Especially the older one.” She had been watching and she knew full on when something had it’s gears turning. “For Aria’s sake, I hope not though. I think heartbreak would kill her.” Still, Toya wouldn’t interfere. “Maybe it will get her to live though instead of sitting in a room waiting to die.” Her green eyes moved to Hannah’s. “The turned are much more prone to desiring death when their sires are killed. You know this. You had to have suspected it when she wouldn’t allow herself to be healed. I don’t even think Aria knows it though. She’s holding out for Cinder but once she is grown… What will happen? I do wonder about it and worry.”

Aria listened as she watched the water. “Casimir was taken from us by his mother. She was ruthless and the reason why he hid us here. Cinder remembers bits and pieces even though she was a baby. She is very close to Colden who looks a lot like his brother. I don’t think she even realizes that’s why she clings to him. I wonder if I’ve done a good job raising a Rose child. They are so wild and I feel like sometimes I hold Cinder back. A parent shouldn’t hold their child back and I try not to.” She appeared conflicted. “I thought if I just stayed home and not push myself that she would live her life but it only made her more worried.”

She looked at Kingston. “Angela told me that you are actually my age. She could tell just from quickly looking.” There was a laugh. “I don’t know how old I am but Angela always knows these things. Life is weird.”

It wasn’t like Maxen needed to be egged on, he was so much of a doofus to keep at himself. Toya merely fed onto it and his brother could only watch while shaking his head as he kept on going, trying to catch a wave. While she did find humor in this like her mother, Aurora gave her a “really? look after a little while and got up to dive into the water and make her way towards him. “Hey, position your feet like this.” She moved them according and told him how to keep his stance and then sent him on his way. “Remember, don’t go against the wave, Maxen.”

While he positioned himself according and did as she said, the moment she said his name, he froze and a wave crashed down onto him again. Aurora facepalmed and swam back to resume her sunbathing. “Well, at least she talked to him”, Kingston sighed. His brother wasn’t a hopeless cause, but sometimes he did wonder about him. But his thoughts turned to Aria and their conversation as they strolled down the beach. He took his time, matching her step for step as to not overwhelm her.

Hannah’s face was that of a stony one for a time, “That’s why…I felt that there was something different about her and why she didn’t accept healing. Why haven’t any of you told her of that pull?” Her voice wasn’t accusing, but that of general wondering as she watched the two from a distance. Was it cruel to not tell her, or would have been even more so to do it? All she could do was let this play by ear and see what happened next. Kingston was a good man, and wouldn’t purposely do anything to hurt someone he didn’t have to.

“I see. But wouldn’t she be just as worried about you as you are of her? I’d imagine that she would want you to live and be happy too. Fight to live and not be anchored so much by the past. My father has been gone for a long time, but I’d imagine that he wouldn’t want me to sink into despair. Forgive me if I spoke out of turn.”

He had watched her since they started walking and he saw that she was happier than she had been yesterday. The setting brought it out of her. “You seem more radiant than before in our short time. You should live your life like it's your last day. That is something I have actually learned from my brother, though I don’t take it too much to heart as he does.” Speaking of which, Maxen was getting the hang of surfing and started to show off when he did, which rightfully resulted in him falling off his board. Aurora burst out laughing at him and his head came up with a sheepish smile.

“I have seen thirty-five Igniuses so far, so that would be more or less how old you are”, he offered as he joined her in the feet high water.