Kirika smiled at him. “Well I most certainly do not fit in the realm of this world right now. What I know about the world came from old books that might certainly be out of date. I hear romantic stories about a world that could very well be hell at our fingertips. If I wasn’t taught to question everything, I would think the world is sunshine and rainbows.”

Shaking her head the young queen smiled. “No, it’s a good thing on some occasions. I can lead my court and not be pushed over by the amount of violence my mother has left behind. I need to be a queen with centuries of experience enough though I am very young. I rely on my aunts for most of my knowledge. They are all different types of beings and well versed in their own stories.”

The switch to something lighter felt good on her as well but she suspected that many things would have to be discussed. Especially when they did not want to. 

Kirika knew nothing about her father. There were rumors about who he was, or what he was. She heard he had been beautiful. He had her creamy white skin and her icy eyes. He had disappeared though and was probably dead. It saddened her but at the same time it gave her resolve to fix what her mother had done. Most of her family did not even know she existed let alone even her name.

When he touched her shoulder she jumped a bit as her daze disappeared. “Yes, of course.” She was excited. After packing what belongings she had for travel Kirika and Bryar set off for the docks. She had never seen it before and was positioned behind him most of the time as she watched everyone. The amount of people around her in the busying streets was intoxicating for her. Her hands clung to him so she would not get lost as she looked around.

Excitement filled her body as Bryar talked to her. “We’re using that one?” She spoke lightly as her blue eyes filled to the brim with the picture of the vessel. She was happy as she held onto him and walked. Again she was absorbed into everything but there enough to know that she should hang on. “Will there be lots of people on board?”

Soon she would find out as they got onto the vessel. There were many people around and she met their eyes with curiosity. The ocean at port was calm as she shook a bit. She had heard rumors. “When will we set out?” Again she would find out.

Finally they got to their cabin as she set her belongings down. She looked at the bed and back at Bryar before back to the bed. “Will we be sharing the bed?” It was an innocent question. “I don’t mind, I don’t want you to be sleeping on the floor, that would be most uncomfortable. There is bed of room.” 

Before long the ship was out at sea and Kirika was stuck on the bed. “Rosenites don’t like the water.” Her eyes teared up a bit. “I like the water but it doesn’t like me.” Her pale face had become to turn a shade of green she was sure.

Bryar smiled broadly as Kirika took his arm to walk toward the vessel, and it seemed that she knew enough to hold onto him as they travelled through the crowds of people.  Her touch seemed incredibly delicate and innocent, much like she herself seemed.  “There will probably be a fair amount of people aboard the ship, yes,” he said, trying hard not to chuckle at her naivete.  It was alarming to him how little she knew about the outside world, yet he could not blame her - it was not her choice to be hidden away as she had been.

Noticing Kirika’s slight shaking, he pulled her a bit closer to him, as though to tell her that he would protect her no matter what - which he certainly had every intention of doing.  “Once all of the passengers and cargo have boarded and been loaded onto the ship, it will leave from port.  But we mustn’t stand around asking questions, or we will be left here!” he said, with a bit of a laugh.  

When they arrived in their cabin, he watched her for a moment as she set her things down.  Her question, however, took him aback and he was silent for a moment as he did not quite know how to respond.  “Uh… I will be fine on the floor, I think,” he said, ignoring the sensation in his stomach that wanted him to say yes to the question.  “You forget, I shift into a bear… sleeping on a floor will be nothing new for me.”  He gave her a warm smile.  

Once the ship had set out to sea, he could see immediately that Kirika was not made for travel by water.  She was lying on the bed looking absolutely miserable.  “The trip will not take too long,” he said, sitting down on the bed near her.  He had placed a glass of water on the table near the bed.  “If you get thirsty, I’ve brought you some water,” he said, and moved to get up.  “I’ll be up on deck.  I will come check on you in a while,” he said, placing a hand reassuringly on her arm.  

Standing up, he went to leave the room, giving a glance back at his companion, and he frowned.  There was no way he could leave her alone - not right now.  Instead, he turned and walked back towards her, moving his form to lie down in the bed next to her, close but not too close.  “I won’t leave you while you feel poorly,” he said, resting a hand on her arm.  “Just let me know if there is anything I can do for you,” he said, though the moment his head hit the pillow he began to feel a bit tired, and closed his eyes, falling into a light sleep beside Kirika.

Bryar was already very protective of her, and the young Rosenite felt like it might have been more than just the job. They understood each other a bit, even though they had barely just been acquainted. She knew that her family wouldn’t just trust anyone with her safety and once more she felt safe as she stayed close to him.

Finally on the boat she gave him an apologetic look as he gave his answer. She would not fight with him to sleep in the bed with her, and surely he had to be more comfortable in his bear form than in his humanoid one. Her icy eyes glanced around the room before finally settling in.

Though, as soon as they were out at sea, she almost complained about leaving the land. Taking a deep breath she sighed and curled up. “Water is good.” She did not seem her overly talkative self. Maybe it was because she felt like she was holding her stomach in. Relaxing a bit as he touched her arm, she gave him a smile and nodded.

She moved slightly as she smiled more. Her eyes scanned over him lightly as she adjusted on the bed and sighed a bit. “Rosenites don’t like to travel over sea or up in the air, at least most of us. I had hoped I would be a special case like my Aunt Toya. She rides dragons.” She frowned a bit. “Probably am so sick because of the deep connection to the earth that Rosenites have. Can’t be all crazy bitches like my aunt.” She seemed less formal now as she laid there sick, it was probably the sickness that had her that way.

The queen rolled towards him and siphoned his heat as she put her forehead on his arm. “Don’t be creeped out alright? This makes me feel better.” Her arms wrapped around his as the ship rocked against the sea. This was her first time off land and she knew she wouldn’t do too well, perhaps she could do better next time.

Finally they both fell asleep, and eventually she had managed to get completely up against him and snuggle. Her once kempt black hair was wild against him even tangling against his fingertips.

The rest of the trip would go just about similar. Though Kirika would eventually venture up from her cabin to see the ocean. There was nothing but blue for miles and it made her excited, though she fidgeted so much she ended up vomiting over the side from all the movement. She couldn’t express how happy she was when land was finally called out. She almost jumped up out of her spot and ran for the ramp at that moment.

When they finally docked she found herself dirty, sweaty, and she swore she thought she had vomit in her hair. “Why not visit the bathhouse young lady?” One of the men called. “You look like you could use a trip to Abed’s famous bathhouse.”

Kirika looked towards Bryar. “Pleeaseeee?”

When Kirika’s forehead moved to press against his arm, he froze up for a moment, unsure of how to react to her closeness.  After a moment, however, he relaxed. While sleeping, he draped an arm over her, his fingers lazily tangled up in her hair.  Upon waking, he blinked in confusion for a few moments, but found himself pleasantly content with the position in which he woke.

Eventually the two found their way to the deck, and he was nothing but helpful as she was sick, holding her raven hair back for her whenever needed.  He laughed lightly at her excitement when the finally docked, but reminded Kirika that they needed to retrieve their belongings as they did not have people to do that for them.  When they had done so, he led her down the ramp and onto land.  

One of the men at port called out to Kirika, inviting her to visit the bathhouses of Abed.  Bryar rolled his eyes, the term ‘bathhouse’ meaning nothing to him other than a brothel, but he had heard that those in Abed were of a bit high class.  Kirika’s excitement would not allow him to say no, and he rolled his eyes, nodding.  

“Fine,” he said, shaking his head lightly.  “But it will be a quick visit,” he added.  He was trying to figure out in his head how he would keep an eye on her while he was bathing, and how he would keep an eye on her while she bathed.  He resolved that perhaps his own hygiene would need to wait until they were safely in an inn, as he did not want to make her stand in the room as he bathed - he was sure that would make her incredibly uncomfortable.  It was not his own modesty - being a shifter warranted him a complete lack of modesty.  He just assumed that Kirika would be fairly uncomfortable seeing him naked, and bathing involved that.

He could see a few of the men in the port staring at Kirika as they walked - she was a Rosenite, and they were a beautiful people.  He instinctively slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, walking with his arm around her.  “I am sorry, but the way those men are leering at you makes me uncomfortable… I can’t imagine it makes you feel too safe, either,” he added, steering them in the direction of the bathhouse.

Kirika’s blue eyes watched him gently as he seemed not particularly happy with her choice. “A quick visit is fine!” She said with excitement as she clung to him. She blinked a bit as he pulled her close and watched the men with interest. “Most people watch me like that to be honest. I was a myth for a long time.” Her eyes flickered up to him. “A queen that was not to be seen nor heard… At least for my own safety. I think some folks died when they really saw me for the first time.” She turned her face away from him to look around. “I’m use to it. Though, I imagine their thoughts aren’t like those of my people.”

Once they made it to the bathhouse, Kirika’s eyes lit up like sky art that Arri produced. It was gorgeous how the sun hit off the stained glass roofing. It shined much like the stories that were passed to her by her cousins. She gently tugged on Bryar so they could go in.

Even inside the building was beautiful from bottom to top. Each piece of mosaic was placed with care. Kirika almost walked right into the podium as she let go of Bryar’s arm. “Oh I’m so sorry!” She apologized to the woman in the green sari. They took their bath seriously, after all she had studied what the different colors of the Sari meant.

“Would you like a private bath for you and the mister?”

Kirika immediately flushed but nodded. “Please.”

They were handed two soft robes, they had to be a fortune on their own, and led back to change. Once they both changed into their robes, they were led to one of the many red doors with the lotus on them. Steam poured out as their guide opened the door. “You pay after you are done.” The woman had a soft smile as Kirika nodded and looked back at Bryar. She about tugged him in after arguing with him about being proper and him watching her bathe.

“I don’t care. I feel safer with you in here.” That was her only argument as she got rid of the robe and slid into the water. The water was murky with the herbs mixed in so he wouldn’t see much if she stayed low in the water, which she intended to. “Get in too. You have to be exhausted from the trip.” She gave him a stubborn look. “It’s nice like I can see anything!”

Bryar frowned when he remembered that Kirika had spent the majority of her life locked away from society.  “No one should have to be shut away such as you were,” he said, part of him wanting to hold her in consolation - perhaps his intense need to make her feel safe stemmed from the fact that they had both been shut away, in different ways.  He felt a connection to her that was unlike anything he had known before, and it made him want to care for her and keep her protected from the indignities of the world.  “No, those men are not thinking just on your beauty, unfortunately,” he said, his brow furrowing in slight anger at the lecherous men looking her up and down.  One look from Bryar and they cast their glances aside.

He reluctantly followed Kirika into the bathhouse, mildly concerned about how excited she was to be there.  In his experience, bathhouses were nothing more than a place for shady and lustful activity - something that he had mostly avoided.  Having never known a woman in an intimate way, he felt a bit weary of their location, given the strange feelings he found himself experiencing towards his companion.  He had never bothered paying much attention to women, but he did not favor men.  It was just that he had never been given reason to care for any particular woman.

Within moments, he cast his gaze away from her quickly, his cheeks reddening, as she removed her robe and slid into the water, having caught only the briefest glance of her skin.  Guilt washed over him, simply due to the fact that he had not been attempting to catch a glimpse of her.  He, however, fought the urge to catch another glimpse before she was submerged in the murky water.  His body clearly reacted to seeing her, as an unclothed woman was not a usual sight for him.  He looked at Kirika when she was hidden enough by the dark water as she demanded that he enter too.  He turned his back to her and removed his robe, stepping backwards from the tile down into the bath.  He did not care about Kirika seeing him unclothed - as a shifter he had no shame - but he did care about her seeing the effects that his quick glimpse of her undressing had on him.

When he was under the water enough, he slid back, opposite from her, but seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with her.  “So, have you thought about where you would like to go after Abed?” he asked, in a futile attempt to change the subject and ignore the fact that he had somehow become mildly aroused, and was avoiding looking at her to avoid going even further.  He felt ashamed of himself - this was unlike him, but he could not help it.

Kirika gave him a thoughtful look, “They only did what they had to Bryar. My mother was a woman worse than the most horrible story you have ever heard. She was the stuff of nightmares who would sneak into your house and steal everything you loved while you were sleeping. You would be lucky to wake up with your limbs still attached. I heard sometimes the hearts would be missing and the babies… Don’t even get me started on those. Before we met, I had to do a large burial of my people. I understand why they kept me hidden. That must hate and anger, it’s scary for one person to have.”

Once they were in the bath, she hadn’t thought twice about undressing in front of him and calling out for him to join her. She tilted her head at him as she watched him avoid her eyes. “You don’t have to be afraid of looking at me. I’m not shy Bryar, rarely any of us are… I’m just not use to it is all.” She swam up to him and lifted his face so he could look at her.

There was a smile on her face before she chuckled. “Probably where all the dancing is. I think I’ll make you dance with me next.” She moved away from him to grab a cake of soap. “Do you want me to wash your back?” She held out the soap so he would be more comfortable accepting her offer. “I won’t bite, I promise.”

He glanced up at Kirika as she lifted his face, finding it odd to be at eye level with her.  Her proximity continued to have an effect on him, and he found himself eternally grateful for the murkiness of the water they were submerged in.  “I’m not afraid of looking at you,” he said, softly, as he locked his eyes with her own.  “I don’t want to be disrespectful to you.  I have learned quickly that you aren’t shy, but…” he trailed off for a brief moment.  “I will be honest with you, Kirika,” he said.  “I’ve not spent much time in my life around women,” he said.  “So, being in such close quarters with one is a lot for me… and this,” he said, sighing.  “This is something all together on its own unusual for me,” he admitted, his face reddening a bit beneath his beard.  

He could not help but smile as well when he noticed her smile.  “Dancing?” he said, the idea sounding interesting to him.  He had never spent much time enjoying frivolities in life - perhaps this would be the time for him to start.  “You wouldn’t have to make me,” he said.  “I think I could handle it willingly,” he said.  

When Kirika swam away from him, grabbing soap and offering to wash his back, he froze momentarily.  “Um,” he said, unsure how to answer the proposition.  He chuckled at her promise not to bite.  “I shift into a bear, biting doesn’t bother me,” he said, playfully, though his cheeks reddened when he realized what connotations could be behind what he said.  “I mean,” he said, sputtering slightly.  “I didn’t mean it like that,” he added with a laugh.  “If it would please you, then by all means,” he said, internally looking forward to the experience, but making an effort not to seem too excited as he did not want to make her feel uncomfortable.  “Do you want help with yours?” he asked, innocently.  It was clear that he meant nothing other than assisting her, and was trying to politely return the favor that he was receiving from her.

Kirika chuckled softly and gave him an innocent smile. “It’s not disrespecting me if I don’t think it is.” She reached up and gently patted his head. “I don’t have experience with no one outside of my family. We’re in the same boat it would seem. I’ve only ever talked to one male my entire life. That was my cousin Ash.” She could see his face reddening while she was so calm about it all. Was Arri really that different from everywhere?

It appeared her smile was contagious as he smiled with her. “Good! Dancing is always better if I don’t have to drag dead weight. Ash taught me a lot of dances! He spent a good amount of time in Abed. Mostly he was trying to get people to come back to the thought of gods. Not many people over here like that but he’s always had that nature to him. He was trained to be a paladin of course.” She looked up to her cousin Ash. “However, he can be an idiot.” That much was for sure.

When she came back to wash his back she was persistent. It was really the only way to get Bryar to go along with things it seemed. She blushed a bit at his words before they both laughed together. “It would.” She answered him as she moved around and washed his back. There was dirt, after all the ship hadn’t been the cleanest but it got them where they needed to go.

Her touches were light but she washed him as she was washed as a child. However, this time around there wasn’t a dozen or so children in the same pool of water. She chuckled at the memory. “Alright, I think I got everything.” She nodded at his question. “If you would.” She picked her hair up and moved it over her shoulder so he could wash her back.

“Abed is already so pretty isn’t it?”

Bryar paid more attention than necessary to her hand patting the top of his head.  It seemed that the two came from entirely different worlds, and the things that he found uncomfortable and foreign to him were not to her.  She seemed entirely comfortable being only inches away from him while they were both completely unclothed.  He kept his eyes on her face, fighting the urge to trail down to gaze on the silhouette that he could just barely see the outline of through the murky water.

He chuckled when Kirika brought up her cousin, imagining Kirika dancing - picturing her hair swaying with each movement.  The thought brought a smile to his lips again.  “Let me tell you a secret, Kirika,” he said, leaning a bit closer to her.  “Most men are idiots,” he said, giving her a grin.  

He reluctantly allowed her access to his back, his eyes closing when her hands met his skin coupled with the soap, washing off the dirt that had accumulated on their journey.  He fought back the urge to let out a contented sigh, instead tilting his head back slightly.  It was clear that he enjoyed not only the contact from Kirika, specifically when she leaned her body up against his back to reach his shoulders, but also the feeling of getting clean after such a long time without it.

When she positioned herself so he could return the favor and pulled her hair away from her back, he gazed at her for a moment, caught in a reverie that he could not quite shake.  He retrieved the soap, and lathered up his hands, starting at the nape of her neck, his hands gently working the lather into her skin.  His fingertips lingered over her shoulder blades and down the sides of her back, so much so that they were now trailing down her sides rather than her back.  He still worked the later into washing off the grime from their journey, but there was something different to his touch other than just wanting to wash her.

Nothing he did was out of disrespect, but his hands felt drawn to Kirika.  “Yes, it is beautiful,” he said, in response to her question about Abed being pretty - but he was not necessarily thinking of the city, but rather the sight before him. He took a step closer to her to get a better angle, at which point his hands slipped in the soap and caressed down her hipbones.  He pulled his hand back quickly, stepping backwards in the water with a bit of a splash, his cheeks reddening quite noticeably.  “Forgive me,” he said, in indication of his accidental touch, looking away from her with a shamed look in his eyes.