Kirika giggled softly at his words as he hugged her tight against his body. “We can talk about it more in the morning.” She reassured him as she watched him drift into a sleepy state.” She pulled the blankets up onto them and snuggled her forehead into his neck after he kissed it.

“After Abed? I heard there’s a place where it’s Autumn all the time. I would love to go there.” She said with as much sleep in her voice as he had. “There’s a lake… and it is beautiful. I’ve seen paintings,” a soft yawn left her lips as she thought about it.

Sleep came quickly after that and she found herself in a restful dream, happiness. She was sure that’s what it was. In the morning she got up and pulled her dress on. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Time to wake up, we don’t want to sleep the day away Bryar. You have a lot to show me.” She chuckled a bit.

She had a look go across her face for a moment. “There’s going to be a meeting. Angela just sent a message. Apparently it has to do with you. She says finish our trip to Abed and then we will meet somewhere here… Apparently they are all traveling out this way…” What could they want with Bryar?

He drifted peacefully off to sleep with Kirika’s voice in his ears, dreaming pleasant thoughts of the two of them together for quite some time.  When morning came, he awoke to her voice and her lips brushing his cheek, a smile still plastered on his mouth.  “Good morning,” he said, softly, though he frowned slightly when he saw that she had already gotten dressed.  “The day is long - come back to bed and I’ll show you even more things than you are expecting,” he said slyly, reaching out to grab her to pull her back into the bed with him.

He stopped mid-grab when he saw the look cross her face.  He sat up in the bed, the bed sheets sliding down to his waist.  “Is everything okay?” he asked immediately, though his question was answered when she continued speaking.  The name Angela seemed familiar to him, but it did not click at first, until he realized that she spoke of one of the Triune - so nonchalantly, he assumed that it would be another member of her family in some way or another.

“Should I be worried?” he asked, his voice concerned.  Though, in his eyes, he and Kirika had done nothing wrong, he could not be so easily convinced that Lily wasn’t sending the other court queens to make him answer for his wrong-doings - perhaps she had not intended for this to be the result of his and Kirika traveling together, and she was now upset and sending the Triune Goddess to do her bidding?  “What should I do?  Do I need to do anything?” he asked, climbing out of the bed and searching for his clothing.  He pulled his pants on quickly, not bothering with the shirt at the moment.  “I am sorry, Kirika, if I have done something to get you in trouble,” he said, his cheeks reddening and looking down at the floor.

She chuckled at Bryar. “You have a silver tongue in the morning.” She kissed his lips softly and was almost tempted by it. They did had a lot of stamina for supernatural beings that much was certain and she most certainly was not complaining. 

The look that crossed her face made her even more sad as she watched Bryar react to her. “I’m not sure.” It was the only thing she could muster as she thought everything through. This had been what Lily wanted, that much was certain. So why the calling? Why were they going to meet in Abed of all places? Just what did they want with Bryar?

“I don’t know.” It was a vague answer to a complex situation. “You are fine.” She smiled at him and shook her head. “I’ll protect you. This would be the only time I could do such a thing for you.” Kirika climbed out of the bed and wrapped herself around him. “I don’t think you did anything wrong. You might have done everything right. We won’t know until we meet with them. They should be here by now if they go by Angela’s gates…”

She sighed a bit. “They will probably be in the dancing section if I know them… The bathhouse is another option. We won’t know until they tell us. I don’t know if they would even subject you to such torture.” Kirika looked down at her less than busty body knowing that compared to them, she was rather plain, at least she thought so. “Just be prepared for anything. Toya is nuts.”

“If this is the one time that you must protect me, I fear around the women of your family it is probably most necessary,” he said, with a bit of a laugh even though the situation did not seem to be one that called for laughter.  He felt worried - but Kirika telling him that he would be fine made him feel a bit better.  When she climbed out of the bed and wrapped her arms around him, he could not help but smile.  “What we have done certainly does not feel wrong… and I have kept you safe for the time we have been gone,” he said.  Truthfully, they had not been out of Sularia for very long, but Kirika was still in one piece and no one had attempted to harm her.

“The dancing section?” he said, visibly and nervously swallowing.  “You did say that you wanted to dance with me,” he said, cocking an eyebrow at her.  “Though I think that this would hardly be the time for it.  And I do not know if another trip to the bathhouse would be such a good idea, with your family there… I don’t know if I would be able to help myself,” he said, his eyes scanning her form up and down.

He could see that she was eyeing her own body self consciously.  He turned her around so she was facing him, and ran his hands down her sides and up along her chest, lingering slightly, before cupping her face and turning it up towards him.  “You are beautiful, Kirika,” he said, and leaned down to kiss her briefly.  With a quick laugh, he realized something.  “You know, meeting with your family is going to put a damper on you seeing me shift,” he added teasingly, though he had every intention of making sure that she would be able to experience seeing it sooner than later.

“They are quite fearsome.” Kirika gave him a nod and smile. “Though they will be on their best behavior. I have a feeling Angela chose this spot because Parvpora makes her weaker. I don’t think she wants to intimidate you. If she wanted to, we would know it. She’s not one to play around with her family if she thought they were in danger. That is the one thing I respect most about her.”

Toya on the other hand made Kirika shiver. She was the less stable of all the queens and had more than once been tied to a bed for treatment. She wasn’t sure of the story but she was sure it was bad since Angela was her primary care. “We could still dance, afterwards though. I’m not sure how long this meeting will take. I’ve never been to one before though I’ve heard Toya stalemates it everyone once in a while… Angela and her get into a death stare match until Toya gives in. Being immortal has made Angela quite the patient one.”

After her slight self conscious moment Kirika never felt more beautiful than when Bryar had told her so. She blushed gently and kissed him back as she took hold of his hands. “I can see you shift whenever I want. It is just as important as meeting them, I promise.”

After they finished dressing they walked into the dancing section of Abed. It took no time at all to spot the four queens though something seemed awkward. Toya was tied up and gagged hanging from a vine while the other three chatted. Cathrine with her long snow white hair, she looked oddly like Angela in ways, though it did not surprise Kirika. Lily who shined bright like gold in the sun, with her golden hair and sun-kissed skin. Angela, the renowned beauty of the conclave, with her red curls. Then there was Toya, she looked oddly plain as she struggled in her bindings. She had long brown hair and sun-kissed skin.

Shots of fire left her lips as Toya got the bindings undone. “I said I didn’t want no part of this.”

“Any. It’s any part in this,” Angela corrected her. “You very well are in fact a part of this. IF you don’t like it, I can tell Grandmother?”

Toya froze and made a stubborn face. “I hate you…”

“Hate is a strong word Aunt Toya,” Kirika clung to Bryar as they closed in. They got smiles from everyone but Toya.

“Hate is well deserved for the old hag.” Toya spit in Angela’s direction before Angela could slap her. 

“Manners Toya please. We’re civilized beings not animals.” Angela gave Bryar a smile. “Welcome Bryar, we all know about you, after all we did pick you out for our Kirika. Though Lily made all the arrangements.”

It comforted Bryar some to hear the way the Kirika described Angela.  Knowing that she was a Triune goddess gave him a bit of fear, but she made a good point - the gods were weaker in Parvpora, and if she wanted to exert her power over Bryar in a menacing way they would have summoned the pair back to Canelux, where she would be at full strength.  This, in a way, made him worry less, and he gave her a slight nod.  “I can see what you mean, and that does offer a bit of peace, doesn’t it?” he said, giving her a bit of a smile.

“We will dance,” he assured her, giving her a quick twirl to prove his point.  “Perhaps this is a meeting for a good reason, and not a negative, and it won’t take overly long?” he said, hopefully.  It was apparent in his voice, however, that he understood how complex some things became with Rosenites and he was not expecting much in terms of the meeting’s length being short.  “I look forward to meeting more of your family, regardless of the circumstances,” he said.  “For if they are important to you, then they are just as important to me,” he added, squeezing her slightly.

He gave her a quick wink when she mentioned being able to see him change another time, and as he did so his eyes flashed from their deep chocolate brown color to a golden hue - the color that they took on during his change - before going back.  “It will happen eventually - but yes, this meeting must be of great importance,” he agreed.

He followed Kirika to the dancing district of the sacred city in which they resided, and could tell immediately when they had reached the area in which the queens awaited them.  His concern skyrocketed when he saw one of them dangling from a vine, bound and gagged.  He worried a bit more at this, his hand instinctively holding Kirika closer to him.  Throughout his worry, however, he could not help but take in the beauty of the Rosenites that stood before them.

Bryar stood idly by Kirika as the queens conversed, not really sure what he should do or say.  It seemed that there was some tension and animosity between them, and he surely hoped that it was not due to him.  The smile that Angela gave him, however, reassured him slightly, though her words about picking him for Kirika confused him a bit.  The bit about Lily making the arrangements made sense, but the rest was a bit… befuddling.

“Forgive me,” he said, bowing his head respectfully.  “But what do you mean by ‘picked me’?” he asked, his glance looking to Kirika for a bit of an explanation, though he was unsure if she would be able to give him one.  “I know that Lily wanted me to protect her in the world, but I am getting the sense that there is an alterior motive?” he asked, in his best attempt to not come across offensively.

Cathrine’s voice invaded Bryar’s mind. “I wouldn’t be too worried about Toya. She is like that everyday. I can feel your concern about it.” Her lips formed a smile once more. “Toya is just that annoying little sister who is spoiled rotten and does whatever she pleases. She is good folk though once she warms up to you. We had to force her out here.”

The queens froze up at the words and Toya started to laugh. “No one told them? No one?” Angela punched Toya in the gut and the youngest fell to the floor.

“It wasn’t time to tell them. Not everyone gets knocked up in one night and married the next like you Toya. We were letting them get to know each other,” Angela’s words made Toya growl but the White Queen let it go as if she couldn’t argue the point. “We were looking for a suitor for Kirika. Someone that knows the world is dangerous and can take care of her. Our hopes were that you would two would be compatible.”

Kirika’s lips didn’t move, it didn’t really shock her. “So I can make my own decisions correct? You aren’t going to force these things on me?”

“You misunderstand, it was your decision with Bryar was it not? You had the keys to the situation this whole time. We just took the time to profile people to find Bryar.” Lily answered gentle.

“In other words and fancy talk, we found you someone we knew you would most likely like and he you.” Toya stood up and brushed herself off. “It isn’t easy being a new queen and ruling by yourself. It’s not that we think you can’t do it. It’s the exact opposite, you do it too well. You put all the strain on yourself and have no one you can relate to. So we found someone who you could confide in. If it wasn’t for Blaine I wouldn’t be able to be stable long enough to make decisions.”

Kirika’s eyes softened a bit and  she gave a smile. “So what you’re saying is?”

“We want you two to get married and Bryar act as the Consort of the Queen.” Cathrine chimed in, her voice floated through their heads. “Most of us were raised for the role and we have found that we wished we had someone to share it with when it gets rough. Not many of us have others. I don’t. Lily certainly doesn’t. Angela is in her own little land… and Toya, well Toya needs Blaine like you need Bryar. Except you are not a psychotic lunatic.”

Toya made a face. “I’m not psychotic. I think I’m just fine.”

“You skydived off a dragon to land on a pegasus to take it down. I don’t classify that as fine Toya,” Angela snapped and sighed. “What Cathrine said is true. It really does take two so one doesn’t lose sanity. We’re the first line of defense for when things go wrong in Sularia. Our people are not easy to deal with.”

Bryar found himself mildly alarmed at the fact that Catherine was able to invade his mind, but brushed it off after a moment.  Telepathy was nothing new to him, but it always seemed to make him feel mildly uncomfortable whenever he was around it.  He nodded at Catherine in understanding.  He found himself even further startled when Angela landed a punch to Toya’s torso, knocking her to the floor.  His instinct told him to help her out, but he stayed where he was and did not move, curious to see where this discussion was heading.  

He listened to Angela’s further explanation as to why the two had not been informed of such things.  “I was most certainly of the understanding that my duty was to protect Kirika by any means necessary - I just did not know that this is what you had in mind,” he said.  He cheeks reddened - he was certain that the queens were well aware of the events that had taken place between himself and Kirika - but what shocked him even further was the fact that they did not seem to care - it was almost as if that was what they had wanted to happen.

He quieted once more when Kirika began to speak.  She did not seem to be surprised at the situation, which actually surprised Bryar even further.  He was glad to hear that Kirika had not felt pressured into the situation in which they had gotten, but the next bit of conversation threw him off kilter a bit.  The queens wanted them to marry?  They wanted him to act as her Consort at court?  It was nothing that he had imagined would be happening.  Of course, he would be willing to take on whatever role was required of him, especially if it meant keeping Kirika safe.

He turned to face her, his eyes lit up with the prospect, though he said nothing, only waiting for her to speak to him first.

Lily noticed Cathrine’s concentration. “You don’t know do you? Cathrine is a mute. We’re sorry for the way she has to communicate.” She decided to inform him as the situation with Angela and Toya escalated. “I also wouldn’t help Toya. She gets herself into these messes all the time.”

“We do things in secret all the time Bryar. Hell, I think think that’s how Angela gets most of her daughters married off.” Toya responded with a laugh. “Mine just show up with them. My husband is currently crying over the situation with our twin daughters. He is a werewolf. Strong and protective of his pack, but his girls are huge daddy’s girls and he can’t stand to see them grow up.”

Kirika coughed as if interrupting them. “I will take Bryar on as my husband if that’s what he wants, but only if that’s what he wants. I don’t plan on having a loveless marriage just to soothe your fears. Please respect that.” She was strong while talking to the other queens as if she had done it many times in the past.

“Straight forward as always, our intention was never to force it. We just let it happen and it happened a lot faster than we had intended. Though it is for the better, I promise. The Black Court needs all the support it can get. We believe that Bryar might be what the Black Court needs.”

“So you did pick him out for other reasons.”

“Indeed, the Black Court doesn’t have all of the bad people out yet. We need to find them and deal with them. Someone like Bryar is needed for that. We aren’t exactly quiet when dealing with these situations and we need them to be as quiet as possible.” Angela took a sigh and looked at Bryar. “Will you marry Kirika and serve as Consort?”

“That explains much,” he said to Lily, bowing his head graciously in thanks for the explanation.  “I thought it best to keep my nose out of that mess,” he added as Lily seemed to have noticed that he was contemplating assisting Toya.  “I would end up flat on my back with a black eye, I think,” he said with a soft chuckle.  When Toya explained that doing things in secret was not uncommon for the Rosenites, he nodded.  He felt pleased by the fact that Toya mentioned her husband was a shifter as well.  “I’ve always envied the strength of werewolves,” he said.  “Being a shifter without a pack has always left me at a disadvantage,” he admitted.

When Kirika stated that she would take him on as a husband if that was what he wanted, he could not help but to smile.  The thought of a loveless marriage was terrifying, but he knew that would not be the case with he and Kirika.  “Is it truly what you want?” he asked her quietly, taking her hand into his own. He looked into her eyes for some kind of reassurance.  

He listened to the rest of the conversation, remaining silent until Angela addressed him.  He held Kirika’s hand in his own still, and nodded to Angela.  “If Kiriak wants this, then it shall be done.  I care for her with every ounce of my being, and wish nothing more than for her to succeed where she must.  It would be a great honor to be by her side while she reigns over the Black Court,” he said.  “I would be more than willing to do whatever is asked of me in order to maintain peace and order,” he added.  He looked at Kirika, and smiled softly.  “And my heart shall be yours to command as well, if you so desire,” he said to her, raising the back of her palm to his lips in a chaste kiss.