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The woven ring is gone.
“Novaaaaaa! QuiIIIiil!!”
“What? What? What is it?” comes Quill’s voice.
“Lucius?” Nova asks.
“My ring is gone!?”
“... Lucius.”
“How many rings do you have? Are you - ”
“It’s my wedding ring!”
“What?”
“What - oh, Fayeth. You know, the string and rope one?” Nova adds to Quill.
“You still had that? How the hell did that survive -” Quill waves a wing as if to encompass Starbane - Zarkeera - Hadar - Etcetera.
“I used mending, of course. It was very simple.”
“But now it’s missing?” Quill asks.
“Yes!”
“Well, that shouldn’t be too hard to find,” Nova says, “if we set up a system tracing back your steps and organize a grid -”
“Or we could just cast ‘find object’,” Quill says.
“... or we could just do that.”
“Oh, thank you,” Lucius says, “ I knew you would think of what to do.”
They find the ring in the Captain’s ready room
“Lucius,” Nova starts, as Lucius starts to secure the ring back around his finger with mending. “Maybe you should consider putting this in a more… secure, setting. Maybe some sort of magic, or crystal, could encase this, or - ooh! Maybe -”
He quickly gets lost in Nova’s discussion of magitech. Edea would probably understand.
“ - another ring?”
“Sorry?”
“Were you thinking about another ring? For Aridan, maybe?” Nova has a teasing grin on her face, and she makes a ‘finger in a ring’ gesture that he had since learned meant something much more lewd.
He can feel the tips of his ears flushing with embarrassment. “Oh, well, yes, I won’t be making that gesture again, hahah.” The laughter that comes out is a bit forced, and Nova drops her teasing grin. “I think I shall focus on this ring for now, I don’t know if…” he trails off more quietly.
“Of course Aridan would understand.” Nova starts, putting a hand on his shoulder.
That’s not what he’s most worried about, though. He’s worried about what Fayeth would think, how she would feel. He’s given her so much less of his time, given so much less to their partnership than he wanted - would she think he was giving that up altogether?
‘You don’t owe me anything, Lucius.’
He should have found the words to explain it better, that - that he didn’t think it was about owing. That he wanted to give more to their partnership, not just because he was grateful for the wisdom and comfort she’d given him, but because - because he wanted to.
Does she know? Does she know how important it was that she was safe? Does she know how she had been a lifeline to him, back to Aerois?
(She knows. She knows how much she’s given you. She’s letting you down gently. She knows you’re not good enough, she knows she doesn’t need you anymore. She’ll be glad to be rid of you, glad for you to run off with a Prince until he gets sick of you leaning on him too, always picking you up, you’re -)
Shut up. He tells the voice in his head.
He - well, he knows something of what it feels like to think you’re lesser, abandoned. He never wants her to feel that way because - because to him, she never is, never could be.
“Aridan knows Fayeth. And he knows you.” Nova smiles at him, and squeezes his shoulder. “Everyone who loves us… they know we have other people, other bonds in our life that matter, just like they have in theirs. Like - like Thalia - she understands about my bond with Tiangong. Tiangong before and… Tiangong.”
“Ah. Yes.”
“Oh, Lucius.” Nova says.
“Yes. Well. You understand.” He tries to put thoughts of Nightfrost from his mind. “Anyway,”
Nova still looks at him, a little sadly.
Lucius looks away, down at the ring.
It has been - too long, since he’s talked to Fayeth.
“I should - find time to stop by the palace. And talk.”
“I think that’s a great idea.” Nova says, smiling.
---
“Fayeth!” he starts, with a tone of forced surprise, like he hasn’t come to find her specifically in the small visiting room she’s been using to coordinate refugee efforts, during one of the times when she would be there and not out in the city meeting with people in their residences.
“Lucius!” Fayeth looks up from a pile of papers in genuine surprise, and smiles at him. “How are you?”
“I’m well, I’m well,” he fidgets, rotating his ring around his finger. “How are you?”
“Oh, I’m good. Busy! A lot of information coming in from the messenger’s guild,” she holds up a sheaf of paper, and he sees the ring still on her finger, “and people who want to know if it’s safe to go back to their old homes, so there’s a lot of information to find.”
“That sounds like quite a lot of work.”
“Well, yes, I suppose so - I’m meant to be in the office a while longer, but I was actually going to head to the messenger’s tower and check on any updates.” She looks at him, the hand with the unbroken ring set atop a pile of papers. “You’re welcome to come along, if you’d like.”
“The messenger’s tower, of course, I,” he’s panicking and he’s not entirely sure why. He fiddles with the ring on his own finger. “I’m actually going to talk with Prince Aridan, but I wanted to come and - and check in on you first. Say hello.”
“Of course! Well, I should head out, then…” she says, making her way past him towards the door.
It’s only after a few moments standing in the office, alone, that he realizes that maybe he should go talk to Aridan after all.
---
“Sky Pr - Aridan?”
Lucius stands up - old habits - when Aridan steps out and joins him in the waiting room.
“Lucius, this is a pleasant surprise - I hope I haven’t forgotten some plans?”
“Oh - no, no, I was just - ah - nearby and thought - well, no, I suppose you’re busy.”
Aridan smiles. “I have some time. Would you like to join me in the courtyard?”
“That - would be nice.”
Malachai soars outside with them, settling on a pillar above Aridan.
They exchange a few pleasantries before Aridan asks, “Was there something in particular on your mind, Lucius? Forgive me, but you look like something might be troubling you.”
“Troubling? No. But… well, I suppose there is something I’ve been thinking about.” He looks at Aridan. “Us - this - it means a great deal to me. You mean a great deal to me. I hope you know that.”
Aridan nods.
“There’s also - someone. A - committed friend? A platonic partner. And I don’t want h - them to feel like I’m - I’m caring less about them, if I - if we choose to - but I also don’t know how you feel about that, or even if -” if she cares the same.
“Lucius,” Aridan smiles, putting a hand over his, gently stilling his spiraling worry, “I know. I know Fayeth, remember?”
“Yes! Yes, of course. Right.”
“Also,” He reaches towards Lucius’s hand, “I know that you have many people who you’ve chosen to be part of your heart.” He taps gently on the braided ring, then taps the messenger ring as well. “Nova, Qillek, Sentry, Aila - you chose all of them. And they chose you as family.” He gestures to the tartan Lucius tucked as a pocket handkerchief. Lucius’s gaze also lingers on the gauntlet, his sister’s gift. Family who he was born to, but who chose him as well. “And I know you’ll continue to choose to have them be a part of your heart. Just as you’ll choose Fayeth. And,” he continues. “I love that about you. I love your generosity of heart. I love how that’s grown as a part of you. I’d never want that to change.”
“So… this is… this is okay.”
“This is more than okay.” He leans forward, takes both of Lucius’s hands. “I love you. I love having a place in your big heart, and you have a place in mine. I’m the Prince of Gusthaven, and you’re the Captain of the Stormchaser. I’ve known this for … a while now.” He smiles and squeezes Lucius’s hands, then sits back.
He doesn’t know quite how to say that Aridan was born to be the Prince of Gusthaven, but Lucius had chosen to be Captain of the Stormchaser.
Even if, well, he’d been able to be captain because he’d been able to buy the airship, because he’d been born with money. But Fayeth had said that wasn’t what made him the Captain.
“Well, I suppose,” he gestures towards the delicate silver crown on Aridan’s head. “You have a whole city of people to carry. Though of course that’s not the same as going out and buying a ring.” Or making one, or having a tartan woven.
“No.” Aridan considers, then lets out a long breath. “Sometimes the choices we have are … not about what we find, but about what we don’t run away from. But,” he looks at Lucius. “Sometimes they are about what we find. Or who.” He says, smiling.
Lucius looks down at the gauntlet. “Edea didn’t choose to have me for a brother. But she did choose to support me,” he says. “And I’m grateful for that. As I know Gusthaven is grateful for you. I don’t claim to understand, but…”
With a soft, almost silent flutter of wings, Malachai lands on Lucius’s shoulder.
“I’m grateful that I don’t have to be the Prince with you.”
“My Lord!” Lucius says, teasingly, with a tip of his head, he doesn’t bow fully so as not to dislodge Malachai from his shoulder.
Aridan just chuckles, “I keep telling you…” he shakes his head and smiles. “I’m grateful we’ve found our way here,” Aridan says. “And for all of the wonderful people you’ve found, and who have chosen you. Especially Fayeth,” he says, looking at Lucius’s woven ring.
“Oh, I’m so glad. And grateful! Grateful too. I’m glad you have been friends with Fayeth,”
“I was very glad she stayed. She’s very wise, and a great help, and also - perhaps selfishly, I was grateful to have someone else who cared for you, as we waited.”
“And now I’m back.”
“And now you’re back.” Aridan smiles, and squeezes his hand.
They sit for a few moments in silence.
“If she would be interested,” Aridan starts, “in a formal position as an advisor - I would be glad to have her. Though I would value her advice regardless of a title. I am glad to have gained her as a friend, even in such circumstances, and I hope for that to remain.”
“That sounds lovely,” Lucius says. “You should tell her.”
“I will… I think you should talk to her, as well.”
“Oh! Well, I just spoke to her, actually.”
Aridan smiles. “I meant… talk to her about this. As it is still troubling you, and as it concerns her most of all.”
When he doesn’t say anything, Aridan continues. “Sometimes… the things that are most important to us are the most difficult to talk about. But I find speaking of them is the only way to clear away our own insecurities.”
He lets out a breath of laughter. “I think… you know me quite well.”
Aridan smiles, something weighted with memory. “And Fayeth does also.”
---
“This is lovely,” Lucius says.
Fayeth smiles, looking around at the rooftop garden. “It’s one of my favorite spots - sometimes I can bring a lunch up here when I’m between meetings.”
“You helped out the family who lives in the house, I heard?”
“Yes, they are very kind.” She takes a pastry from Lucius. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“I - I wanted to ask you. About …”
She looks at him as he trails away.
If he doesn’t speak to the truth of what he wants to ask - the heart of the matter, as it were …
No, he needs to speak now. “You told me that if I found no other happiness, I could always come to you, and you would do what you could to help.” He squeezes her hands. “I need you to know that what I said was true - to have you in my life, to have you as my friend and my partner to turn to for help and to help in turn - that is what I need. With all the happiness in the world - I would still want to have you in my life,” he says. “But only if that’s what you want, too.”
“I -” She looks at him, “I would - yes, I would like that very much. But Lucius - I meant it, you don’t owe me anything. I wouldn’t want you to stay bound by a gesture you made out of - sympathy and kindness.”
“I made an agreement - a partnership - and yes, it may have been a bit impulsive, and I wanted to help - I still do - but I didn’t - I wouldn’t - expect anything in return, any more than I’d expect it from any other kindness to a friend.” He takes her hands. “You’ve already done so much to support me, and I wouldn’t be here without it. And now you’ve done so much to support others, you have so many ties - you’ve done so much beyond the Stormchaser. So…. I appreciate your friendship and partnership, and I always will. But I wouldn’t want you to - to feel there was an expectation further, to stay bound by any - any feeling of obligation in return for that favor.”
Fayeth shakes her head slightly, thinking. “So… I don’t want you to feel obligated to me, and you don’t want me to feel obligated to you. But you - you still want to be - friends, of course, and - partners?”
“Yes. Very much.”
“Yes. That -” she ducks her head slightly. “That makes me very happy.”
Lucius’s heart leaps. “Yes! Good! Well then,” he says briskly, before he starts something silly like crying on her shoulder. “That’s very straightforward, no debts or obligations, just something that - something that makes us both - happy.” He’s only choked up a little bit.
She reaches out towards his hand, and he takes her hand, thumb brushing over her ring.
They sit like that together, silently, for a few moments.
“I -” he almost stops himself from mentioning it, it feels for a moment very small and silly of him to say. Fayeth looks at him, and - no, it’s not small or silly, it’s important. “I lost my ring, a few days ago - it had frayed off. Nova and Quill helped me find it, of course, and I was able to mend it, but it got me thinking…”
She looks down, paying closer attention to his hand and the ring. “You mended it with magic?”
“Oh - yes. I have been. Is that alright?”
She ducks her head and smiles. “I was a little surprised it had survived this long, but - I guess that explains it. It’s very sweet of you - and it was sweet of Nova and Quill to help you find it.”
“Yes - they do remember so many useful spells.”
“I’ve only repaired mine a couple of times, and not with magic. But not all of us are going off and fighting gods,” she says, fondly teasing. When he looks more closely at her ring, he can see a few new threads tying frayed pieces together. “And I’m not … well, I’m not as much of a fighter as the rest of the pack, so I haven’t had to remake it, or anything -”
“Is that something - something that’s usually done? Remaking them?”
“Oh yes. With all the sorts of thing that the pack usually gets into, it’s perfectly normal. We’re just making them from bits of string that we already have, from other things that are already a part of our lives, you know? So it’s easy for them to fall apart. Some people like to - I don’t know, exactly, but - patching up or re-making a set of rings it’s like - another commitment celebration.”
Something about that appeals to him, the idea of an active demonstration, an active choice that a relationship would continue to be held important, through whatever came to face it. “That’s lovely,” he says, which is quite an understatement, but he’s not quite sure how to say the rest.
“It’s just a beastwalker tradition, really. There are much fancier things in the cities - certainly the sky cities. And the palace.” She twists the ring on her finger. “I doubt anyone there pays any attention to it.”
“Well, I pay attention to it,” he says, setting his hand on the table next to hers, with its matching ring. “I don’t think there’s any ‘just’ to it, any more than Aila’s tartan is ‘just’ a wild elf tradition. The beastwalkers are important. The wolfpack are my friends - you are all important to me.” He takes her hand. “ You are important to me. Your traditions are a part of my life, and I think I’m definitely a part of this tradition.”
“I…” She looks down, and smiles, “yes, you certainly are.”
“And I don’t know about anyone else in the palace, but I know that Aridan pays attention. He’s the prince of everyone on Gusthaven, after all, not just the High Elves. And I know he thinks of you as a friend, so of course he cares.”
“I’m glad to have him as a friend.”
“I know he understands. I was just talking with him the other day, actually.”
“Oh?”
“This is - this is alright, isn’t it?”
“What - oh, Lucius. Of course. I never wanted any of that, and I couldn’t - of course. It was very kind of you to take this, and it’s very sweet that you’ve kept it. It helped me a lot. And I’m glad you still want to be friends, and partners.” She smiles. “I can be all that and be happy you found someone you want to be - romantic partners with. Prince Aridan is a good man.”
“I just - I don’t want it to ever feel like I’m - like I’m not valuing this . Because I do value this. Very much.”
“I - no, it doesn’t feel that way.”
“Promise me you’ll tell me if it does?”
She looks at him, doubting, for a moment, then “Alright, I promise,” she says. “It - it does help, to have talked about it.”
It really does. It was such a simple conversation, somehow, after all his fretting. “That’s - good,” he says, twisting the ring around his finger as his mind rushes to something else he’s fretting about. “I - I’m thinking about asking him to marry me. But is it too soon? It just seems right, but - it must be too soon? Or is it?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never wanted that with anyone.” Fayeth shrugs, with a hint of nervousness.
“Oh, I know,” he says offhandedly - they have talked about it, of course. “And that’s alright, of course.” Fayeth relaxes. “I think I … well, I don’t think I wanted that with anyone until .... I don’t think I knew I didn’t want that with anyone until I ... I mean,” he gives a rather forced giggle.
“You know, as I’ve gotten to know more people, here in Gusthaven, I’ve met more people like me. Who don’t want that. And I think I might have met people like you - who mostly don’t want that, except sometimes, with someone they’ve had time to get to know, to get close to. Or someones, I guess.”
“Well, I’ve known Aridan for quite some time, of course. But there are plenty of other people I’m close to.” He looks at Fayeth.
“Oh, of course. I mean, it wouldn’t be everyone you’re close to, it’s just - sometimes that’s what makes things click.” She shakes her head slightly. “I’m the wrong person to ask. I’m sure there are better people in Gusthaven to talk to.”
“No, no, this helps a great deal! I always assumed that whoever I would marry would be someone the family suggested, and that it would just… work out, like mother and father. I’ve never really thought about… I don’t … well, I didn’t really know what I was feeling, because I didn’t… expect … I mean, Sky Prince Aridan is the Prince, there can’t be anything bad said about that, but he is the Prince, I mean, not… well. So. I don’t really know. I don’t really know what I’m doing!” He says, with a slightly alarmed laugh.
Fayeth smiles. “Well, Aridan is a good man. And he cares a lot about you. So I don’t think he’ll care whether you know what you’re supposed to do, as long as you’re both doing something you want.”
Lucius looks down at the rings on his hand. “Yes, I suppose you’ve had time to spend with Aridan as well, in the - well.”
“Yes,” Fayeth says. “It was … he was very kind. It helped to have someone else who was waiting for you to come back. And … I knew you would do your best to win and make it back to him.”
“And you,” Lucius says, putting his hands over hers. “And you, Fayeth. I - there were so many people I love in danger in that fight. People that I… lost.”
Fayeth turns her hands over and gently squeezes his.
“I knew you were safe on Aerois. I knew that winning meant that the people with me would be safe, and that Aerois would be safe for good. That you would. And I knew that … making it through would mean I could come back to Aerois, to Aridan and to you.” He squeezes her hands in return.
Fayeth looks at him, and he is sure she sees more than he says. Some hint of how, despite all his ties back to Aerois, it almost hadn’t been enough. He can’t quite look at her.
“It must have been hard.”
“It was. I -” But for his friends lifting him the way back … “It… it can’t have been easy. The waiting,” he says, looking back up at her. “I - I’m glad you had Aridan with you.”
“I’m glad I did too. That we had each other, I suppose,” she says, thoughtfully, “And - I’m glad you came back to us.”
“Well, it turns out, no gods could keep me away.” A little giggle bursts out of him at all the tension. “So- ah - do you like the palace?” He really hopes the answer is yes.
“Oh! Well it’s certainly quite different. Fancy, of course. And a bit - easy to get lost in. But Aridan made me feel quite welcome. I have gotten rather fond of some of his favorite corners of the place.”
“I’m very glad. He would be quite happy to have you as an advisor, you know?”
“Me?”
“Of course you! You’ve always been very wise, you give excellent advice.You’ve spent all this time helping coordinate the refugees, being a diplomat during - all of this. Prince Aridan says you’ve been a great help in these - in the final push.”
She smiles, and shakes her head a little. “I’m glad to have been a help. But… that was the war. That’s … I’m … well, I’m not from places like this.”
“Well, that sort of thing isn’t important to Aridan, he’s much too sensible for that. He knows that he can trust you, and that means a lot. But only if you want! I mean, of course the rest of the wolfpack, you wouldn’t have to just - ”
“I understand what you mean.” She smiles. “I’ll think about it. And my pack - they’ll always be my family, regardless of whether I’m with them all the time. Like you said, I’ve been here doing - well, this work, while they’ve been off with you. They’re still my family.”
“Oh, good. You’ve had time to catch up with them? At the dinner -”
“Yes, it was very kind of you to have the dinner for the whole crew. And we’ve spent time together since.” She doesn’t mention funerals.
“Yes! Of course. Maybe we should have another dinner together, to celebrate -” he gestures between them.
She smiles.
“Nova suggested setting the ring in something, but if repairing and replacing is part of the tradition…?”
“Lucius - I appreciate that you care about the Wolfpack’s traditions, I really do. But the pack… we’re not that rigid. And even if they were…” She looks at him. “You’re asking because you care about me, and I care about you. So - let’s do something that works for the two of us.” She smiles. “We’ve never quite been what our families expected, have we?”
“No, I suppose not,” he says, after a moment. “They’ll understand, won’t they? If you’re happy?”
“Of course.”
He lets out a breath of relief. “If Kamarra thought I was - insulting you, I think I’d be over the side of the Stormchaser before you could say ‘mutiny’. I still don’t think the rest of the pack forgave me for having you stay behind.”
Fayeth laughs.
“They did fight like hell to get back to you,” he says, “and so did I.”
She smiles, a little less uncertainty there.
“So did I…” he repeats quietly. “So! The rings.”
“I think,” Fayeth says, “I quite like the idea of setting this one. But maybe we could… make a new set?”
“I like that too. Ooh! I could commission some new threads, sapphire and vermillion, and gold of course -”
Fayeth smiles, letting out a huff of laughter. “You did catch the bit about threads that were already part of your life, didn’t you?”
“Gold is part of my life,” Lucius protests, and Fayeth’s gold eyes crinkle at the corners as she laughs. “But I suppose I could find some material from a jacket or vest that - perhaps has some tears.” Fighting titans and endless beings in astral space could be rather hard on fine fabrics.
There’s a dimming of her smile that makes him think they’re thinking along the same lines. “Yes, well… I don’t think any of my tunics have torn in such a - ah - dramatic fashion, but there’s always material around to find.” She looks at him, “You know, I meant it about not being that rigid to tradition - if you really want to get something new to add, that would be quite alright.”
“No, no, I like the idea of using things that have already been a part of things. Well,” he adds. “Maybe one bit of nice thread - thinking about the future, you know.”
She smiles. “Of course.”
He flushes a little. “You may have to, ah, remind me about how to go about making one of these rings.”
“Yes, I know.” She grins. “None of Howard’s moonshine, this time.”
“I think that would be best,” he says. “I would like to remember making this with you.”
She smiles. “I’d like that very much.”
---
“You wanted to talk to me, Captain?”
“Yes, Kamarra, thank you,” Lucius says, doing his best not to sound nervous or intimidated and probably failing at least a little. “There’s something I wanted to make sure the wolfpack was… aware of, before any - ah - confusion arises, and I thought it best to discuss it with you first.”
“So… this is about you and Fayeth?” Kamarra looks between the two of them.
“Ah. Yes. And, well -”
“As you know,” Fayeth says, putting a hand on Lucius’s arm, “Lucius is dating Sky Prince Aridan.”
“I figured you were alright with that, and all, given the situation and what you told me,” Kamarra says to Fayeth, and then narrows her eyes at Lucius, “Is there a problem now?”
“No! No -” Lucius starts nervously.
“You’re right, I am more than happy with that.” Fayeth says, thankfully. “The Sky Prince - Aridan - is a good friend, and - well, you know about Lucius’ and my arrangement, it’s not like that. But we have decided to continue our partnership,” she ducks her head slightly as she smiles. “And - well, Lucius wanted to make sure everything was clear before someone got it into their head that they needed to defend my honor.”
“Not a bad idea, Captain. Don’t think it would be anything to worry about, but - doesn’t hurt. Want me to get the lot together?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Fayeth, come get the lot with me? You haven’t been on the ship in a while, it’s good to see you.” Kamarra asks. Fayeth smiles and nods.
Lucius wonders what they’ll talk about. Hopefully, just catching up. Probably making sure that Fayeth really is okay with the situation, which is to Kamarra’s credit, really.
Okay, so he’s a little nervous.
He heads up to the deck as the wolfpack starts to arrive. Once they’re all gathered, Kamara stands to one side of him, Fayeth to the other, both with slightly amused smiles.
“Hello,” Lucius starts, once the wolfpack has finished gathering, “I’d like to take a moment to talk …”
The chatter and conversation continues. Kamarra looks at him, making a face.
“Wolfpack!” Lucius calls.
The wolfpack turns around and snaps to a slightly disorderly attention.
“I wanted to make sure some… ah, matters were… clear.” He looks over at Fayeth, then back at the rest of the wolfpack. “As you may know, I’ve begun dating Sky Prince Aridan, and we may be… I, er… it’s rather serious, and…”
One of the wolfpack - Shawn - points at him and then Fayeth, “Are you and Fayeth breaking up?”
“No - no - we’re still partners -”
There’s a slightly suspicious glare. “Are you going to do right by our Fayeth?”
“Yes!” Lucius says, voice rising. “Of course!”
“And I approve.” Fayeth says, clearly. “I quite like Prince Aridan.”
Lucius nods. “I know it’s ah - something of ah - hmm.”
“Don’t worry Captain,” another wolfpack member, Angie says, “we know what polyamory is.”
“Yeah we do!” says Rayne, next to her, and high fives her and Pascar.
“I mean it’s not exactly… well, you know, I hadn’t thought of that but … I suppose it’s along those lines.”
“You like this Sky Prince?” Angie asks Fayeth. “He respects you?”
“Yes,” Fayeth says. “I’ve worked with him a great deal in the refugee relocation -”
There’s some grumbling about diplomats keeping Fayeth from the pack.
“And he’s my friend.” Fayeth says, louder, “He’s always respected me, and every beastwalker he’s met.”
“And I wouldn’t dream of marrying someone who didn’t.” It takes a split second before he realizes the word that came out of his mouth. “Not that - I mean we’re not - I haven’t asked him, or -”
The wolfpack is no longer listening, already having started a ruckus. Shawn points a finger at him. “This Sky Prince, he’s going to respect you’re married to our Fayeth too, yeah? When you marry him?”
“I haven’t ask - well, I mean, yes, of course, but really I -”
The ruckus breaks into full throated cheering, full of woo’s and howls, “Captain is marrying a Prince! Prince Captain! Prince Captain!!”
“I really - I haven’t even … asked…” Kamarra just shakes her head at him. Fayeth hides laughter behind her hand and shrugs.
Well. He can clear it up later. Probably. Maybe?
“And Fayeth and I are going to have a ceremony to make new rings!” He shouts over the din. “And there will be a big party and dinner for everyone!”
The cheering gets louder, full of hollers of “FOOD!” “MORE PARTIES YEAAH!”
“And wine for everyone!!” he shouts, carried along with the jubilation.
They’re all carried away on a wave of cheers.
---
“Knock knock,” he says as he approaches Edea’s workshop.
His sister sits in a bright workshop, sun pouring in through the windows, surrounded by many odds and ends, a variety of different projects in different materials, a couple of his paintings hung on the walls in pride of place.
“Lucius,” she says, looking up, setting down a pair of clasps.
“Edea,” he says in return, and smiles, “how are you?”
She stands, gestures around her workspace. “I’m keeping well. And you?”
“Well, if you’re not too busy, I had two - projects, I thought you might be interested in helping me with. Well, sort of three.”
She returns to her seat, gesturing to one of the other seats. “What are you thinking of?”
He starts by laying out what he knows will be - for her - an easy bit of metalworking: an Etherium engagement ring, for Prince Aridan.
Edea hums. “Yes, that would be very doable. It would need to be an alloy, of course, and I’d want to consider how to make sure it’s nonreactive to intense magic, but - certainly doable.”
Lucius fidgets slightly. “It might be one of your last times working with Etherium, if the Prince takes my suggestion. Or - if you agree with it.”
She looks at him, questioning.
“I think we should stop mining Etherium. Stop - taking from Aerois. We can find other ways. But - I just figured I should, you know, check with you, whether you’re sure about -”
She shakes her head. “No, I don’t want to work with Etherium. That’s not my future. Honestly,” she says, tapping her chin, “there’s so much out there that we know about now - everything with the Stormchaser - and your friend’s - Thalia, her ship. There’s so much to learn about.” She looks at him. “I think you have the right idea, Lucius.”
He smiles, and nods. “Speaking of learning new things,” he says, “I had another request, and I’m not quite sure how you might go about doing it - it might require a bit of learning and experimentation.”
“Well,” she says with dry, wry amusement, “you certainly came to the right person. What are you looking for?”
---
The settings are perfect.
Edea’s enchanted glass wraps around their rings smoothly, adding almost no weight to them, each strand clearly visible - and yet perfectly secure, strong as steel.
Fayeth, sitting across from him, tilts her hand back and forth, marvelling, watching the light reflect off of the surface, before smiling and returning to finishing the last braids of a new ring - Lucius’s new ring.
The light also glints off Fayeth’s new ring in Lucius’s hand - he hasn’t made quite as much progress in the braiding as Fayeth, but it’s still more than halfway - and he is very glad they had chosen a gold thread to add, the way it shines and catches the light is perfect. It weaves through and complements blue and brown and orange threads from worn and damaged clothes in a way that, in his correct opinion, creates a whole that is simply stunning.
When he looks up from finishing the end of the braid, Fayeth is smiling at him. She holds out a hand with her completed braid.
“They’re beautiful.”
Her smile widens. “They are, aren’t they?”
She reaches out and takes his hand, and ties on the ring, so it sits just above the one Edea set.
“Beautiful! They look just perfect together. Here, let me -” she holds out her hand, and he takes it and carefully ties the ring on.
Fayeth looks at her hand, smiling.
“Do you like it?”
“Very much.”
“Splendid!” He looks at his own hand, tilting it back and forth, appreciating the light catching on the reflective setting and the gold thread, the harmony of colors and contrast of textures.
“Should we… go and show the others?”
“Ooh, yes, of course, I can’t wait for them to see -”
He holds out a hand and she takes it.
“I -” they both start at the same time.
Fayeth nods for hm to speak
“No, you -”
“I’m really happy,” she says in a rush, squeezing his hand.
He beams. “That’s what I was just about to say,” he says, squeezing her hand right back.
She takes a breath. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Lucius looks up. “I think it’s going to be a splendid party.”
As they step out, they’re greeted by cheers and whoops from the crowd, including howls from the wolfpack.
They’ve laid long tables on the deck of the Stormchaser to have enough room for everyone to gather and take food and drink - including champagne and wine, but as far as he can tell, none of Howard’s moonshine.
Howard himself is watery-eyed and applauding enthusiastically, Greylauno patting him on the shoulder. Sentry, next to them, is also applauding, eyes sparkling with feeling.
The Stormchasers and the rest of the crew quickly gather around the two of them. Aila claps Lucius on the back and nods approvingly while Nova gushes over the setting of their original rings. “Ooh, these are brilliant, I was wondering how Adea would manage the transparency and they’re just perfect, I’ll have to talk to her… Congratulations!” she adds, before scooting over to talk to Edea, who Lucius sees is in conversation with Thalia.
“Guess misplacing the ring worked out alright,” Quill says with a smile.
“Yes! Well, we can both be grateful for your locating spell.”
An excited “Oh!” is all the warning he gets before Sentry sweeps him and Fayeth up into a hug. “This is just - this is just wonderful.”
“Thank you, Sentry,” Fayeth says.
“I hope you enjoy the apple crumble!” Sentry says as she sets them back down.
“I’m sure we will,” Lucius says, beaming.
Sentry joins Lookout in conversation, and then Edea appears behind them as if out of nowhere. Lucius jumps slightly.
“Sorry, force of habit.” Edea says. “I hear the settings are Nova-approved. What do you both think?”
“I think they’re perfect, thank you Edea,” Fayeth says, taking her hand and shaking it warmly.
“Absolutely perfect, dear sister. I couldn’t have dreamed it better,” Lucius says, and pulls them both into a hug.
As they make for the tables of food - he’ll have to get some of Sentry’s apple crumble before it disappears - he’s caught up in Edea and Nova’s conversation, and Fayeth walks over to Aridan, who embraces her in a warm hug.
Lucius smiles.
As he carries on through the party, he does manage to catch some of Sentry’s apple crumble, Oriya grabbing the last of it with great delight.
When he looks around he catches Fayeth’s eyes - she’s smiling, a glass of champagne in her hand, in huddled conversation with Aridan.
He makes his way over to join them as the discussion concludes, Aridan cheerfully joining Edea in conversation.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt, it looked like you were having a - ah - nice chat?”
Fayeth grins. “It’s a surprise,” she says, then her expression softens into a smile. “Don’t worry.”
“Oh, of course not,” Lucius says. “You’re having a good time? Here, were you able to get any of Sentry’s apple crumble?”
“No - thank you!” She cheerfully takes some off his proffered plate. “I think this is her best yet.”
“Yes,” he beams. “It’s very good. Are you - are you enjoying the party?”
She smiles up at him, wrapping an arm around him so they can lean against each other. “Very much. You’re right, it is splendid.”
He wraps an arm around her in turn. Amidst the other rings on his hand, their two rings sit perfectly as he rests his hand on her shoulder. He looks down at her gold eyes, and it’s the easiest thing in the world to smile. “Yes, I think it really is splendid.”