Welcome to Gaia! ::

Auren shrugged. "I am most definitely not the master of my castle. So its really Oriana's decision and hers alone."

He looked up the youth, as though judging his character. Not one to make final judgements at first bat, he would see how the man was.

"Thanks but why would you want him to stay with us? I mean, what exactly do we do all day? Sit around and shoot the breeze, really... If he got his own land, he could make his own future the way he wanted, not sit around and chill out all day with a Queen and her husband..." Auren responded.

"You can come if you want, I was just saying that its her decision to do so. Just that the onus is entirely on her to feed, water, and walk you every day." he said with an easy smile.

"If you want, this is entirely between you and her." Auren said with a shrug.

"Now let's go home. I'm exhausted from being too keyed up. I know, that's a new one for me, eh? Well, not really." he said with a weak grin.

Auren walked in right behind her.

"Nap?" he asked incredulously "Wake me up when Time decides to end." he said before ascending the stairs slowly to shower, letting the hot water rush over him as he simply soaked.

Looking in his reflection in the fogging up shower door, he was instantly reminded of his now dead wings. He was happy when they looked alive, like they should've been. Now? They looked lifeless, like limbs that needed to be amputated.

Leaning his forehead against the shower wall, he replayed the night's events in his mind and shuddered. Was he really doing the right thing? He supposed he was. He was proving where his heart lay, not where his manhood lay.

That was good, at least. But damn, he betrayed her and it struck hard and deep into him. Sighing he finished his shower, scrubbing hard as though he were covered in dirt he could not remove.

Sighing to himself, he got out of the shower eventually and dressed, eventually forming his armor around him, making sure his cloak was set, and then doing something he hadn't done in weeks.

He leaned against the wall next to Oriana's room as though he were standing guard.

Auren swallowed hard when she said that. He peeked in on her respectfully

"I'm sorry Love, I'm just in a foul mood again... Do you mind if I come in...?" he asked quietly.

Auren slipped into the room and walked to her, the armor slithering away to hide away inside him. Sitting down next to her, the Einherjar took her into his arms, offering his shoulder to her.

"To be honest, my love, I have no problems with you, its just that I feel that I betrayed your trust, broke my promises to you... So if anything, I should be saying sorry to you."

He reached up gently and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

Auren shrugged and held her tighter. "So that it may be but it doesn't change facts. What happened, happened, and I think we're both going to be miserable if we don't figure something out..."

Cupping her chin and tilting her head to look at him, he gave her a soft kiss. "I love you Oriana, regardless of what has happened tonight or afterwards..."

Auren joined her under the covers, still entirely hating himself. "Wouldn't it be 'Today' or something, Oriana?" he said softly before holding her tightly and nuzzling her, quickly crashing out.

Physical exhaustion for an Einherjar was unheard of. They were, still however, quite normal when it came to matters of the mind.

***

When Oriana would awake that evening, the smell of a feast drifted lazily up the stairs and into their bedroom.