It felt almost strange to be back at home. Though he had come back on many different trips during his stay in Lorendale, this time he planned to stay. So much had changed for him since they had left Arynn Frey on horseback together. The woman at his side had become more than just a traveling companion. Far more. The stood in view of the Dresmondi wagons, a sight that was still quite foreign to the prince and while he was happy to accept their presence here as he stood here with Kezia he couldn't help but feel...threatened by their presence. Because if anyone was going to take Kezia and Raiden away from him then it would most certainly be them.

He stood tense and staring beside her until she squeezed his ungloved hand and he looked down at her, his fingers holding her hand a little tighter in response. A small crease formed between his brows as she spoke and he swallowed with a shallow nod. They had spent every night in the same bed for months and now they were just going to...not. It felt so weird. "I guess so," he replied. "I'll, um, see you in the morning." Of course he'd see her in the morning, they always spent their mornings together but suddenly he was doubting that. "Unless you had a other plans, of course. Which is fine. I could see you in the afternoon. Or the evening. Or-" he abruptly stopping talking, ears reddening. Why was he acting so weird right now?

The look he gave her made her heart tighten. Squeezing tighter as it told her ‘this isn’t right, stay with the prince’. But he hasn’t brought up the idea of her staying with him still. And she wasn’t sure how his family would take all of it. Had he even told them? They had been an act at the time she met his siblings and she was pretty sure he had told them just that. He wasn’t just some Dresmondi she could just hop over into his wagon. He was royalty. His mother was the one who accepted the Dresmondi refugees.

His words fumbled and she couldn’t help but give him a small smile. Her full lips lifting up as her hand not wrapped in his raised to brush across his cheek. He still wanted to see her. And that’s what she cared about. “I’ll see you in the morning Sylas.” She said as she heard her name being called. Raiden at her feet perked up to see an old friend, a dog like dyr that was fairly larger than him as he danced in his feet. Barking in excitement to see the little electric dyr.

He looked up between the two, before brushing himself up against Sylas’ leg in a comforting manner before he dashed off to meet his friend. The Dresmondi who approached surely looked shocked to see such a thing, especially someone who was not Dresmondi. Noticing that Raiden had moved freely to the prince and touched him. Showing the bond that the two had made with the Arynnite.

Her brown eyes caught her friends shocked ones, which softened after a moment and opened her arms to Kezia. She glanced up at Sylas, giving his hand a final squeeze before she moved towards the woman. The two embracing in welcome before they started to move towards the wagons.

Though Kezia couldn’t help herself, she looked back towards Sylas and hesitated. She didn’t like knowing she wouldn’t be beside him tonight.

Morning. Good. It was a relief to have that confirmation from her as she brushed her fingers over his cheek. The morning didn't seem soon enough, not when they'd been spending their nights together for so long now. Raiden's brush to his legs was actually very comforting and his chest swelled with warmth at the affection he held for the two of them. He noticed the look of surprise from the other Dresmondi but didn't react to it. She didn't need to understand. Part of him wanted to hate her, as if it was her fault that he and Kezia were parting tonight. The other part was grateful for her for taking care of his Dresmondi.

He watched them walked away and stood frozen in the spot, his hand that had been holding hers clenched in a fist. It was just the night. It wasn't as if they were parting forever. So why was this so hard? He was still there when she looked back towards him and he stood a little taller as he gave her a nod. This was fine. They would be fine. He gave her a little nod and the tiniest half smile before he forced himself to turn his back to her and walk away. His spine prickled at the action and he it took more effort than it ought to as he walked away.

Back in his room it almost felt unfamiliar now. It had been a long time since he'd slept here. He tried to eat something but he really wasn't in the mood and didn't get past a few nibbles. He got ready for bed and climbed under the covers. His bed had never felt so large before. So empty. And it was cold. He had got used to Kezia's body heat beside him, even with the pillow between them. The pillow that had stopped being there eventually.

He lay on his back and turned his head towards the empty side of the bed. He frowned and moved his hand to let his fingers trail over the top of the cold, perfectly pressed pillow. He imagined her there, her curls spread out over the pillow, her body gently rising and falling while she slept. But imagining wasn’t the same as the real thing.

Watching him turn to head back to his home hurt more than she had imagined. But why? They had agreed to this hadn’t they? And it was only the night… to avoid any suspicions. But she didn’t like it, not one bit as his fall figured disappeared into the distance. She thought about running after him, but he seemed… okay. She’d stay. This was for the better. Wasn’t it?

Meals were had and they even sat around a fire and drank, exchanging stories and catching up. Though at one point, Kezia turned to where Sylas usually would have been sitting to find it empty. Her hand brushed the empty seat, Raiden brushing against her leg. ‘We could go back, go see him,’ he offered. She shook her head. “No, I’m sure he’s asleep by now. We can see him in the morning.” She told him, a soft whine leaving the genet before they’d head to the wagon. Kezia had her own spot, a hammock hung in the corner of a wagon and it was quite comfortable.

Except she hated it. She missed Sylas and the way he’d wrap around her. Even if that was something very new. She missed how the sheets smelled after he laid on them. She tossed and turned until the late of the night. Until she couldn’t take it anymore. She rolled from the hanging fabric and grabbed her coat, wrapping herself as she gathered a sleepy dyr in her arms. “Let’s go find Sylas.” She whispered to him. Which immediately perked him up as they slipped out of the wagon and into the night.

Working her way towards the area she knew that he resided in. She wasn’t sure what she’d say when she got there, but it didn’t matter. Kezia would get closer and closer to his room and did so as quietly as she could.

Sylas tried to sleep, he really did. Sleep, however, eluded him. He tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position but he knew perfectly well that comfort was not the problem. Were Kezia and Raiden safe? Arynn Frey had not been a dangerous place in a long time but he'd been living the last several months in Lorendale in which their safety had been a legitimate concern nearly all of the time. Were they warm enough? Would the people they were sharing a wagon with know that sometimes Raiden made a little chittering, clicking noise in his sleep while he dreamed or that they both felt safest when he was curled around Kezia's shoulders? Would they know how to take care of them?

But that made him uneasy too. Did he want them to know those things? And what if...well, he had learned enough about Dresmondi to know how comfortable they were with physical touch and...activities. Would someone seek that sort of thing with Kezia tonight? Would she seek it out? Perhaps tired of taking things slow with Sylas? Try as he might he could not make his mind stop racing with thoughts and he realized that sleep would never come.

It was very late now but he couldn't take it anymore. He pushed back his blankets as he rolled out of bed. He tugged on his boots quickly, hopping on one foot to avoid taking the time to sit down. He grabbed his coat and quickly tossed it on before he pulled open his bedroom in a rush. He started to hurry down the hallway, making nearly no noise as the boots had been enchanted to muffle noise. He rounded the corner at a jog but stopped nearly immediately as there, standing maybe twenty feet in front of him, were Kezia and Raiden.

He was so surprised that he couldn't think of anything to say at first, though his gaze was searching them earnestly. "What are you- Are you okay?" he asked in a whisper, voice panting slightly from adrenaline and his short jog.

The whole time she was moving towards his room she was trying to work out what she would say to him. ‘I couldn’t wait till morning’, but did that sound a little pathetic? ‘I was cold’ and that would be a lie. Though it also wasn’t. She was cold without him beside her, warming her to her bones like he did. ‘They were too loud,’ except the wagon had been silent, just the gentle breaths of those inside. Her mind had been the loudest thing.

She was still going over excuses and Raiden was filling in a few though he seemed to lean more towards the truth. But what if Sylas didn’t feel the same. What if he was sleeping peacefully? What if for the first time in months he wasn’t on edge, getting good sleep because he didn’t have to worry about her being in bed beside him? She started to slow down her pace, though Raiden leapt from her arms and moved forward. His pride pushing him on. ‘Don’t be ridiculous Kezia. Let’s go. He’s waiting on us.’ but was he?

She went to reach for him, to stop him, because this might not be a good thing. Except she made it a few more steps before he almost magically appeared. She didn’t hear his footsteps, barely heard anything. But the shape of his form was familiar. The moonlight pooling in from a window highlighted him in an angelic way. Almost forming a halo around his head. She stopped breathing when she saw him, and it wasn’t until he whispered that the two of them were released from that frozen hold.

Raiden didn’t hesitate. He bounded forward and leapt towards him, wanting to be caught in the prince’s arms. If Sylas managed to catch the flying genet, Raiden would press his head against his chest. Kezia immediately felt tears prick her eyes. “I-“ her voice sounded so loud in the empty hall of the palace. She reached up and brushed back some untamed curls, though they bounced right back into place. “I couldn’t sleep,” which was the truth. The genet chattered his teeth in praise and encouragement for her.

Her eyes flickered between Sylas and Raiden. “We couldn’t sleep,” she corrected. “… Sylas I don’t want to sleep with the Dresmondi. Not unless you are there.” A light warmth spread across her cheeks as she took a step towards him, one hand coming up to rub her other arm. “I missed you.”

Sylas didn’t hesitate for even a second as Raiden jumped into his arms. He caught the genet, wrapping his arms around him, his exposed fingers burying into the dyrs fur and even leaned down to hug him, his cheek brushing against Raiden’s fur and the feel of the dyrs cold, wet nose against his skin.

Keeping an affectionate hold on the genet he looked back to Kezia when she spoke. He let out a sigh of relief. He closed the distance between them as she took a step towards him. “I thought maybe you’d be happier back with the dresmondi but, well, I couldn’t sleep either. Not without you.” He looked from her to Raiden and back again. “I missed you both.” With one hand still holding onto the dyr, he reached the other to caress her cheek before he pulled her into a one armed hug, Raiden between them. “I don’t like being parted from you,” he told them honestly. “Stay. Here. With me. Please.”

Her breath caught in her throat as he closed the distance. But the moment he reached for her she was stepping into him. There was no hesitation from the prince and she wanted to leap into his arms like Raiden had. But they were still pretty preoccupied by the dyr. Instead she wrapped her arms around Sylas’ waist and moved in closer to him. Sandwiching Raiden between the two.

Nodding earnestly at his request. “Take us home,” she encouraged him. Her cheek nuzzling into the top of Raiden’s head as she let her fingers trail gently over Sylas’ back.

Home. Sylas had lived in this palace for his entire life but over the last few months ‘home’ had become wherever Kezia and Raiden were. That realization hit him hard as he remembered the note that Kezia had written for him. That he was their wagon. “With you, I’m always home,” he told them.

But he slipped his hand into Kezia’s, fingers interlacing with hers, and guided them back to his room. As they stepped into the room together he immediately felt better. He released Raiden, sure he’d want to get more familiar with the room, as he shut the door behind them. “Make yourselves at home,” he told them as he took off his coat again. “It’s yours as much as mine.”

She softened against him at his words. As if he was returning what she had written for him in Lorendale all that time ago. It made it easy for him to slip his hand into hers and lead the way, Raiden still resting in his embrace, a gentle purr almost coming from the genet. It was something extremely intimate to a Dresmondi, their dyr’s were a part of them and no one just reached out and touched them. At least, not in Dresmond. The hands that grabbed and shoved and pushed at Raiden in Coheed still rocked her to her core when she thought on it. Only the fact that normally, Raiden was not himself and couldn’t remember it helped eased her.

When they entered the room, Raiden didn’t bolt from the Ayrnnite but instead just got down, slowly trotting around the new space of his room. It was clean, very organized. Something she fully expected to find out of a room that Sylas would call his own. She slowly moved around it, noting how much larger it was than a wagon but also noting the only bed in the room. Would she be allowed to resume sleeping beside him? She felt like the answer was yes but also knew that this was a bit different. This was a room he had lived in for possibly years if not his whole life.

She made it towards the bed, her fingers ghosting over the sheets before she shrugged off her own coat and toed off her shoes. Tossing back the blanket enough for her to crawl in and then look back at him expectantly. Her hand lifting towards him, palm up, inviting him to come to her. To curl up where he belonged, which was beside her.

Sylas took a moment to sit down to remove his boots as Kezia and Raiden moved about the room. His room. Their room. They had tried to be apart but it hadn’t even lasted for one night. Kezia had changed him. Raiden had changed him. Now he couldn’t go back to how he was before. And he didn’t want to.

He watched Kezia as she climbed into his bed. Their bed. No one but him had ever been in it before but it didn’t feel weird to him. It felt like she was where she belonged. Here. With him. He moved over to the other side of the bed and climbed in under the blankets. There was no pillow between them now and there wouldn’t be again.

With no hesitation he shifted towards her, pulling her against him, his body cradling her smaller one, nose nuzzling into her curls. He sighed a sound of relief. There was no where else in the world he wanted to be right now. “Never again, okay?” he asked in a whisper. “I don’t want to be without you.” He looked over his shoulder to find Raiden and motioned for him to join them. He wanted them both to be close tonight.

Excitement bubbled up inside of her as he approached, no hesitation in his steps or in the fact that she had settled into what was previously just his bed. His eyes were dark but warm, and he reached for her. She met him half way, curling into him and the familar feel of his body against hers. Cuddled in tight and breathing out a sigh of relief, as if she had been holding her breath the whole time. Finally at ease, her fingers gripping him closer as she felt him nuzzle into her.

His voice was deep and filled the air between them, what little was left. But she was nodding her head quickly in response. "Here, this is our bed." She confirmed. Raiden bounded over the moment the prince looked at him and motioned him over. His small body bouncing over them until he spun in a circle above their heads and slowly snuggled into the top of the pillow, but not before pressing his nose to the top of Kezia's forehead. Here was where she had the two most important people to here. It was here that she'd fall into a dreamless sleep that was comforting and one that caused her to not move at all.

When she woke, in the low light of the morning, she was still curled around Sylas. Her nose brushing the side of his neck and her body more than halfway curled on top of his. She was warm, and with a small movement, she pressed herself closer. A soft hum of content left her as she started to brush her fingers over his arm. Her prince. Though the title never mattered, it was a part of him. Her Arynnite, wicked smart and sharp. And slowly but surely, she had weasled her way to being able to touch him like she was.

With all the tossing and turning he'd been doing before, now that they were both here, Sylas instantly felt himself relax and sleep begin to creep in. Once she confirmed that this would be their bed together, it wasn't long at all before he had fallen into a deep sleep, the kind of heavy sleep you can only fall into with people you trust with everything inside of you.

They remained wrapped up together for the entirely of the night, whether that was exhaustion or relief to be back together Sylas would never truly know, probably a bit of both. She woke before him and it was the feel over her fingers softly moving over his arm that slowly stirred him into wakefulness. With his eyes still closed he could feel the warmth and pressure of her body against him. In a very un-Sylas-like thought he felt like she could never get close enough. He loved the way she curled up into him. He could feel the shape of her cute little nose against his neck and her leg and body part way on top of his. He was still so surprised at how much progress he'd made and that not only did he not mind how much she was touching him, but that he wanted her there.

Without opening his eyes he gently started to stroke her back and the hint of smile lifted his lips.