Akagi had retreated to his enchanting work shop for the evening, the King had dived into three recent enchantments two of which would be for his wife and the last would surely benefit his dearest friend @alys. He had been beating himself up a little with the failure of the healing tent and treatments, she never complained and he didn't care about the burn scars she was still a very bea-

"Akagi?" the King was pulled from his work by the now familiar voice a kind smile as usual, "I'm here friend," he placed his tools down and removed the enhanced glasses that enhanced his vision to see the smaller details (for this it was laying silver in the handle of a wand), "Come sit! Read or perhaps some tea, you know the drill, make yourself comfortable...I was hoping to get to see you soon! How are you?"

Alys had come to appreciate the way Akagi no longer seemed to stare at the scars. At least not like others had come to. He seemed to look at her as if he found nothing more than just her. It made it easy for her to continue to come back now. A smile lifted those freckled and scarred cheeks as she came around to see him at his usual spot. Though the glasses quickly found a spot on his head instead of over his eyes.

“No need to stop because of me,” and though she did intend to sit, she found herself drawn to that table where marvelous things had happened right before her eyes. She imagined if she understood how enchanting worked… she might be able to see it as Akagi had described before to her. It was different for those who had learned this craft. Was it really so different from witchcraft? “I am well, antsy.” Nervous really, a full moon made her usually a little on edge but it was worse now. With Regan… she didn’t know what she could trust. “How are you?” She asked as she approached.

“Do you want a cup?” She asked, leaning just slightly around him to look at what he had been doing before she turned for the table. As if he knew she’d be there, two cups sat waiting to be filled. “I’ll make it for you.”

Akagi loved Ophelia, she was his Felita forever and a day..but his friendship with Alys was vastly different her presence just always put a grin on his face and he fell into something he felt was far more simple...a simple love and routine...for a friend of course. Not that he hadn't thought about it, would this have been his life if he had been just a tinkering enchanter simple man? Alys the book reading witch wife?

"You know how I take," it wasn't a question because she probably did, loaded with sugar and honey, and he pushed his glasses back down continuing his work, "So, antsy? Is there a trigger to this feeling?" ĥe picked up a pair of calipers to hold the wand of gold with a table attached c-clamp, biting lightly at the tip of his tongue.

Alys felt as if this could become a new pattern. Her nights were no longer filled with sleep, and if she couldn’t sleep… why not come here? While the rest of the world dreamt, she could come be in a space that he offered without her asking. Being here, curled in a spot or watching him enchant and describe what she could not see… he made things easy. It was such a relief and escape… and not just because he had healed her physically. Perhaps, being kingdoms away, being just Alys for a moment in the day, healed a small bit of her.

She wouldn’t want to do nothing, she felt too restless for that. But for brief moments, this was a small thing she craved.

He agreed, and she certainly knew how he liked his tea. She had watched him with almost slight horror with how much he actually added of sweetener. “I’m assuming you don’t need to worry about causing yourself to get sick with this much sugar and honey because of enchanting? Or are you naturally used to high levels of it?” Sugar and honey were things she had only really gotten used to when her and Logan— she tensed a moment. Prepared for the darkness to rush to meet her.

But while it stirred, while her chest ached, it was a bit more dull then it had been before. Her hands stilled on the tea pot. Logan. His face flashed in her mind, the dimples that would appear for her when he really smiled at her. The scar that he kept as a reminder that ran under his collar and down his chest. That deep rumble of a laugh. She could barely remember those things in the past month… hadn’t allowed herself. She hadn’t allowed herself to think of him since she found out.

Her hands shook as she reached for the tea pot, moving again. Her mind gripping onto her late husband. How he carried her over the large puddle in the street when she came across him outside training walls… all because it was spring and she had no shoes at the time. Her boots officially breaking from training and she had scraped together just enough to buy a new pair.

Akagi’s voice broke through, and she jolted. The tea cups rattling as she bumped into the table. “Being around someone,” she admitted it with shame. Being around Regan and Cassian now made her shift. Made her second guess herself. And she was about to have them both together with her in the same place. “It’s fine, I’m… trying to work through it.” Her hand came up and brushed the larger scar on her face before she realized she was doing it.

Pouring the hot water into the prepared cups, she focused on it for a long while. Her fingers toying with the handles of each cup. “We all have things to work through.”

"I've always just had a sweet tooth, my Mother loathed it, sneaking pans of cinnamon rolls from the kitchen and eating as much as I could before I got caught," he chuckled, "I think I'm immune to 'to much sugar'..theres...never enough..."

The rattling of the tea glasses had Akagi pausing again lifting the glasses on his face back to the top of his head, staring at Alys. He watched as she skimmed over the scar, he watched as she poured the tea. Concern.

"You don't have to give names Alys or even tell me the problem, but if you want to verbally vent through these things...I'll listen judgement free, offer what wisdom I can if you asked," removing the glasses completely he was giving her his undivided attention, "You matter....to me...your well being of course all together," he'd clear her a spot on the stool beside him, "yet if you would like to work through it yourself I'll understand, and here...a gift," reaching under his desk he retrieved a stack of books in mint condition, "It's the entire series of the Enchanted Knight Godfrey Pendhollow! Oooh I was a delight reading growing up and the author, Penelope Lorent, she's a fantastic fantasy story writer!"

He hoped she liked it, but more so he hoped she opened up and talked to him.

The idea of a little Akagi running through the palace halls with a large tray of sweets had her smiling, truly amused. “And you don’t do that now I’m assuming since you are King and can just ask for a tray to be delivered to you?” She glanced at her before she worked on the tea.

His voice held the emotion he felt, concern. She was starting to realize she was being handled with concern or distance, and while it was a natural thing, she was unsure if she appreciated it now or if she hated it. From Akagi? She found no bad intent from Akagi, even if she shifted on her feet at his offer. She hadn’t been truly able to just talk all about it. Little pieces leaked here and there and… the only two she might be able to pour it all out to… one was the cause of a lot of it, the other was the cause of other.

“I can’t,” she breathed it, her eyes glancing up to him. Especially to Akagi. A king of another kingdom. But her friend… gods she wanted to hope that overrode everything else but she had learned from Cassian… that’s not what came first. “I want to Akagi, but I can’t.” Her dark eyes sought understanding as she came to him with the teas and took the seat he offered. He always worked with her closely at his side now. But as she set the teas down in their little corners to not block his table, she found herself presented with a gift.

Tears shone in her eyes as she took the books, listened to his excitement as he handed them to her and her hand ran over the front of one of the books. She had gotten so much better at reading, and these… these were a treasure. She usually gifted books to others and…

Without warning, she launched from the seat and wrapped her arms around Akagi in a tight embrace. Her head turned and resting on his chest. “Thank you, goddess thank you Akagi,” her voice cracked and she refused to let him go.

And with her response her friend simply accepted it, he wouldn't push further he would respect her space. While he hadn't returned to working on his enchantments he had missed the wetness of her eyes or the impact of his gesture with the gifted books, as he began to arrange things before him and he'd go to start addressing how he indeed still sneaks sweet treats at his age Alys had fully wrapped him up in a tight hug...,"oh!" Akagi let escape and he wouldn't reject the embrace, instead he innocently wrapped his arms around her in his own embrace.

"You are most certainly welcome Alys, I guess I should keep the good news coming...I'm developing an enchantment that can permanently remove and heal your scars," he added. This was nice...and it was different, he felt weird in his heart about all of this but it favored Akagi's strong happy gift giving nature. His heart was certainly fit to burst.

She didn’t linger in the embrace, but it didn’t make it any less thankful. Grateful. But she leaned back and stared at him with wide eyes at his next statement. “Akagi…” her fingers absentmindedly trailed some of the burns on the back of her hand.

“I don’t know how to repay you.” She whispered, every gift… every bit of magic… “Surely…” she took the book and held them close to her chest. “You are a damn blessing.” Alys never really cursed, besides the witch reason to, and was overwhelmed as she sat there. A portal key… books… a friend… an escape… and now a healing.

Akagi was all smiles, "You'll worry not about repayment Alys Delaney, by order of the Arynn Frey King," he rocked from the tips of his toes to the heels of his feet getting to flex his 'I'm the Ruler' muscle, "You are my damn friend and someone I care about, so shake the thought...I just want you safe and happy if there was a repayment. So you pick yourself up and show them you are he baddest witch of all time."

Amusement made her lips twitch, it was the first time he really seemed to pull out the rank card. Yet he was quick to tell her that she was his friend. And that made her smile fully at him, her chin tucking against her chest. “If there is anything… I might be able to offer you in return. I hope you would ask me. As your friend. I don’t have a crown to leverage my title.” She said with a small huff of laughter. Her fingers still dancing along the edges of the book.

Akagi laced his hands behind his back, "If I think of anything, anything, I will ask," and the smile on his face said it all, "I'd like though to have company as I work? Read or watch...just company."

Akagi’s request was simple, and so she turned to the nearest desk, taking her newly prized books and placing them down before she slipped into the chair that was now becoming hers from how often she took to it when she visited. “That, Akagi, I can do.” She got a little closer to look at the surface where he was working. Always amazed at what she couldn’t see with her own eyes.

It brought forth a question that made her brows tug together slightly. “Can you tell magic apart?” She asked, looking up at him. “Like can you look at me and know I’m a witch if you put me next to a gifted? Or someone from Dresmond if their dyr is not around?”

Akagi had resumed working, he wondered if Lorelle would take to watching her Father work as Alys had it was a nice thought he pandered to from time to time, Alys' questions answered without breaking concentration, "No, I don't believe so, not without an enchantment," he banked that as another idea, "I can see the colors of one's soul but as far as which witch or if one was Gifted...no."