Cassian arrived promptly, even a little early, with his usual retinue in tow. Regan Lassiter was out of town, surveying Dresmond, but in her stead were other competent witches making up his detail. 6 attended him, only two men, as today's show posed a risk, of course. The witches were on high alert. No one was trusted, not even fellow witches who might lose control of their magic. They looked with severe faces and sharp eyes, one even already muttering the beginning of a curse, should the need to use it arise.

Cassian stopped at a safe distance, a bit too far to notice the blood, especially at this angle. He nodded to Alys, signaling his readiness to see what it was she was going to attempt.

The sound of several sets of feet signaled their arrival. Turning Alys away from the sea and towards them. She briefly noted the guards with them, a few Alys knew well and trained with, then focused onto Cassian. He was the only opinion she needed. Not offended when she saw the lips moving of one witch, instead one corner of her mouth seemed to twitch in amusement before the King stopped and she waited only a moment more to ensure that was where he was staying.

Alys didn’t say a word, didn’t think he’d want to hear exactly the curse she’d say to make it work. But she had been successful. After many failed tries on her own. She had already prepped one side, the blood on the posts still wet, despite the whipping wind. She crouched to the first cage and from it, pulled a squealing swine. Only one appeared, but there was enough noise to suggest a second was within it. “The post has blood not from this direct swine, but from another,” she had a purpose for pointing it out.

Angling the animal, she released it and watched it run forward, directly between the posts. And as practiced, it squealed, then hit the ground before busting into smoke, as did the line of blood on both posts and the ground, sending up a large black cloud above it. Then she went to the second cage, the one that rattled but made no other sound. A dagger in hand, she opened the cage and the dagger went in, coming out a strange blue. Then her hands came out with the same blue liquid, and she relocked the cage. “Summoning,” she held her hands up for him to see before she went to the cleaned posts and ground.

Alys didn’t make a sound as she started running the blue blood of the summoning along the posts and ground. Cleaning her hands along the sand, her dagger, all the while chanting in her head, speechless. It’d take a little while, even with it being a small distance. A few silent moments stretching before she’d move again. Washing her hands in the ocean waves before she went for the cage with the swine. Taking it out and now angling over the second set of posts. She released it, and it ran as the other had. Over the blue line… but kept running. Unharmed. Her eyes went to Cassian then, before shifting to the other cage and pulling free the bleeding summoning.

It was almost rabbit in shape, but its long three tails was more like a scorpion and eight eyes rested over its scaled face. It'd listen to her direction, sending it between the posts with its blood… and just like the first swine… it fell and smoke erupted in its place. “I would need a gifteds blood.” She turned to him then, her chin high and eyes bright. As she slowly backed towards the line herself, to show her confidence as she stepped over the blood on both. Unharmed, she almost smiled. “And several witches… and time. If you should so want this.” But was it worth it to Cassian? She was unsure. But now he knew what he had in his arsenal.

Cassian watched the demonstration with both fascination and concern, neither displayed on his features. When she finished, he moved in closer, not braving the posts but certainly examining them.

“I didn’t see you use a potion.” He observed. Cassian was no witch, but he had long studied what his witches were capable of. “A curse, then? You’ve cursed the blood?”

His face was unmoving, but he ventured closer. That was a success in and of itself. “A curse, yes. While all blood is… well blood. There are differences enough in it between creatures. Summonings to swine. Yet my own to the swine and summoning as well.” She still remained on the other side of the line, the bright colors between the two of them. “My biggest hurdle is if the gifteds would vary from one another with their different magic or if from family to family it’d be different. Our blood is different from gifteds or those of Coheed or Cambria. We see that in our magic… but I cannot test if gifteds range more wildly unless I have two or more different specimens.”

She crossed back over the line, getting closer to him but without entering into personal space. Her gaze holding his if he was not staring at the scene behind her. “I could look into a potions route, if you felt it safer. Or if you’d like to compare. Curses just require… less ingredients.”

Cassian listened, neutrality on his expression.

“We will have gifteds coming to Rainecourt Keep. Your motive in this is simply to try to prevent gifteds from crossing the southern border?” He clarified, as this wasn’t something he had set her to figuring out. “You find our patrols to be insufficient?”

”Forgive me, but isn’t Rainecourt Keep in Coheed?” It was a genuine question. “This would be for the Dresmond and Nevermere border, but even the southern part of Coheed to ensure no one slips around just the border there from Dresmond. And I don’t doubt our patrols. But rather I wish to ensure that we have enough time here to send back up if needed than be unknowing if something were to happen. The Eldouir’s have a history of destruction instead of compromise.” Alys had been there during the trial, she had spent months in the aftermath of the trial in Lorendale as acting Commander. The latest being the walls that surrounded Arynn Frey and the carnage left behind of the Dresmondi camp.

Her freckled face looked back at the posts. “I will re-evaluate. But I am looking out for Nevermere and our people above all others. Always Nevermere unless you wish otherwise.” Her eyes landed back on him when she stated her last sentence.

Cassian didn't know what to make of her question. Had his suppression done more damage than he had intended, taking more memories than he could account for? Surely he hadn't suppressed her memory of the fact that there was no longer any Coheed. No Cambria. All was Nevermere. The two were now cities, terretories, within Nevermere. He considered the possibility that he had done this to her, and instead of answering what he thought should never have been asked, he thought about what to do next. If her mind would lack basic information about the kingdom, what else would it suppress? And if he returned her to her former state, she was equally as useless to him.

Cassian turned from her and her display, motioning with a hand for her to join him as he walked back towards the castle.

"We have more pressing kingdom matters than anticipating an attack that may or may not come. I have enchanters working on a defense mechanism for Skia. There are plans underway to hit the Eldouirs before they have a chance to come to us." He could appreciate her incentive to want to protect the border, but he didn't consider that the most strategic.

She hadn’t forgotten, yet it was… hard to think of Coheed as Nevermere. It still felt like a piece of its own place in a way. Still held its traditions and they didn’t see many of the people here within Nevermere. When he didn’t answer, she looked to him for a long moment. “Forgive me, it’s an old habit.” It wasn’t quite an excuse, but an explanation before she watched his gesture to follow him. To join him.

She didn’t hesitate, instead moving towards him with fluid graceful steps, elongated as she closed the distance and then fell into step beside him. She didn’t touch him, that would be far too inappropriate wouldn’t it? So instead, she stood what she considered an appropriate distance at his side. A few inches but close enough she could grab his arm easily if needed. He mentioned it was not what he needed, and though the tiniest seed of disappointment struck her chest, she shook it off. This was not a trashed idea, instead maybe one that just didn’t need to see its time yet. “I understand.” Though she did let the word trail off a little, and turned to look to him as they walked. She could still remember when she felt like she had been lifted from a fog in his dining room. The utter embarrassment coated her tongue at times for being at his feet, holding his hand, even crying. And not having any idea as to why.

Alys almost apologized, but her jaw feathered and she looked forward once more. Her fingers lacing behind her back. “Thank you for coming to see this today. I know your time is coveted by many.” Alys just hoped it wasn’t an utter waste of time for him to come today.

At her words, Cassian slowed his steps enough to make it easy to turn and look at her without possibly tripping.

“Lady Delaney,” he began slowly, an explanation in his tone, “you are of utmost importance to this kingdom. To me.” And it was true. She didn’t understand the extent, and maybe she never would again…but these words felt important to impart.

After only a slight pause he looked forward once more, pace resuming.

The moment he slowed and turned towards her, she rocked back to match his pace. Her eyes finding his and his words… a part of her that she didn’t understand healed a little at that statement. Her shoulders easing just slightly, and because Cassian did know Alys more than she knew, he’d probably see the flicker of emotion that crossed her features. She needed to know that… perhaps craved it…

A smile, while not wide but was genuine and soft, lifted her lips and those freckled cheeks just as he was turning to resume his path to the castle. “As you and our kingdom are to me.” Her words sure, warm and steady before she returned to walking at his side. A new lightness in her step, though she remained quiet, basking in such a feeling.

”Our kingdom.” He gently remedied, a subtle but important differentiation. “We are Nevermere.” And he believed it with his whole heart. He was Nevermere. She was Nevermere. The guards trailing them were Nevermere. They all, collectively, were the solution.

They would proceed back to the castle, and before parting ways he would express his desire to have her attend them on the tour.