Natalya's First Winter's Eve Festival

Life, Identity

Fenneck shows Natalya around Flottenheim and they go to the Winter's Eve Festival together.

The next morning Fenneck opened his eyes as he heard a knock on his door. He stood up and grabbed a robe to throw around his body. As he did the event from yesterday tumbled back into his mind and he was suddenly overcome with panic and stress about... he hated that he didn't even know her name yet. Referring to her as Lieutenant Ivanhoff seemed wrong in his mind. He walked over to the door and opened it to see Feliks. "Well?!" he asked him expectantly. Feliks chuckled. "Be patient!" he scolded Fenneck as he walked in. "She'll probably be done resting after another hour or so," he assured Fenneck as he grabbed an apple from his kitchen. "Well... what's her name?" Fenneck asked him. Feliks shook his head. "Get dressed and then go find out yourself. Seriously, she's your thiramin. You two should get to know each other on your own," he told Fenneck. "Is she... Is she still in the prison?" Fenneck asked pointedly. Feliks nodded. "Baegla hasn't made any decisions yet. It is her though. She admitted to killing Staladin and Erik. She's had a fucked up life, Fen. You should get along well," he said, shaking his head as he bit into the apple.   Fenneck sighed and walked over to his vanity to grab his hair brush. He started getting nervous. There was no denying it. His thiramin had killed Erikur. Fenneck started brushing his hair out. "Well... what about the festival today?" Fenneck asked. "Is she allowed to go?" Feliks shrugged. "I'm not sure, Fen. Baegla said they could figure things out in the morning but Baegla will still be asleep for a couple more hours. I'd try to go see her though. She's probably freaked out," Feliks pointed out. "No shit," Fenneck muttered under his breath. "She meets her soulmate, throws up, tries to kill herself and he knocks her out. Not exactly romantic!"   Feliks chuckled. "It'll make a great story one day when you tell you kids," he teased Fenneck. This idea stopped Fenneck mid brush. Kids... He had finally found her. His wife. He was finally close to having a family of his own. A baby even. Fenneck smiled nervously at the idea. "I guess so, huh?" he asked Feliks thoughtfully. Feliks smiled and gave Fenneck a playful smile. "You're adorable. Be patient with her, though, okay? She didn't mention thiramin at all and Baegla didn't bring it up so... I don't know how she feels about it."   Fenneck nodded as he got dressed into a nice silver tunic. He found himself trying to look his best. This was his wife after all. "How do I look?" he asked Feliks nervously. Feliks chuckled. "You look wonderful, Fenneck," he assured him as he stood up t go. "I need to go write up some reports about this incident. With her here we could get some great intel from Lenisily and Pufuktin," he commented excitedly. "Good luck," he told Fenneck before leaving the tower.   Fenneck paced the floor a bit more before mustering up his strength and heading down into the prison. He walked through the halls until he got to her heavily guarded room. "No weapons," the guard at the door told him. Fenneck sighed and handed him the dagger he had strapped to his side. "Let me guess, no magic either?" Fenneck asked him. The guard shook his head. "We don't know if she uses magic or not so Baegla went ahead and put up a shield," he told Fenneck who nodded. "She can," Fenneck informed him. "Healing magic at least." The guard shrugged. "I'm just following orders, Fenneck," he told him. Fenneck nodded. "I know. Wish me luck!" he said, patting the guard on the shoulder before taking a deep breath and knocking on her door. The guard rolled his eyes and opened the door.   Fenneck swallowed as he saw her wrapped up in his fox-fur cloak sitting on the bed. She looked exhausted still and a little freaked out to see him. He slowly walked in and closed the door behind him. He walked up to the table before stopping and looking her over. "Good morning," he greeted her, awkwardly rubbing his hands together. She gave him a weird look and looked frustrated. "Good morning," she responded hesitantly. She shook her head at him. "You... you can stop this okay? I... I'm not interested," she told him. Fenneck felt a lump get stuck in his throat at these words. She wasn't interested? But they were thiramin. He gave her a conflicted face. "I... I don't understand-" "This spell," she said, rather harshly. "Please stop. I don't want this magic bullshit. It's starting to freak me out okay?" Fenneck was taken off guard by this. He wasn't quite sure how to respond. "I... it's not a spell," he told her painfully. "Surely you've heard of thiramin?" he asked her. She squinted at him in disgust and anger. "That's just some story they tell children. It doesn't actually exist. Now stop. I'm not interested," she glared at him harshly and Fenneck stuck his nose up at her in frustration. "It is real," he argued back. "It's not nearly as wonderful as I'd hoped it be but... that's what this is," he told her sadly. "I'm not trying to trick you!" he promised her. Natalya glared at him distrustfully and he threw his hands up in annoyance. "My parents felt it!" he explained, trying to convince her. "As well as many other couples here! Look, you're from Lenisily," he pointed out. "I forget that they don't exactly like the idea there." She shrugged in annoyance. "I'm still not interested. I don't know you and I want it to go away!" she told him. Fenneck started laughing and he threw his hands up in exasperation. "Take it up with Corellon then. I doubt it will get you anywhere though, trust me, I've tried!" he said in annoyance.   He shook his head as he started pacing the room. "Look, I just came down here to check on you and to try and get to know you a little bit but clearly that's an awful idea and you want to be left alone in your prison cell to mope! So I'll just leave. I would ask your name but you'll probably accuse me of being a devil in disguise trying to trick you into giving up your voice or some stupid dragonshit like that!" he exclaimed in frustration. "This is a prison cell?!" she asked in confusion. Fenneck looked at her as if she was stupid. "Yeah, you think we're going to just let the best KAV soldier to ever walk this godforsaken tundra to just roam about freely in the palace?!" he exclaimed. She look around in confusion and fear. "Well... why is this room so nice?" she asked him. "I've seen prisons before and trust me, they don't look like this." He scoffed at her in annoyance that this was what she was taking away from their argument. "You're in Glitterfjell, not Lenisily. What do you think we are, animals?" he asked her in frustration. Natalya shrugged. "I don't know. I know you guys use a lot of magic here and that Pufuktin is scared of you and Baegla but-" Fenneck waved his hands cutting her off. "Pufuktin is scared of me?!" he asked her, finding the idea hilarious and wonderful. Natalya rolled his eyes at him and scowled. "You're ridiculous!" she accused him. "You're just like him aren't you?! All you care about is power and tricking people. I bet this room is all an illusion of some sort for me to trust you lunatics and spill all the KAV's secrets!" she said accusingly. Fenneck burst out laughing at her. "Oh dear Corellon!" he swore. "You have no idea what's going on, do you?" he asked her. She glared at him. "All I've learned since the moment you walked in here is that your a grade a asshole with a superiority complex," she said aggressively. "I don't care if you are my soulmate, I want nothing to do with you," she decided.   Fenneck stopped at her harsh words and straightened himself out, wondering if he really was coming off that way. "I'm... sorry I gave you that impression," he told her. "I'm personally, a bit... frustrated by this situation as well," he admitted. "I'm just trying to get to know you," he told her. Natalya sighed in annoyance. "What do you want to know?" she asked him reluctantly. "Well..." he started nervously. "What is your name?" he asked her, with a disheartened frown. "Natalya," she told him. "Lieutenant Natalya Ivanhoff." He swallowed. "Do you prefer to be addressed as Lieutenant?" he asked her, hoping that wasn't the case. She rolled her eyes at him. "No, I'm not a soldier anymore anyway. I'm a prisoner in a foreign country," she said, passive-aggressively. Fenneck pursed his lips. "Are you mad I brought you in?" he asked her. She raised her brow at him. "I tried to kill myself because I knew I'd get arrested and tortured and you shot me through my wrist!" She held up he wrist to show him the scar. Fenneck shrugged and looked down, avoiding her eyes. "At least it wasn't because you thought I was too ugly to marry when you found out I was your thiramin," he poorly attempted a joke as he remembered the insecurities Erikur was voicing the night before. Natalya seemed to soften her demeanor toward him. "That's why it felt like you were in here last night? Isn't it?" she asked him. Fenneck looked up and nodded nervously. "It... took me off guard as well," he admitted. "It... it was kind of... nice though," he told her, looking desperately into her eyes for some kind of comfort. Natalya shook her head in despair. "What... what is it?" she asked him, clearly confused and freaked out by their connection. He cocked his head at her. "Thiramin?" he asked. She nodded.   Fenneck hesitantly walked toward her and sat down on the end of the bed. "Its... its when..." he swallowed, trying to collect his thoughts. Fenneck glanced at Natalya and realized just how beautiful she was. She was still in pretty bad shape but she had brushed out her hair from her matted braid and Fenneck couldn't help himself from blushing as he admired her. "My parents told me that your thiramin is your... person," he explained. "The person you marry. The person who becomes your best friend. Your... partner," he explained. "You feel it when you meet them and you know that they're the person you're meant to be with." He looked up and met Natalya's eyes and he felt his blood start to rush to his groin, making him feel very confused and frustrated by this situation. "It's... confusing," Fenneck admitted slowly. "I... I've waited for it for so long..." he told her. "I must admit it... it's not what I expected it to be like at all, so I... I understand if you're disappointed." He gave her a small, empathetic frown. As he met her beautiful dark green eyes again he couldn't help but notice the similarity to Erikur's and he looked away nervously.   "I'm not really sure what's going to happen," Fenneck told her. "I know Baegla isn't done with you here and... I just wanted to see you in case she decided that you were... too dangerous to let go," he told her honestly. Natalya gave Fenneck a worried look. "Like... she'll kill me?" she asked him. Fenneck shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea," he admitted. "I'm not in charge. She rarely gives out such penalties but... your case is rather... particular." He saw her concern and he scooted closer to her and slowly reached out his hand to take her own. As their hands touched they looked into each others eyes as Fenneck his heart start to flutter in excitement. They instinctively moved closer to each other and Fenneck slowly leaned in to kiss her. As their noses gently touched the door suddenly opened and Baegla walked in with Feliks, prompting Fenneck to leap away from Natalya in fear.   Baegla gave Fenneck a concerning look before clearing her throat disapprovingly. "Fenneck darling," she addressed him. "Would you please excuse us?" Fenneck nodded guiltily and looked at Natalya longingly. "I um... Thank you for... meeting me," he told her sweetly. She nodded shyly to him. Fenneck awkwardly bowed to the room before quickly turning and sweeping out the door.   He heard the guard close the door behind him and he looked back in confusion. What the hell was going on? What did any of this mean? Fenneck shook his head and walked back to the lifts and thought for a long time before pressing the button that would take him to the first level of the mountain. When the lift arrived he walked over to Naertho's house and knocked on the door. After a moment, Ayred opened the door in his robe. "Good morning, Fen," he greeted him. "It's early, we're still getting ready for the festival," he explained. "Is that Fenneck?!" Naertho called out to his husband. "Yes dear," Ayred called back. "Let him in then!" Naertho called out. Ayred stepped aside and waved Fenneck inside. "Sorry," Fenneck told him. "I just... I just wanted to ask you both something," he explained as Naertho swept into the room in his own extravagant robe. "Ask us what?" he asked Fenneck as he walked over and pulled Fenneck into a tight hug. Fenneck hugged him and stepped back.   "I... I met my thiramin," Fenneck told them. Naertho's eyes lit up in surprise and joy. "Really?! Oh wonderful, Fenny!" He squeezed Fenneck again and kissed him lovingly on the top of the head. "When can we meet him?" Naertho asked excitedly. "Well... um he's a she," he told them awkwardly. "So... sorry to disappoint you," he said. "Damn it!" Naertho swore. Fenneck looked taken aback. "You know I'm bisexual," he pointed out. Naertho waved him off in annoyance. "Oh I know," he said. "I just owe Alexei some money, that's all." "Why??" Fenneck asked him in confusion. Naertho shrugged. "Oh, it's just a bet that's all," he explained. Fenneck shook his head. "You placed a bet on whether my thiramin would be a male or a female?" he asked Naertho in confusion. Ayred chuckled. "I think a lot of people owe Alexei money actually," he said. Fenneck turned to him in bewilderment before shaking his head. "I'll deal with that later," he decided. "I just wanted to know... is it bad if... I don't know... if things don't start well?" he asked them worriedly. Naertho smiled at Fenneck. "We didn't start off very peachy, if you'll remember," he pointed out as he walked over and pulled his husband into his arms. Ayred smiled as he caressed Naertho's chest. "I guess we didn't, huh?" he agreed.   Fenneck shook his head. "You both like each other at least," he told them. "She... she accused me of putting a spell on her, called me an asshole when I tried to get to know her a bit and told me she wasn't interested. Oh and she killed Erik by the way so that doesn't complicate things at all!" he said sarcastically. The happy couple looked at him in horror. "What?!" Naertho asked in shock. Fenneck nodded. "She's the KAV soldier that killed Staladin," he explained. "I found her in the mountains yesterday, close to death and I had to knock her unconscious before she killed herself." Ayred huffed in bewilderment. "Well, that is something," he remarked. Naertho shook his head and started pacing the room, deep in thought.   "What should I do?" Fenneck asked him. "I'm not even sure Baegla will let her survive!" he exclaimed in defeat. Naertho shook his head. "Baegla won't kill her, Fenneck," he assured him. "I think you should trust Corellon," he finally decided. "I didn't when I first met Ayred and now look at us!" he pointed out. "Besides, with thiramin you normally aren't meant to be together as soon as you meet Fenneck. You're still supposed to get to know one another. Take your time with things. Especially physical things," he told him. "I mean, Ayred and I waited nearly forty years before we were ready to get married." "Talk about a terrible case of blue balls!" Ayred said in playful exasperation. "That was different!" Fenneck argued. "It hadn't been illegal before and it was dangerous for you two to be together! Erik and I had to move into the palace to be safe from all the horrible attacks we would get!" Naertho sighed. "I think you should slow down and see what happens, Fenneck," he told him. "I know you've been alone for a very, very long time and it's hard but trust me, it will be worth it." Ayred nodded in agreement. "Maybe spend the evening with her at the festival?" he suggested. Fenneck shrugged. "I don't know if Baegla will let her!" he pointed out. Naertho shrugged. "Then wait and see what happens," he told him. Fenneck threw his hands up in despair. "I have waited, Naertho! I've been waiting an entire century to meet her!" Naertho gave him a pitying look. "I think you need to try and speak with her again," he told Fenneck. "I think you also need to be a little more patient with her and yourself."   Fenneck sighed in submission. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll let you both get ready. I'll probably see you down there," he told them. Naertho walked over and pulled Fenneck into a loving hug. "It's going to be okay, Fenny," he said soothingly as he caressed Fenneck's white locks. "Trust me, okay?" Naertho begged him. Fenneck nodded. "I love you," he told his uncle. Naertho kissed him on the forehead. "I love you too, Fenny. We'll see you tonight," he told him.   Fenneck left and walked up into the palace and plopped himself down in one of the thrones rooms, waiting to see if Baegla would return. Jasna walked in after a few minutes and looked around frantically for Baegla and stopped when she saw Fenneck pouting in one of the chairs. "Hey loser," she teased him. "Have you seen Baegla anywhere? I haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon and I need to make sure everything is good for tonight but I need to head down there soon to get started. The rest of the musicians are already down there waiting for me." Fenneck nodded. "Yeah," he told her grumpily. "She's down in the prison." Jasna's eyes widened in surprise. "The prison?! Why on earth for?" Fenneck looked up in surprise that the previous nights gossip had yet to reach her ears. "Did you not hear?" he asked her. She looked at him expectantly and he sighed and sat up in the chair. "I found her. The KAV soldier that killed Staladin," he explained. Jasna jumped in excitement. "Really?!" she exclaimed. "Oh my goodness! What happened?! Where were you? When did you find her?! Is she pretty?! Did she kill Erikur? Oh my gods, did she kick your ass before you convinced her to come meet Baegla??! Did she really kill Staladin by stringing him up on his bedposts?!" Fenneck squinted his eyes at her to wait for her to let him get a word in. "I'm pretty certain she killed Erik," he said. "I don't know how she killed Staladin. I kicked her ass and knocked her unconscious to bring her in. It happened yesterday evening, in the grove," he took a deep breath. "And... she's my thiramin." Jasna shook her head as she tried to process this new information. "She's... she's your thiramin? She killed Erik and she's your thiramin?!" she asked again, growing angry and crossing her arms. Fenneck nodded and raised his brows. "And she thinks I'm an asshole who was trying to curse her or something," he said, growing more and depressed by the minute. Jasna shook her head in defeat. "Well, guess I should pay a visit to Alexei later," she said in annoyance. Fenneck looked up in bewilderment at her. "You too?!" he asked her. She shrugged. "I don't know," she shrugged innocently. "When we made the bets it was back before the revolution even happened. I thought for sure you and Erikur would feel it. So yeah, we've made some bets over the years." "On my love life?!" She rolled her eyes. "I gotta go find Baegla," she said, turning around.   "No need!" the little halfling's voice rang out as she turned the corner to them. "Good morning Jasna," she told her sweetly. "Good Morning! Is everything good here? I need to get down to the arena to help warm up the musicians and run through some stuff!" Jasna asked her. "Of course, dear," Jasna assured her. "I need to speak with Fenneck for a moment." Jasna nodded understandingly and leaned down and sweetly kissed the top of Baegla's head. "See you tonight then!" Jasna told her before skipping off toward the lifts.   Baegla turned to Fenneck who h=gave her a grumpy frown. "Oh cheer up!" she scolded him. He rolled his eyes. "Are you going to kill her?" he asked her. She waved her hand and scoffed at him. "Of course not, you fool," she told him. He looked at her expectantly. She took a deep breath. "She killed Erik, Fenneck," she told him. "And Staladin, and Arrallath." "Who?" Fenneck asked her in confusion. "Lord Arrallath, in Thymryu. The demon lord who had taken over one of the fiefdoms. Surely you remember hearing about that," she told him. He nodded as the rumors came to his mind. She truly had made a reputation for herself. "Look," Baegla said, "I'm not quite sure how to go about this," she admitted. "I suggested that you take her to the festival tonight. No weapons, I'd prefer you not to be alone with her and I will alert every guard in the city to keep an eye on her," she clarified. "But I understand if you would like the chance to get to know her a bit. She seems to genuinely want to do the right thing. Maybe bring her a dress and you can escort her around Flottenheim," she suggested. Fenneck nodded and shrugged. "What's wrong, Fenneck?" Baegla asked him. "I understand that the situation is... tricky-" "You don't understand," he told her bluntly. "There is now way you could ever possibly know what it means to feel the things I'm feeling right now. Please don't pretend to try." She nodded and took a step back. "Very well, Fenneck. Try to be patient with her," Baegla suggested. "She's very cautious about this." Fenneck nodded and stood up, avoiding Baegla's eyes. "Fenneck-" "I'll see you around," he told her. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'll take her to the festival," he assured her before walking off toward the stairs to head up to his room.   He finally made it into his room and walked out to the balcony. He leaned against the railing and welcomed a cold blast of wind against his face. "She is pretty. I like her hair a lot," Evelyn said to Erikur, bouncing her baby against her chest as they joined Fenneck on the balcony. "I do too. I have to admit, though, I'm partial to her eyes," Erikur told Evelyn. "You don't think he's just intimidated, do you? I mean, she killed Staladin and Arrallath and who knows what else she's done. All Fenneck's done is... what did he do in the revolution again?" Evelyn teasingly asked Erikur who smiled and tried to defend his friend. "Well he... well he helped recruit the Frost Giants." Evelyn shook her head. "I thought that was mostly Vyndius?" Erikur thought comically for a moment. "He let Pufuktin steal Kapelya and murder Pyotr and Alina. Oh wait... you mean good things." Fenneck avoided their gazes angrily and looked out over the city. "He helped lead the charge into the palace," Erikur said, trying to win back Fenneck's affections as he rubbed Evelyn's shoulders. "And he made armor for the soldiers." "I guess she is a bit out of his league, huh?" Evelyn toyed. "Not as much as you were," Erikur playfully teased Evelyn who smiled and kissed her baby boy's head. Fenneck couldn't see the child though, it was always wrapped in a blanket and she always clutched it to her chest selfishly.   "Why is he so upset?" she asked Erikur. "He finally found the thing he's been searching for." "I don't really blame him," Erikur told her. "She did kill me." Evelyn leaned against Erikur who wrapped an arm around her as they studied Fenneck. "He could always ask her about it. I mean, she was a soldier. She was probably just following orders. Is she really to judge here?" Evelyn asked Erikur. "She did apologize... and she made it quick and painless," Erikur agreed with Evelyn. Fenneck felt his cold tears start to sting as they froze against his face. "I guess she did, didn't she? That's nicer than how a lot of those soldiers tend to handle things." "She's clearly had a rough life," Erikur pointed out. "To be a KAV soldier. Most of them are raised from birth to fight. To kill. What kind of a life is that?" Erikur said, more to Fenneck than Evelyn. "An awful one, I'd imagine," Evelyn said, looking down at her and Fenneck's child in her arms.   "He's been dreaming about meeting her for so long. It's sad that it's so disappointing to him. What did he expect? He doesn't know her," Evelyn asked Erikur. Erikur smiled pitifully at Fenneck. "He thought it would feel like when he met you," Erikur told Evelyn as he looked deep into Fenneck's eyes. "I suppose our first meeting was quite wonderful, wasn't it?" she said bashfully. "It was," Erikur told her, still looking longingly at Fenneck. "You charmed him more than any magic in the world had any business competing with. He was so madly and freely in love with you. I miss that Fenneck, even if he was an idiot sometimes," Erikur chuckled. "I do too," Evelyn said wistfully. "He was so charming and cute. He's grown so cold and stiff over the years." Erikur nodded in agreement. "He has. I hope he gets some of that back. Maybe Natalya can bring it out of him." "I hope so. I like her. I think she's going to be good for him," Evelyn said, leaning into Erikur's arms. Erikur nodded. "Me too." Fenneck sighed and turned to address his friends but as he turned they were gone.   He sighed and walked over to the portrait of his parents. He studied it, searching, longing for answers. He realized the warm sense of Natalya's presence around him and he leaned into it. It was nice. He realized his loneliness from the years spent alone in his tower was gone. Maybe this wasn't so bad. He looked up at the portrait of his parents and decided to give Natalya a chance. He went to his wardrobe and gently pulled out his mother's green and red winter dress. He admired it for a moment before folding it and the shawl and some shoes and heading downstairs. He walked to the lift and headed down into the prisons and walked back toward he cell and nodded to the guards before knocking on her door. "Come in!" he heard her muffled voice from inside. The guard opened the door and let him into the room.   Time seemed to stop when he saw Natalya in his mother's dress walking towards him. She was so beautiful. He felt himself start to blush when she smiled softly at him. He smiled back and felt a wave of butterflies attack his stomach. This was more like it. "Good morning," he greeted her in Lenisilian, hoping it would make her more comfortable. "Good morning," she responded. Her voice was warm and a bit deeper than most female elves. Fenneck liked it. "How was your evening?" he asked her, switching to common. "It was good, I feel much better," she said shyly. Fenneck could tell she wasn't used to meeting new people. "Food and a bath helped tremendously," she said. He smiled softly at her, his stomach glowing now from being so close to her. "Indeed." He swallowed nervously. "I was wondering if you would like me to show you around Flottenheim. It is a unique day in that the Winter's Eve festival is happening this evening but I hope you'll find the city to be quite unique in its own right." He sounded like an idiot. His nerves were getting the better of him. He really wanted her to like Flottenheim and everything they had worked so hard to build here. "Sure," she said, looking around curiously. He beckoned her toward the library and started the tour. He tried to be polite and formal. He found he was better at that sort of thing than trying too hard to be funny or charming. He was extremely nervous and he found himself studying every move she made trying to gauge her reactions. She seemed to generally enjoy the palace, but didn't say much until he brought her into Revolutionary Hall. "This is Revolutionary Hall," he told her as they walked past the murals and memorials. "A memorial and collection of history related to the revolution. I was an archer and helped lead the charge as we entered the palace." He gestured to a mural depicting his small army storming Flottenheim, subtly trying to draw attention to the image of himself at the front of the charge on a giant elk in an effort to impress her. "The revolution took longer to plan than it did to execute. When we finally took the palace, Malenthot, the lord overseeing Glitterfjell at the time, ran away into the mountains. He was a spineless coward," he said with disdain, remembering all the suffering the royal elf had caused before abandoning everything without a second thought. "After we took Flottenheim, Staladin sent his armies to quell our revolution. Luckily, he could only send his troops down the Skyway. We only had to meet them on one front, but the battle was fierce there." Fenneck led her past more murals and plaques describing the events, gesturing to each as he recounted fighting that day. "Ultimately, he was forced to retreat because of the weather and our sheer relentlessness." When they had finished their history lesson, he lead her out onto the balcony overlooking Flottenheim. She leaned against the railing and looked out over the city. "I thought for the longest time that I was fighting the right fight. That the country I loved and respected had good intentions," she said, looking out over the bustling streets of the city. "I truly believed they cared about their people. I was proud to be in the KAV. I feel stupid for not realizing it sooner, especially considering how awful my life had been growing up. I thought it was my dutiful sacrifice. It was my part of the load to share." She seemed so resolute. She paused for a moment before turning to meet Fenneck's gaze, many awful memories hidden in her eyes. "I'm glad you were successful. I'm glad it worked," she told him. "Me too," Fenneck said thoughtfully. "It was not an easy price to pay. Our freedom cost us dearly but every day we try and make sure those sacrifices were worth it." He thought about Erikur and his parents and took a deep breath. Maybe she was a gift from them. Why else would she have fallen into the grove? "I want to apologize for last night," he said, turning to her and dropping his formal air. "It is perfectly fine that you told Jasna, she would have found out anyway. She tends to make other peoples' business her own. She means well, but can be a lot at times. We spoke last night and she gave me the impression that I was being off-putting toward you and that I should give you a chance. So I apologize if I offended you in any way." He looked at Natalya sheepishly. She smiled at him, equally sheepish. "I wasn't exactly making it easy for you," she said, looking down at the crowds forming in the streets for the festival. "This is all just... a lot. I'm not really sure what direction my life is going in at the moment." She looked up at him and met his eyes. "Falling in love was the farthest thing from my mind yesterday morning." Fenneck's heart lurched a little. Maybe he had misinterpreted their meeting yesterday. She loved him? He slowly nodded. "I understand. Mine too. And it's not exactly a simple situation," he said trying to figure out how to go about this. "Did you tell... Baegla?" she asked him nervously. "Is that why she wants us to go into the mountains together?" Fenneck chuckled at Baegla's lack of subtlety. "No, actually. That is just Baegla playing matchmaker. She means well, and I have to admit, it does sound like a reasonable proposition." He sighed and squeezed the railing to calm his nerves. "Baegla and Jasna have been trying to get me a date for nearly a hundred years now." Natalya smiled. "Obviously to no avail. So what's wrong with you, then?" He laughed a little, seeing the sparkle in her eyes, "Far too much to dump on you on our first date," he teased her. He noticed her recoil at the word and she seemed to panic. "So... this is a date?" she asked cautiously. Fenneck's brain started to spin. He didn't want to ruin this and make her uncomfortable. He blinked hard in frustration. Right when he was starting to loosen up, too. "Well... I suppose not. It doesn't need to be. Or..." He saw Natalya look away and start to take deep breaths. "I'm sorry, I... it was just a joke," he said, feeling ashamed. He saw Natalya start to cry softly and he felt his heart start to burn seeing her in pain. He was such a dumbass. He gently reached out his hand and caressed her cheek as he wiped one of her tears away. She looked up at his touch and they stared into each other's eyes. He moved a step closer to her and caressed her face again. She was so soft and beautiful. Fenneck wanted nothing more than to kiss her and carry her up to his tower. He had finally found her. He leaned closer to her but she pulled away as her tears continued to fall down her perfect face. "I don't want this," she said suddenly, causing Fenneck's heart to shatter. "I'm so confused and I don't know what to think," she said quietly, looking up into his eyes. Every bit of their green depth was filled with guilt. The wind picked up and a cold breeze hit them. Fenneck dropped his hand and moved away from her, trying not to feel his heart splintering into a thousand pieces. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, avoiding her gaze. Maybe this wasn't meant to be. A few painful moments passed before he slowly turned to her again. "Look, if you want to crawl back into the mountains and track down Pufuktin I won't stop you. You shouldn't feel obligated to stay here because of me." He finally met her gaze and she looked at him sadly. "I don't want to hurt you," she told him desperately. "I just... this is not how my life was supposed to go. I don't know who I am or what cards I should play." She still had tears in her eyes and she seemed more confused than anything else. "I feel lost, and somehow ending up in a magnificent palace with a beautiful elf claiming to be my true love and a purpose to continue living seems too perfect. I don't trust that." She pulled his mother's shawl tightly around herself to protect her from the cold wind. "My entire life has consisted of stolen moments among terror and pain and suffering. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you or these clothes or this view." Fenneck's heart continued to break, but he understood her. He realized she had a point. He didn't really deserve her love either. "I understand," he said, nodding as he gripped the icy railing of the balcony. "Look, even if you do decide to stay here, it's not a perfect life. That's why I brought you here first." He gestured to the murals behind them. "I understand that I will never know the pain and suffering that you've experienced, but we are not strangers to suffering here." He looked into her eyes and wondered if they shared more in common than he thought. "If you stay and we go into the mountains it will be hard, dangerous work and we could very well die doing it. If you stay, we will have to figure this out between ourselves and I have a feeling it won't be easy. We are under constant threat of attacks and advances from Lenisily and I cannot guarantee that you will be safe from Pufuktin or the KAV. I don't want to blind you to reality." He paused and looked down sadly. "Thiramin is a beautiful thing but... it's complicated and hard to navigate. It's much stranger than I thought it would be. It is confusing and disorienting." Fenneck took a deep breath and looked away, down toward the city. "Perhaps we are only meant to meet in passing and go our separate ways. There's beauty in that. In offering each other a new perspective on life." He felt her eyes on him and felt his fingers fidgeting from his nerves. He tried to tell himself he would be okay with that fleeting circumstance, but he didn't believe himself. He had closed himself off to Erikur to wait for thiramin. He had closed himself off to happiness for this. Surely this wouldn't be all it was. He felt tears creep into his eyes at the thought of them going their separate ways. Perhaps Erikur had been right all those years ago. He collected his breath just enough not to burst into tears. "I fear our world has grown too complicated for thiramin to be what it used to be," he said. "Maybe in some other life we were dealt a simpler lot. If I had become a tailor like I originally set out to do, and if you hadn't had your entire life ripped from you..." He trailed off as it started to snow and Fenneck noticed Natalya pull her shawl tightly around her. He slowly moved toward her and reached his hand out to touch her face again. When she didn't pull away he stepped closer to her and looked into her beautiful eyes. He hoped he was wrong. He hoped they would figure this out. He wanted her to open herself up to him. He felt the butterflies start up again and he felt his pants grow stiff with desire. Their faces inched closer together and Fenneck opened his lips to taste her breath. "I need time to think," she said quietly, not moving away from him. "Me too," he said sweetly. He wanted to kiss her. He wondered if this really was the love he had been searching for his entire life. Soon she was almost pressed against him as the snow and cold inched them closer together. He loved feeling her in his arms like this. He took a deep breath and decided to trust this. To try and trust that Corellon knew what he was doing. "Are you ready to see Flottenheim?" he asked her softly. Natalya looked out over the balcony and waved a hand at the city. "Is that not what all this is?" He took her hand and pulled her toward the door. He smiled at her mischievously and she giggled. He led her down to the lifts and down the stairs. "Don't look yet!" He giggled as he put his hands over her eyes, causing her to lean back against him. He pushed his pelvis into her a little too excitedly but grateful they were past the awkwardness. Thiramin made it easy to be physical with her. He pushed her into the first level of the mountain and removed his hands from her face. She looked around in awe at the beautiful gardens and atmosphere. He walked over to one of the apple trees and plucked a fruit from its branch. He proudly held it out for her to observe. She took it and admired it for a moment before biting into it. Her eyes closed in delight as she tasted it. "It tastes wonderful! I've never had one before," she said, studying the fruit some more. Fenneck beamed. "I love apples. My parents would save up so they could buy a few to make a pie for my birthday every year when I was a child." He smiled and felt excited to share his love of the fruit with her. "Anyone can take what they wish from the crops here. As a society we all tend to the fields and we each harvest what we need." He gestured around the magnificent garden oasis. "Money doesn't quite exist here like it does in Thymryu or Lenisily. Everyone here has access to apples, wheat, corn, carrots, anything you could think of," he told her excitedly about the new ways of life they had implemented in their young country. "What about meat?" she asked, looking around. "We have animals in the floors below," he told her. "There are many layers to the mountain and each one has crops or animals or various other purposes, like the grand library or the theatre," he told her. He continued showing her around the many layers until they entered the theatre for the festival. They sat and chatted as they waited for the ceremony. She was funny. She never said much, but she seemed to enjoy Fenneck's ramblings. He liked her company. She was much more subtle than his other friends were. It reminded him of Evelyn's shyness. When it got closer to time, Fenneck led her down closer to where some of his friends were milling about. Gwynsickle noticed them first and gawked excitedly as they approached. At this, Catherine and Vyndius turned around to greet them. "Fenneck!" Vyndius said, tipping his hat to him dramatically. "Glad to see you made it safely to your room last night," he teased him while Catherine looked over at Natalya cautiously, no doubt considering if this woman was the one that had taken her brother's life. Fenneck sighed at Vyndius's comment about his drinking habits before introducing Natalya. "This is Natalya. Natalya, this is Vyndius and Catherine. They were pretty instrumental in the revolution as well," he informed her, trying to avoid Catherine's eyes. "Nice to meet you," Natalya greeted them. "The pleasure is all ours," Vyndius said as he and Gwynsickle bowed in perfect unison. She nodded shyly back to them. "Welcome to Flottenheim," Catherine greeted her formally. She glanced at Fenneck and, seeing his discomfort. "It's very good to meet you, Natalya. I'm sure we'll see you around later." She started steering Vyndius toward their seats before he could embarrass Fenneck any further. Wyeth also came and greeted them, sat down next to Natalya and began to talk to her at length. Alexei sat next to Fenneck and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "She's gorgeous. You two look cute together." He nudged Fenneck's shoulder playfully. Fenneck felt himself blush. He leaned over to Alexei's ear. "She's... growing on me. I'm sorry about last night." Alexei waved him off. "Oh please. I'm surprise that's as bad as it got," he teased him. Fenneck looked over at Natalya who looked a little uncomfortable to be surrounded by so many people. He leaned over so she could hear him over the music. "Just go along with what everyone else is doing. It will make more sense when it starts." She looked at him a little nervously and he gently rubbed her back with his hand to comfort her. Just then the music changed and the crowds hushed as Jasna led the bards in the ceremonial songs. Fenneck lost himself to the magic of it and enjoyed the closeness of his friends and Natalya. It felt wonderful to experience it with her. It made his desire for her and his thiramin closeness to her grow. He realized he could feel her emotions and feelings from the magic and their connection. It was fascinating. He loved watching her bewildered face as the tree illuminated before them and he let himself go as the magic filled the air around them. When the ceremony was over he didn't let go of her hand as everyone around them started to leave. He gently pulled her to the stairs and led her up to his room. He wanted to let go. To fall in love with her. To open himself up to this passion. She followed him in a trance. He finally made it to his room and led her out to his balcony. She looked down at Flottenheim in awe as the beautiful magic and light of the Aurora Borealis glistened around them. He slowly moved his hands to her waist and held her from behind. He sighed with relief when she leaned back against his chest. He nuzzled his face down against hers and finally felt like there was some glimmer of hope in the world. His heart glowed and he breathed heavily as he touched her. It had been so long since he had touched another person like this. So long since he and Erikur had embraced each other on this same balcony. Since he had been with Evelyn. He nuzzled his face into Natalya's neck and felt her skin on his lips. He had to work hard to not make love to her. It was intoxicating to feel the closeness of another person again. He enjoyed every moment as their bodies pressed against each other. After a while of enjoying the magic around them Fenneck felt Natalya shiver. He reluctantly pulled away from her and went into his room and grabbed a handful of blankets from his bed. He brought them out to the balcony and laid them out of the ground and pulled Natalya down into his lap. He leaned against the wall as she laid against him. Her beautiful red hair splayed out across his chest. He wrapped the blankets around them and interlaced his fingers with hers. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Erikur and Evelyn excitedly whispering together in the corner of the balcony. Erikur caught him looking and gave Fenneck a thumbs up. Fenneck rolled his eyes and kissed Natalya's neck lovingly. She squirmed from his touch and leaned into him. Fenneck closed his eyes and meditated blissfully for the first time in a very long time.