Elvin Vale

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Most of the patrons laughed at the jest before returning to their meals or conversations. The vibe in the room had seemed to shift from a sleepy morning to a jocular yuletide feel. Poor Faelwen nearly fainted from the amount of attention they had received for such a thing. If her tutors saw her now....She shivered at the thought of their reaction. And that's not even counting her father's punishment. Oh, what was she getting herself into? Her mood did lighten at the thought of her sibling's reaction. Hmm, her sisters would probably be blushing, and yet encouraging her to do it again. Her brother...eh, he'd probably just avert his eyes and mutter something about the indecency of it. Out of all her relations, Fae found her brother the most dear. He was the youngest, but in her mind, possibly the most mature. Or so he appeared, while she was away on her escapades from the palace, she had heard the servants whispering about how her brother had tried to go after her on more than one occasion. Faelwen shook her head, dispelling the visions.

She smiled as a loving peck was placed on her forehead. All right, it wouldn't help to keep dwelling on the embarrassment of her decision. It had worked, and no one had really minded. By the time Kris returned, her blush had subsided and her mind had cleared. She automatically stood as Kris waited for her. Her hand reached for his arm as she began to step toward the door. "Should we start packing a picnic basket now?"

((Ha, that's cool. I love it when RPs last this long.))
 
There was something that felt so inexplicably right about Faelwen taking him by the arm as they walked. Kris could get used to that. "Sounds like a plan to me. If you're too full to think about food just yet, we can window shop for a while first." He held the door for her, but he hesitated once they stepped outside, as they still needed to decide where to go. "What do we need? Bread, meat...we talked about getting something to season the meat. The only herbs I know anything about are garlic and rosemary, ha. And maybe a couple of carrots or apples to round it out. Does that sound good to you?" Faelwen would surely have a better idea of where in the city to obtain such things, but as he thought that, Kris' mind's eye called up a certain bakery, just down the street from a certain infirmary. Hm... He wondered how it might be to see Faelwen doing her volunteer work with him to support her rather than stalk her.
 
Faelwen smiled brightly as they stepped into the sunshine of the street. Ah, it was a gorgeous day out, perfect for a picnic. She almost felt too warm in her cloak and hood, but she dared not take it off. Not this close to town square, there were far too many guards milling about. Hense her reason for visiting the lower class areas. "I am not too full to begin looking for items to bring with us. If we are going to cook though, we will need to at least borrow some utensils and pans from someone, or we'd have to buy it ourselves." Part of her mind began to run with the thought of sharing kitchen items with Kris. It would almost be as if they were newlyweds just going out to buy their first kitchen wares together. This thought alone was sufficient to get her heart to race. Oh, how she wanted that to be true. But where would they keep said pans should they be bought? In that case, borrowing would be a better option. Maybe the orphanage would allow her to borrow a few things...they may have more knowledge of herbs to use as well. "I have some friends that may allow us to use their kitchen things....they may have an idea of good seasonings as well." She hesitated a few moments, wondering how Kris would feel about the visit. With his past, she was sure he didn't think fondly on orphanages. And it was a known fact he wasn't fond of children. Honestly the entire situation would probably prove to be an uncomfortable blast from his past. Either way, it was the polite thing to do if she told him exactly who they would be going to. "The place is near the outskirts of the town...not exactly in a good neighborhood. It's an orphanage....I go there to help out sometimes. They are nice people, but I understand if you would rather not go there."
 
Faelwen's mention of cooking utensils caught Kris by surprise. After their talk around dinner last night, he had imagined they'd just cook whatever they needed to on a spit over a fire. Buying crockery seemed foolish—it was exactly the kind of thing he had no reason to purchase—and while at first he smiled approvingly at the idea of borrowing some from a friend, if that was what Fae really wanted to do, the way she hesitated like that gave him pause. The next words out of her mouth felt like she was beating around the bush to say something she knew might bother him. Ah… His expression darkened before he could help it. An orphanage. It figured that Faelwen would consider such people her friends, but stepping over and around packs of bratty, jeering children wasn't Kris' idea of fun. "Is that the brick one on the northeast end of town, or some other place?" he asked. "I mean, I guess we could if you insist, but I'm not sure why we need to. Just last night we were talking about cooking meat on a stick over a fire. I assumed we'd do something like that." He sighed and shrugged. "If you reeeeaaally want to bring a frying pan into the woods, that's fine. I've got no business stopping you. I'll deal with...children." His face twisted into a slight sneer as he said it. No, his memories of elves any younger than ten were not fond at all. Nasty, greedy, manipulative little bastards… And he knew full well that he himself had been no exception. He'd been just as much of a little rat, if not worse. A shudder took him as they walked, even though it was a sunny day. There were some memories in the deepest recesses of his mind that he would really rather not dig up.

((Edit: northeast, not northwest))
 
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Faelwen nearly fell over when he mentioned the exact orphanage she was thinking of. How did he....oh, that's right. He had been following her, so the crow had been spying on her before she even noticed it. That was why she felt watched that day. She suddenly blushed at her own forgetfulness. "Oh, right.....I, uh. I forgot. Well, that makes it easier for you." Wow, Fae. You so just made an idiot of yourself. She glanced up to see Kris beginning to brood. Ah, now she just upset him. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The princess hugged his arm tightly, wanting to bring him out of his current thoughts. His past had been painful, and she didn't want to be the one to continue bringing it up. "I wouldn't make you go in there. Utensils really aren't that necessary....I don't know what I was thinking." She allowed her head to rest against his shoulder, earning a few knowing looks from the other people on the street. Well, if it was going to be some sort of cooking...they needed herbs....but which one's and who to ask. Ah, that's right. Most of the people and shop owners seemed fairly nice. "We could ask the shop keeper when we purchase the food. I'm sure they'd be able to suggest something."
 
Something inside Kris tensed when Faelwen backpedaled and put her head on his shoulder like that. Even though he appreciated it, he couldn't help but feel guilty. He folded his arm up to hold her head affectionately. "Yeah, that seems fair. When we go to the butcher's, we'll ask what they think is best for beginners. If it's easier to season meat in a skillet than not, I'll concede the point, all right? I'll be okay." He fondled her hair in silence for a moment before he spoke up again. "So...meat, bread, vegetables. So we need to find a butcher, a baker, and a grocer. I know of a bakery, so how about we go there first?" A close look might have revealed the playful twinkle of an ulterior motive in his eye. A part of him secretly wanted to take her to the infirmary before they went shopping so that he could tell her how he'd first met her there, not to mention see more of what she did in her free time.

((Happy Father's Day by the way!))
 
A smile was brought to Fae's lips as he gently played with her hair. She found this position rather comforting....just being able to rest against another person for a while. Of course the way he played with her silver locks was nice. It made her glad that she had such an odd color for her hair. She hummed in agreement to his proposal before actually saying anything. He's only been here a few days...what bakery can he mean? Unless...well....It would have been possible for him to find me that quick. Faelwen lifted her head to try to decipher anything Kris may divulge through his expression. He did seem to be carrying some joke or other with him. Rather than call him out on it, the princess simply reclined her head against his shoulder once more. "Lead on then. I'd like to see what you may have found. I'm afraid we may need to ask directions to a grocer and butcher though. I haven't the slightest idea where one may be located." And with that they were off. Part of Fae became excited to be surprised, even if it wasn't much of a surprise. He must have been watching her for far longer than she imagined prior.
 
Kris chuckled as he smoothed down the lock of hair he'd been toying with and tugged the edge of her hood back into place. "Very well, love. We'll learn the city together." It was nice to have her leaning against him like this. He left his hand resting there for a while as he steered her through the streets at an easy pace, and when his arm got tired he slipped it around her shoulder instead. There was something soothing and almost trancelike about walking like this. He knew their destination, but they were in no rush. They could afford to make the journey about each other. His feet seemed to take him where he wanted, but his focus was on Faelwen's warmth against him. This could've lasted forever, and he wouldn't have complained.

After several leisurely minutes, their destination was in sight, but the infirmary was two buildings closer, coming up on their right. He slowed to a stop and looked at the place. A wistful smile played at his mouth as he pulled Faelwen a little bit tighter in their sideways hug. "I met you here," he murmured, reminiscing to himself as much as he was simply talking to her. "Want to know what I thought when I first laid eyes on you? 'Damn, wish I'd met this one in a bar instead of on the job.'" He laughed lightly. "Not that it mattered in the end. I remember you were talking with this kid about scars and not wanting to get married."
 
Warmth, passion, companionship, connection....All could have described the number of things she felt as they walked like this. It didn't matter what their destination was. The time she got to spend in his company was all that she cared about now. They wouldn't have an eternity though, that much was certain. It was only a matter of time before their secret was out. Faelwen wrestled that thought aside. She was with him now, and she wanted to savor this time more than anything else. Learning the city with him...it seemed like a dream. "I'd like that...we ought to learn the entire city and the surrounding forest little by little whenever we have time together."

She allowed herself to lean against him a little as they walked. This was nice, why did they have to be born in separate classes. As a princess her father wouldn't allow just anyone to pursue her hand. Certainly not a guard who has no birth papers. That's right, that was all that seemed to matter to the king. A stupid piece of paper that signified the young man was of noble birth. What was so wrong with marrying outside the noble circle? It had happened before, right? It had to have happened in the past as well. She couldn't be the only one to encounter this. The only one to know that would be the librarian...a man who devoted his life to learning everything in the world to know. Perhaps he deserved a visit. She could then find some way to solve this problem.

Her eyes hardly recognized where they were headed until they had arrived. She let out a shocked little gasp when a familiar sight was suddenly in front of her. Kris suddenly hugged her closer, and reminisced of that time several days earlier. She had found the chance to escape her guards, and took off in flight to her mother's tree. From there she had made it to this place, and stopped to help them with their practice. Healing had always been something she enjoyed. Raising the herbs, learning how to use them, and finally putting what was learned into practice. She giggled at the memory of that boy. He had asked her if she ever planned to marry. At that time, it seemed like an arranged marriage with some noble or other was the only option. So she had said no. But now, if only they could find a way, she didn't mind the thought of having a lifelong partner. She turned her head to snuggle it closer to his neck. "I remember. I specifically stated that I wished to remain single. That was such a lie...but one I would have acted on faster than agreeing to marry a man I didn't agree with. It was lucky we even found each other. How did you manage to find me so easily? After I left the hospital I felt as if I were being watched, but you weren't on the street. I guess for an assassin, remaining hidden is a key skill." She giggled, remembering how frustrated she had been when she had finally realized he hadn't been a wild crow. "I honestly would rather you didn't know what I thought of you at first. I hated every inch of your being...." Yes, she had hated him, the only man to successfully catch her. It had seemed unfair, to have been caught that easily.
 
Kris eyed her with a sort of understanding smirk on his face. "Well, what with the way you smacked me that one time, I figured you hated me from the get-go. Nothing lost there, sweet." His smile softened, and after a moment he looked back to the building. "As for how I found you so fast...I have no answer. Dumb luck, I guess. Or maybe fate, if you'd rather." He adjusted his grip on her shoulder and leaned his head against hers. His face and voice were now more subdued. "Hope I didn't make you too angry. I confess, I did take delight in pissing you off. Wasn't until I realized how bad your confinement was that I..." He trailed off. Why did it feel like his throat had gotten stuck? Images of that cold tower room had come back into his mind. He tipped his head down and brought his free hand across his middle to brush Faelwen's arm. "I learned what empathy meant that day," he murmured. "Learned how it felt to...hurt for someone else." His hand took her arm in a gentle grip. "And it's crazy, I know, but...I wouldn't unlearn that for anything."

Love sure is weird, isn't it? he thought in defeat. Making me feel things like this. I'd rather hurt for her than not know her. I'd rather fight to protect her and face death in the process than let her be harmed. What's happened to me?
 
A light blush colored her cheeks as she was reminded of how she reacted. The fact that she had actually been able to slap him was still surprising to her. At the time it had felt good, after all, him clutching to her tail had been quite a surprise. Yes, fate seemed to be working in an odd way to get them together. She sighed softly, not really caring that they were having a moment in the middle of the street. She smiled as he brought his face closer and gripped her arm protectively. It seemed as though he wanted to take any pain she bore. "I can't tell you how happy it makes me feel that you feel that way. It took me a little while to realize you were the one I had been waiting for. After that, and when I learned your story...I can now say that I know how you feel. It's strange what we wish when we have a person to care about. I wish I could have stopped everything that you had been through. I wanted to give you a happy life....One that you would have everything you had ever wanted. " Tears pricked the corner of her eyes as she stood there with him. She brought her hand up to rest lightly on his chest. Here she just simply enjoyed his warmth. "You were able to get me out of my confinement...now I never want to leave your side. I want to take this journey of life with you. To be yours alone, and support everything you do. Even if I have to I sacrifice the life I have lived until now...my crown, my title...everything. I won't be settling for anyone less."
 
It was interesting to think that Faelwen was and had always been a romantic, opposed to an arranged marriage but not to finding a soulmate. She'd seemed grumpy enough about the topic when he'd first seen her that he had pegged her as a stubborn woman who would cling to her independence at any cost, ignoring any thought of love. How wrong that was. The thought that she saw so much in him and had been waiting for someone like him to appear in her life made Kris' insides tingle with joy, and her assertion that she wished she could've made his life better caused tension to well up in his chest. She would give up everything for him, would she? He felt his eyes begin to swim with moisture. He moved his arms away from their places around her and turned her gently until they stood facing each other instead. "That means a lot to me, Faelwen," he said, his voice cracking. "Thank you...my angel." He wrapped her in a tight hug. He'd stopped caring that they were in the middle of the street long ago. This was their moment. He sniffled as his eyes continued to water. "Damn things," he grumbled, though there was a weak laugh in his voice as well. "They didn't use to leak so much. Look what you've done to me." He held the embrace for a few more seconds before he released her and wiped his eyes, still smiling. "Right, enough of that. Where were we? Shopping. The bakery's right up here, but I'm sure you knew that." He took her hand and made to walk forward once more, his grip gentle but presumably enough to get her to follow him.
 
Faelwen had been enjoying the feel of Kris holding her like this. But the he pulled away and moved her to stand in front of him. Ah, his words were enough to allow her tears to spill over. Sure, they had promised all this prior, but it seemed more sure now. They were both committed to making this last. She snuggled into his embrace as her arms draped around his shoulders. Mmmm, this was so nice. A small giggle bubbled up through her throat as he mentioned his tears. "Maybe it's a good thing...it's not fair if only one of us can cry." She tried to keep her own tears from wetting his shirt. That was much easier when they stepped away from each other.

Fae took the edge of her cloak and dried her tears. Yes, they needed to get their shopping done. The sooner that was finished, the more time they would have alone this afternoon. She held his hand softly, and obediently followed him into the shop. What would the Baker think of this? It was only a few days ago the she was claiming to become an old maid. Now she was entering his shop, teary eyed, and with a man. She was sure to hear some form of surprise.
 
Mm, Faelwen's soft hand in his own was a pleasant feeling. Kris proceeded at an easy pace but with purpose towards the bakery, but he was reminded as he walked past that the shop in between the infirmary and the bakery was a jewelry boutique. He hadn't paid much thought to it before, but his pace slowed a little as they passed it, his eyes on the displays in the window. Their sentimental conversation just now had rekindled his feelings of devotion, and right now any worries of the future were far from his mind. He was hers and she was his. They'd promised once, and just now they'd made quite sure it wasn't an empty promise. And if it wasn't an empty promise... His hand tightened around Faelwen's hand before he realized he was doing it. If only. If only he could put a ring on that finger. The more sane side of his mind balked at the notion, reminding him that not only was an engagement ring a hefty (and expensive) commitment to be making so soon after he met someone, there was no way Faelwen could get away with wearing it. But regardless, the thought was there.

At any rate, they were on the bakery's stoop by now, so Kris opened the door and let Faelwen enter first. When he stepped into place behind her, he looked around and said amiably, "Hey, I get to see the inside of the place this time! Looks nice." He meant it as an offhand friendly comment to dissuade any awkwardness; saying this kind of thing was Kris' habit.
 
Faelwen glanced over at Kris as his grip tightened around her hand. What was the reason? She didn't think much on it. In the corner of her eye, she noticed the sparkle of jewelry displayed in the window. Ah, it would be nice if they could wear matching rings. Her heart sped up just thinking about that commitment. What was she thinking? That couldn't happen right now, even if a ring was bought. It would be a give away that she was in a serious relationship, and her father would demand to see who it was. That would be a problem. She pushed the thought aside as she entered the bakery. Mmm, it always smelled so good in here.

At the sound of the bell, the Baker man stepped out from the back of the store. "Ho, so Vanya 'as decided to visit again. Who have ya got witch ye?"

Faelwen smiled at the man, and dipped her head in greeting. "This is Kris. He's my..."
"Yer special one, if'n I 'ad a guess. You've gone an' found ye a partner. Well met, Kris." The Baker stuck out a thick hand to shake Kris's hand.
 
Kris was curious what word Faelwen had been about to use, but he could ask her that later. "Special one" was a cute term he hadn't expected. He smiled and shook the man's hand heartily. "A pleasure to meet you, good sir! I heard she's a regular here, so I took that as a recommendation. Let's see..." He stepped forward to eye the baker's wares, his hands moving to his wallet. He only had a few coins left, but that would be enough for a small fresh loaf to split between the two of them. "One of these here will be perfect," he said, pointing at a round loaf that had been cut on top at some point in the baking process to show a pale cross shape. "Does that look good to you, love? I can pay for this... Oh!" He hesitated, the thought of buying bread causing him to think of something else. "While we're here...did you want to get the usual today? I don't know what your typical schedule for that is."
 
The baker nodded, and quickly pulled out one of the fresh loafs to wrap it in parchment and place it in a bag. The warmth from the newly baked bread soaked through the parchment and bag. This heated bag was set on the counter as the baker waited for either another order, or payment.
"That one looks wonderful." Faelwen inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell coming from the fresh loaves. "I get that sporadically...whenever I can really. But it's not for me. Are you sure you'd want to come to drop it off, though?" She knew he was aware where that parcel of bread went. Was he really thinking about going to the orphanage with her? She'd be very happy if he did, but she wouldn't want him to feel uncomfortable. Oh, and they would need a grocer and butcher. That she would need to inquire about. She turned to the baker, "Do you know where we'd find a grocer and butcher? Are all the shops down this street, or are they just around town?"
"Oh, ma'am. All the shops be just down this stretch o' road. I take it that Vanya don't get around too much aside from yur usual stops."
"No I don't. It's rather unfortunate. Thank you for the directions."
 
"Yes, thank you," Kris echoed with a smile. "Great to know." He fished a couple of coins out of his wallet and handed them over before turning back to Faelwen, dropping his voice as he did. "It's your choice. I'll go where you go, love. Besides, it might be a good idea for me to try to face it, get used to it. It's a silly thing to be afraid of..." He paused, looking off into space. He didn't want to be an obstacle. Faelwen cared about those children, and surely it was because she saw good in them. It would be immature of him to shy away from something that meant so much to her, wouldn't it? He was her lover. He owed it to her to show a little self-sacrifice. But at the same time, maybe he was being too adamant. He shook his head slightly and returned his focus to her. "Not to push you into something either, of course. It would be your money, I'm nearly cleaned out here."
 
Faelwen smiled and quickly leaned up to press a kiss to Kris's cheek, earning a chuckle from the baker. She then turned to the baker. "I'll take my usual then. A quick stop wouldn't hurt." Several sweet rolls were placed in a bag along with a few iced ones and one cinnamon one. Faelwen handed the last few coins she had to pay for the rolls, and took the bag. This would be a wonderful chance to show Kris that children weren't so bad. Or at least not all the time. Maybe it would be the start of getting him comfortable with the idea to sire a child of his own. She couldn't help but feel a small tingle of excitement at that possibility. It would be one of the best ways she could show how much she loved him.

With a wave to the baker, Faelwen stepped toward the door. The bag of rolls was set inside her basket. Once outside, Fae took Kris's arm again. "Thank you so much...I'd like to visit them again. You don't have to come in though...I can just drop the rolls off and we can go on our picnic. There really isn't any need to chit chat." She didn't want to push him too far. After all, him agreeing to accompany her there was a significant step for him, that she was sure of. She found herself smiling widely, and in a cheery mood. Apparently those kids meant more to her than she had thought before.
 
Whenever Kris was kissed without expecting it, he froze and felt his cheeks flush and his head spin for a few seconds. Amazing how Faelwen could do such a thing to him, even after all of his romantic experience. It was a moment before Kris snapped out of the trance and realized Fae already had the door open. "Ah!" he blurted, his limbs popping back to life and carrying him outside after her. How embarrassing that a peck on the cheek could muddle his mind so. He'd never kept a woman so close that she could surprise him with one like that, he supposed.

He was glad when she took his arm again. "We'll see how I feel when we get there," he said. "No worries." Despite being nervous about what he'd just talked himself into, Faelwen looked to be in such a good mood by now that he found it impossible not to smile back. It gave him such fulfillment to see her happy. They set off down the road, walking back the way they'd come, but they stayed on this street past the turn they'd taken to reach it. Ah, and here they were! The street looked more like a lively open market from here on. Kris almost felt foolish for not thinking to look the other direction earlier. "Well, I think we found it," he joked. "Okay, so...I've got two gold and a handful of coppers in change left. I imagine that'll get us a slab of meat and maybe an onion or a couple of carrots, but I don't know how fancy we wanted to get with the herbs or how much cash you have left. If you think I need to pop back to my room to grab a few more coins, I can do that." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder as he said this, indicating the direction of the castle.
 
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