Dimitri was mid taking a bit of his toast when she suddenly got short with him. The pointed words made his brows furrow in confusion, pulling back a little as if unsure where she got that idea from. Getting something out of the marriage? Had he a said that? Or implied that? He would never agree to spend his life with her if it was meant to be a series of achievements and gains. He loved her enough to want that spark and spontaneity, but he also wanted to understand how she felt about big topics before they married. Big topics like living situation, children, religion, work, household...things that were important to understand where the other persons desires and limits lay.
He never wanted Nesryn to think she had to give up her desires to please him nor that she had to change to make their marriage work. Her wording last night had hit him early in the morning as he was making breakfast in his bliss. By saying she was ‘willing to try’ for kids, did she mean that she wanted that or was this all spun up by Luna prying and him admitting he wanted children? He didn’t want that to be the case and they never touched on the topic again. It made him worried he had inadvertently pushed his desires on her and he didn’t want that to be the case. To save himself the worry, he decided to ask her bluntly as she would have. But that seemed to be the opposite of what he should have done.
He quickly cleared his mouth of food, shaking his head quickly at that frustration she seemed to have.
“N-No no, darling. I didn’t mean it that way.” He paused to let her speak more as she went into details of what she wanted. She talked about waiting for children if he wanted that and everything else she seemed to have the same mindset he did. The news that she had money stored away made his brows knit since he remembered her mentioning that before they began dating. He didn't want her using all of her savings to support them, but he wouldn't argue if that was what she wanted. He still would try and find more work and help to make them more self-sufficient of course. He couldn't have that burden placed on her shoulders when stress wouldn't be good for her or any child that they may have.
The taking of his hand woke him from his thoughts and he gave her a softer smile.
"Nes, I want a family with you whenever you feel comfortable and ready for that. To be honest, I've been thinking about it a lot lately...I don't know what kind of parent I would be given my own are a bit--Well, less than desirable. But I want to have a future with you and family and...I just worried that I was making you feel obligated because I really really wanted to have a baby and I wasn't sure if you even wanted kids." He gave her hand a kiss to the knuckles to hopefully soothe the blunder in wording he made. "And the living situation is understandable. Eir sounded like he might propose to Luna in time and Bryer is going to be a fully-fledged adult here soon. If we end up having a child it could be helpful to have friends around but perhaps not under the same roof. I love them all, but Luna's vision freak me out a bit and Eir can make me a bit...paranoid with his knowledge." He shook his head not wanting to recount the conversations over terrible diseases and genetics. "As for your money, I promise that will find something more stable to make sure we have enough to carry us past a year. I think the general store owner likes me well enough and I think I could talk with the port master and port authority for more steady work in the more financial side of things. Either way, thank you for putting that into our future if that's what you want. Truly the question was to be sure I knew how to prepare accordingly or if there was something you wanted that I wasn't doing? I want things to be good between us..." He then gave her a small tilt of the head, wondering if he clarified his earlier words a little better.

Ifram had obliged his wife’s desire to walk in the sun, finding that it wasn’t all that bad of an idea. Of course, his gaze was hardly on the early morning scenery around them but rather on his blissful and happy wife. He was glad they had come to the same standing and worked things out together. He agreed that perhaps his times away grew more desired as the fights between them escalated. He also agreed that while she had neglected her side of things, he had as well. Ifram also spent a fair amount of time sharing what was happening on the field, so she might better understand his stress. Of course previously, he’d not wanted to burden her with the ugly business of war but it seemed it not only filled her in on what his mind was on, but also in getting things off his chest.

The pair were now on their way to the Aluanas estate. Ifram was not exactly excited about what their visit entailed but he was willing to at least try to make her happy. The drake was not going to apologise for the duel or nose, but in understanding of how Sehrish hated feeling restricted, decided he would not forbid the Elvi to speak with his wife. Of course, even at the thought of her being in the same room as him raised his temperature a few knots, but he put that to his protective and possessive nature. As long as Eir accompanied them both, he could deal with it.

The two boys in question were completely unaware of the quickly approaching guests. Instead, Eir seemed to be eyeing Malachi suspiciously as he sat reading. He gave the drake a tsk and a frown, lowering the book.
“Is it so shocking to believe that I can read, Eir? Honestly...” he sighed, setting the book aside.
He gave his friend a smile, eyes welling up a little in pain as the movement of his face sent another throb through his nose.
“In all honesty I have something I probably need to tell-“
Malachi’s eyes widened and the words dried in his mouth as a servant announced and let in none other than Ifram and Sehrish Darhazaan. Immediately the male dropped the book and stood, tense and wary. Was the male back to finish him off? Publicly embarrass him? Whatever it was Malachi was not going down without a fight.

Ifram stood there gravely with Sehrish holding into his arm. She seemed okay- happy even. This relaxed him a little and he waited for one of them to explain themselves. It was Ifram who cleared his throat and decided to push ahead.
“I can see your broken nose is better...”
Mal quirked a brow, not quite sure how to respond. He folded his arms and eyed the male.
“Indeed it is...”
Ifram seemed to want to leave it at that, but the firm hold of Sehrish made him speak further.
“While I do not condone your relations with my wife in my absence, I admire the pluck you had in confronting me in my own... misconduct. I shall not forbid you from seeing her as long as Eir is present. We can put this duel behind us...”
Malachi fully relaxed at that, offering a sheepish smile and slight bow, “I thank you very much. In return, I shall not mention to any Phonaxian that you broke the singularly most pretty face in all the land. Since you know the women there would be much displeased and come after you for blood”
Ifram gave a small snort of amusement, “I see our fight did nothing to diminish that arrogance”
The Elvi gave a chuckle, “I think it’s one of my best features other than the face, no?”
“I refrain from commenting, lest the women of Phonax put my head on a platter”
Malachi looked to Eir, rubbing the back of his neck. How was he going to explain this?
But by the look on his face, he assumed Eir had put some of the pieces together.

Eir jumped slightly when the pair entered and he quickly blushed as he and Nesryn separated. He knew better than to put her conversation with him out there, so he tried to make it seem as though they were just having a lovely chat. He sunk back into his book, allowing Bryer and Dimitri to filter in while the ladies ran up stairs to mess with the dresses.
He noted Bryer’s smug look, glad to see his ward hadn’t lost his confidence in this move. Honestly, he was proud of the young man that Bryer was becoming, especially when he found the **** that made him happy and profitable. The amount of gold that hit his lap was still hefty, even beyond the gold they spent on the clothing. Eir’s eyes widened considerably as he glanced up at Dimitri, noting the man was giving his fiancé a playful smirk and shooing motion at her turning back to look at him. Honestly, the two were sickeningly sweet.
“Well I’ll be damned Bry. You have done marvelous work.” He said as he set the coin aside as it was rightfully Bryer’s to do with and save. Honestly, he wanted the boy to put the money towards his education as Eir felt Bryer was too smart to squander it. But he wouldn’t be the one, like his father, to dictate Bryer’s future.
The comment on the altar boy made Eir look to Bryer, more of a serious expression taking over. He was protective of Bryer after all the abuse he suffered as a child, as when he was younger he often let himself get caught in poor situations by being much to kind toward those that didn’t deserve it. “You, I have no worries about. I will have to look into the boy’s family to be sure he isn’t some ruffian. Much too good for an altar boy.” He said, as gave his book another tentative glance to hide his protectiveness in his expression.
“Oh quit getting your scales ruffled Eir. I’m sure the same could be said about us and ours. Let Bry live a little. Besides we know he’s just sneak out and do it anyways.” Eir tossed Dimitri an incensed look, almost as if he refused to believe Bryer would disobey him and do something so reckless. Then he got a very prominent and pointed memory of his time in Glapera as a young man with Malachi, enjoying a bar, gambling, and a date with someone of lower stature and quickly blushed, quickly looking back at the passage. He was mid sentence when Bryer brought up his own wedding to Luna and that made Eir go board straight at Bryer’s joking.
He blushed deeply, not one to usually discuss affairs of romance with his son let alone others. He wasn’t the most...well...skilled in the arena of courtship and already he felt he was doing things way out of order. Luna was patient with him as he was with her, but that didn’t mean that she would be patient forever... “Marriage...so soon? I mean I suppose I—I mean I do want—Well she’s—We don’t—Besides I haven’t quite approached the...well subject with her and she is still getting used to things.” Dimitri rose a brow at Eir’s fumbling, since he remembered how flustered the drake got with Luna in the beginning.
“You haven’t proposed to her? Gods, Eir formality went out the window the moment she was married to a Hythian. You should sweep her off her feet, remind her how important she is to you and pop the question.” Eir then shot a look to Dimitri, sass there in his expression.
“And how well did that work for you?” He asked since he knew from speaking with Dimitri he was so nervous to propose to Nesryn that he made himself ill at one point. It made for an embarrassing conversation with the healer that Eir harkened back to at moments when Dimitri seemed to lecture him.
“I mean, sure she slapped me hard enough I saw stars but she accepted so something worked.” Dimitri gave a shrug, making Eir deflate at the man’s borderline simplistic self-confidence. Eir had something to consider for sure...
~~~~~~
Luna followed Nesryn upstairs with an excited smile. She had a feeling she knew what Nearyn meant as she remembered the plan to hide the dress while the boys were out. She expected some old dress that had moth holes in it and would be a disaster to fix at such a bargain. Instead she was awed by what she found. The dress was magnificent and had beautiful white and gold detail. She felt her heart squeeze at how pretty it looked with the veil, even with the odd wheat accessory. “Oh Nes, it’s wonderful!” She gushed as she went towards it to help her friend into it.
Once the dress was slipped on, Luna had to pause and bring her hands to her mouth to cover the excited smile. “You look just like a princess in a fable! Poor Dimitri is going to be so awe-struck he’ll forget how to breathe!”
She set to work helping her friend mend and adjust the dress. Luna was hardly the most skilled seamstress but with Nesryn’s guidance she felt she had the hang of of it. Even if she poked and prodded Nesryn a few times with the pins, her friend didn’t flinch or complain. Truly, Nesryn was such a sweet person and Luna could never thank her enough for how she always protected her and helped her these last few years.
“Nesryn, thank you fo letting me be a part of your big day. I’m just so happy for you that you get the wedding of your dreams and a beautiful new start. I couldn’t be happier for you my friend.” She told her as a vision nearly made her pin slip. Flashes of emotion filled her senses with sickness and upset and worry. She saw Dimitri passing out, Eir looking worried, and Nesryn being brought to tears. She was pulled from that vision and gave a hard swallow as she let her smile pull back into place. This was just another one of those fluke visions right? There was no way something would happen to her friend...She got them all the time and honestly most didn’t come true...but a few did and she prayed this was one that didn’t.
~~~~~
Dimitri had spent much of the night enjoying Nesryn’s company when she and Luna were done with the dress. The opportunity to hold her close after being gone all day was relaxing and relieving for him. Some days he had moments where he believed this was all a dream and that he would wake up and be back in Marieve alone in the servant quarters. But the pure joy he felt waking up to her in the mornings and getting to spend moments like this together grounded him and reminded him that she was there and his as much as he was hers.
When she pulled away to search her besides, he was a bit confused when she seemed to hesitate with the vial in her hands. Had he done something wrong? Was something on her mind? He knew what it was from their times when intimacy was involved. A mild poison that took care of any risk of pregnancy back when things were complicated and dangerous for both of them. He understood the need for it and didn’t shame her like the pious of Alessandria would have for openly using methods to prevent a “miracle of the gods”.
He sat up a little on his side, looking a bit worried when she went to the window. He was about to ask what was going on when she turned to him, her face that lovely shade of red like a rose. It made his breath catch when she tossed the vial out the window. Was...was that a good sign or a bad one? She knew he wasn’t one for subtleties as he had clearly missed her cues before. But thankfully, knowing him the way she did, she spoke up and clarified the action with words that had his expression brightening and his lips taking on a faint and hopeful smile.
Trying... She wanted to try for a child? He felt his heart throb with a warm energy that made him feel touched and excited. While he knew these things took time and effort, to know that she wanted to even try to build a family with him was amazing in and of itself. To think that one day, if fate was kind, they might even have a child to care for...
He welcomed her back to bed by melting into that embrace, bringing her lips to his in an impassioned kiss. “We will together, my love...” He told her quietly in Ithyril as not to disturb the blissful moment they had in the dark together.
~~~~
The next morning, Dimitri rose with the sun as he was used to with working in the Whitheres Home. It was hard to kick the paranoid need to rise before the house lords and ladies, even in the tropical paradise. Besides, it gave him an excuse to do things that he enjoyed like cooking and making sure he was ready for the day. He had a bit on his mind at the moment and he was currently trying to get it all straight. A wedding tomorrow, the woman he loved thinking about starting a family, and a home full of friends that were already so helpful Dimitri couldn’t almost believe he had them. But with all that came a new wave of what if’s and thoughts of how to best support the life he wanted. He needed to do better about providing for her and he needed to figure out her thoughts on all of this. Luckily, he woke before Nesryn this morning so it gave him time to make breakfast for her in bed. Perhaps it was a bit cheesy, but he liked doing small things for her. So after the eggs and bread and jam were together, he set them aside at the end of the bed. He leaned over her giving her a light kiss to the cheek to wake her, letting a hand trail  her and resting comfortably on her hip. “Good morning, my love.” When she stirred at his voice he gave her a gentle chuckle and pulled away and grabbed his own tea. He had to settle for the stuff since he couldn’t rightly afford coffee. While not bad, it was missing the bitter bite he once craved. “Breakfast in bed sounds like a nice way to begging the day right?” He said, knowing she would forgive him for being chatty in the morning. “And a good way to open up the floor to discuss what happened last night...I wasn’t lying with what I told Luna. We haven’t exactly talked about what we want out of our marriage...so...perhaps it’s best to know before go into the wedding and trying for a family?”

Septimus smiled and nodded. "I would be delighted, dear." He quietly poured himself another glass of wine, thinking some thoughts that were very tempting. "Would you like more wine, Asena? And then maybe we can... retire for the night?" He glances up at her through his eye lashes, trying to get a read on her expression.

The morning air was humid and tepid in the warm Glaperan morning, just the temperature that really made Sehrish feel alive. She was always an early riser, preferring the bright sun to the evening and dark. She blamed it on her scales and the way they held a warm honey colored glow as a Biedraken, the lighter version of the Draconian race. It was why she insisted they walk to the Aluanas home, Ifram and her taking in the sights of the upper class quarter. The walk felt brisk and relaxing, unlike their tense walk the night before.

The night before had been quite helpful for them. She felt like she spoke and expressed herself better with Ifram. She helped make the life that they led and realized that by shutting him out and giving up on them, she only made Ifram do the same. After some talking and more physical conversation, she found they were able to come to an understanding and agreement with each other. They would work on their relationship and try for each other to do better at loving one another. But that started with burying the hatchet with their obstacles and harsh feelings. And the first on that list, Ifram's harshest feeling and Sehrish's guilt, was Malachi.

Sehrish knew that she had to work on forgiveness with the boys and apologize to Malachi. She almost hadn't broached the subject with Ifram out of fear it would break the comfort they had found, but she finally worked up the nerve as she cuddled with him before sleep took them. He somehow agreed to humor a truce between the boys and that made her suspicious but excited. That excitement was thankfully more prominent as she smiled up at her husband with a pleased grin.

"Itovair, thank you for doing this with me today. I feel I owe you both an apology. And I would hate to lose a dear friend." She said before taking his arm in her hold, resting a head against him. "Perhaps you might even befriend him in time. He's actually quite the duelist. That's not an expectation, of course. But just a thought." As they approached the home and announced themselves, Sehrish gave Ifram a touch to the chest, her expression softening. "And he did make me remember how much I missed us together..." She told him as she gave his arm a squeeze as it was what she could reach from her smaller height.

~~~~**~~~~

Eir awoke with the sun, thankfully dressed and ready to start his day with a light read from the library. However, he caught sight of the side door to a parlor was open. He peered inside and found Malachi seated there, reading a boring book about Draconian politics.He must have been really out of sorts...Eir walked in and gave his friend a raise of his brow. "Mal? Everything okay?" He asked as he caught sight of a servant darting to where his parents were having their breakfast in the garden.