forum Opportunistic Omnivore: Scavenging the Remains of the Divine || OxO || Closed || 18+

Started March 15, 2023 by @ElderGod-kirky group

tune

Eurion finally looked up at Aideen’s words. Not true? What did she mean that it wasn’t true? Well, it was obvious what she meant, that the Gods had lied to him. If they had turned other memories against him then there was no reason to say they wouldn’t do it again. But he hadn’t seen the event happen, so there was nothing in his memories for them to twist. Before he could protest Aideen was talking again and asking him a question and Solise was pressing into his hands once more.

There was a multitude of things that he thought about when he thought of Sláine. How his hair felt between his fingers when he braided the auburn locks and how they got tangled in his horns, how his canines caught on his lip when he smiled or how, how when they were nose to nose he could see and count every freckle on his face. How Eurion thought he was beautiful. He opened his mouth to talk, closed it again and took another few moments petting Solise before he replied, “His eyes.” He settled upon.

Adelphia sighed, running a hand through her thick curls, “These aren’t just any old chains, Sláine. They don’t rust if they’re unable to, and even if they did I have no doubt the Gods would kill him if it ever reached that point and neither of us want that.” She couldn’t lose her friend and he couldn’t lose his mate.

“From what I know of Eurion and his life, he was training to be a protector, a guard, for his people, for the Fae royals. Before he finished his training he was chosen and there was a falling out between him and a friend. It’s one of the reasons why he doesn’t go home,” Another sigh, “All he’s done is kill. From the moment he was picked until today. He’s tortured people for the littlest of information needed for the Gods to simply taking people out with nothing more then knowing their name and last known location. He’s their sword for a reason. I don’t know how many, exactly, he’s killed, but it’s more than anyone should have to bare.”

Aideen didn't elaborate further on her declaration. Eurion could piece things together in time, because if she tried telling him what really happened, he would either be frustrated by her lack of concrete details, or outright deny her retelling as truth. She wouldn't blame him for either, but it would cause too much of a headache and she didn't want to go through that more than necessary. Instead, she went with her newest angle of getting Eurion to think. Think of his mate, of the prince he had fallen hard for the past few days. Of Sláine, who was undoubtably breaking down by the second at just the thought of being repulsive to Eurion. The exact opposite of the Gods.

She hummed and tilted her head, moving to lean against the wall and hook her arms on her knees. "Their eyes are pretty, though I haven't seen his up close before." Caoimhe had constellations that she liked to track. "Beautiful orangy-brown, always open and earnest. Sexy when they give you that look." A slash of a smile hooked at the corner of her lips, and she moved on. The questions conjured themselves without her say-so, and she just rolled with each one. "Opinion on the horns?" She certainly liked them, mostly because it made it easy to direct the twins where she needed them to be, and to hold Caoimhe back whenever he was getting a little too nippy.

Sláine knew that. He knew that it wasn't a simple solution, not as easy as disposing of a corrupt king even if it hadn't been easy in practice. It had taken a rebellion and foreign forces, a crafty High Witch getting into the inner circle to crumble the tyranny from the inside. But he couldn't let himself sit by while Eurion was trapped by arrogant Gods unwilling to let go of those they enslaved. Neither choice was life, even if one kept him breathing.

"Then we aren't so different," the prince murmured. He may not have been an assassin looking for specific targets, but he had been sent to realm after realm, charged with either eradication or diplomacy—and if it didn't work, then battle it was. Caoimhe had done more because he enjoyed the thrill of battle, but Sláine didn't. It never stopped him from being a pawn, though, and he had spent many years doing things that he regrets to this day. The prince rubbed at his nose and pressed his fingers into his eyes, as if that would erase everything bad from his vision and memory.

"There has to be some sort of loophole, a way to break their hold on him without getting him killed." When he lowered his hand, his expression cracked for just a flicker of a moment. Except, when he had tried to break his assassin free, it put them into this mess. The Gods had decided he was a challenge to their status as Gods because of his power, and instead of going after him, they took it out on Eurion instead. What could he possibly do if it only ended with someone else bearing the pain of his failures?

Eurion thought back to the inn, how Sláine had spoken about masking his horns because they got in the way when they were cuddling. Their horns were unique to them, an identifier but strangely stunning. How they twisted up, brought attention to their faces. Sláine’s were lovely, he found. When he touched them softly and he shivered, felt the grooves under his fingertips. He wondered what they would have been like when they were growing, what sensations that came with it, “They’re… I like them. Haven’t seen anyone with horns like theirs before.”

Probably because of their excess magic causing the abnormalities and altering others to who they were and the magic that they possessed. Eurion also found it cute when Sláine’s hair ended up tangled in them, especially if it was because of something that he had done. His mind once again drifted back to the inn, to that morning, Sláine against the bed and breathing hard and saying his name the way he had… He nearly blushed but he changed that train of thought before any redness seeped into his cheeks. But their bond flickered as if it could hear his thoughts, see what Eurion had been visualising and chimed up in response, encouraging, as much as the assassin tried his hardest not to think about.

Adelphia’s gaze softened at the look she found on Sláine’s face. She couldn’t imagine the hurt that he was going through, knowing that Eurion currently didn’t want to see him and was scared of him, of his magic. It hurt her own soul to think about them being unable to get past this point. But the healer was optimistic that they would be okay, less so when it came to whether or not Eurion would ever be free of the Gods.

“If there is a loophole we haven’t found it yet, none of the others have.” There was no mention or knowledge of any other messenger breaking free from the hold, ever stopping. Either they were killed doing their job or disappeared which Addie could only assume meant the worst, “I fear the only magic that could break the bond would be the magic of the Gods themselves, the ones who created it. Maybe if there’s another of the Old Gods alive out there who could help then… but I don’t know, I’m sorry, but it’s the one thing I cannot answer.”

"Mmm," Aideen hummed in agreement. The horns were certainly eye-catching, the first thing that people were often drawn to when they walked into a room. Not to mention their need to duck because of them, which only drew attention even more. It made the twins more imposing, regal, but also giant goofs when they forgot to duck. She wiggled her fingers some. "They're definitely unique. Makes it easier to handle them." In several different contexts.

Eurion was doing a good job of hiding his reaction to his own thought process, but Aideen had her own that had delved into a territory that wasn't good for Eurion's attempt at cleansing his mind. Her tone was amused, even if she fixed a bored expression on her face while she went back to flipping the ring like a coin. "What's it like kissing him?" No point in the assassin trying to deny their relationship.

Sláine lifted his head, feeling that flicker of their bond and being more than a little confused by its activity. What was Aideen doing? What thoughts were going through Eurion's mind right then? Was he angry, and Aideen was only making it worse? Or something else? The prince wanted nothing more than to go over and find out himself, but he couldn't. Solise was there for comfort, she would be able to calm the assassin enough to give Sláine some peace of mind, and Aideen respected the spirit too much to push too many boundaries. They were fine. But his skin still crawled from the lack of his assassin's touch, and his body itched from the missing warmth. He wanted Eurion back.

Pulling himself back to his own conversation, Sláine looked to Adelphia, as if she were his mentor and he needed answers. "Do you have any idea what they want from him? At all?" Because the chances of them getting into contact with a God that wasn't determined to kill them all was slim, next to none. Banking on that as the only way to free Eurion from their bonds would do them no good. The prince shook his head and redirected, knowing that no one could really know what the Gods wanted. "I just—I want him to be safe. But I can't help him."

Eurion spluttered. Did Aideen always have to be so abrupt? And she said it as if it didn't imply the obvious. His first thought was to downright deny it, but that wouldn't fly. There was no point in hiding it. As much as everything about their relationship was confusing and had been from the very start, everything was obvious, as much as Eurion didn't want it to be and had hoped that he would have been able to talk to Sláine about it before it was revealed to the world that they were mates but clearly fate had other plans. One that involved Aideen currently asking about what it was like to kiss him.

He swallowed. What did he even say to that? The thoughts had his heart racing and he was back to looking at Solise as if she was going to somehow shield him from the humiliation that he was going to feel when he admitted what he was thinking. Aideen was the last person that he wanted to have this conversation with but there was no getting out of it.

Kissing Sláine felt… right. There wasn't really any other word he could find to describe how he felt. He didn't know whether to admit that the first night where they had ended up in the prince's bed together, when they woke and he was pressed against his side that his lips had been enticing. How when Sláine had touched his cheek he felt the urge to press his lips against his palm. Or at the inn, when they had kissed for the first time, the world around them had disappeared till it was just them. Stars dancing together through the sky without care for the world around them. Because the prince's lips had been soft and inviting, fit perfectly with his. Had moved against his own easily and beautifully and had Eurion wanting and craving more. Even now, thinking about it, his heart lurched, their bond glowed and Eurion… Eurion was stuck in his own thoughts of the prince against him for a while before he spoke again, "It feels right," He said slowly, "Like it was supposed to be that way."

Adelphia leaned against the back of the chair, one hand resting on the top to keep her head propped upwards, "Eurion has only ever given me bits and pieces. Names of people he'd been tasked to kill- or had done, how he felt they were all interconnected but there was nothing to prove his suspicions. The Old Gods have been gone for so long now, people don't even believe they existed, that they're just tales and legends. I don't think they're too happy about it," She sighed, "You can help him more than anyone. You're his mate. You're fated, intertwined with one another no matter what he may think right now. This hurdle will pass and you will help him simply by being there."

Aideen snickered at Eurion's sputtering, even if she tried to school her expression into neutrality. She had been told to get Eurion in a headspace where he could look at Sláine in a different way and get him to not be afraid of the prince. No one had ever said that she didn't need to take the angle of making the assassin comfortable while doing so. And, she doubted that he minded remembering those specific things much anyway. His fear clearly didn't diminish how he viewed the prince much outside of his magic, so pulling up the memories he undoubtable was getting lost in wasn't hurting Eurion a bit.

Solise looked up at Eurion and returned his look, though hers was more in line with a refusal to help him with his emotional turmoil. She couldn't help save him from the humiliation of talking about his relationship with Aideen. He had to talk about it, because from where she was standing, it was helping. The assassin was getting lost in the thoughts longer and longer, and there wasn't an ounce of distress that she could sense from him.

The shifter tossed the ring again. "And what's your favorite thing about him? Not his looks, but him? Can be anything as simple as his favorite color, an odd habit, or personality trait—anything. Or, if you want to, several favorites. I know I can't ever pick one."

"But it's not just this hurdle." Sláine ran his fingers through his hair, snagging on the braids he had done and only getting more frustrated. The prince stood to start pacing, to let out that nervous and frustrated energy. "Yes, I'm worried about right now and how things will turn out now that all of this shit has happened. But it's not just that." The prince laced his fingers behind his head, shoulders hunched. "I don't know how to help him. Being there does fuck all when the Gods snatch him away from me the moment they decide they want him, and then it's out of my control. I couldn't—" Sláine faltered, but didn't stop pacing. "Being there did nothing." Not in the ways that mattered. Not when Eurion had been on his knees begging and screaming for the Gods to give him mercy.

The bond pulsed again, like it was gaining its strength, and Sláine stopped to stare over at the curtain. He felt lost, like he was in a sea of everything he could want, but the ship he stood on had him roped to the masts. If he got free and dove overboard, would the sea welcome him with open arms, or would it drag him down and burn his lungs? As much as he wanted to fall to his knees and plead for Eurion to forgive him, promise that he would never do something like that to him or anyone else, he knew that he'd drown. The best chance he had was waiting, staying tied back until he was sure they'd be okay.

Eurion glared at Solise. He was unaware of the fact that she could talk so in his mind it was entirely normal that she was quiet but it didn't stop him from giving her a look that screamed, 'fuck you for not helping me out here.' The more he thought about Sláine past that of the magic and the event, remembered all these things that they were talking about he didn't feel any stress or nervousness, not like he had done yesterday. When the prince had knelt in front of him all Eurion was able to see at that moment was the witch. All he could think about was how Sláine had looked in that moment and used his magic but now? There was none of that. The side of him that screamed at him to believe what he had seen, what the Gods had shown him was still yelling but the noise was fading softly into the background of the memories that were taking its place.

"I like how he can just… be calm and patient. Know exactly what to say when it's needed and he's not afraid to help others. Help me." Because that first night together, after that visit from the Gods, Sláine had calmed him down quicker than anyone else had ever been able to. Had taken his mind away from how terrified he was to the tea, to him, and things had shifted from fear to just exhaustion. He let Eurion lean on him when he needed it. As much their relationship had been solely prince and assassin at that point Sláine had still helped and he was so grateful for it. He didn't know what to do without it. He was struggling now but he still needed him, needed the prince's touch and care and soft hands telling him it was going to be okay.

"Have you been with Eurion when he has been with the Gods before?" Adelphia asked, watching the prince like a hawk tracking its prey, "What did you do then to help?" Because what he had encountered with the Gods yesterday was different. It happened more frequently than it should, yes, but it wasn't a normal interaction between Eurion and them and so, it was an outlier. Usually, things would be different, which would allow Sláine to help even if he felt he didn't have the opportunity or the skills.

Solise blinked innocently up at Eurion, even if she was internally laughing, and gave a small trill. Then she head butted beneath his chin and pressed into his body, as if apologizing for her lack of help. It wouldn't do anything, she still wasn't going to help him or intervene, but at least she said sorry. Besides, she could sense the bond strengthening. Not nearly as well as Sláine, but there was that hint of the magic connecting the two men together, and she could see the string pulling taut between them with each memory Eurion pulled up. Aideen's tactic was working, and though it might not be addressing the magic just yet, it was still working. Eurion could keep drawing memories of his Sláine each day, and soon enough they will be strong enough to cover the false memory the Gods crafted.

Glancing over in the general direction of the living room, as if she could see the prince they were talking about, Aideen nodded slowly. Sláine was calm and patient, and always there to help others no matter what. Eurion needed to remember that, latch onto it, and think. She then looked to Eurion, her expression soft for once. "And what would he say to you right now?" How would he comfort and help his assassin in pain? What did Eurion need to hear, even if it was just Sláine's voice echoing thoughts in his head?

"Once." Sláine paused in his pacing, but the annoyance at himself didn't change. "The night we first met. I saw… I saw the realm pulling his mind through, but I didn't know what it was. Just that it was a violation." The prince shook his head and started pacing again. "When he came to, I gave him a tea I used to use for when I was still getting the side effects of travel. We didn't talk much just… He looked so scared, even when he was trying to do something else. So I hugged him, because he looked like he needed it. Stayed like that for the night."

Eurion's frown softened as Solise pushed against his chest and the assassin couldn't help but wrap his arms around her. It wasn't Sláine, no one would ever be able to provide the comfort that his mate did but Solise was close enough. She was rumbling and soft and allowed him to pet her gently and cuddle her to his chest. He needed it. As much as it was slightly embarrassing considering Aideen was right across from him, he didn't care all too much. He needed comfort, and Solise was providing it and he was going to latch onto her for the time being. Even though the assassin knew nothing of the spirit he had grown fond of her in the short time they had been together, much like he had grown fond of Sláine so fast.

Eurion thought back to their first night together once more. Things had changed so drastically since then but it was a moment of weakness, along with the prince caring for him at the inn. Sláine had been gentle with his words although firm when it came to making sure Eurion took care of his wound and had held him as if he were the only person in the world that mattered. That first night? A simple hug had been enough. Enough to calm his racing thoughts and mind, to get him to a place that wasn't covered in fear and pain, the memories that came with the emotions. The prince, his prince, had taken all that away with nothing more than a few touches and soft reassurances, "He would say that we have time," Eurion's gaze flickered around the room, "To be okay. To figure it out. That things would work out and- and no matter what happened, he would protect me, us. He would protect us."

Adelphia swung her feet up onto the couch now that Sláine was refusing to sit, taking to pacing instead. Her eyes didn't move from the prince, "And what did Eurion do that night? How did he act? I'm guessing you both ended up tangled together which is inevitable for mates, but was he calm? When you both woke, was he still scared?" In her mind, if he had been still terrified in the morning then Sláine wouldn't have helped. If it was the other way around, however, then the prince was doing exactly what he needed to be. Calming, reassuring, being there for Eurion when he needed it.

Eurion was holding her like she was a pillow to be held to his chest, but Solise didn't mind. She quite enjoyed the cuddles, and was happy to provide the comfort the assassin needed. All she did was start purring once more and adjust herself to be in a more comfortable position to be held. It was obvious that Eurion needed the comfort and presence of his mate, especially with the way he held the spirit and talked about Sláine. She wished it could be as simple as calling the prince over to have him coddle Eurion and tell him everything was going to be okay, but it wasn't yet. It would be, though. She was confident in that much.

Aideen tilted her head, watching Eurion as he thought about Sláine and recounted what he would say in this moment. She watched as the assassin's gaze darted around, and she wondered what that meant. Aideen had no idea if those words would be at all accurate to what Sláine would say, but if what she witnessed when the prince was crying over Eurion earlier before the Gods showed up, then she had no doubt that they were accurate. Her next question was only a natural follow-up, and a slight prod back into dangerous territory. She needed to know for sure if Eurion himself had hope that they would be okay, and he wasn't just recounting what he thought the prince would say in the moment. "And would you believe him?" she asked. "Given everything, would you believe him?"

Sláine shot Adelphia a glare, even if his cheeks tinted pink at the memory of that morning. Yes, they had ended up tangled together. He had also ended up with a gorgeous assassin sitting comfortably in his lap, and thinking back, he definitely should've tried kissing him right then. He had looked so beautiful and adorable, especially sleep-ruffled and smiling. "No," Sláine bit out, trying to pull himself out of the memory. "No, he wasn't scared." He had been laughing, and smiling, and rolling around the bed with the prince as if he had every right to be doing so. "He was—I'd like to say he was happy. If even just for a moment. Calm at least, if not."

Eurion would forever be grateful for Solise, for letting him cuddle her like he was. The assassin leaned back into his mess of pillows, making himself more comfortable. It made it easier to hold the spirit to his chest and it also meant he didn’t have to make eye contact with Aideen. He could feel her gaze, how she was watching for every change in his demeanour and body language, looking for anything that might be telling of what he might be thinking, what Eurion wasn’t saying out loud in regards to her questions. As much as her gaze had been soft before it still felt judgemental, in a way, but he just hoped that it came down to Aideen being a bastard rather than her judging what he was saying.

But could he believe Sláine? Eurion chewed on his lip and took longer to respond than he had been, sitting in the near silence. On one hand, Sláine had lied to him before, about when it came to how much sleep he had gotten, that he was okay, what’s to say he wouldn’t lie about it when he came to them? And the Gods had shown Eurion what he believed to be the truth of the witches death - with no memory to lead from he could only presume it was truth even if Aideen had protested. But Sláine… Sláine, he knew, wasn’t like the Gods, deep down he knew it. He was calming and comforting, made him properly smile and laugh and no one else had drawn those from him other than his friends. It was a difficult spot to be in, and it made things all the more complicated, “I think…” Eurion started, “I think maybe I would. Maybe.” It was the best he could do.

Adelphia raised a brow at Sláine and gave him a look that conveyed that he had just proven her point and was looking very smug about it, “So you don’t have to know, Sláine. It comes in the moment, and you’ve just proved that you can help him. Cara and I were never able to make hm look calm, let alone happy after a visit. You just being there, listening, taking in the situation and reacting accordingly is all you need to be doing.”

Aideen might've been judgemental, but she was also mildly uncomfortable with the topic. This was basically her brother in law they were talking about. She really didn't want to know all the intimate things about Sláine's relationship with Eurion because they were personal and not things she could even tease him about. So her attention on the assassin was purely to see when she was pushing too far, like right now, and when she needed to revert her questions back away from the issue to give Eurion more time to think. Give him more things to consider when facing the Gods' lie.

The guard sat back and resumed tossing the ring. "When you think of his hands, what do you think of?" Her question was out of left field, but she now had a strategy. "Him hurting you?" Association. If she could just get him to think about all the things about Sláine that were good, distract from the false memory long enough for him to apply everything he knew about the prince to it, then she would call it a success—and scrub her mind of every answer Eurion gave. As a sort of olive branch, and return of the favor, she gave an answer of her own. "I think of valleys and rivers that I can trace." Aideen spread out her own hand, as if she could imagine Caoimhe's. "His palm against mine. How rough they can be, but how gentle they are with me." Most of the time.

Sláine made a noise of strangled frustration and pointed at Adelphia as he started pacing again. "Don't look so smug; nothing happened." Then he sighed and started gesturing aimlessly, trying to get his point across without actually talking, because he couldn't seem to get the right words out. "It's not that. It's not an inability to comfort him or this situation right now. I don't want to be there to patch him up after every visit. I want there to be no visits. I want them gone from his life. Do you get that?" Sláine rounded on Adelphia, and even if he was trying not to raise his voice or lose it, his voice was breaking and the pain was back as he looked at her, as if pleading for her to understand him. "I want to help. I want to understand… understand why this shit is happening to him because it's not right and I just—if they're so worried about me, why can't I do anything to protect the one person that I would give everything for?"

Eurion sighed through his nose, "Well, not until…" Not until yesterday, not until the Gods had shown him what his prince had done to the witch and then manipulated the scenario until it was Eurion in that position and on the other end of Sláine's magic.

But it wasn't the first thing he thought of when he thought about his prince's hands. It was the way that he had been so gentle with him on that first night, how in the morning he had placed his hand on his cheek and traced the circles that lay underneath them. How his hands fit against his waist when he had been on top of the prince, or tangled in Eurion's hair in the inn, had found other places to touch that had felt too damned good. Even though Sláine's hands were able to conjure up the magic that he was afraid of, it wasn't what he first thought of, "I think of how they fit with mine," He settled upon a moment later, "How even though his are smaller they still fit, like two puzzle pieces." How he could feel both the strength behind those hands as well as know that they would be gentle with Eurion when he needed it.

Adelphia's gaze softened a little at the prince's tone, "You and Eurion being mates I doubt they planned for," She started, "If they knew that you were they wouldn't have sent him specifically to kill you because it would be a lot less complicated. Eurion is, unfortunately, just a by-product of the fact that they are trying to get to you and Caoimhe. It gives them someone else to use against you both, you specifically because they know that you would do anything for him. It's ingrained in both of you, to protect, and the fact that you can't is exactly what they would be looking for."

Anything to manipulate the twins into doing what they want and need, into making sure that they came out on top, "I don't know how the visits will stop. The only way would be to break the bond between them. Then they would be gone." She could only hope.

Aideen hoped that Sláine couldn't hear their conversation, because a quick flash of pity for her friend flared up when Eurion admitted to being afraid of the prince hurting him. She'd have to address that later. But right now, Aideen bit her smile back when Eurion finally answered. She had a feeling he was taking so long to answer the questions because he was thinking of plenty of other things, and finding one answer to settle on. Which was good, that he had so many things to sort through, but it was funny to her. Another question popped into her mind. "What's one thing that he does that you love? Not what he's like, but a behavior."

It was probably a stretch, given they hadn't been together long, but Sláine could be a simple creature sometimes and develop habits in no time. Especially if they were in regards to a person, and if they elicited desired responses, he was bound to keep doing it. But she knew there were general things that he did, and Aideen was both curious as to what Eurion had picked up on, and wanted him to think of how the prince acted. Internally, she begged the assassin to stop believing the Gods and start putting the pieces together that she was trying to hand him. Gather all of those memories and answers to her questions, and put them next to the singular incident that he hadn't even witnessed himself.

Sláine spat out rapid-fire curses, all in a tangle of languages from worlds beyond their own. The intensity of his desperation, his frustration and anger at himself, caused Solise to perk her head up and look in his direction, despite the curtain blocking her view. The prince crumpled to the floor, back against the couch, and rested his forehead on his thumbs, hands clasped together as if praying to any divine entity that would listen to him. "But there's no known way to break the bond, so that's back to square one."

He breathed a laugh that lacked humor. "Not like it would help my case any." Who else would be able to break a bond created by the Gods than someone with similar magic? Eurion would certainly think that way, if he carried the fear with him. No matter what he thought of, his own fears of Eurion's rejection and his inability to do anything rolled over everything like angry thunderclouds. He couldn't win.

Love? The word choice had Eurion frowning, well, it was more of a pout than anything else, but either way, it was a strange word to use. He liked a lot of what Sláine did, but he didn't know if he loved them. He could see himself growing to love them, the habits even though they had only been together for a few days. From the way his prince always seemed to want to press closer to him when they were walking, subtle enough to show that he wanted to be right there but not enough to give away the nature of their relationship. Not that it mattered anymore considering that everyone knew. Fuck, Cara had been certain of it before he had mentioned it to Sláine and that wasn't exactly how he had wanted that conversation to go. It was too late to change that now, but that wasn't what he was supposed to be thinking about.

"I-" Eurion didn't know how to answer for a moment. His mind was conjuring up a solid list of behaviours that he liked about Sláine. From how when they cuddled together his prince let him hide away in his chest and ran his hands through his hair to calm him. When he noticed he was in pain he made sure to check in with him, or when he saw that Eurion wasn't taking care of himself correctly he was stubborn in pushing him to make sure he was okay. How he leaned into Eurion's touches like a cat whenever he found his hands on his face or in his hair, or the pet names that he called him, that had come up so quickly after meeting, "I love how he tends to not use my name when we're talking, it's always a- a pet name. I guess it just… makes me feel… not loved but, special."

Adelphia sat up straight, leaning closer to Sláine. She was tempted to give him a knock round the head so he would stop being so negative. She understood that he wanted to help Eurion, to be there and stop the pain, stop the Gods from hurting him but giving up before they even started to try and get things fixed wasn't going to help the issue. It also didn't help that the prince didn't believe that Eurion could differentiate his magic from the Gods, "Then you find a fucking way you idiot," Addie nudged him with her foot, though it was more of a kick than anything, "Just because there isn't a known way doesn't mean there isn't. If you really want to help him then you find a way, you confront whatever God you have to to get there but simply wallowing in this bubble of self-doubt and pity is not going to get you anywhere. It is certainly not going to get Eurion back, either."

Aideen hummed and continued flipping the ring, catching it mid-air. A good enough answer, and she knew she was stretching it because of how short they've known one another. But if Eurion could find something that he loved about Sláine so early, then she was taking it as a good sign for their relationship in the long run. "Cute," she said, her head tilted at Solise who blinked back. The spirit wasn't willing to give up secrets, and Aideen tsked in annoyance. "Fine, keep his secrets." The prince had spoken too quietly for her to hear when he had been fussing over Eurion, and she was curious. But Solise was not helping, and she didn't want to have that conversation, so she moved on.

And move on she did. "Has Sláine done anything to make you feel afraid? Him. Not the lying ass Gods with an agenda, but Sláine. The prince you have spent this entire time fawning over and arguing back with me when I said he's an asshole." Aideen went right for the throat, and turned her attention back to the assassin next to her. Solise put more of her weight into Eurion's chest to act as a comfort, because she knew that this was yet another question that would cause him a bit of distress. Rightfully so, because it cut to the core of everything, but that didn't mean anything for Eurion's mind. She cooed softy and peered up at the assassin.

Sláine hissed at the kick and lashed out at her, just to grab her ankle and push it away from him, but his glare was prominent. Not that he'd do anything else, which was evident in the way he let go and didn't move away. "What, do you want me to just storm the Gods' realm and grab whatever God will do the trick?" he demanded. The swift kick had jarred him out of his thoughts long enough for them to jostle around and reset his thinking, now more focused on her calling him an idiot and insinuating that his worry over losing Eurion would lose him anyway. "The most I knew about them, or even cared to know, was their legends. Because that's all they were to me. How the fuck am I supposed to find a way around a bond like that when they've only just inserted themselves into my life?" Sláine gestured to the air in front of him. "The Middle has been my patron since the beginning of my lineage, and it is kind. I am bound to it until my death, but it is not nearly as severe as Eurion's bond with the Gods."

Eurion tensed, his grip around Solise tightening as he felt his heart race. Theoretically no, he hadn’t, Sláine himself hadn’t done a thing to him, at least to this body. But when the Gods had had control of his mind, when he had seen and felt what that witch had, when he had been shown Sláine himself acting that way towards him? He couldn’t help but feel as if his prince had. Logic screamed at him. It screamed that he was wrong and deep down he knew he was because whatever he was about to say next he had a feel Aideen wasn’t going to like, but if she wanted answers, if she wanted truth, she would get it. Lying, Eurion felt, wouldn’t go down well with the guard and as much as he liked to believe himself to be good at it, one criminal to another it was easy to pick up on the cues that would give him away.

“I felt it, what he did to that witch. Every ounce of pain,” Only amplified by the hold the Gods had on his mind, the torture of it all, “He hasn’t hurt this physical body but-“ In that moment, it hadn’t mattered. Sláine had done what he had and there wasn’t anything he could do to change it. And now the assassin had the association between him and his magic, that event, how similar it was to the Gods themselves and as much as he knew, he knew he wasn’t like that, all he could focus on was the fear that came with it, “I saw him hurting me, doesn’t matter what realm it was in, I saw and felt all of it.”

Adelphia grabbed at Sláine’s horns, sitting forwards until they were close enough that she could talk in a hush, almost annoyed and angry whisper, as much as her voice remained level. It was more to keep Sláine focused on her, to knock some sense into his head, “Get your head out your ass and think for a moment. Legends are based on fact, books are written on legend and those fuckers have been around for a long time. If three survived there will be more, you find the right one and you ask for help - fuck, ask the Middle for all I care. There will be something in this large world that will describe what you need. I would be surprised if there wasn’t another messenger out there that experienced the same shit and maybe they were smart and wrote it down.” Because this wasn’t the Gods first rodeo, there would have been others, others who wanted out and would have been smart enough to find it or make it and write it somewhere for others to find.

Aideen reached her breaking point. She had tried so hard to be respectful of the situation and not judge the assassin, to not be a bitch to him the entire time, but come on. How thickheaded did he have to be? She reached over and slapped Eurion in the back of the head. "Chao na. What did I just say, stupid?" Aideen then started slapping his shoulder in frustration. "Phusai ong. Think about what you are implying to me right now. You'd rather believe something the Gods have shown you, something you never saw or felt with your own eyes? You are seriously telling me that the man who is sweet on you, who even you admire his calm and patience, who has helped you, is that terrible?"

She slapped him upside the head again, as if that would knock some sense into him. "For even just a second, use that head of yours, khikhan. Think. I understand that it's difficult to differentiate real from lie, but think about it. Did Sláine physically inflict that pain onto you, or was it the magic of the Gods, who were the ones showing you that memory already? I'll give you a hint—" Aideen didn't let him respond. "—it wasn't Sláine. You want to know how I know that?" She jabbed a finger towards Eurion, then pointed out towards the curtain, the world outside of their conversation. "Because that man was on the fucking floor asking his brother if it was okay to give up. Because in his mind, to you, he is just as bad as the Gods, and he would rather die than harm those he cares about." It was a low blow, that much she knew, but the guard needed him to really think about who they were talking about.

Aideen's gaze was intense and demanding Eurion's attention. "So I will ask you again: has Sláine himself caused you fear at any point in time? Or was it just a conjuring of the Gods that pitted you against him, when they were the ones in control of your mind and projecting an image you never even saw in the first place? Put everything you just told me together, every memory you have of your prince, and put it next to the image the Gods gave you. Do they match? At all?"

When Adelphia's hands met the prince's horns, a bolt of several emotions shot down the bond unwittingly. Surprise, annoyance—and a shock of pain that was more from the surprise of the sudden grip than actual harm. It was as if the bond wanted to alert Eurion, even if the prince was okay and not even aware of the signal. He snapped his teeth in instinctual response to the grip, but when it registered what was happening, he calmed down just enough to be simmering in irritation. "Yes, you're right, the world is large. Do you really expect us to just happen upon a maybe at this rate? Travel is slow on foot, and by air you miss a lot. You'd have to scour the entire world—" Sláine paused, blinked, and trailed off as an idea came to him. It was a bad idea, but one nevertheless. More than he had before. "The library," he whispered. "The heart of the Middle is a library, full of a copy of everything and anything that is written down. If someone did record their experiences with the Gods, it would be there."

But there was a catch, and he shook his head in bitter dismissal. "Except you have to be invited to the library, and something or someone is fucking with the Middle already." They'd never get in. Neither of the twins had a pass because they had never been invited, as they had never had a desire to step foot inside. Of course, Sláine wanted to, but it was a sacred place, full of books on people's lives and every record to ever exist. He felt unworthy of even looking at it, let alone being invited in.

Eurion hissed and cursed at Aideen, "Fuck ouch did you really have to-" Then he was hit again and he was glaring and rubbing at the back of his head, "Stop hitting me you ass." All it was going to do was give him a headache which he certainly did not need at the present moment. He knew that look all too well, had seen it from Adelphia and Cara far too many times but it felt oddly different coming from the guard. Her gaze had him scrunching his nose in annoyance, but also contemplative thought. Because she was right. Unfortunately, Aideen was once again correct.

He hadn't seen the event happen, and as much as it had felt real, it wasn't. In the end, Sláine had never hurt him as much as it had felt that way when the Gods had shown him the images that they had. Whether it was a fabrication of what happened, or if what Sláine did to that witch was real or not could be addressed later. The magic that the prince wielded was something completely different. It was similar to the Gods, yes, and that terrified him in case it ever went against him but it hadn't. His prince hadn't hurt him, and if what Aideen said was true about him asking his brother if he could give up? Eurion felt the shame of it all wash through him. Truth and lie were always muddled in his brain but for once, for once in his life he had to trust his gut, and trust Aideen, too, it seemed. As much as Eurion disliked the woman her points were correct.

Everything that the assassin knew about his prince didn't match what he had seen. Everything about Sláine's nature, how he had been gentle with him in all the moments leading up to the incident, been at his side even though they barely knew one another? He wouldn't hurt him. The realisation had him groaning, both from annoyance at himself, from the fact that Aideen was right, and he could definitely feel a headache blooming from where the guard had hit him, "No, they don't match. Sláine hasn't hurt me at any point."

Adelphia let go of the prince's horns when he finally came to the conclusion that there was, in fact, a way to potentially find a way for Eurion to get out of the hellscape of a bond he was trapped in, "Where there is a will, there is a way. If someone is messing with The Middle then you need to figure that out and then get yourself that invite. If you are so determined to help Eurion then you're going to have to find the path that leads to that library. If you don't then you're going to be having the same conversation with yourself for your entire life, or until the Gods end up doing something drastic and you lose him. I'd rather not have to attend his funeral anytime soon."

"Aemnaelv!" Aideen exclaimed, finally letting up on attacking the recovering assassin. Solise wiggled out of Eurion's grasp only to perch up on his shoulders, like making herself a pillow for him as her too-large body draped down and her purrs continued to rumble. Happy, Aideen moved away to give Eurion his space back. "He finally gets it. Right now, it doesn't matter what he has or hasn't done. You can be scared of his magic all you want, that's not my problem." The shifter gestured to the curtain again. "But him? Before you decide that he is someone to be feared, figure out if there's anything worth being afraid of. Or else the Gods win."

She waved a dismissive hand and put Caoimhe's ring on one of her fingers. "You can still be a little unsure about being around him for a bit, that's all on you and what you need to clear your head. If the truth of that moment scares you, then that's a problem for that time. But at least then you have all the facts. And even then, he still hasn't hurt you. Just keep that in mind." At least she had done her job, even if it involved smacking some sense into his thick skull. It wasn't up to her to dictate his recovery process, both mental and physical, so she wasn't going to demand he go kiss and make up with Sláine, but at least he had the right mindset going forward. Aideen tsked and added, as an afterthought, "You owe me now. I'm going to have to scrub my mind clean from all the shit about Sláine. Did not need to know any of that." Nevermind the fact that she'd absolutely pry into his sex life because it was funny.

Sláine reared his head back once freed and actually had the forethought to scoot away from the hellion of a healer. "That's low," he accused softly, even if she was right. He didn't want to attend Eurion's funeral anytime soon either. Never, actually. When the Fae went, Sláine would be gone too—that is, if they even survived that long together. But the prince couldn't afford to think about that. Right now, he busied himself with ways to figure out what was going on with The Middle.

Slowly, Sláine talked through his thought process. "When both of our heads are cleared, and we have more room, Caoimhe can summon his spirit guide, and we both can try to link with The Middle to figure out what's going on. Beyond that, I don't know what exactly we can do. But I'll try," the prince added in a rush, because he had a feeling Adelphia was looking for another reason to hit him. "I'll try what I can to get to the library. That's all I can promise."

Eurion sighed, leaning back onto the spirit and letting his eyes fall shut softly. He couldn't believe out of everyone that would be able to knock some sense into him that it was Aideen of all people that had got him to pull his shit together. Whether or not she had wanted to help which Eurion figured was a definitely fuck no from what she added last, at least she had done it. He didn't know if he would have been able to be around Sláine for a while had she not smacked some sense into his head.

The magic was still going to be a problem, but maybe he would be able to talk to Sláine about it. Not today, not for a few days, but eventually, when they were okay. Even though his prince had never hurt him with the magic when he had cast that shield over them on that first day it had felt all too similar to the Gods magic. Gave him that same spine-tingling fear that they did, and that fear was only now amplified by what he had seen him do to the witch. Eurion hated the fact that he was scared of Sláine. He didn't want to be, he really didn't because it hurt his soul, he could feel that bond flickering and urging them together, pushing them towards one another like comets hurtling for a collision. Sláine was safe, the prince was safe but his magic made him feel otherwise. They could figure it out later but now wasn't the time. They had too much shit to do, had to get to Dalthia, and had to get to figure out what the Gods wanted, "Yeah, whatever. Thanks, I guess for," He gestured vaguely to the air around them, "Helping, I suppose. But if you didn't want to know any of that shit you shouldn't have asked."

Adelphia shrugged softly, once again sitting back on the couch. She knew it had been a low blow, but it was necessary. If they didn't do something then things were only going to get worse. The Gods had been, what they would have said to be gentle. She didn't want to know what it would look like when they decided it was going to be different, especially with Eurion and Sláine's relationship. They would both suffer no matter what happened and Addie didn't want to be there when that day came, "I'll take that promise. But you better try otherwise next time I'm not going to be so nice when it comes to getting you to pull your head in."

Aideen rolled her eyes at the assassin's half-assed attempt at saying thanks, as well as his suggestion. "If I hadn't asked any of that, would you have on your own?" Her own discomfort aside, she didn't believe for one second that if she hadn't pried into their relationship, had Eurion delve into the details of how he viewed Sláine and what he liked about the prince, he would do it himself. Utter bullshit if he tried saying he would. "I wasn't asking for me. Trust me, it's weird. He's like a brother to me. It was to get your head screwed on right." Solise grunted a little in protest, now no longer approving of the harsh treatment, and Aideen snorted. "And now you've got yourself a little guard dog to nip at people's heels for you. Talk to her about him if you want from now on. Maybe it'll help, maybe it won't, I couldn't tell you." And Solise might just talk back if she thought Eurion was less overwhelmed.

The guard was silent for a moment, inspecting her hands and thinking. An eye for an eye, she supposed. Though she didn't want to hear any of that about the prince, she did pry into Eurion's private life and smack the shit out of him. "I was afraid of their magic, too. Once upon a time." It was a soft admission, a tiny sliver of vulnerability. Aideen huffed a quiet laugh as she thought about those days. "I was a kid, of course, but even when growing up with the knights, I was afraid. You hear these tales of great warriors that bend the world to their favor, an ancient lineage of protectors and monarchs that have sustained and grown the land for hundreds of years. Blessed High Witches in a league of their own. It's hard not to be scared when you think about it. They could change the world as we know it if they wanted to."

Then she looked to the ring, the one she stole off the eldest prince. "But meeting those mighty warriors changes all that. A witch's magic is not their nature. It doesn't make them a villain if they have a terrifying power. It's what they do with it that matters. And these idiots are protectors. Pranksters. They toss a chicken around the palace because it's funny, and change the setting of a room to confuse the visiting nobles." Aideen glanced over at Eurion. "I still have a healthy respect for their capability, that will never go away, but it's natural to fear something like that."

Sláine stuck his tongue out at Adelphia, huffing in lingering annoyance at her tactics. The irritation had gone down once he finally came up with a potential solution. He could think about that, focus on that, instead of the unknowns surrounding him and Eurion. "There won't be a next time," he insisted. The prince didn't know if they'd ever return to the little cottage, but he hoped they did. Not to get bullied by a healer, but to really get to know the people that had saved Eurion's life time and time again. Who had housed them when they needed it, and put up with their crises. Either way, if they did end up visiting, Sláine was adamant that he'd protect himself from her quick hands and feet.

Aideen was once again correct. Had she not pried into their relationship, Eurion probably wouldn't have asked any of those questions. Chances were he wouldn't have attempted to reconcile with Sláine, at least not for a long while. Being in the same proximity would have been difficult but there wasn't any chance that Aideen would have let Eurion go from their deal. As much as Sláine had been able to visit their realm Eurion was still the best connector between them and he had agreed. Even though the twins liked him Aideen didn't and he wouldn't put it past her to at least attempt to kill him if he made a run for it.

But she had helped, reluctantly, and in her own little way, but she had helped. Eurion couldn't be upset if her methods were a little unorthodox because he wouldn't have done it on his own. But the admission had the assassin turning his head and opening an eye her way. Aideen had been afraid? Eurion hadn't heard of the tales of the twins and so he hadn't been impacted by the stories the way she had. He supposed it made sense, but he couldn't imagine the guard being afraid of either of them. They were so close, family. At the end of the day it had taken time to get to the point that they were at now but if Aideen could overcome her own fear of them, then maybe he could get over his fear of Sláine's magic with time, too, "I just- their magic is so much like the Gods, he shouldn't have even been able to walk into the Gods realm like that but he did," Eurion sighed, "I guess with time the fear will go away but…" He trailed off, his mind going back to what the Gods had shown him but he was quick to shake them away.

Adelphia nodded a little, a soft smile returning to her lips at the prince's newfound determination, "Next time we meet that dickhead better be free of those Gods." As much as it was a tease more than anything because it didn't matter to her when they met next, but she did hope that Eurion would be free. He had been under their control for far too long, and maybe this was the change he needed.

Aideen weighed her hands back and forth, like they were a scale and she was balancing her thoughts. How did she explain this to him in a way that made sense to him, not just her? "Magic is scary." That's one way to start off. "To anyone that is unfamiliar with magic in any sort of capacity, it is scary. I could traumatize a little boy who never knew of shifters, because to him, I just disappeared and a bird replaced me. Poof, gone. He'd be terrified, no?" Her eyes shifted towards Solise, draped over the assassin's shoulders and happily being used as a pillow for the headache-suffering Eurion. "Magic as great as theirs is going to be scary to anyone who thinks of the possibilities and implications. It's survival."

Solise blinked over at Aideen, wondering where the guard was going with this when her attention was on the spirit. The guard reached over to bop her on the nose, then pet up the length of her face. "Solise is Middle-created. She is a product of the magic given to the Mac Arthfael family. Not their magic," she was quick to clarify, "but a product. She is her own entity with her own abilities." Aideen ruffled the spirit's ears affectionately. "Magic like theirs is naturally terrifying until you look at what they do with it. Sláine will show you in time that it's not like the Gods, either on purpose or just naturally. Give him time." But that didn't validate the reason he was afraid of Sláine's magic, and she internally groaned when she realized she actually had to do that. "But you also have to understand that he is protective. You being mates likely only heightened that." Aideen pinned Eurion with a look. "How would you react if your prince had taken a deadly blow for you? And the person who did it was still standing and gloating?"

Sláine laughed, even if it was quick. "Glad to know you're true friends." Eurion a dickhead? More like stubborn, but he wasn't going to argue with her. "I'll try my best to honor that demand." He sketched a bow, though it was a little difficult from him being on the floor, but the sentiment was there, and he was feeling better about the situation. Not completely, the sting would still be there because Eurion wasn't by his side, but better.

Eurion reached a hand up to rub at his eyes, then to scratch at Solise’s ear from where he could reach. He would have done the same. There wasn’t a single ounce of him that would have been able to stand to the side and watch if the roles had been reversed. Of course his magic was different, it wasn’t God-like in any sense of the word and quite frankly came from somewhere w lot darker considering it’s nature, but he would have used it to tear the other apart if he could. It was something else the Gods had always held against him - never being able to access the full potential of his magic and what he could do what Eurion didn’t want to find out, not if it ended up making him like them in some way. He was going to avoid that in every way he possibly could, even if it meant putting himself at a disadvantage in the long run.

His mind, however, was turning towards Aideen’s comment about them being mates. Another thing that he was going to have to address with Sláine. Eurion had hoped for a lot more time before it came to light what they were, especially to Aideen and Caoimhe and definitely to Sláine himself. Everything was so much more complicated because he had to throw himself in front of that blow. But he wasn’t just going to stand by a let Sláine take it, no matter how much more equipped he may have been to handle the attack. He guess that only proved Aideen’s point about the way he had acted back on the woods, “Still can’t believe he’s my fucking mate.” He mumbled, more to himself than anything, “Typical that one of the prince’s I had to kill - who isn’t even Fae - would end up being them.”

By now Cara couldn’t help but skip her way over to the two witches now that the conversation had shifted to something less depressing and serious. Especially now that it was about her best friend, “Best friends is the correct term, actually,” She poked Sláine on the forehead before settling on a cushion on the floor, “His only ones up until you mob so, you better not be stealing him away.”

Aideen chose to interpret Eurion's silence how she wished, which meant she was smug. Because she had nailed it once more—he would, in fact, do the exact same thing. Really, any one of them would go all out to protect and save the ones they cared about. Caoimhe and Aideen were established lovers, that had that deep connection, but Eurion and Sláine were mates. They didn't have the time or experience to develop a connection like that, but they had that innate bond that heightened everything between them. If the prince was protective of his friends, it came to no surprise to her that he had gone all out when Eurion had been harmed so badly. But she didn't bring that up again because she had pushed the subject enough for the day.

"Is it such a bad thing?" Aideen asked, genuinely curious. As she watched Solise lean into the scratches and position herself to be receptive to more, she wondered how Eurion felt about the mate situation. Sláine clearly cared enough about the blooming relationship for his spirit to be so fond of the assassin, and if he hadn't known about it until Cara opened her mouth, then there was something there beyond it that had him drawn to Eurion. But what about the assassin? Did a small part of him resent being mated to a prince, and one that he had to kill out of all of them? A non-Fae on top of it? Aideen spun her ring around her finger and added, "I won't tell him either way. This entire conversation stays between us." Sláine might be her friend, but she wasn't going to blab about anything they've talked about. If Eurion wanted to talk to him about anything they've discussed, then he could on his own time.

Sláine sighed and resigned himself to being attacked by the two witches. "I'm not trying to steal him away, so take it up with him if you feel that way," he said, poking Cara's forehead back. "You're free to love up on your best friend all you want, I have no qualms with that." His intent wasn't to take Eurion away from his friends. If anything, he wanted his assassin to have those connections and bonds with others. He was glad that Eurion had that support and social circle, even if it just consisted of the two women.

Eurion continued to scratch at Solise, behind her ear and under her chin. It was nice to have such a friendly and soft companion, even if she wasn't exactly his. The comfort that Solise offered was lovely, warming in the way that Sláine was but in her own sense, it wasn't the same, but it was similar enough that it reminded the assassin of his mate. Ultimately, he was growing fond of her, and as much as he wished that she would stay with him, Eurion knew that she would eventually have to go back to Sláine. For now, though, he was loving his soft and portable pillow and was going to make that as known as possible to her.

But, he sighed softly, returning his attention back to Aideen, "No, it's not a bad thing. I don't care if he's Witch or Fae or his three arms," Maybe that was pushing it, but for the sake of his point it stayed, "It just doesn't feel real, that's all. I never expected to ever find my mate, I gave up a long time ago so it's just a shock. I was hoping for more time before I told him but clearly, that backfired." He hadn't had time to process it himself. With all the information he had on Witch mates, too, Eurion had been wanting more information from Sláine himself, to see what he had felt about the whole thing. Now he didn't even know if he was going to be able to have a proper conversation with the man without saying something that might fuck them up further. Deep down he was aware that what had happened with the Gods wasn't his fault, how he reacted. But he couldn't help but feel bad, shamed, that he had thought that what he saw was true, that he had believed them, if only for a short time. He was still afraid of his magic, but Sláine himself? No.

Adelphia batted at Cara who huffed at her partner, "She's just teasing," The healer said who looked like she was going to protest but ultimately gave in, "We know you're not stealing him away, Cara is just possessive. I think it's a dove thing." The shifter gasped and hit at the witch who simply laughed, blowing her a kiss, "You both deserve one another. I doubt you've had it any easier than he has. The two of you are fated and there's nothing that can change that. Appreciate him while you can otherwise one day you may regret it."

"Hm," Aideen hummed, accepting that answer. At least her friend wasn't mated to someone who was upset over the nature of their bond, though she wouldn't blame him if he was. Eurion was Fae, had waited for so long, and just found out that the man he's mated to is not only a Witch but a man he had been sent to kill. Aideen flicked her fingers lazily and shrugged. "Blame your dove friend; she's the one that revealed it to him while he was waiting for the healer to make sure you don't die on him. If it makes you feel any better, he hasn't freaked out about it much besides that initial shock of it." But that might also be because he had a lot of other things to deal with, and it got pushed to the back-burner of things to freak out over. As Solise cooed and leaned into the scratches, more and more willing to stay with Eurion from the free attention being lavished upon her, Aideen narrowed her eyes at the spirit in accusation. "Don't you have a prince to check in on?"

The spirit flicked her tail but otherwise didn't react. "He is being ambushed by the witches," Solise said. Her voice projected to both of their minds, keeping Eurion in the loop. "The dove doesn't like me much, so I'll stay here." She had seen the dirty look she got when initially trying to cuddle with the assassin, the jealousy that poured over the woman in the morning when she saw the arm wrapped around Solise. Cara clearly didn't play nice with those that gained the attention of her best friend, and Solise was happy to stay put while Sláine was being entertained by the hosts. Besides, she couldn't pass up the affection she was getting from Eurion.

Aideen rolled her eyes and let it be. "Whatever. Either way, I was just wondering if you would've rather it be someone different. Maybe someone a little less complicated."

Sláine looked down at his hands, summoning his magic and letting it develop into a mini, palm-sized torrent of leaves and autumn ribbons. It swirled between his hands, contained and calm, and he bent it just enough to make it form a rough-hewn replica of Eurion's smiling face. "I do," the prince said softly. "I appreciate him with every moment we're together. Even the small things." Like at the first inn they stopped at, when Eurion had dragged Sláine along to make sure he was feeling okay. How he had caged the prince between his body and the door and held his face so gently, asking him to be truthful. Or when Eurion pouted and whined until Sláine cuddled close to him while in bed. Letting himself be used as a pillow when he needed the rest. Every moment together, Sláine cherished and appreciated.

Of course it had been Cara that had opened her big mouth without thinking. As much as Eurion loved her to pieces she got on his nerves just as much as anyone would, especially when it came to revealing information that was definitely not needed at the worst of time. Such as telling Sláine they were mates while he was dying. He couldn’t be too annoyed, she hadn’t had known that the prince was unaware of the bond, but still, it wasn’t exactly something to be said at a time when one of them had been dying. Cara had a habit of accidentally making things worse as much as she meant well.

“I’ll talk to Sláine about it all soon. When we have time and when Cara is poking her nose into my business.” As much as Eurion presumed that Sláine was okay with the bond, he still felt he needed to say something to him, talk about it. It was only fair to his prince, and to him, too. His thoughts were quickly pulled to Solise, however, when she both spoke into his mind and about how his prince had been ambushed by his friends, “How the-“ His hand still for a moment before turning back to the gentle pets and scratches, “Doesn’t matter. As long as he’s okay then that’s the main thing.” And Cara wasn’t teasing him or acting too jealous. Eurion worried for when they had to leave and the drama that was going to ensue.

At Sláine’s words, Cara couldn’t help but coo softly. Even though she was a jealous friend she would admit that the two were cute together. Sláine had held Eurion so close, wanted to be with him so badly and spoke so lovely of the man. She wanted Eurion all to herself, well, her and Addie could share, but she wasn’t unreasonable, “You two are so cute.” She sighed, almost dreamily as she watched the prince get lost in his thoughts and how his magic conjured up the silly
portrait of the assassin, “I remember when Addie and I first met, she was such a mess she couldn’t even talk to me properly.”

Aideen snorted at Eurion's lackluster reaction to Solise's sudden decision to speak to the assassin, it being overruled by his concern over the prince. No, she didn't need to worry about them now that he had his head out of his ass and realized just who he had been manipulated into being afraid of. His concern was cute, even if he should be more worried about himself than Sláine. "He's not the one that took a fireball to the chest," she pointed out, poking Eurion's arm. "Comparatively, he's doing just fine. Just had to be healed some last night after he came back with his hands all fucked up."

Solise perked up her ears and listened in on the other conversation, wanting to aid in soothing Eurion's concern. She also tapped into their connection, and relayed all the information she could gather. "He is thinking of you," the spirit said. "The dove is teasing, but he is thinking of you." Aideen scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out in disgust, and Solise switched to speaking only to Eurion to keep their conversation relatively private. "We have not met officially yet. I am Solise, the spirit guide of your boy toy. He is reminiscing over the things he appreciates about you. Something about an inn and a door." Her tone was soothing and soft, mature, but humor danced between the words. She had spent far too much time watching over Sláine to be shy about knowing certain things about the prince.

Dispelling his magic with a huff, Sláine jerked his chin towards Adelphia. "I'm not divulging any secrets, but someone seems to think she knows all." He had never said Eurion had tried to kill him, but he wondered if they knew, or at least thought it was the most likely scenario. But even if that were the case of why they met, they had only really been in a position of getting to know one another when Sláine had been put in charge of looking over the assassin. Eurion hadn't been happy with the situation, had tried sleeping on the floor like the stubborn bastard that he was, but that had quickly changed up. Was it proximity that sparked the bond to life? Sláine's gentleness with Eurion's moment of vulnerability? Or was it the prolonged night of them being tangled together that had slid it into place beneath their noses?

Sláine had so many questions about him being a mate to a Fae, but he saved them for a later time. For now, he humored Cara. "Eurion and I were more or less at odds with each other, so it wasn't an inability to talk, just a lack of wanting to."