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Feb 3, 2021 16:50:48 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 16:50:48 GMT -5
i am so excited for this thread godDAMN
Aela had been looking forward to this party for weeks. The invitations had been sent before Carina left for Esso'tera, and the acceptances had come in the following weeks. Aela had taken Carina's advice and planned for a sit down dinner and a dance floor in the grand hall.
All Cassian was told was that it was a dinner with a few key advisors of the crown, when in reality, the 15 friends Carina had suggested were coming to see their newly crowned king and friend and his new wife. The food would be plentiful and the wine carefully paired to the courses- though of course Aela played it safe and ordered extra liquors... it was a young crowd after all.
The Queen had ordered a slightly sexier dress for the occasion, as Carina had suggested, since this crowd was younger and hipper than her usual guests. She had watched from the window as the guests rolled up in carriages and were escorted to the guest wings and then the dining hall by the maids. She wouldn't formally meet them until later, and she had made sure Cassian was out of the castle, horseback riding, when they all arrived so he wouldn't see them.
Aela was dressed by the time Cassian returned to change into his dinner clothes. Her outfit certainly was... different, than normal. The pale gold dress was cut lower than the rest of her wardrobe, revealing the generous swells of her breasts and the smooth skin of her leg through the slit in the left side.
She turned to Cassian, smiling. "Better get dressed quickly. Our guests are waiting." Even the way she spoke was cryptic, her gaze sweeping over her husband. He didn't even know that Carina was back- how exciting!
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Feb 3, 2021 16:57:31 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 3, 2021 16:57:31 GMT -5
As much as Cassian didn't really care, he had noticed that Aela had been acting a bit...weird the past couple of weeks. What was going on with her? It was like she was avoiding him and giddy at the same time. It wasn't like he really minded, but while they had exchanged their usual snide comments and sarcastic quips, they hadn't fought since...well, since that horseback riding day. They had pretty much left each other to their own devices since then.
Except today, for some reason she had insisted that he went out and did some errands, and then go horseback riding? What was all that about? Of course he didn't mind it at all–in fact he quite appreciated a break from those boring meetings and reading up on diplomatic situations or whatever that he was meant to do–but the way she was acting was starting to get a bit...concerning.
A diplomatic dinner, great, he thought dryly as he finished showering, getting dressed for the night. It was what it was. Another night of fake smiles and small talk, what was new? He wore the usual waistcoat, adding a bit of color to his eyelids as per usual. He stepped out to meet Aela, to find her dressed so...fancy? Was that the right word? No, not really, it was more sexy, that was for sure. He had never seen her like this.
"Well this is new," he commented as he held his arm out, raising a brow, "what, don't tell me you're trying to seduce the ambassador tonight? I don't think I've seen this dress before."
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Feb 3, 2021 17:11:11 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 17:11:11 GMT -5
"Maybe I am," Aela said, fighting hard to contain the giggles that threatened to burst from her chest as she slipped her arm through his. She hadn't done anything like this in... ever, so she was uncharacteristically excited. She couldn't wait to see Cassian's face when he realized all his friends and come out to see him.
She probed him on his horseback riding experience, knowing that if she spoke now she'd spoil the secret. Finally, they reached the large, heavy doors to the grand hall, where the butler nodded at them and entered first.
"Ladies and Gentleman- King Cassian and Queen Aela Sutcliffe," he announced, in the usual formal fashion. Then, the doors opened fully, allowing the two to enter.
The room was exquisitely laid out for a fancy dinner, but the people around the table were not ambassadors. They were all people Cassian knew- including Carina, who grinned at them from her seat at the table. Aela turned smiled widely, turning towards Cassian to see his reaction. "Surprise!"
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Feb 3, 2021 17:20:25 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 3, 2021 17:20:25 GMT -5
Spirits, he really didn't understand this girl sometimes. One minute she'd be angry and another minute she was giddy. She was so weird. Why would anyone be excited for a dinner with the ambassadors anyway? He rolled his eyes, before telling her about the horse ride. Nothing new, just had a nice afternoon in the forest. New path. Not a lot of sun.
As the butler announced their names, he prepared himself for the drudgery of another meeting, steeling his expression and stepping into the dining room–
Oh. my. god. He blinked as realization dawned on him. Aela had invited his friends. His friends from school. To a formal dinner.
Oh, and not just any of his friends. He could recognize these ones. Andi and Atticus, Linus, and...shit. His face was going to turn completely red. Dante. How the hell did Aela know these people? and dear lord, why the hell did she invite his ex? Oh, and not just one of his exes. Out of the fifteen or so people in the room, he had dated at least three of them, and had some sort of fling with quite a few more.
He opened his mouth, before closing it again, his eyes scanning the room as panic welled up in his chest. How? His eyes finally met Carina's. Bitch! Of course it was her. His sister fucking loved messing with him. On one hand, he was overjoyed to see his friends, really, but with Aela? After knowing how utterly clueless she was with other people? This was going to be utterly painful.
"I–" he opened his mouth again, looking at Aela wide-eyed, "I–how? I mean, I thought....I thought this was a diplomatic dinner...?"
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Feb 3, 2021 17:27:58 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 17:27:58 GMT -5
"It was a surprise!" Aela said back, with a delighted smile. He looked so excited and surprised that she knew she had made the right decision. "It was Carina's idea, but I helped with the planning. I wanted to say thank you, in a way. For being here when you feel trapped- I thought bringing some of your home to you would help you feel more comfortable."
The joy in Aela's smile was so directly opposite to the almost sadistic mirth on Carina's face. "You can thank me later," she said, leading Cassian in to the room to greet his friends. She led him to their seats at the head of the table, raising her glass of wine once she'd gotten the shell-shocked Cassian situated in his chair.
"Thank you all for coming," Aela said warmly- she really was pretty, in the candlelight that brought out the warm tones in her skin. "I can't express the depth of my gratitude for the fact that you would all come out and see Cassian." Not like they also got to visit the castle and stay in the most exclusive guest wings in the country. "I'm sure he wants to thank you, too." Aela turned to Cassian, indicating that he should thank his guests with another toast.
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Feb 3, 2021 17:39:24 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 3, 2021 17:39:24 GMT -5
He groaned internally. Why did he think that by living in the castle, he'd be out of Carina's nefarious plans? He forced a smile on his face for Aela, not wanting to look ungrateful. She probably thought it was a great idea, you know, to invite all of his friends. It probably would've been great if it wasn't all of his friends plus seven of his exes and flings. How the hell was he going to hide that from her?
As Carina came over with that sadistic smirk on her face, his jaw tightened for a moment, before he gave her a simpering smile, dripping with irritation. "Thanks so much Carina," he spoke, though his voice had a hard edge to it, "I'll be sure to thank you a lot more later."
The young girl only giggled. "I'm sure you will," she replied slyly, "now go greet your guests! I'm sure you and Dante haven't seen each other in a while, have you?"
Cassian only wished that he had kept everything under wraps better. Somehow, Carina always managed to find out everything, even if he thought he was being discreet. His face was still bright red as he sat, glancing around at the crowd. Oh, and who had given the seating arrangements? He groaned internally. Of course Carina was going to sit him right next to his ex. How lovely. He almost missed the point where Aela pointed to him for a toast.
A toast?
If this wasn't embarrassing enough, that certainly would be. This was the kind of party adults and diplomats would have, not a bunch of teens from Vela. He could hear the twins stifling their laughter. Spirits, his friends were just as sadistic as his sister was.
"Uh," he had to clear his throat, "thanks for coming guys...? I...I didn't expect to see you guys here but you know, thanks for coming all the way and have a good dinner I guess. Oh and–" did he really have to do this? "thanks Aela, for inviting everyone. It's....definitely a surprise, and thanks Carina." He gave her a nod, the sarcasm practically flowing from his expression. "–for everything. As usual."
His friends laughed. "Oh come on, loosen up Cass," a voice called out, the smugness could practically be heard, "you know you love all of us here."
What did he ever do to deserve friends like this? he thought, as he aimed a glare to the boy who had shouted. "Anyways," he interrupted, "let's eat. I'm sure you're all hungry from the journey."
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Feb 3, 2021 17:51:55 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 17:51:55 GMT -5
"Yes, let's eat," Aela said, gesturing for the help to bring in the first course. Whatever the party lacked in situational appropriateness, it was delicious and artistically laid out. Aela spread her napkin out on her lap and set in on her salad, watching curiously as the rest of her guests giggled among themselves for a while.
"So... do you all know Cassian from school?" She asked, highly aware that nearly every eye in the room was on here, assessing her- that made sense. She had married their friend. They would naturally be curious about her, just as she was curious about them.
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Feb 3, 2021 18:00:02 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 3, 2021 18:00:02 GMT -5
Okay, he had never been in a more awkward dinner than this. Immediately, he had already asked the servant to get some wine. For everyone. There was no way he was going to survive this dinner sober. This was just...painful. If he had ever planned on introduced Aela to his friends–and that was a big if–it certainly wouldn't be over a fancy dinner like this, and it certainly wouldn't be surrounded by half of his exes, some of which he barely knew anymore.
Of course, it was Dante who would speak first. "Oh, yeah we went to the same school together," he spoke, his tone always friendly, "you know actually, at one point, we were–"
"–best friends!" Cass interrupted a little too loudly, as the table went quiet for a second, and his face flushed red, "uh...yeah this is Dante, um....he was my best friend back when we were kids. We grew up together, you know, just playing in the playground and stuff."
Dante raised a brow, before glancing to Linus sitting next to him, trying to stifle a laugh.
"Yeah, we were best friends," Dante chuckled, "we were, you know, real tight. Like having sleepovers all the time...going to the same parties, we even swapped clothes once, remember?"
Linus snickered next to him, and Carina let out a laugh.
"Oh stop teasing him, will you?" the girl sitting on Aela's side threw a napkin at the boy, and suddenly, the atmosphere was just a little less awkward. The girl turned to Aela with a giggle. "Sorry, that was probably really rude to do, especially in our country's royal castle, but I'm Andi. The ugly one next to me's Atticus."
"You're the ugly one," the other boy elbowed her, "who's the one who had a pimple so big last week that–"
Andi shoved Atticus' face away despite his protests.
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Feb 3, 2021 18:11:23 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 18:11:23 GMT -5
Aela watched their interactions with a smile, lifting her wine glass to her lips and taking a sip. "That's fine- I don't think that either of you are ugly," she said, setting her glass down before she looking down the table at Dantae.
"It's so nice to meet one of Cassian's best friends," Aela said warmly, faintly confused by the tittering that burst out at her comments. She was unaware of just how naive she was, and how overly innocent she came off as, especially for a married woman who ruled a kingdom.
The servers brought out the soup course, and Aela took her dainty bites, still aware of the eyes on her. "So what did you guys do together, when you all went to the same school?"
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Feb 3, 2021 18:19:23 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 3, 2021 18:19:23 GMT -5
The boy across from her gave a cough, and another followed from one of their friends. Cassian shot them a look. "Oh nothing much, just sneak out and go to the beach mostly," he replied, shooting his friends a glare.
"Oh you know Cass," one of the boys grinned, "he's always been a party animal. You should see him on the dance floor, am I right, Linus?" The other boy choked on his wine, and a round of laughter erupted among the group.
"Well, let's just say Cass was pretty popular in some crowds," another girl had a sly smile on her face, "hey Julius, you met him where exactly? Not at school right?"
A boy who seemed a little older than the others only laughed at that. "We met at that club, what was it called?"
"Glory!" Andi and Atticus both said at the same time, before turning to each other. "Jynx!"
"Oh here we go again," Dante chuckled, before turning to Aela, "those two keep doing that, so if you start getting freaked out, it's pretty normal. They're basically just two people with one brain."
"Hey!" Andi scowled, "better than having a pea-sized one." She turned to Aela with a smile. "Ignore him, he's just being a dick because he's not the center of attention anymore. Anyway, tell us about yourself, Aela. I've always wondered, what is it like being a princess? I mean you're a queen now but you know, every girl dreams of living in a castle. How's that so far?"
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Feb 3, 2021 18:32:42 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 18:32:42 GMT -5
What was it like to be a princess? Aela had to think about that. She couldn't tell them the truth- that she'd never been to a dance, or a club, or had more than one friend who was quickly exiled from the castle. Her experience as a princess was simple loneliness, and an intense focus on duty.
"I'm really not that interesting, I promise. But there was certainly plenty to do to prepare for being queen," Aela said with a laugh, taking a longer sip of wine to wash the bitterness from her mouth. "And of course plenty of pretty dresses and balls." Balls where she sat beside her father, watching the people in the room interact but never being permitted to go and have fun herself.
"I suppose it's like any noble family, only more things to learn. I had a governess from a very young age, and I always wondered what it was like to go to school. What did you do- did you have the same teachers every year? What did you study?"
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Feb 3, 2021 18:52:32 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 3, 2021 18:52:32 GMT -5
Andi giggled. "That sounds like fun," she mused, "do you get to see a lot of people during these balls? You know, there has to be other princes or whatever from other countries, right? Any cute ones?" She rolled her eyes. "Other than that idiot sitting next to you, obviously."
"Shut up Andi," Cassian retorted, already having downed his first glass of wine, "we all know you just want to find a nice hot prince to whisk you away and be your sugar daddy so you don't have to follow your mother's footsteps."
"Ooh, burn," Atticus laughed as Andi swatted him.
"Boys are so annoying," she replied but the smile was still on her face, "as if you're not being a total sugar babby right now, Cass. What's it like being a king? Get the servants to change your underwear for you yet?"
Some of the other kids laughed.
"That's not too different from home," Carina smirked, "pretty sure mom was the one who chose all his underwear when he moved here."
"Carina!" Cassian snapped, his face heating up, "you're one to talk."
"Anyway," Linus interrupted, looking over to Cassian, before turning to Aela, "what we're really wondering is what the hell do you see in him? Seriously, no idea why anyone would choose this guy to be husband material." He had a playful grin on his face, nudging another boy's side. The rest of the guests listened intently.
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Feb 3, 2021 18:59:20 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 18:59:20 GMT -5
She obviously couldn't tell them that Cassian's father had blackmailed them both into it. So what to say instead? Was it best to present as the loyal wife? Surely they wouldn't believe that. But Aela would not throw him under the bus- they already teased him enough.
"I did meet many noble suitors, and some from other countries," she started out, finishing the last of her wine. "None of them really fit the position well except Cassian. He's well-educated, from a noble family with a good lineage, and he's really stepped up to the plate since he's gotten here."
That was a lie, but oh well. "He's been a good husband, as well as a good King. I picked him on..." A threat. "A gut feeling and it turned out to be correct." There, that should placate them, right? It would have satisfied anyone else's curiosity.
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Feb 3, 2021 19:15:07 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 3, 2021 19:15:07 GMT -5
Cassian raised a brow at Aela. He had half expected her to simply say it was an arrangement from their parents. It was the truth and he was certain most of his friends knew of it; they were there the night before he had to leave, after all. Still, her being...kind about it was a bit of a surprise. He blinked at Aela, his expression unreadable, before he turned away, sipping at his wine again.
"Good husband huh?" Andi replied with a smirk, "has he been performing his 'husbandly' duties too?" She looked like she didn't quite believe Aela's story, but then again, she had known Cassian since they were young.
"God Andi, do we really need to hear more about his sex life?" Linus spoke. The boy seemed to notice the discomfort his friend was in, and well, it must certainly be awkward, considering nearly everyone in this table knew of Cassian's history.
"That's what I asked the lunch after their wedding night," Carina giggled, before turning to Cass with a smug look, "so when should I be expecting a little niece or nephew?"
A laugh came from one of the other kids. "Someone's eager to be an aunt," another boy snickered.
"Anyway," Cassian spoke to divert the attention away from the topic of children, "does anyone want more wine? Or should we switch to something else after this?"
Andi laughed. "Come on Aela, have you ever been to a club or a house party? I mean probably not now since you're busy as a queen, but you know, when you were younger? I know most of our parents are uptight and all, but you have to come to Vela some day. We can just pretend you're a cousin from abroad or something and we have to go out dancing, right Cass?"
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Feb 3, 2021 19:27:31 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 19:27:31 GMT -5
Aela flushed, glancing away as they asked about children and sex and all the things that made her a little embarrassed. "Cassian and I are a little young for children," she said. "I'd rather wait until we've settled into the rhythm of life as monarchs."
Distracted by Andi's question, she cleared her throat, again embarrassed by her lack of experience. "I didn't get out much at all, even before I was Queen. And the only dancing I know how to do is ballroom dancing. But it would be nice, to visit you in Vela. I've always wanted to travel."
Undoubtedly her guards and the High Priestess would not let her go clubbing. She held her glass out to Cassian when he offered more wine, needing it to dull some of the nerves that were starting to bubble up. She had known the differences between Cassian's past and hers were large, but not... this large. Aela could not relate to any of his friends and their life experiences. Were they judging her for it?
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Feb 3, 2021 20:02:26 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 3, 2021 20:02:26 GMT -5
Cassian was surprised to see Aela hold out her glass. And here he was, thinking she didn't like to drink. A smirk appeared on his face as he passed his own glass to her, and took hers instead, as the servant refilled it. He nodded along to the conversation, simply going along with what Aela was saying. He knew that Aela had never really been outside of this world of royalty, but it was only now that it was made painfully obvious. While the kids here were all well acquainted to the wild house parties and summer holidays, he hadn't realized how large of a part it played in their day to day conversations.
"Aela mentioned she wanted to go to Maline one day," Cassian contributed, sipping his–well, Aela's–glass of wine, "I bet Mykos must be pretty fabulous this time of year, huh?"
Atticus' eyes brightened. "You've never been to Maline?" he commented, "Frey, you have to go. Honestly, the seafood there is to die for. Last time I went I never had so many oysters in my life!" Cassian made a face to that.
Andi grinned. "I mean ballroom dancing's fun I guess, if you're my mom or something, but real dancing? It's so much better. Your husband's pretty good at it, if I remember correctly."
"Yeah, he can do a perfect slut drop," Dante commented, and Cassian immediately shot him a look. Aela did not need to know what a slut drop was.
"Remember that time we were doing that techno party in Nyre?" Linus laughed, "and we dared him to do a body shot off a stranger?"
Cassian ran a hand down his face. "Are you guys going to keep this up for the rest of the night?" he groaned, "I swear to god, this is why none of you have girlfriends."
"Not like I want one," Dante shot back with a snort, as he and Linus did a high five.
"Come on, we should dance, or play some game or something," Carina called out, gesturing towards the area in the middle, "we can play some music, right?"
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Feb 3, 2021 20:15:55 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 20:15:55 GMT -5
"I'd like to go anywhere, really," Aela admitted with a faint laugh. "But Maline has always seemed pretty to me." She glossed over the slut drop comment, since she had no idea what that meant. "I'm not sure what real dancing is," she told Andi. "Like... ballet?"
It was good that Dantae was focusing on his career instead of chasing a girlfriend. Carina's question distracted her, and she turned toward the open area. "Of course. Play some music. Maybe I can see some real dancing, since I've been deprived of the experience. And what game were we going to play, Carina? One of the ones you told me about- seven minutes in heaven?"
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Feb 3, 2021 20:21:21 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 3, 2021 20:21:21 GMT -5
Oh, Cassian was definitely going to kill his sister. He gave Carina a bewildered look. What the hell was she thinking? He knew that all of this was just one big plan to embarrass him and clearly, all his friends were in on it, but this was going a little too far. Inviting all of his exes and teaching Aela what seven minutes in heaven was? Spirits, if he survived tonight, he was going to kill her.
"No," he immediately interjected to the laughter and giggles all around them, "we are definitely not playing that."
"Aw come on Cass, don't be such a kill joy," Atticus had a hand over her mouth to stifle his laughter, "you know you love that game."
Andi rolled her eyes. "Boys are so stupid," she snorted, before turning to Aela, biting her lower lip, "well, dancing like we do in parties is a lot different, it's...well, I guess it's more grinding and hip movements and stuff, you know, you just feel the music and go along with it. There's no moves really, you just see what other people are doing and follow along or make it up as you go."
She gave Aela a smirk. "You know, I could teach if you want."
Meanwhile, the boys were still arguing, and Carina rolled her eyes. Her brother was such a debbie downer. "How about truth or dare?" she called out with a grin, "everyone loves a game of truth or dare, right? Hey Aela, truth or dare?"
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Feb 3, 2021 20:55:07 GMT -5
Post by nostalgic on Feb 3, 2021 20:55:07 GMT -5
Aela smiled brightly at Andi, oblivious to her implications. "I don't know what grinding is, but sure! That sounds fun. Thanks. I'm sure you're a good teacher."
So many people seeking her attention- Aela felt a bit overwhelmed. She turned to Carina, thinking the question over. What if they asked her to do a slut drop? She didn't even know how to do one. A truth was safer, in her opinion. "Truth," she said, wandering with Andi over to where Carina was, sitting on one of the vacant chairs int the area.
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Feb 4, 2021 5:08:15 GMT -5
Post by achromatic on Feb 4, 2021 5:08:15 GMT -5
Cassian was going to die of embarrassment, and here, Andi was just laughing. He shot the other girl a look, as if saying don't you dare. It was exactly what he expected from his friends really. They were all a bunch of assholes who just loved corrupting other kids; after all, he had been exactly the same with most of them. It was always fun to turn a kid from a good church-going girl into whatever they were.
Except this was Aela. Prissy little queen Aela. Never kissed a boy before Aela. This was just giving her more ammunition to go on, and spirits, if the word got out that it was their new king that had turned their beloved queen into a wild child, he was never going to hear the end of it.
As Carina suggested truth or dare, Andi simply gave Aela a smirk. "I guess another time then," she hummed, as she stood up to move towards the empty seats nearby. For a moment, she hung back, grasping Cassian's arm.
"You know my brother and I have a bet," she whispered in his ear, "wonder which one of us can seduce your queen first hm? You don't mind, right?"
Cassian snorted. "Yeah good luck with that," he snorted, "but seriously, keep all your sex talk to a minimum please? She literally does not need a crash-course on everything she's missed out in life in one day."
Andi smirked. "No promises," she replied in a sing-song voice as she skipped over to Aela. Cassian hung back for a moment with a sigh, when Dante's arm found its way across his shoulder.
Great. The person he wanted to avoid the most. "Does she know?" his voice was low, "that you know, we were more than just friends?" Cass shook his head, giving the other boy a tired look.
"Can we leave this for another day?" he frowned, "I thought we said we were fine with going back to friends." His friend shrugged. Another day then. They moved towards the newly formed circle.
Carina giggled. "Pussy," she teased Aela, "but okay." She hummed for a second as everyone else moved to sit nearby. Cassian grimaced as he found a seat next to his queen. Knowing Carina, this was either going to be really embarrassing for him or for her.
"So what are you scared of?" she leaned forward to Aela. It was a simple question, but so on brand for the young fairy.
"Dark fairies," Dante snorted, "you guys ask such creepy questions I swear."
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