Bonded Alloys

It had been a long night and Vandrad was wiped. In truth, he was not a person that stayed up extraordinarily late -- he was far more of a morning person than he was a night owl. He enjoyed the occasional late night but those usually involved training sessions of extreme measure or taking part on a job. Staying out beyond his bedtime and partying? Now that was a complete stranger to the Prince of Bellum. Yet here he was, dragging his ass out of the club beneath his family’s estate at one in the morning. He was still running fairly high in energy for the moment but he could feel the lingering effects of the late night below the adrenaline. Once he hit the sheets, he was going to be out.

The issue of Mercury’s sleeping arrangements came up again, of course. Most people hadn’t taken his statement at the end of the actual ball as a serious one. Simon and Themesycia had, once again, attempted to woo her into their beds to spend the night. Several other patrons even offered their beddings for her, giving her the due and perverse respect that the Naughty Queen deserved. But still, the Prince had stoically told them all that the only person she was spending the night with was him. Mercury certainly understood that he meant she would simply be staying in his room -- nothing illicit would happen -- but that didn’t stop all the teasing raining down upon him.

Nevertheless, he waded through it. As he reached up to set the painting back to its normal state, he glanced over at Mercury, still dressed in the very sheer outfit. "I hope you enjoyed yourself,” he told her. While normally he said such things in almost bitter irony, it seemed he was quite genuine in that moment. After their few surprising moments of emotional and open clarity, he did sincerely want her to have a good time for the rest of the evening. What better way than to make her the center of attention? The barest hints of a real smile played upon the edges of his mouth before he forced it to become more of a smirk. "Remind me never to challenge your willingness to put on a show with a pole.”

She had put on quite the showcase. Without missing a beat, the Silver Wolf mage had removed her clothes as required, delivering a full effort for the sake of the crowd. Then she had approached him and given him quite the reason to regret -- or not -- staying in the room and on the couch. By the end of it all, it was quite clear that she had won out on the challenge and she had received a standing ovation for it all. The rest of the evening, she had received the due diligence from the rest of the attendees as it was set down. And for her part, it seemed that Mercury was quite enjoying the attention.

As the picture faded back into a viable object, he turned and started heading back down the way they had come, so many hours ago. "Before you ask, yes I still plan on sleeping in my own bed. The mattress is a double king so we shouldn’t have any problem with being anywhere near one another. And at this point, it seems asinine to be bothered with one another’s nudity so…” he trailed off as he explained. He generally slept in the buff so unless she stated otherwise, he planned on sleeping in that same regard.

"Well, I’m glad,” he said simply as she admitted she had enjoyed herself. Vandrad did his best not to make a big deal out of it, despite the fact that they both knew it was. As he’d stated to her, he didn’t ever go out of his way to participate in the events of the underground club. The perverse nature was enough to make him scoff and turn his attention elsewhere. But she had come all the way here -- despite doing so with the intent of teasing him -- and after everything that had happened, it seemed only appropriate that she get the full experience. His mother had said as much and, as much as he would never admit it, he agreed. Plus there was the added fact that he knew she would enjoy the club and all of it’s… quirks.

Vandrad was first to admit that she had bested him in his own challenge and she couldn’t help the smug grin that plastered itself to her face. She teased him, surprised that he hadn’t figured out that she would lean into most situations, curves or not. She also said she wouldn’t complain if he kept giving her reasons and opportunities to be a thorn in his side. He snorted in amusement, crossing his arms over his chest as they walked along. "Like you need an excuse. You could turn most situations into a reason to needle me,” he said with a humorous glint, giving her a side eye and a quick smirk. He knew all this and yet, he still had decided to meet her head on when it came to the room and the pole. Against his better nature and judgement, he had sat himself down like a paying client and simply let her do her thing. This was despite his knowing that no matter what, she had the advantage. That wasn’t how he was going to embarrass her yet still he went through with it. It was odd and unexplainable. He didn’t really know why so instead of lingering on the subject, he stuffed it back down deep. Clearly it was because of the challenge. Obviously.

Mercury was quite surprised at the size of his bed, stating that the entirety of her suite in Silver Wolf was probably smaller than the mattress itself. He snorted. "My mother goes extravagant everywhere, even in rooms she doesn’t plan on living in. When I objected to the size, she explained that it was not for my sake. She said, and these are her words, ‘its for the harem I’m sure you will amass someday’. As if I had any interest in such a thing,” he scoffed as he explained. His mother had the same size bed -- the only difference was that she found ways to use it to her full advantage. He simply used it for rest.

She teased him about the size and how it would grant her the ability to sneak out and get in bed with his mother. "Tsk,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Good luck. I’m a light sleeper and I’m quite aware of things moving about even when resting. You wouldn’t even make it two steps before I would be up and power slamming you back onto the mattress,” he said confidently, smirking at his own humor. The mild imaginative image in his head of actually performing the feat on her created… a strange feeling. One he couldn’t describe. He physically shook his head and glanced over at her. “Of course, I could always find some chains and strap you to the bed if you’re going to be impish about it.” Yet another strange sensation. He was simply joking; why the weird feelings?

Luckily, she mostly seemed to be joking. With a yawn and a stretch, she asked him if there was a shower in the room so she could rinse off. Apparently being the object of everyone’s physical attention had made her feel quite grimy, which was understandable. All those sweaty people grabbing at her probably felt a bit odd on the skin. He nodded. "There’s a fully operational shower in my chambers. You’re welcome to it.” As if he had planned it, he stopped in front of a door just as he spoke of it. "Here we are,” he said as he pushed open the wooden doors and entered the room.

The design of the room was similar to the ballroom; a clear, vibrant quartz made up the entirety of the chamber’s walls, ceiling and floor. It stretched up towards the roof and ended in jagged points all at the same level. Lights surged to life within the crystal barrier as they entered, illuminating the entirety of the room. The first thing she would probably notice was how the floor wasn’t altogether on the same level. It was split between four differing heights; the first one that acted as a platform for the entry area of the room, the one on the left that held a desk, a clothing bureau and a door that led to a walk in closet, the one on the right that had a small bookcase filled with tomes and another door leading to a bathroom. The tallest level was where the bed sat, nearly taking up the entirety of the platform save for a small area to walk around its sides, front and back. It was an easy step to get to each new level, with the edges rounded off so no one accidently cut themselves open.

"Bathroom is through there,” he said, pointing to the right-most door. When she entered, she would find a rather large room serving as a washroom. A toilet sat just on the inside of the doorway, fixed with a toilet holder against the crystal wall. A sink and mirror were set against the left wall, along with a towel rack. The entire back wall of the bathroom was a shower and bath, a near three foot lip rising out of the crystal to keep in the water when one needed a bath. The tub/standing area itself could easily fit four to five people, should there ever be a need for that many. And the ceiling had six metal panels that, when turned on, would spray an even fall of water similar to rain. The knob was embedded into the crystal wall, along with several smaller knobs to adjust the settings and pressure. A small lip on the left side held soap for cleaning.

By the time that she would finish her shower and come back into the main room, her bag would be resting next to the door. Vandrad was on the second level near the bed, rounding out his evening work out. He finished pumping his push ups and flipped over nearly in one swift motion, lying on his back and beginning his last set of sit ups. He wasn’t working hard enough to sweat but definitely enough to make his muscles bulge just a bit more than usual. He glanced over at her briefly between lifts before continuing. "Do you have any nightly routines?” It was a strange question to ask but then again, Vandrad asking any questions about her was odd as it was. He was comfortable leaving her to her privacy unless she provided a reason for an inquiry or she supplied information herself. But considering everything that had transpired between them that night, he felt… comfortable asking about some of her practices. If only to see how comfortable she was answering them.

Vandrad knew his comments about the chains would get this kind of reaction. He’d specifically said it for the sake of teasing her and likewise, to give her free ammo to tease him back with. She was almost willing to test him to see if he would try and strap her down, saying that she would be overjoyed to turn that on his head for a second time. He simply glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and gave her a smirk that may or may not have told her just how serious he was. Even Vandrad didn’t quite know but he left that option as open ended as possible, if only for the sake of them having a laugh over it.

Though truth be told, he was curious to see what she would do if he had decided to lock her down. There had been a growing suspicion in the Prince that her slayer abilities weren’t just limited to lightning. It was the first thing he had seen her eat but there was also something to be said about the metal contraptions she created. After his conclusion during their excursion to Ca-Elum, he had done a little bit of research. As he had suspected, the pitch black coloring of magic was usually significant of a God slaying type of magic. He’d worked with one God Slayer many years ago -- a fire God Slayer. He could still remember the black flames that he could sling as easily as one might shoot an arrow. But it was that darkness that raised a question when it came to her metal. It was also as black as pitch so did that mean she was a multi-elemental slayer? He’d heard of them but hadn’t ever gotten the chance to meet one.

It was a question burning at the forefront of his mind and yet it was the one he didn’t feel right asking. Their… relationship was a complicated one that dabbled between being a rivalry and an odd, awkward friendship. Truth be told, the most earnest conversations and words that had ever passed between them had occurred that very night, save for their one on one talk back in Desierto. He truly did enjoy having her around, as she continually pushed him forward in both his abilities and his demeanor. But she was also always racing right against him, optimizing her own strength and combating him on the battlegrounds of wit and physicality. Still, he couldn’t deny that the honesty that had passed between them over the past couple of hours was… strangely nice. And to think, it had all started when she put that dress on and utterly floored him. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight in his life…

That came out of nowhere. His brow furrowed and he shook the thought away, ridding himself of his annoying existence. Clearly the alcohol he had consumed was playing tricks on him, heightening parts of his psyche that he usually left lax. It had been a long night full of odd turns and insane ups and downs. He needed rest; to recollect his more confident and true thoughts. Luckily they had arrived at his door and he was only, perhaps, ten minutes away from finally finding his mattress and bidding this day goodbye. He walked in casually, not bothering to stop moving. The sight of the room didn’t hold any wonder to him like it did Mercury and he went to the dresser to strip himself of the terribly worn loincloth. He still found it hard to believe that he had managed to convince himself to wear the damn thing in the first place.

Yet he did pause when she thanked him, her playful tone seemingly gone. He paused on the second rise, turning to watch as she walked into the bathroom swiftly and soberly. It was like the sight of his room had taken the air from her lungs and the joy from her person. As the door shut, he stood there, flummoxed and staring at the wooden barrier between them. She had never told him as much but he’d suspected that his lifestyle had always been different from her own. The way she had spoken about his family, the way she had marveled at certain things, made it seem like they were afloat in a castle in the sky. She played it off well enough and even a few weeks ago, he may have missed the queues and brief moments but now, after having spent time with her, he spotted them as clear as day. Cracks in her persona that she hid behind an overabundance of charisma, charm and playfulness.

Then again, didn’t he hide himself too? A chill ran down his spine as memories awash with pain surged through his mind, as they were wont to do late at night. His gaze flicked away from the door as he set upon removing his own mind from sinking him into a cesspit he fought against each and every day. He didn’t allow the dark memories to even pass quickly by in his mind, denying them to such a level that they may as well be locked away in a box. But every so often his hold weakened and cracks opened up, reminding him that they were still there. Yet he paused before he headed up to the dresser, having only taken a single step towards it before halting. Instead, he turned around and went to the door of the bathroom, his hand already folding into a fist to knock so that he could speak to her.

It was once he was near the door that he could feel it. A cloud within the room, hidden from view. Now that she was away from his eyes, protected from his sight and ears, she allowed herself to truly feel. Her mask was gone and her true feelings floated to the surface. Even with the wooden frame between them, he could feel them on her as if they were his own. Blast this magic -- it was both a damned blessing and a liberating curse. His fingers unfurled themselves and instead, he simply lay his hand on the door, sighing softly through his nostrils. He couldn’t bring himself to say it outloud or really, to focus too hard on it with his own introspection, but there was something there. It was unspoken between them but this night had shown that their connection was stronger than either one of them let on. Chances were they were in denial about it but in these quiet, sober moments of clarity, he couldn’t truly quell the realization. He hadn’t felt this strongly about anyone before, felt like he could trust her with all of his secrets and past. And in a truly sickening way, he wanted her to trust him like that too. He just didn’t know how to go about it.

Vandrad didn’t know how to interact with people on a truly empathic level. He had been closed off since childhood, focusing on his own internal growth and harboring respect for strength and strength alone. His family were the flock and he was the black sheep, standing stubbornly on the hill and refusing to interact with them. He had seen how well Mercury had gotten along with them, bonding and reveling in their shared interests. And as much as he tried to get on that level, it didn’t feel genuine. He felt like a monkey playing at ape, with the rest of the pride laughing at his stupidity. If he wasn’t broken, maybe he would know what to say to her. If he wasn’t fragments making up a fractured picture, maybe he could make their connection stronger.

But he couldn’t. So rather than interrupt her moment, he pulled away from the door and went about his business, setting his insecurities back behind their wall and returning to his usual state. He discarded the loincloth on top of the dresser and set himself to his evening workout. A short, cooldown routine to keep his body taut without overexerting itself. He listened as the shower ran itself and then shut off, seemingly in his own little world. He almost missed the click of the door as she opened it, reaching into her bag and finding a pair of clothes to sleep in. He watched her move about the room, his thoughts betraying him and goading him to say something. Did he ask her what was wrong? Did he try and connect with her directly? Why the hell was it so hard?

Instead, he went an entirely different route. He asked about her nightly routine. It seemed really simple from the outside and for anyone that could sense what Vandrad could, it would probably come off as asinine. But the one thing that the Prince knew was that asking deep questions to Mercury wasn’t going to yield an answer. She would deflect or run around the query with jokes, jests and teases. Her walls were up all around and she only let certain questions come through to be considered with honesty. Yet he had to do something, say something in hopes of distracting her from her thoughts… and his own.

She answered him honestly, explaining she didn’t really have a routine beyond scrolling through the lacrianet and taking it easy. He nodded softly as he finished up his rep and turned over to finish his last push up set. She came over and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him work. And surprisingly, she put forth her own question. "Every night if I can,” he said as he pushed himself off the ground over and over again. "It’s not a complicated routine nor does it over exert the body. It’s called a cool down workout; keeps the muscles that were stretched earlier in the day fresh.” He finished up and sat himself up, crossing his legs over themselves and looking up at her. "I honestly thought you’d be one to sleep naked,” he observed, nodding to her clothes. "Not that you need to be or anything. Just… figured you were more of an all natural woman. Feeling the sheets on your skin and… all of that.”

What the hell was he even babbling about? Grunting, he got himself to his feet and walked around to the opposite side of the bed. "Are you a firm or soft pillow person? There’s both types on the bed so you can just… pick one.” He honestly needed to stop talking. He was going on like an absolute moron.

If there was one obvious thing about what Vandrad was doing, it was clear that he was certainly trying to ask her questions he generally avoided before. There were far deeper, more personal queries he had that he wanted to know the answers for, if only to get to know her better. Mercury could probably recognize that… but then again, maybe she wouldn’t. Given the moments they had had between one another, they both seemed pretty atrocious at opening up. But for the Prince, it seemed like she was closed off because she had to be. Her walls were erected because she knew she needed them. He couldn’t blame her on that front; his own deeper secrets were buried even from his own seeking eyes. He wasn’t sure he would be comfortable letting anyone see that deep. But Mercury certainly was the closest person to that possibility…

But if he could go a damn hour or so without remarking about her clothing -- or lack thereof -- he would be perfectly swell. Yet in a moment of absolute ingenuity and deeper philosophical thinking, he had opted to comment about the fact that she wore clothing to bed. His journey to getting to know her on a deeper emotional level and instead, he couldn’t help himself but focus on her body yet again. He felt like a damn fool and his cheeks were already starting to burn in embarrassment over the ridiculous observation. She took it… well enough, without raining teases down upon him for it. She admitted that she did occasionally but it wasn’t something she did often. While she had no problem with nudity, obviously, she didn’t want to be in the buff and caught unawares, should something happen.

It was that comment that resonated within him, keeping him from shutting down any sort of continuation of questions. He looked up at her, his study of her face going deeper than the surface. It was a quick and brutal reminder of how similar they were, in terms of preparedness. There was a history running through the unintended confession, her words coming more from experience than simple wariness. His shame faded away as she built a foundation for him, restoring the connection that was, at best, thin and weak. It wasn’t that their relationship was in any kind of straits, far from it. It was moving into a new area that clearly neither one of them had traversed before. One wayward step and they would retreat back to where they were comfortable, back to the place they were before.

But it was obvious they both wanted to move forward, even if neither would say it outloud. "I get that,” he said softly, nodding. "I sometimes forget that I’m back here, back where battles and wars and never ending conflict is around me. I never slept like this when I was in the army -- it was always in military gear, if you could sleep at all. Half the night was spent staring up at the sky, waiting for the sound of battle to erupt at any moment.” He spoke his words quietly, almost as if he was speaking in a confessional. "I still have nights where I jerk awake, almost on instinct…”

His eyes flickered out of their gaze and set themselves back on her as he realized what he was saying. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t assume,” he quickly apologized, pushing himself to his feet and finding himself back down on wavering ground. Some people couldn’t deal with being thrust back into the dark, thrown violently into memories that didn’t inspire happiness. He didn’t want to inadvertently cause her distress or cause an episode so he quickly backtracked, landing almost exactly where he had been before. And that resulted in him asking her about what kind of pillows she liked. This open moment of bonding and he was asking what kind of pillow she preferred; he was even worse at this than he thought he was. The question took her off guard, as she struggled to think of some kind of answer to such a ludicrous question.

She remarked about as well as anyone would, saying that a pillow was a pillow in the end. She did him a favor by leaning more towards the soft side, if only to give him a solid answer for a question he didn’t really care about. He gulped softly and nodded, words about pillows suddenly flooding his mind so that he could carry on a conversation about pillows. But this time he shut it down, keeping his mouth from spouting utter nonsense. That gave her the perfect opportunity to draw attention to the ring she had removed -- the one that he had gifted her. Of course she did, why wouldn’t she? He had given it to her seemingly out of the blue, commenting about it and her eyes and her beauty and making an utter mockery of himself. It wasn’t like his room was filled with pictures or mementos for her to focus on and open a dialogue about.

"It’s-it’s yours,” he said, bubbling the words out pathetically. He took a moment to mentally kick himself, reaffirming his thoughts in a somewhat sensible fashion. "I mean I gave it to you as a gift. It’s been sitting there collecting dust for years. No one wears it and considering it matched your eyes, I felt it was appropriate that you wear it. And uh…” This is where it got tricky. How did he say this without coming across as a sap? "I don’t think it would look good on anyone else’s finger,” he mumbled quickly, fighting off the blush that was threatening his face once more. "I… I want you to have it,” he managed to wrap up the sentiment with something real, without flapping in the wind uselessly.

But gods, did he feel odd. His stomach was clenched tight, like a vice had gotten ahold of it. His heart was surprisingly thumping inside of his chest cavity, the strangest sensation ebbing through his veins. He swallowed hard and flipped open the covers to the bed, sliding himself down onto the mattress. There he lay on his back, arms pressed on top of the comforter, staring at the quartz ceiling and wondering just what the hell was going on. Should he just roll over and go to sleep? Bid her goodnight first? Did he keep asking questions? Maybe try something a bit more… personal? What was something he could transition into easily? "Your magic,” he said before he could formally process the thought. "Do… do you mind if I ask what it is? I have a theory and I was wondering if I was right…”

Well, at the very least, he hadn’t triggered anything in her. She ensured him that it was okay to talk about his experiences and it wouldn’t cause any issue. He glanced up briefly to her before he finally got to his feet, now trying to find some kind of footing in a situation that wasn’t that easy to understand or comprehend. Yet he was trying and that was something, right? He imagined his mother would be chuckling mirthfully at the idea that he was attempting some kind of friendly connection. Then again, she had been a bit attached to Mercury since the moment the Silver Wolf mage revealed herself.

But wartime trauma was something he could talk about easily. Vandrad didn’t pretend that he wasn’t scarred from his experiences; he had plenty of physical ones and certainly a fair number of mental ones as well. But his emotions were hardened to the point that everything he had witnessed and things he had done didn’t affect him like they did others. He had seen soldiers shaking in their boots and vomiting after a truly bloody battle while he, himself, was coated in gore and seemingly unaware of it. The thrill of a fight had ingrained itself so deeply into his soul that he never truly felt alive outside of it. Well, almost never. His gaze slowly turned towards her as if to answer the unspoken question but he quickly shook the feeling off, not even willing to confirm it to himself.

In the midst of floundering, she turned the attention to the ring. And finding some courage deep within to speak his mind, albeit in stops and halts, he managed to relay that he wanted her to keep the ring. The look of utter shock on her face was enough to tell him just how surprised she was by the action. She even tried to refuse it at first, stating that she couldn’t accept it. But he was quick to cut her off with his deeper explanation, his intent having been for her to keep it the whole time. It was a pungent, pregnant moment between them as he stood there, wanting to thumb at his clothing but lacking the material. When she finally thanked him for it, he nodded firmly, his own blush darkening against his face as he looked away, trying his hardest not to let her see. It was because of this that he missed her own blush draping her cheeks. So the ring situation was solved and thankfully, she had accepted it. He couldn’t help the feeling of relief that spread through his body -- he wasn’t sure what he would have done if she had turned it down.

Then they both got into bed, happy to be far enough way from one another that they didn’t feel compelled to look at one another. Gods, he could feel such a strong emotional wave coming off of her but it was chaotic and unreadable. It simply felt like a pressure pushing against him, almost urging him to do something. So he asked her one of the burning questions in his mind, jumping from ridiculous queries to truly personal ones. It came blubbering out of his mouth before he could truly formulate the thoughts and there it was, hanging in the air between the two of them. He couldn’t take it back -- that would make him look more the fool.

Several beats of long, pressing silence passed as his voice faded away, the Prince unsure if she would answer at all. Right when he was about to ask if she was even awake, she spoke up. In truth, she didn’t understand her magic to its full extent. She continued, saying that she was still in the midst of learning it, as it was completely new to her. Not just her solitary magic but the concept itself -- apparently where she came from, it didn’t even exist. She’d mentioned when they had first met that she was still learning her magic, despite the fact that she wielded it almost masterfully. But the true nugget of information was her home; a place that lacked any and all magic. Of course one might assume that the Neutral Grounds in Fiore would be where she hailed from them. Or perhaps one of the other areas in the world that lacked ethernano and ran primarily on technology. Yet that wouldn’t make sense -- the very notion of magic was still well known to those in the zones, they just couldn’t utilize it themselves. No, she came from somewhere that had never even realized it.

That shortened the list of places she called home then. Perhaps another dimension or another planet altogether? Beira had confirmed to him that humanoid beings existed outside of Earthland and could come from completely new places and times, an answer that hadn’t truly surprised Vandrad. He’d done his research over the years and he knew that the possibility of such things was far more feasible than it was impossible. He hadn’t had the opportunity to meet one until he met Beira… or well, rather Mercury. He’d known the Silver Wolf mage longer so it seemed she had been his first interaction with a non-Earthland lifeform. It made him all the more curious… and yet, he felt he shouldn’t ask about it. If she wanted to tell him about it, she would have elected to do so right then and there. One doesn’t just throw that nugget of information out there without explanation unless they were afraid of saying it or trying to tease someone. And unlike every other time, he didn’t get the feeling she was in a teasing mood.

Vandrad turned in the bed, finding the strength of will to lean up on his elbow and look at her. If she was going to give him an explanation, she deserved all of his attention, after all. She paused to think before continuing, finally confirming that she did have slayer magic. She had received the training for it through a man named Jadus, apparently a demon she had encountered on a job. She attempted to subdue him but he had turned her ass over head, utterly defeating her. But rather than killing her, he opted to instead teach her his magic, allowing her control over metal. After that, she hadn’t truly come to grips with what it was until she had gone on a job with another slayer named Gangting, a name completely alien to him. An Earth slayer, they had encountered a demon who had realized the magical frequency of Mercury’s power and offered her more. That had pissed her partner off because, as it seems, his Slaying abilities came from a god and was meant to be used against those self same demons.

After that, she had taken the power from the other demon and it had pushed her limits beyond what she had before. In the end, she had control over multiple elements; metal, lightning, light and mechanical sludge, be it oil, grease or what have you. A rare feat for a slayer to have more than one and even more rare to go beyond two. Most people couldn’t handle that immense power. And she had realized that pretty quickly after doing her own research into it.

He nodded softly, in thought. "People here have a warped sense when it comes to demons, gods and what have you. Most people have this belief that demons are evil and gods are good but really, they are the same. Beings of strength that want to rule and control and bask themselves in a superior light.” He sighed softly through his nostrils as he looked at her. "Whatever the case, your decision is your decision. You did what you felt was the right thing to do. This… Gangting seems a bit caught up in the philosophical and spiritual battle that barely even matters in the long run. So long as you found a purpose for your actions, who cares what other people think?” he told her with a soft shrug. It was true that he had said a volley of nasty things to her during their time together and no doubt he would continue to find ways to twist his own knife in her. But she had more than earned his trust at this point and making a deal with one, two or however many demons wouldn’t matter to him. If she was making the decision, he would back her.

He snorted softly. "Four elements. That’s quite a range of control. It does explain your ability to summon devices practically out of thin air,” he said with a small, wry smirk as he lay back down flat. As he got himself comfortable, he looked over to her one last time. "I hope this goes without saying but… if we were put in that situation together, I’d back your play. I trust you, Mercury.”

Yet another odd moment that made his insides twist and turn. He swallowed again. "Well uh… goodnight,” he said simply, not moving right away. But after a moment of consideration, he finally turned himself onto his back to look back to the ceiling. The room, magically enchanted to sense when a person had decided to go to sleep, allowed the lights to dim until they were in almost complete darkness. Vandrad lay awake for a few more minutes, questions and words running wild in his head. But he never let them fly and soon, his eyes were fluttering closed and he was passing into the dark of unconsciousness.

Vandrad didn’t trust easily -- it was something that had always eluded him unless he was going through significant trials and tests with another person. Truthfully, the only people that he relied and held a strong bond with were his family members and even then, there were ones that he didn’t trust in certain regards, a la his mother and uncle with Mercury. But other than that strange situation, they had his trust. The soldiers under his command were given a level of that faith, if only as they were his subordinates and he was their acting commander. There needed to be a reliance there or else the battlefield would tear them apart. Sides that made up almost the entirety of Vandrad’s existence; the royal side and the military side.

Yet he was quickly learning that, apparently, he was deeper than that. He had further layers that had developed and remained hidden from sight. And the driving force behind that awareness and education had, in fact, been Mercury. By all rights, there was no reason they should even be allies, let alone what many would consider friends. She had screwed with him intentionally more times than she had helped him and had always done so with a smirk and a mischievous glimmer. But that was part of what made her attractive, in a completely ambiguously challenging sort of way and nothing beyond that. She raised the stakes and, better yet, she didn’t let her rank within any organization influence her opinion of him. She took what he presented and only used the extra dressing truly as ammo to tease him with.

She’d done enough though to prove she was trustworthy. Perhaps she wasn’t altogether too forward with information pertaining to herself and of course, she still found ways of playing tricks upon him that he wouldn’t expect but when push came to shove, she was there and she didn’t back down. It was an odd sensation to come to realize, the words coming out before he had truly set them to stone in his heart. It had been upon hearing her story with Gangting that had made him realize just how understanding he would be of her choices. Maybe he wouldn’t trust the word of a demon, maybe he wouldn’t take the power but she had and done so for her own reasons to strengthen herself. Who was he or anyone to simply stand in her way? No, he knew for a fact that he’d be right behind her, supporting her choice in whatever they faced. She had earned that.

And that’s why his resistance to her being close to Simon and Themesycia was... puzzling. He knew that if he left them alone for too long, there was a good chance they would get up to some debauchery. His family already seemed embattled in seeing who could woo her out of her pants as it was. And why should he care? She was his ally and, he supposed, a trusted acquaintance and the one time they had slept together had been a means of getting tension out of the air. Was he doing it to protect her from getting too attached to his blaze family that would simply bed her for their own entertainment? That couldn’t be it -- he could already tell the lot of them truly enjoyed her presence. His mother saw a woman after her own heart and his uncle saw a truly challenging woman that could provide him witty and flirty conversation. His cousins were already idolizing her at this point. If anything, the Silver Wolf mage would probably be floored at how committed they were to wanting to keep her around or at least entice her to visit again.

He honestly couldn’t think of any substance to the strange sensation. It was probably a byproduct of his exhaustion and the trials from the night. Sabine had certainly been the biggest but he had been pressed into some challenging moments with Mercury as well. Not altogether displeasing but just… alien to him. Rather than focus on them too hard, he instead locked them away for consideration later and allowed his mind to drift away. Unlike most people, the Prince of Bellum was quite adept at boxing his worries and cares up so that he could get sleep; a practice he had mastered during his time in the army, he supposed. One needed to be able to get rest whenever they were able and staying away to focus on anxieties removed any possibility of sleep. A sleep-deprived soldier was like to make mistakes that could end in tragedy. Plus some of the worst thoughts -- and even memories -- had a way of sneaking out from their mental closets to roam free in the dark.

After several minutes of lying awake, trying to decide if he just wanted to… well, continue conversing with her, sleep took him. It was odd, knowing that he would have liked to ask more questions and get to know her further rather than rest. Luckily practice had taken the initiative and stopped him from making any foolhardy decisions. And he rested hard -- his comments to her about waking up if she moved were, ironically, false in terms of this singular night. If she had stirred and removed herself from the room, he unfortunately wouldn’t have known. He slept on as the night hours rolled past, his body naturally moving away from the edge of the bed and more towards the center. He had always slept in the center of his bed normally, not accustomed to spending it on the outer edges for the sake of giving the Silver Wolf mage room. But his sleeping pattern couldn’t just alter because he didn’t have the consciousness to will it so. Soon he came to rest in the middle of the bed, where it just so happened that Mercury had moved to in her own sleep.

He awoke slowly as he realized that something was on him. It was soft and warm and it was breathing rather slowly, given the movement of the torso. Groggily his eyelids fluttered open to find Mercury there, gently pressed up against his side and cuddling him for all he was worth. He blinked a few times, wondering if he was dreaming -- as well as wondering why he would dream about such an occurrence. But no, she was there, the sleeping Silver Wolf mage lost to her rest and was now nuzzling against his arm. He scoffed silently, in half amusement and half rebellion. He thought to wake her up and insist she return to her side when he glanced over and saw that he, in fact, had wound up in the center with her. Plus he… didn’t really want her to go. That was a strange sensation to realize, after having just woken up.

He toyed with that for a moment as he stared up at the ceiling, trying to decide what to do. In the privacy of the late night, with no one around to see them, he opted for a course that he never expected. Slowly he slid his arm up and over her form and then gently brought it down to press against her back, inviting her to fully cuddle him. And it seemed her body was all for it; she felt his shift and scooted closer in on him, an arm haplessly tossed over his torso as her body opted for the warmth he contained. It was a damn good thing she was asleep, as the blush on his face was nearly as vibrant as the sun’s shine itself. But he also couldn’t deny how comfortable she felt, gently wrapped around him. Or how… right.

These thoughts were dangerous. He mentally shook them away and forced himself not to dwell. Instead, he simply held her close to him and allowed the feel of her body and her warmth ease him back into a, ironically, more comfortable sleep. Several hours later, the sun was barely streaming in the top panes of the windows inset in the crystal. His body, despite having stayed up later than usual, began to rouse him from his slumber. As he awoke, he found that neither one of them had moved at all after their precarious cuddle. Luckily, she seemed still fairly knocked out so when he carefully slid out of her hold, she simply rolled over and continued to rest. That gave him time to get up and get dressed for the morning.

He found out a short while later that, due to the party going so late, that breakfast was going to be delayed a few hours. His mother may have made that decision after Vandrad informed her that Mercury would most likely not even be conscious for a few hours. That was fine -- she had traveled all the way here yesterday and been swept up in the du Wolff extravaganza so she had earned extra hours of sleep. It just gave him an excuse to wake her up earlier the next day for training. He used that time to visit the workout space out in the yard and get his morning routine in, albeit without a barely conscious and grumbling Silver Wolf mage. The Prince had nearly lost track of time when Themesycia came out and asked if they should awake Mercury, if only to get some food in her. The Duchess was more than welcome to the idea of her going to wake Mercury up but Vandrad knew that meant she would climb into bed with her and then they would most likely be waiting even longer.

Upon returning to his chambers, he hopped up to the platform with his bed and walked over to where she rested. Against his more abrasive instincts, he sat down on the edge of the bed and reached over, carefully laying his hand on her back. Then he started to rock her gently, easing her out of sleep. "Morning,” he said simply when she was finally conscious enough to understand. "If you sleep any longer, you’ll miss half the day. And I imagine you want a hot breakfast rather than a cold lunch,” he said, doing his best not to smirk in his own amusement. He glanced over at her bag. "Did you happen to pack a bathing suit? Today we’re having breakfast by the pool and my mother is strict on the attire being appropriate. If not, she’s given us leave to get you something from her wardrobe.”

So this is what Mercury was like in the morning, or at least on mornings when she wasn’t realizing he didn’t remember sleeping with her.

The sheer distaste she had for being woken up probably rivaled that of any time she did something intentionally to annoy him. She groaned as he touched her back and shook her gently, finally forcing her to roll over onto her back. The sharp look she gave the sunlight streaming in would have curdled dairy or a weaker man’s mojo. He said good morning to her and all he got back was a rebellious grunt. It was, at the very least, amusing to watch her with piss and vinegar at such a small task such as waking up. True they had been up rather late but she would still have gotten a full nine hours of sleep, which was more than most people got at all. Then again, there was no telling how many nights she had gone without sleep at all.

Still, he waited patiently as she roused herself to something akin to consciousness before he spoke to her, informing her about breakfast. She groaned and forced herself up on her elbows to look around the room, perhaps just trying to get her eyes moving so sleep would leave them. By the time her gaze settled on him, it was with the beleaguered look of someone that certainly could flop back down and sleep for another two hours. And she commented as such, claiming it was far too early for fully functioning people to be starting their days. In spite of himself, he smirked. "Most people are awake and eating by eight. It’s after ten o’clock so one might say it’s on the later side,” he told her, trying his best not to sound too damn amused.

But he was and he certainly sounded it. Turn around was fair play after all.

As he looked towards her bag, he only halted enough to look back at her as she made the strangest, most confused face he had seen her wear. Her nostrils flared and she made a show of lifting the collar of her shirt up to her nose to smell it. Was she… smelling herself? She didn’t reek of anything, considering she had showered before bed. Maybe she was smelling his leftover scent from the bed. A small chill ran down his back as he wondered if she could simply smell him on her, from when they had spent the night cuddling. He waited for a beat to see if she would comment or ask him about it, even as she stared at her shirt like it was completely alien to her. But when nothing came of it, he continued and prodded her in terms of a swimsuit. She completely missed the first time he asked, having missed the query while caught in her own daydream. So he repeated it and got about the answer he was expecting.

"Then I guess we’ll see what my mother’s wardrobe has to offer,” he said as he stood up, indicating that it was time to move. She resisted at first but after repeating that they should get downstairs for breakfast, she finally relented. Dragging her feet like she was hungover, she trudged over to the bathroom and took a quick moment to fix her hair and teeth before she changed into a sensible outfit for their walk through the halls. He kept glancing back at her as she slumped her way through the passages, the very symbol of a woman that would rather lie in bed all day than get up and move. It was greatly amusing and frankly, he could only imagine what the rest of his family would think.

She didn’t spend a lot of time looking through the suits, grabbing the first one she managed to get her fingers around. She stripped down and put the suit on and simply started moving, not even waiting to see how it looked on her. Her shook his head, chuckling to himself as he led her back through the door and down a new path. Gods and she just dragged herself behind him, looking so abused and pathetic. It was even worse when they passed out the door to the yard, her face scrunching in hatred for the sun that gleamed down upon them. She created a pair of sunglasses to protect her eyes from its glare, while also hiding her squinted and annoyed features.

The pool was massive, though that wouldn’t be a surprise at this point comparatively. While most pools were long in their own right, this one was a good twenty yards longer, equipped with two hot tubs on the shallow end portion. A line of reclining chaises filled the opposite side of the cement, seats enough for an entire party should there be need. A long table, draped in a white cloth, had been set up on the side closest to them, filled with all the fixings for breakfast.

Themesycia was lounging on a chaise nearly right across from them, wearing a pair of thick black sunglasses as well as a tight one piece bathing suit that opened in an oval right over her chest, giving an ample view of her cleavage. Simon was sitting on the edge of the pool, himself in a form fitting pair of red speedos as he literally lounged near the pool. Cecilia and Ophelia were in the midst of swimming laps, each one in bikinis that matched the colors they wore to the gala the night before. Everance was walking over to lay down next to Themesycia, scantily clad in a two piece bikini that barely covered her body. And Dudley was stretching out near the end of the pool with Bartrand, the giant wearing black swimming trunks and the son wearing red swimming trunks.

“Morning.”
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
“What up badass.”
“Morning.” The group greeted her, save for the twin sisters as they swam through the water. Mercury was far too focused on getting to coffee, the Silver Wolf mage stumbling over to the pot after grabbing a mug and filling it to the near brim. A chuckle passed between the family as they watched her focus on getting her caffeine fix, returning to what they were doing prior. Slowly Mercury shuffled over to the chaise and sat herself down on one, sinking into the chair as she nuzzled her drink for comfort.

Themesycia was already getting up to walk on over, smirking and chuckling as she approached the woman. “Vandrad did mention you weren’t a morning person. I’m surprised you’re able to get up for his morning workouts at all,” she teased the younger woman as she sat down on the chaise next to her. Ever followed after to sit behind Themesycia on the same chair, the dark haired woman lying back while the Duchess simply sat with legs crossed. “You sure coffee is all you want right now? I’m sure we could fix one of the umbrellas over the chair so you can go back to sleep.”

“Oh Themmy, be nice,” Ever said with a giggle, smacking her adoptive sister on the shoulder. “She’s up and drinking coffee. Just give her a bit to get herself situated and she’ll be fine.” A gleam of wickedness passed through her gaze briefly as she said in a lowered voice; “After all, she had a rowdy night,”

“That she did,” Themesycia agreed with a deep grin. She turned her gaze over to Vandrad, who was filling his plate like a mountain with food. “Bathing suits only, Van; take that shirt off and participate with your family,”

The Prince rolled his eyes as he finished compiling his meal. He walked over and sat at the closest table, placing the mountainous meal down before he unbuttoned his shirt and lazily threw it over the back of the chair. With a gesture towards it, to indicate he had abided her rules, he began digging in like an animal. As he did that, the twin girls pulled themselves out from the pool, giving their heads a quick shake to get most of the water out of their follicles. “Morning Mercury,” “Morning Mercury,” they said in tandem as they walked by, heading towards the food table themselves.

“Alright son,” Dudley said in a booming voice. “Are you ready?”

“Whenever you are, old man,” the younger man said with a grin. Each one of them got set on the edge of the pool then both jumped in, quickly paddling across the water in a race. Despite his larger frame, it was already obvious just how much faster Dudley was than his son.

“Lovely day for a breakfast outside,” Ever commented as she glanced up towards the pure blue sky.

“Yes, I have a feeling it’s going to be a lovely day,” Themesycia agreed, glancing at Mercury and giving her a quick wink.

“VANNY-POOOOO!”

The entire family stopped, including Dudley and Bartrand. Vandrad was mid-chewing a portion of pancake when the screech echoed over the winds, like nails raking down a chalkboard right next to his ear. All eyes turned to see the approaching princess of Midi, Sabine, clad in what could only be described as a bikini made of ribbons; see-through ribbons.

Themesycia inhaled deeply through her nostrils, closing her eyes as she prepared herself. Then she stood up. “Princess Sabine, I believe I asked you to leave the premises by this morning,” she said cooly as she approached the princess.

“My deepest apologies, Duchess Themesycia. After such a long travel from Midi, my wits were worn and were not about me. I have come here to apologize for my horrendous antics last night and wish to beg you a chance to stay and spend some time with Vandrad. I hope you’ll give me a chance to make up for my foul words from the gala -- I am so deeply ashamed by all I have said and done,” the princess said, practically throwing herself to her knees before Themesycia.

The Duchess looked down at the young woman, a brow arched as she considered her. She turned her gaze slowly back towards Vandrad, his eyes wide as bulbs and with a face that read ‘dear god no’. After another beat, she turned her attention back to Sabine. “Well, at the very least, you may stay for breakfast. It would be rude of me to send you on the road without proper sustenance,” the Duchess said, her voice even and regal.

“Ah, you are the most honorable woman I have ever met, Duchess Themesycia,” Sabine said, hopping up and giving the woman a deep bow. She then practically ran past her to Vandrad’s side, plopping down on the seat next to him and pulling it close enough that she was almost on his lap. “Hey Vanny. You look hot today.”

Oh and Vandrad had such words to say to her. He was already chewing through his food furiously so he could let loose his opinions. But a glare from his mother stopped him, an unspoken conversation taking place between mother and son. Clearly on the losing side, the Prince sighed, his head dropping down slightly and then he continued eating, with Sabine wrapping her arms around his and clinging to him pathetically.

It was fairly normal for a princess to be able to bring an utter halt to a room. But for Sabine, she did it with such power that it was damn near unrivaled. Yet unlike other royal figures who did it with tact, influence and standards, the Midian woman simply got on people’s nerves enough that when she made an appearance, everyone shut up and stared at her, as if to ask ‘why the hell are you here?’

And that’s exactly what she got from the du Wolff family as she came practically skipping over to Themesycia, surprisingly in a good mood considering the absolute embarrassment she had made of herself the night prior. She also apparently took the du Wolff’s intrigue into scandalous attire and affairs, as she came dressed near as naked as any one person could get with a bathing suit still technically on. Perhaps she had hoped that the sight of her, admittedly, fit body would draw attention from the travesty of the previous night’s antics. It did not, as Themesycia was quick to remind her that the Duchess had asked her to leave right away.

Of course, Sabine fell into an apology rant that was about as genuine as her breast implants. Themesycia was no fool and saw this charade as a means of attempting some kind of plot to win Vandrad over. That or she simply wanted to find a way to get back at Mercury, who had been the focus of the drama at the ball. She supposed that she should stand her ground and insist the princess leave at that moment… but she had robbed both her son and the Silver Wolf mage of an opportunity the night before. She probably shouldn’t test those waters but she was morbidly curious to what Mercury would do to drive the princess insane. As an added bonus, it would give her even more reason to kick her out and cut off the contract with her father. Especially now that an inkling of an idea had wormed its way into her mind of who she truly believed Vandrad should be paired with.

So instead, she let her stay for breakfast and supposedly for a bit longer. Sabine was thrilled that her apology, ruse or not, had gained her some trust and used that moment to rush over to Vandrad and attach herself to his arm. As the Duchess turned back and walked over to the pool’s edge, all the eyes of the family were on her. But they recognized the glint in her eye, even as she shot a look to her son and silently insisted he behave. There was promise of some wicked entertainment that simply would make their day even better. So they all went back to their routines, with the Duchess sliding back onto the chaise and making herself extra comfortable. Though no one stared outright -- save for Themesycia -- all eyes were on Mercury and Vandrad.

The Silver Wolf mage had brought out her iLac and was scrolling through it idly, seemingly uninterested in the entire spectacle. As Vandrad finally managed to swallow the food in his mouth, Sabine rolled her tongue at him sensually. “You have so many muscles. Is there anywhere on your body that you’re not firm?” she asked him. Then she opted to roam her hand to try and find out.

Vandrad stopped her by grabbing her wrist, his head turning slowly to look at her. He made sure not to grab her with the same strength he had last night -- he didn’t want to relive her grating screeches anymore than her voice already tore his eardrums to shreds. "Have some respect -- this is breakfast with my family,” he told her simply, letting her go after a half-hearted push of her arm away.

“Oh such a spoil sport. That’s fine -- I’m sure we can find a nice dark corner later for me to check,” the princess cooed to him, reaching him and pinching his nose. A look of rage passed over the Prince’s face that quickly settled, if only under the orders of his mother. She had something planned and she didn’t want him to blow it up too soon. As much as he hated to admit it, he was curious to what she was aiming for as well.

He didn’t have to wait long. With her mug now empty, Mercury seemed to be rejuvenated back to her normal self. Sabine hadn’t seemed to notice she was there until she spoke, her wide grin twitching at the sight of the Silver Wolf mage. Yet she kept it going strong, even as Mercury commented about needing two cups after the previous night’s events. Both Ever and Themesycia shared a look, smirking slightly as the true performance was just beginning. Dudley emerged from the waters of the pool, giving himself a shake and then posing dramatically in victory over his son. “You have a long way to go before you catch up to your old man, Bartrand!” the man said with a deep infectious laugh.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bartrand responded as he leapt out of the pool and landed on the diving board in a squat. “I was a bit distracted,” he said, glancing over to Sabine.

“Oh I’m so sorry! Is my suit too revealing? It was the only thing I had prepared,” she said, glancing down at her sorry excuse for a bikini. She took a moment to thrust her chest out and against Vandrad, another not-so-subtle attempt to showcase her ‘goods’.

]“... yeah, that was it,” the youngest member of the du Wolff clan said, rolling his eyes.

By the time the short exchange was over, Mercury had brought herself back over to her seat, with a plate of food and more spirit in her step. She apologized for her mood in the morning, saying that coffee was really her only saving grace. She amusingly wondered how she was even capable of dragging herself out of bed to meet Vandrad every other morning for their sparring sessions -- a verbal note that certainly caught the Midian woman’s attention. Like a reel to an unknowing fish, she had bit at the hook and now she could be easily reeled in.

Mercury would certainly get all the help she needed as well. “Ah I remember Themmy mentioning that. You meet up with him every other morning for training, isn’t that right?” Ever asked the leading question, crafting the story further.

Mercury continued, admitting that she’d had one hell of a time waking up that morning. Vandrad’s brow rose as he started to catch on to what was happening. This is what his mother had planned? To use Mercury against Sabine in a means of driving her off? It was… well, genius, really. After the way that the Midian princess had spoken to the Silver Wolf mage last night, there was never a doubt that Mercury would want another crack at Sabine. But that also meant that he was a pawn within their game -- a tool and weapon that they could attempt to wield against one another. He sighed inwardly, understanding full well that this was not going to be a day of relaxation for him. At least he was somewhat prepared for it this time. Mercury had taken the time to bite into a piece of bacon and let the moment of revelation hang in the air, teasing everyone with what could have possibly waylayed her from waking up.

After finishing her mouthful, she continued, asking Themesycia where she had gotten the furniture for the palace, specifically Vandrad’s bed. It had been so comfortable and huge and it had given them… wait what? Vandrad’s brow furrowed as she explained that they had needed the space because he had been, in her words, ‘wound up’. Was she implying that they had slept together again?! His jaw tightened but not nearly as hard as Sabine’s fingers on his arm, her nails pressing against his flesh hard enough to draw blood. Her smile was still present but her eyes were wide with… hell, she looked absolutely insane. As Mercury explained that she may have corrupted the Prince, revealing her intent to try and visit with Simon or Themesycia but being kept under grips by Vandrad’s desire to keep her to himself. It was a lofty, gambling lie and it had paid off.

Sabine chuckled softly, a low and manic sound as she tried to keep herself in check. Themesycia glanced idly over before focusing back on Mercury, smiling all the while. “It is a shame. I had always hoped that Vandrad would hold onto his virginity until he found the perfect princess to marry. But alas, a man of his hunger apparently cannot be sated without release. And he has always had a lovely and tasteful eye; when he knows what he wants, he goes for it and hard. I’ve never had to concern myself over the stability of his bed frame before but it seems I may need to ensure it doesn’t go breaking,” she commented casually, reaching over to retrieve her sister’s glass of orange juice and taking a sip from it. “Especially if you plan to ensure he gets enough satisfaction up to his wedding. We can’t let a day go by or who knows what kind of shenanigans he could get into.”

Both Ever and Themesycia chuckled at Vandrad’s expense, if only to rile Sabine up further. The Prince had been so dead set on listening to the woman’s words that he had somehow eaten everything on his plate. This, apparently, was an indicator for Dudley to walk over and clap the younger man on the back. “Excellent! You’ve had your full meal. I was waiting patiently for you to finish. You know what that means, right?”

Vandrad’s attention instantly snapped over to his uncle, remembering. "Are you implying a spar?”

“What else? You’ve been gone for months now -- I want to see if Fiore has made you any softer!” the mustachioed man said with a laugh.

“Oh hell yeah!” Bartrand said, hopping to his feet. “Dad thinkin’ about the important things! I call first dibs.”

“Now, now Bartrand -- I was the one that brought it up. It’s only right that I have a go at Vandrad first.” He turned and faced his wife and sister-in-law, as well as Mercury. “Any interest, ladies?”

“Oh it is far too early for me to do any of that,” Ever said, waving her hand at him.

“Possibly,” Themesycia said, tapping her finger against her chin. “We shall see.”

“Alright then,” Ophelia said, cracking her knuckles. With a wave of her hand, metal erupted from her palm and coalesced over the pool, creating a shiny platform of steel. “There’s your stage.”

“And here’s the shielding,” Cecilia said, waving both of her hands up as she crafted an invisible bubble of magical energy around the pool.

Sabine was… handling herself rather well, considering. Granted, she had the look of a woman that was about ready to murder everyone with an ax but she didn’t -- choosing to stare wide-eyed and with a plastered grin at Mercury, Themesycia and Ever. She chuckled a bit wildly, a testament to just how bothered she was while also trying to keep herself in check. It was perhaps a true saving grace that Dudley had stepped up and offered a different activity rather than torturing the woman, though that wasn’t out of any kindness in his heart for the princess. If anything, he was doing his best to give Vandrad some room from the Midian woman.

And the Prince was more than happy to take it. "Happily,” he stated to his uncle’s offer, prying himself loose from Sabine’s grip. He wiped away the small trace of blood that had formed from her fingernails as Dudley asked the women gathered if they’d be interested as well. Themesycia would consider it and it seemed that Mercury would as well, claiming that she was still a bit stiff from not getting her workout the previous morning. Vandrad snorted, casting a glance at her. "Stiff from being stood up yesterday? Or perhaps too worn from last night?” He gave a wicked smirk, even as Sabine’s fingers scratched on the surface of the table. If they were going to commit to this plot, then he was all in. Anything to get rid of the idiot woman.

But that was all he offered to the conversation, as he walked over to the metal platform that had been crafted for them. Dudley took his place across from the Prince, chuckling as he rolled each of his arms. “I’m impressed you’re so eager, Vandrad. Perhaps a little test of your strength before we get into it then? I’d hate to break your hand with one punch like last time,” the man said genuinely, flexing his fingers.

Vandrad snorted. "Bring it on, old man. You might be surprised what you find,” the Prince stated as he slid his feet open, taking a slight battle stance.

“Ah shit, Van’s gonna get his arm busted open again,” Bartrand said as he flopped onto the chaise next to Themesycia and Ever.

“Cecilia, honey… you may want to have your healing spells ready,” Simon called out to his daughter as he lazily lay himself down on another chaise, getting quite comfortable.

“Already on it, dad,” the blind girl said sweetly.

Sabine was watching intently, trying to forget the conversation from before. But her attention was pulled away as Mercury called out to her, offering her the opportunity to sit with the rest of them. After all, as the Silver Wolf mage stated, it would do her good to get to know the woman in Vandrad’s life better if she wanted to have any hope of winning his heart. On the one hand, she wanted absolutely nothing to do with the hussy or her advice. But on the other, she seemed quite ingrained with the rest of the family and perhaps getting on her side would aid her. “Of course. I would love to,” she replied sweetly, practically floating out of her seat and over to the chaise, placing herself on the end of Mercury’s chaise.

It was then that Dudley launched himself at Vandrad, closing the distance between them in one large step. A massive fist came swinging around at the Prince, ready to slam into him with all the literal gigantic strength Dudley possessed. Vandrad’s own fist came soaring up to meet it, like a fly trying to press back against the swatter. It was a sight that the du Wolffs had seen time and time again and each time, it had not ended well for Vandrad. Imagine all of their surprises when the Prince’s fist slammed knuckle to knuckle with the giant’s and halted it right in its place, their folded fingers pressing against one another.

“Well how about that…?”
“Holy shit!” Ever and Bartrand said in surprise, the young man jumping to his feet and standing on the chaise. Simon looked floored, leaning up from his position as well. Themesycia, in spite of herself, was smirking with all the pride a mother could possess.

“Well, well!” Dudley said with a boisterous laugh. “It looks like your time in Fiore has been well spent! It is safe to say that Mercury has helped you find some inner strength!”

Vandrad snickered. "You haven’t seen anything yet,” he said simply, digging his heels into the metal.

“Indeed? Well then -- push me back, Van! Give me all you have!” It seemed they were intent to stay locked in this position until one or the other gave way.

A perfect opportunity for Mercury to turn to Sabine, glasses pulled away, and give her an ‘earnest’ extension of friendship. While it was, in a way, a means of trying to patch things up, the Silver Wolf mage didn’t exactly go about it in the most modest of terms, choosing to speak to the princess as bluntly as she would anyone. This, of course, infuriated the Midian woman but she held that back behind a very fake, very wide smile for the sake of earning brownie points. “Oh, Midi is truly a lovely country. Far superior to plenty of these other low-brow, civilian nations that exist in this world of ours. If you are looking for a place to truly get a full experience, I highly recommend the Emperor’s Palace during the Cherry Blossom Blooming Festival. All of our cultural practices are out in full and it is quite the tourist experience. A few lucky people are even picked out to dine and drink with the Emperor himself. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of bushido as well but there are tournaments between some of the best swordmages in our kingdom during the festival as well.” Though she could have offered any means of inaccurate advice, it was clear that Sabine did truly take pride in her country. The question was too intriguing to use it as a weapon against Mercury, choosing instead to offer her genuine advice.

Over on the sparring ground, Vandrad’s strength was starting to waver. Slowly his arm was being pushed back, the massive fist of Dudley getting closer and closer by every inch. His jaw was clenched tight as he tried to dig deep and find any lingering strength from within. His uncle’s chuckles echoed in his ears, mocking him, teasing him for the eventual punch that would plant itself against his entire body. Then… something happened. Crimson black electricity burst to life around his stressed limb, racing down the length towards his fist. It moved so swiftly that he almost didn’t spot it, nor did he truly feel it until it dove into his hand and out of sight. Then his fist was launching forward, pushing back against the larger one and as his arm fully extended, a pulse of magic erupted from his knuckles.

Dudley was sent skidding back over the metal plate, onto the cement that surrounded the pool and finally onto the grass behind it. If the du Wolffs had been surprised before, they were utterly floored now. Bartrand’s mouth hung completely agape along with Simon’s. Ever had shifted up to a sitting position, a mixture of surprise and curiosity etched into her features. Themesycia though; there was no amusement on her face. She looked downright concerned over what she had just seen. Her eyes narrowed slightly behind her sunglasses, her body suddenly tight and rigid.

“Does… does that mean Vanny won?” Sabine asked, breaking the tense moment by looking around at the family.

“Hell yeah it does!” Bartrand said, leaping off the chaise. “You see that, pop? He knocked you back farther than anyone else!”

Dudley chuckled, even as he looked at his fist. Scorch marks adorned his knuckles, still steaming from the impact of… well, whatever that had been. “Quite. You’ve gotten stronger, Vandrad. I’m impressed… and proud.”

Vandrad was at a lost for words himself. He looked down at his own fist, all signs of the mysterious energy pulse gone. What had that been, he wondered quietly in his own mind. Slowly glancing up, he gave his uncle a soft nod in recognition to the compliment.

“Alright, that means it’s my turn!” Bartrand said, leaping off the ground and dramatically front-flipping through the air to land on the metal plate. His magic surged to life, literally making his hair glow bright and flow like it was a flame. “No strength tests here, Van. I want you Empowered.”

Empowerment -- he had forgotten that none of them had seen its new level. After a moment, the Prince activated the spell, his hair and eyes quickly changing over to a deep crimson color. Even since their battle with the sea serpent, Vandrad had found it easy to connect to the new level, now that he understood where it came from.

“What the hell? Where’s the blond?” Bartrand asked, cocking his head.

Finding his arrogant grounding again, Vandrad snorted and smirked. "This is a new level… far stronger than the other. You’ll understand the difference after I hit you with it.”

Bartrand grinned wickedly as flames ignited in his hands. “Oh coz, you know just how to dirty talk me!” And with that, he rushed in to attack the Prince.

It was quite a shock to see how well Vandrad countered his uncle -- a feat that no one had managed to accomplish truly ever. The giant’s strength was exactly that and generally, it was unrivaled even without any magical boosters. Yet here stood his nephew, fist grinding against fist without any sign of breaking or pain. It was doubly remarkable that Mercury, amusingly, commented that he was barely even digging deep to use his full strength. “So he has gotten this strong in such a short amount of time… Perhaps we all should take a vacation in Fiore,” Ever remarked after the Silver Wolf, smiling softly.

If that wasn’t awe-inspiring enough, there was also the fact that Mercury and Sabine seemed to be having a somewhat cordial conversation. Granted, it was all a part of the ruse that the two women both seemed to be playing with one another, acting mannerly for the sake of gaining some kind of advantage. After Sabine had spoken of her country’s magnificence, Mercury admitted she hadn’t heard of the fighting style but did appreciate sword fighting. Themesycia chuckled softly. “Bushido is an ancient Midian code of honor that their fighters embody. Eight Virtues make up their code; Justice, Courage, Mercy, Politeness, Honesty and Sincerity, Honor, Loyalty and finally Character and Self Control. It is a fantastical philosophy based on the hope of chivalry in an age when suc things don’t exist. But there is no doubt that the sword practices within bushido are effective; I, myself, trained in the art if only to better understand my enemies,” she explained, idly casting a glance at Sabine before focusing back on the match up of strengths.

Mercury yelled out to Vandrad, drawing half of his attention temporarily as she told him to stop playing around. She even insisted that no one liked a show off. Blasted woman, he thought to himself, this is hardly the time to mock me.

Sabine frowned. “I’m sure he’s trying his hardest. Even I know that Commander Dudley’s strength is…” But before she could finish, Vandrad’s miraculous boost of strength sent the giant sliding back off the battleground, surprising them all. As no rules had been set down in terms of what was considered a loss, she spoke up to ask if the Prince had, in fact, won. Bartrand took it upon himself to declare Vandrad the winner, earning compliments from both his cousin and his uncle a moment later. “What a man…” the Midian princess purred, eyeing up Vandrad like he was candy in a window. She was so caught up in her own fantasy that she didn’t even hear Mercury’s words.

Then it was Bartrand’s turn to hop into the fray, igniting himself on fire. As Vandrad smoothly transitioned to his new Empowered form, he took pride in the shock that came from the rest of his family, especially his new sparring partner. But the crimson fire wasn’t enough to scare his cousin away, who dove right in and started to fight for all his worth.

As they battled back and forth -- or rather, as Vandrad swiftly moved around strikes thrown at him -- Mercury pulled out a box of cigarettes and asked Themesycia if it was a problem if she smoked. “Not at all, darling. I wish I’d had a pack last night,” she said with laugh, an innocuous statement that was just innocent enough to keep away suspicion. She took one when it was offered, twirling it between her fingers and smelling it gently while Ever and Sabine turned down the offer, with the younger princess looking utterly disgusted at the sight of such things. It seemed she had no desire to rise to the challenge of fitting in here, far more comfortable to judge the Silver Wolf mage and the Duchess for the death sticks in between their fingers.  Themesycia leaned over to have her cigarette lit, inhaling the first puffs to set the flame and then loosed a thick plume of smoke that she expertly managed to craft into a flowing wave. Then she focused her attention on the fight, though truly most of her attention was on Mercury and Sabine. She already knew the outcome between Bartrand and Vandrad -- she didn’t know how the younger woman was going to nettle the Midian woman further. That seemed far more entertaining.

Sabine scooched closer to the edge of the chaise, wanting to keep herself as far away from the smoke proximity as possible. She tried to turn her attention back to Vandrad but was interrupted yet again by Mercury, who still had questions about Midi -- this time focusing on her family. As the Silver Wolf mage intricately broke down the caste system of the country, she turned her attention to Sabine’s family, inquiring to where they stood in the realm of favoritism with the Emperor. Her smile twitched slightly, enough to show that the topic was… tender. She swallowed hard before giggling softly. “Oh my family is in quite the perfect position. We’re perceived far below where we belong and our aim is to rise above those assumptions, utilizing all of our resources we have on hand and more. My family looks to gain quite a lot with what we have in store.” Her weak but willful explanation could be equated to a fish flopping rebelliously against the dry land in hopes of magically creating water. She spoke of the Hotoi clan as if it was some underdog regime that was one lucky break away from ruling over all of Midi. And perhaps if she had been better prepared for the question, she could have sold that… or if Mercury hadn’t already looked up information pertaining to the family and found out the truth.

A thud shook the pool area as Vandrad slammed Bartrand into the steel plate, planting his foot on his back and holding a single arm up, pinning him. His brilliant aura continue to billow around him as he looked down at his cousin, smirking. "I don’t remember the differences between our strengths being so vast, Bartrand. Have you been slacking?” he mocked the younger man.

Bartrand grinned, despite his precarious situation. “Hey, I’m not the one taking Fioran steroids to get stronger,” he teased back, grimacing slightly from his arm being ajar. “Alright, uncle,” he relented and Vandrad released him, his Empowerment fading from his body. “You ain’t no joke, Van,” the younger man said, rolling his arm.

"Well, I’ve been lucky enough to find suitable measures of strength,” he said, glancing quickly over at Mercury before focusing his attention back on Bartrand.

But his cousin noticed the look and grinned. “Is that so?” he asked, chuckling as he turned to face the rest of the family. “Hey badass chick, how about we go a round, one on one? I bet you’re even tougher to crack than Van here.”

Before Mercury could answer, Sabine chuckled and cleared her throat. “Oh, that’s so kind of you to say but I wouldn’t say that I’m--”

“Yeah, I said badass chick, not thirsty chick. The only thing strong about you are those ribbons trying to keep your sagging tits from flopping against your stomach,” Bartrand replied, not even bothering to look over at Sabine’s utterly shocked face.

“Bartrand,” Ever spoke up dangerously, giving her son a look. “Language,” she warned him… and that was it. She seemed far more bothered by his blunt language than the subject matter that he had blatantly spoke of in such a condescending way.

“Right, right,” he said, practically waving the woman off. “Anyway, what d'ya say?” He asked Mercury again, wagging his eyebrows.

There was an unbridled rage that seemed to filter into the air from Sabine. It had only been a moment before that she had been expertly, in her opinion, explaining the intricacies of her family’s state within the caste of the Midian nobility. As far as she was concerned, she had answered the question with as much truth as this trollop needed to know. She was feeling quite smug as she came to the end of her admittance but then it had all come crumbling down around her. Mercury hadn’t even waited a solid beat before responding, apologizing for the question and asking if it had been rude. Of course it was, to just ask a royal princess about her family with such blasé regard. She could hardly believe that Themesycia had even allowed it.

But then the Silver Wolf mage went further, remarking about how Sabine carried herself with such perceived dignity. But apparently if she really were that important, she would have been married long ago to someone else, someone who didn’t hail from a nation that she had openly insulted not even that long ago. The Midian woman’s face was brimming with fury, her skin bleaching a deep red as she glared at the other woman, steam threatening to pop out and billow from her ears. It was quite an amusing sight and Themesycia had to try her hardest to maintain some semblance of poise.

Sabine kept her line connected between her gaze and Mercury’s, unbending and brimming with an anger most passionate. All manner of insults and words came into her mind as she formulated some kind of comeback for the harlot, wanting to stab at her verbally. But what was she to use? What ammo did she have when she knew next to nothing about her? Maybe she was nothing period; that was something she could use to twist the dagger. Somehow she forced a smile -- a malevolent look that just ebbed with dangerous levels of crazy and crazy levels of danger. “Oh… no need to apologize,” she said slowly and meticulously. “After all… I would never expect a commoner to understand the finer details of a country they know nothing about. Oh… my apologies. I suppose courtesan is a much nicer way to place you, isn’t it?”

Luckily that was right about when Vandrad managed to pin Bartrand, bringing their match to an end. After a short back and forth, the younger cousin hopped up and asked to fight Mercury. Sabine, of course, thought that he was talking about her, the self important tramp that she was. But Bartrand did not understudy the courtesies and manners that his family practiced, especially in the company that he’d already decided he didn’t like. His comments only served to add fuel to her enraged fire, her teeth grinding behind tight, pursed lips. “Well… I should… get some breakfast,” she managed to get out through her clenched jaw, standing up slowly and starting to move around the pool, though she didn’t go very far without staring at Mercury with a daggered gaze, who had the audacity to snort at his comment in humor.

The Silver Wolf mage happily agreed to take on the younger cousin, earning her a grin. Vandrad rolled his eyes and walked off the battle stage, even as Simon took a moment to grin up at Mercury and obviously check her out -- again. The Prince stopped long enough to look at Mercury as she came up to him, taking a long drag from her cigarette and grinning with a pride she’d certainly seen him wear once or twice. "It doesn’t seem like you’re wasting anything at the moment,” he replied to her with a smirk, taking the cigarette in hand and plopping it between his lips. He very nearly dropped it as she gave his ass a playful swat, which earned her one of her own from him, completely in the air of wishing her good luck. The loud sound of clinking echoed out over the area as Sabine had dropped a metal scoop into a metal tray, either to get attention or in shock at their physical exchange. Either way, no one looked her way as Vandrad meandered over to sit on the chaise Mercury had just taken up.

“That girl is going to explode within the next hour,” Themesycia said to him softly, her tone quiet so that Sabine wouldn’t hear her.

“Hour? Darling, she won’t last the next ten minutes. She’s about to pop like my cherry; early and hard,” Ever retorted with a chuckle.

“It wasn’t that hard,” the Duchess replied, raising a brow and glancing at her adoptive sister. It seemed they were just discussing the intimate details of Ever’s sex life but for someone like Mercury, she would probably have worked out that, in fact, Ever and Themesycia were also not blood related. And chances were, they’d had fun on their own.

Vandrad rolled his eyes, used to conversations like this and choosing not to add to or enjoy them. Instead he smoked on the borrowed cigarette, watching as Mercury set herself across from Bartrand in her comfortable, casual stance.

The younger cousin looked quite ecstatic, bouncing from foot to foot as he faced down with the Silver Wolf mage. As she asked him to go easy on her, obviously teasing him, he chuckled. “Why would I do that? You and I both know you’re gonna spank my ass -- literally, if you’re feeling up to it,” he said, casting her a quick wink. “Best way to get to know someone is through fighting. Or sex. This just seems the most acceptable at the moment, with the present company.”

“Bart, you can either fight the lady or try to seduce her but the so-called ‘present company’ wants some kind of show,” Simon called out, grinning.

“I like to think I’m pretty damn good at both, old man,” he tossed back to his uncle. His hair lit up once more, transforming into an open flame. The fire melted down over his shoulders and onto his hands, coating them in the heated element. With yet another wink, he shot himself forward at her, fighting her with all of his strength. He held nothing back, using the best of his practices and training to gauge her strength and speed. And he fully expected her to fight back with all the power she had as well.

Sabine was more than happy to have Mercury away for the moment -- though she kind of wished the woman had wandered over to the breakfast table with her. All of these knives and forks she could have potentially used… the Midian princess shook the thought away, knowing that that was going too far. She was still royalty and this other woman was a servant at best. Why the du Wolffs had picked a slave with magic over all the other ones that Bellum controlled was beyond her. But it didn’t matter; she was going to win Vandrad’s heart and finally marry. Then she would finally have a husband of strength and worth, enough to destroy their way to the top of the royal line. The very idea soothed her anger, like applying a cold pack to a sunburn. It wasn’t much but it was something to take the edge off.

Meanwhile, Bartrand was having the time of his life. Though the fight hadn’t started, it was clear that just the prospect of a match was enough to get his blood pumping. He chuckled as she retorted to his comments, reminding him that she had first met him in the middle of an almost literal orgy. A fair point -- but he felt no need to comment on it further. Instead he launched himself at her, fire scaling over his form, as he closed the distance and began to throw every kind of attack at her he could. He fought near like a maniac, his arms and legs swinging in like wild limbs thrown from untrained baboons. He chuckled and laughed as he fought, keeping up his strategy at first as he watched her, analyzed her, studied her every defense and counter.

Then he changed it up, suddenly gaining some kind of practiced form against the wildness of the prior. Still she kept herself going, fighting him with equal footing without pushing too hard or giving away too much. When hits landed, he was able to tell her durability and when her own strikes reciprocated the impacts, she would feel the toughness and the heat of his magic buffering the damage off his form. But she was utilizing electricity as well and those currents passed through his flames and shocked his body, earning her small grunts and winces as the bolts melded with his veins. Hell, she even managed to get in position to give him two spanks, shooting him a wicked grin that was returned by the younger cousin.

She wasn’t fighting with her all, that much he knew. While such a thing would usually be slightly insulting, he was more curious than bothered. Perhaps there was a reason she was keeping her magic close to her chest rather than letting it fly. He couldn’t help but wonder how far Vandrad had gotten in cracking through her walls and learning what she could really do. He had to admit -- he was a bit envious. Mercury was an absolute badass; smoking hot, strong as an ox with the charm and wit of one of his own family members tossed in. He wasn’t sure what their relationship was but he was having serious considerations of taking a run at her. She looked closer to his age, after all.

He’d gotten himself distracted and wound up for a near wild haymaker, his form going more sloppy than poised. As his fist rushed in, she moved with a new enhanced speed, grabbing him by the arm and then hoisting him up and over her head. He let out a yelp of surprise as he was pulled off his feet by this petite, small woman, taken completely off guard by the action. And when he came down, he slammed with such force that the metal plate below their feet was indented, the entire thing bouncing and shaking, water splashing out from the cracks that formed along the side. The younger cousin lay there in a crater of his own body shape, panting and groaning. But as Mercury approached him, a new sound started coming out from his open mouth. Laughter -- honest-to-God amused laughter. As she bent over him and checked how he was, he looked up at her through a single, half-closed eye. “Damn girl, you can lift,” he said between laughs, grinning wide.

He lay there as she commended him, even bending down to give him a kiss on the cheek. She remarked about wanting to spar him again once he got stronger and his grin got even wider. “I was right, parents. I found the woman I want to marry,” he called out as he reached up, taking her offered hand and pulling himself to his feet.

“I pity you for the day you say something to make her mad then,” Everance said with a chuckle.

“Now that was some raw strength!” Dudley bellowed in amusement, chuckling. “Most impressive, Lady Mercury.”

As Bartrand walked off the stage slowly, falling onto the nearest chaise in a bout of laughter and soreness, it seemed Mercury had no intention of leaving. Emerald eyes turned towards Vandrad, her smirk spreading as she brought a finger up and raised it to summon him to the battle stage. The rest of the family chuckled as they all looked towards the prince, staring back at her as he took a long, finishing drag off the cigarette she had given him. He chuckled as she goaded him, taking playful shots at him as was her usual practice. "I owe you, do I?” he asked, erecting a smirk of his own. "And here I was thinking I’d save you the trouble of being embarrassed as I knocked your ass all over the place. But if you want it that badly…”

He stood up and flicked the cigarette away. He hadn’t meant to but just as he sent the dying butt away, he flew through the air and landed on top of Sabine’s plate of food, as she had just been returning to sit down next to him. Ashes crumbled all over her pancakes, causing her to stare down in horror that quickly warped to anger. But it went unnoticed by the Prince as he walked up to the stage, slowly walking until he was standing across from her. He kept his gaze locked with hers, his own playful twinkle matching her own as they stood there, waiting for the other to move. The tension in the air was thick and it was obvious that the rest of the family was quite excited to see what was about to happen.

“I have a better idea,” Themesycia suddenly spoke up, rising up from her seat and dropping the cigarette on the ground. As she stuffed it out with her bare foot, she sauntered over towards the battle stage, her eyes slowly flicking between the couple with a slight smirk upon her lips. “Since this is going to be Mercury’s only full day with us, I suggest we give her a proper du Wolff present. And since Vandrad has already shown that he’s increased his magic power beyond our expectations… it’s safe to say I’m a bit intrigued, if not excited,” she said as she stepped up onto the metal plate. In an instant, the crater that still warped the metal loudly punctured itself outwards, regaining its pure, clean form as the entire stage was set back in its original position. She walked over to Mercury, slowly circling her and running her hand along her shoulders and upper back. “Bartrand spoke true -- the best way to get to know someone is through battle. So how about this for a match; the two of you against me?”

An excited laugh escaped from every single family member, save for Sabine who stood there dumbly.  “Themmy is feeling good this morning,” Simon remarked to Dudley.

“It has been far too long!” the brother-in-law replied, giving his chest a single pound with his fist.

Assuming that Mercury agreed, Themesycia allowed her hand to remain on the Silver Wolf mage’s back until she had walked to the other side, trailing her fingers over her flesh. Once she was there, she would probably notice the excited look in Vandrad’s eye. "Who knew,” he said with a chuckle. "Seems we’re both in for a solid ass kicking. Don’t bother using your magic; she’ll cancel it out. Name of the game is trying to hit her even once.”

“Are you ready, my dears?” Themesycia said, taking a moment to pull the skirt from her bikini bottom off so that she only had the thong remaining. She lazily stood before them, her arms hanging off her sides as she looked between the two of them.

Vandrad waited a second longer, only to confirm that Mercury was ready to go. And then he would launch himself forward, crossing the distance in a flash and appearing right before his mother. Assuming that Mercury was there with him, he began his fiery assault.

And it would indeed be an impressive display of power between the two… but it was all for naught. Themesycia moved with such agility, such grace and such power that it was like she was on an entirely different planet altogether. There were times she seemed to just be standing there, arms loose, as their strikes came in and hit absolutely nothing. But if anyone were to fine tune their gaze hard enough, they would see that her limbs were moving at such a speed that they seemed to disappear. She stayed completely on defense for a good portion of the fight, her gaze steady and her smile broad and proud.

Then in an instant, she set two punches at both of them, sending them both skidding backwards and off the metal plate. Vandrad stumbled off the edge, managing to just catch himself from falling on his ass as he stepped down onto the cement. Themesycia chuckled as she took a couple of steps forward, bowing to both of them. “Well, you two are remarkably strong. Truthfully, I was forced to use more of my power than I have in an age. Quite the team you two make,” she said, casting a glance to Mercury and shooting her a wink.

It was a true privilege to be able to compete against Themesycia and the murmurs from the rest of the family was enough to tell that. Vandrad himself hadn’t had a ‘spar’ against his mother in at least five years, if one could call it any kind of fight. Flailing uselessly against her impregnable defense could hardly be considered a sound and useful combat strategy but it was the best he -- or many -- could manage against her. Yet unlike Vandrad, Themesycia never bragged or gloated to an obnoxious extent. If anything, she seemed to just truly enjoy testing people’s abilities and seeing where they ranked. She was probably searching for someone who could keep up with her.

Yet that wasn’t going to be today. Despite their teamwork -- what was impressive, to say the least -- she was still able to outmaneuver them. She played the defender up until she knocked them away, a means of seeing what they could accomplish against her without having to use words. It was also another test of the Duchess’ in terms of how well the couple had come along in their unspoken bond. They knew each other’s patterns well, moving around one another and her flawlessly and without giving away their intent. Her smile remained throughout the fight, an even look of amusement though not condescendingly so. She genuinely was enjoying herself. But eventually she took the initiative to knock them both away, two even punches that carried a bit of her power. Both bodies defended well against it, with Mercury’s hardening to such a state that it was like she had slammed her fist against metal. And the Silver Wolf mage even managed to connect to the stage to help her slide, creating an extension of metal underneath her bare feet.

She paid her respects to them, admitting that she’d had to dig into more of her power during their match than in several instances before it. The thrill of facing a new opponent in Mercury had sparked excitement in her body, her blood pumping with a bit more strength than before. Truly she wished she could have continued the fight and really given them a chance to let loose. However, there were more pressing matters at the forefront of her mind and now that breakfast was winding down, she felt she needed to move onto her next stage. Themesycia chuckled as Mercury lamented the fact that she had to get up early for Vandrad’s training, accusing him of abusing her. “Really Vandrad, how cruel. Why not let Mercury sleep? Then again, she isn’t lacking in beauty that she needs that much sleep,” the Duchess said, giving the younger woman an impish grin.

“Ooh! Ooh! I want to fight Vandrad next!” Sabine insisted, leaping out of her chaise to rush towards the platform. She came to a stop next to the Prince, wrapping her arms around him as she giggled. “How about it, Vanny? Want to throw the wifey around a little? I can take a little abuse,” she said, reaching up to tickle under his chin. The look he gave could have curdled dairy.

As Themesycia nodded to Mercury for water, she stepped off the platform before her son and the Midian woman. “I think… that’s a wonderful idea,” the Duchess said, turning to look at Vandrad in the eyes. “How about you show Princess Sabine a good time sparring and I’ll take Mercury for a stroll through the town? Have a little girl’s talk of our own?”

"Or…” Vandrad said as Mercury flopped down on a chaise, casting a glance at her and then back at his mother. "I can go with you two. To ensure that nothing… happens.” He made sure to enunciate the last word, his intentions clear and bright for everyone to see. Vandrad was still trying to play guardian against Themesycia’s intentions to sweep Mercury off her feet and have her way with her.

And that would be a serious concern, if Mercury hadn’t already been shared by his mother and his adoptive uncle the night prior. While Themesycia would be perfectly fine -- and arguably desirous -- of a second round with the Silver Wolf mage, it wasn’t at the top of her list at the moment in time. She smiled evenly at her son, reaching up to stroke his cheek lovingly. “Now, my dear, it wouldn’t be girl talk if a man was nearby to hear, now would it? I doubt you would enjoy hearing about all the things women discuss behind men’s backs.”

"Mother…” the Prince started.

Themesycia cut him off, though not sharply. “Vandrad…” she said gently, making sure his full gaze was with hers, holding his attention for a moment. “Trust me.”

It was rare that his mother ever insisted that he trust her and with such strong, stable conviction. In every instance that she did, it had been made very clear that she had no intention of deceiving him or doing anything he would find upsetting. It wasn’t like he didn’t trust his mother, of course; he just knew that her libido sometimes made her decisions more than her mind did. But the look in her eyes told him how genuine she was in that moment, assuring him that he had nothing to worry about. And as much as he hated the idea of spending any further time with Sabine, he had no reason to disagree when she insisted with such a strong sentiment. He sighed softly but nodded, agreeing.

She smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. She poured the cool water down her throat in one go, swallowing deeply before she handed him the glass. “Mercury, dear… shall we take a walk?” the Duchess asked, walking over to the chaise and offering her hand. Once the Silver Wolf mage took it, she would wrap her fingers around the other woman’s hand and head towards the forested area to the east of the pool.

“Wait, should… shouldn’t I be involved in the girl talk? I am the one marrying Vanny, after all,” Sabine said, now unsure of her decision.

“Of course you are, dear,” Themesycia said, doing her best not to sound sarcastic. “And what better way to get to know your future husband than through a little sparring? This is just a chat between a duchess and ravenous courtesan; after all, this family is all about sharing,” the Duchess explained with a grin, reaching down to properly grope Mercury’s behind as they walked away.

A chuckle escaped all the members of the family, even as Sabine looked around in confusion. She hadn’t really understood what Themesycia meant… but if it involved Mercury, she doubted it was that important. With a shrug, she leapt up onto the battle stage, insisting that Vandrad follow her. The Prince’s eyes lingered on his mother and Mercury as they departed for a moment longer than it should have before he gave a small shake of his head and stepped up onto the stage.

As they entered the treeline, Themesycia cast another glance over her shoulder to ensure that they were out of earshot before she turned her gaze to Mercury. “I do apologize for throwing Sabine at you like that. But I figured there was no one more suited to truly drive her away than you,” the Duchess said with a smirk, giving the other woman’s hand a squeeze before releasing it. “I hope you don’t mind but Ever told me that you and Vandrad had a… moment of contention last night, after our little soiree. I just wanted to ensure that everything was fine and that you were feeling okay.”