Ascending Legends

[Dragongal]

"Not prudes. It's considered disrespectful to the host or business owner, or even other patrons. Also, if you can't wait until you're in private, they think you don't have much respect for the woman either."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn blushed, clearly embarrassed. Southern ways were obviously different than Northern, but this had been unexpected. "I....I'm sorry."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Don't be. You couldn't have known. And besides, we're married, so they can't really say too much bad stuff about us. I should have told you sooner.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled as he laid his hand against the back of Arryn's neck and rubbed it lightly. "Now I know. I'll do my best to keep myself in line."

 

[Dragongal]

"Alright. Now, do you want to start heading back to the inn so we can spend some time there, or should we wait in the market for everyone else? I mean, your armor is at the Inn and we do have time."

 

[BookWyrm]

"Let's make use of the time we have. I don't want to have to dwell on all of this any longer than necessary."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek before taking him back to the inn. Once there, Arryn flopped down on the bed. "Want to try on your armor or no?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn walked over and picked up his new helmet and turned it around in his hand. "Sure. I might need some help getting into it, though."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled, a walked around behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist before giving him a kiss on the neck. "Alright, mo chroi. Just give me one moment." She held him for a few more moments, trying not to think about why they were in the city, before letting him go.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled when he felt Arryn wrap her arms around him, but when she let him go Dayn laid his helmet down and turned to face her. After a moment he slowly got down on his knees before wrapping his arms around Arryn's waist as he pressed his head against her stomach. He held her like that for several long, quiet moments. "I love you hon, more than anything.", he said as he looked up at her. "I don't like seeing you so concerned." As he stood up again he reached out and cupped her cheeks in his hands. "What's the matter love?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked up at him and smiled a little. "I just... in a way I want to protect you from the whole black market thing. I don't want you to have to deal with... that. And I know that there's a risk of losing you when we do this. It's hard for me to willingly lead you into such a dark part of life. I want to just keep you here in the inn, safe and sound, but... we have to do this."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn brushed his thumbs across Arryn's cheeks as he gave a sad smile. "My beautiful rose." He leaned forward and kissed Arryn's lips tenderly, his arms gliding down to pull her into a warm, safe embrace. Always so thoughtful. "There is no one I would trust with my heart more than I trust you. I know you hold it safe and that you guard it with wrathful jealousy." Dayn held Arryn's gaze as he spoke, letting her see the confidence he held in her. "I've never felt safer than when I am with you."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn almost felt like she could cry. "I... that's why I'm so worried. I know that you're trusting me. And I feel like I'm leading you into something I shouldn't." Arryn slowly laid her forehead against Dayn's chest. "You don't deserve to have to deal with this."

 

[BookWyrm]

"Oh, fy rhosyn.", Dayn said as he lifted Arryn's chin so that their lips could touch once more. "I would follow you into Hel's inferno and back and not feel the fool for it." Dayn nuzzled against Arryn's cheek slowly as he held her. He hadn't expected her to be so worked up about the mission. Needless to say he was glad that they still had some time to themselves. "Do you know that, in the South, there is an old tradition of the knight and his wife fighting side by side. The knight's wife is not just his lover and closest friend, but his greatest protector. You see, in the old ways, the knight and his wife were held in equal view, so to be married the partners had to be equals. Not in status, but in heart and in deeds. Knights were not nobles in the sense of family name and wealth, but in their morals and deeds. To be a wife to a knight was held in high esteem, because that woman would have been the equal in moral and in strength of arms to the knight. She was his lover and his protector, just as he was to her."


Reluctantly Dayn pulled away from Arryn as he searched for his gambeson. When he found it he turned back to his wife as he undid the bindings, exposing the inner left side to show Arryn a pouch knit over where the heart was. "There is an old tradition in the South that, before a crusade or quest, the knight's wife would cut a lock of her hair to store in the pouch that sits over her husband's heart. This serves as her ward of protection when she is not directly able to stay by his side. From there it was customary that she would aid him into his armor up to his helmet. Before she would place the helmet on his head the custom holds that they would kiss and the wife bless her husband before sending him off."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn felt some tears pricking her eyes as she smiled. After a moment, she pulled him into another hug. There was nothing that she could think of to say. Finally she whispered, "I love you so much."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn held Arryn tightly as he lifted her into his arms. "I could spend the rest of this life and on into the next searching for the perfect word to describe my love for you and those lives would not be wasted."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn buried her face against Dayn's shoulder. After a short time she got herself under control and smiled up at him as she nodded. "Okay. Okay, I'm good now. Let's get you into that armor."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn chuckled and gave Arryn one last kiss before setting out the armor and changing out of his everyday wear and into his padded fighting clothing. "Whenever we get a chance I wouldn't mind getting a lock of hair. You know, tradition and all." Dayn smiled as he shrugged into his gambeson before patting over his heart. "I always like to keep you close, anyway."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled and helped him put his vambraces on. "The moment we get a chance. Okay?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled before checking the straps on the vambraces. "This armor is so different to anything I've worn before."

 

[Dragongal]

"Dwarves build with heavy elven influences. Northern elven influences, too." Arryn helped Dayn into the chest piece.

 

[BookWyrm]

Already Dayn could tell this armor was going to be a dream. "I'm guessing the elven influence is where the light weight nature comes from?"

 

[Dragongal]

"As well as the aesthetic essence, yes." Arryn had to kneel to buckle the straps on the side of the chest piece. Next was the shoulder pieces, which were a bit trickier

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn stood perfectly still and straight to let Arryn work on getting his armor set. "Even if I wanted to shift in all of this I couldn't. All the more incentive to keep it together I guess."

 

[Dragongal]

It didn't take long to get Dayn into his full armor. Once that was done, Arryn took a step back to look him over. "Very handsome, I must say."