Morning

In the still, quiet of the early morning, Daevarran lay in bed with one arm tucked beneath Aurelis' head to cuddle her close to his chest. The curtains were parted to reveal the sun just beginning to peek over the far mountains and trees and he was glad that the wild-haired woman was facing him so the light wouldn't disturb her rest. He had been waking before her lately and simply laying there to enjoy his fiance's company. This time of day used to be filled with stress and anxiety, his mental lists plaguing him with worry. Now, he could lie still and happy, content to be close to the woman he loved. She chased away his negative thoughts while they were together and kept him grinning like an utter fool. Reaching out, Daevarran stroked his fingertips through her steadily growing hair. His beautiful huntress.

As long as he had Aurelis close by, life was good.

( solarine)

Memories

Alone in his bedroom for what felt like the first time in forever, Daevarran sat at his desk and twirled a feather quill between his fingers. His gaze was on the window where the drawn curtains gave him a view of the back yard and his mother’s garden he worked so hard to maintain. He was no green thumb as she had been, but the plants were resilient and bloomed without fail each spring. The quiet of the room and still of the morning were almost unsettling after so many days of breakfast with Aurelis and their animated conversation, or passionate lovemaking long into the day.

  He couldn’t expect the woman to spend every waking moment with him and it was slightly alarming that he actually wished for that. Daevarran worried he was getting too dependent on the dark haired huntress. When they weren’t in direct contact, he often daydreamed about the way she felt in his arms and that pleasant scent that was uniquely hers; the soft tickle of her wild, cropped hair against his neck as he embraced her. The smart remarks and often sarcastic tone she adopted made him smile. She kept him laughing and in love, yet it felt as though he needed her endlessly while she could survive without him if need be. The worried man didn’t want to smother his love or to make her feel like she couldn’t continue to live as she liked to.

Perfect

He lay there long into the night after Aurelis fell asleep, unable to join her in dreamland despite his eyes slipping closed now and then from exhaustion. Daevarran worried that if he fell asleep, in the morning it would all be a dream. He wouldn't have the beautiful huntress in his arms anymore and things wouldn't be so incredibly perfect in his life.

The next morning came and went with the reassuring warmth of Aurelis against him and then more of the previous night's activities.

For about a week the couple hid away together, in the manor and in the wild, and learned every intimate detail of one another. Daevarran knew he was the luckiest man in the world. He often caught himself grinning like a fool. He was a fool. But he was smitten; and he was happy.

THE WHOLE THING - Daevarran

Smallest: Get back at Kae for always being right, and a smartass.

Smallest: Model for hair ads. Not really.

     Turn-offs: Mind games. Haughtiness. Desperation. Cold hands. Throat grabbing.

Daevarran wants to be content with his life and his choices and hopefully have a dark haired huntress always at his side. Although he would never admit it, he actually thinks about having a family.

Finding a reputable tailor was not terribly difficult, but settling on one gown design was near impossible. By the time Daevarran returned to his home, he had acquired four different dresses, a collection of colourful hair beads and feathers, and an assortment of jewelry. Aurelis was going to think he lost his mind.

The red gown had been his first choice and the green, modeled after a beautiful bird, had been a must. The other dresses he thought would look lovely on her. The cream and gold one would offset her tanned skin beautifully... The man had far more fashion sense than was healthy.

A matching moonstone circlet and pendant were actually heirlooms that he had admired on his mother many times when he was younger. The various hair adornments were new, crafted specifically for Aurelis.

Spreading the items across the table downstairs, he called her name and then slunk away to the stables to tend to the animals. If she did think he was crazy, then she could have her initial reaction in private.

Trying again

Now that they had returned to the city, Daevarran could feel the influence of his upbringing and the bright, shimmering splendor of Silvermoon taking hold once again. The urge to spoil Aurelis rotten was growing stronger. She deserved to feel like the most amazing woman in the world and it was up to him to make her feel that way. They had curled up together for the night and the hunter found it difficult to rest even with her wrapped up in his arms. Her short, ebony hair tickled at his chin as he plotted and planned in silence.

  What sort of gifts would Aurelis even appreciate? How was he supposed to prove that he wanted a legitimate courtship when neither of them was fit for high society anymore? Aurelis seemed to hate anything to do with stuffy nobility and he didn’t know if he should let go of his claim to House Sunfall once and for all. Baydon would allow him to remain in the manor if he did, but how would it feel to be a powerless man? Why was he worrying about this now?

  Caressing the tanned flesh of the huntress’ shoulder, Daevarran smiled. She may never ask him to give up anything about his life, but he would give it all up for her. Money, power, influence; everything. After two months being lost in the wilds of Pandaria together, Aurelis was much more than a traveling companion to him. He was completely crazy about her. That didn’t stop his usual foolishness of overanalyzing things to cease. Avoiding physical intimacy had been difficult, but he had hidden behind the guise of a perfect gentleman for all this time.

  Daevarran always considered himself a fearless man, but he knew that wasn’t really true. Faetrix had been apt at pointing out his flaws when it came to a battle of wits, or political intrigue. Kaerenna had shown him that he was unable to truly commit to one path in his life. He had been with very few lovers in his lifetime before the most recent women he cared for and all those arrangements had ended because of him. He needed to work on a lot of things if he wanted to keep Aurelis around.

  She was everything he had been raised not to want. Defiantly self-assured, fierce, rough, powerful… His father would have disapproved solely based on the fact that Aurelis could not be controlled. He loved her, Sun help him. Daevarran didn’t want a woman who needed to control him or that he used like a puppet for his own gain. The brunette was his equal, and quite arguably his superior, in so many ways.

  Hopefully she wouldn’t be alarmed if he began showering her with gifts… She had sounded wistful earlier in the evening about the loss of her favourite gown from long ago. He would have a new dress tailored for the huntress and some jewelry made to go with it. Flowers… Food… Whatever it took. She needed some new, beautiful beads to wear as well. He loved how she looked with little adornments in her short mess of hair. If he was careful, he could convey his feelings without making her feel like he was clipping her wings or stealing her freedom. Daevarran would test the waters, come morning. It was time to get this courtship in full swing.

Rekindling his love for the Jade Forest with Aurelis by his side had put Daevarran in high spirits. It had been ages since he really appreciated the beauty of nature and it was all thanks to the lovely ranger and her amazement with everything they had viewed so far.

Bit by bit the man's ability to trust was returning and he truly enjoyed both the days and the nights spent laughing, exploring, and learning about Pandaria and his traveling companion. Their current goal was to discover a hot spring, or just a private waterfall oasis sort of spot, and claim it as their own. He watched the woman climbing over the moss covered rocks in their way as they had opted to travel by foot for a day. Every slight flex of Aurelis' toned form drew him forward like a horse to a dangling carrot hanging from a stick.

At this rate, Daevarran was going to want to be 'lost' in the wild forever.

Picking up the pieces

It was disconcerting to see the effortless change that was made between delicate lady and unbreakable shield-wall as Kaerenna led their group into battle. Each fight played on their complimenting talents; Daevarran at range with his arrows and ability to strike just the right throat to silence what might have been a deadly spell; Callyph weaving his mists among them to invigorate their bodies and mend their wounds; Calaeron up close and personal with the enemies, his swift sword cutting them down readily from behind; And Kaerenna he was most fascinated with, as her ability to distract each foe and keep their attention solely on herself was unmatched by any shield-bearer he had ever met. Some of the vykrul beings stared in shock at the intimidatingly fierce nature of the woman before they even began to attack.

  By the time the fighting came to an end, the Dreamweaver lady was painted red with gore and the mess streaked across her face like war paint. Daevarran had teased that he liked her in red and he found that it was no joke. The sight of her in combat had been distracting and left him quite breathless. He hated to make the comparison of Kaerenna to Faetrix, but they were alike in many ways. That fiery mane of hair, their delicate builds that somehow withstood countless heavy blows, and their ability to bring a dimpled smile to his face. The similarities ended there, and for that he was thankful. Kaerenna was sweet, yet she enjoyed playful humor. She adored his animals and she never once said anything she did not mean. The lack of mind games, subtle manipulation, and exhausting mental sparring was a welcome change.

  He knew he was attracted to the woman and that she viewed him favorably. Kaerenna would not have trusted him to be so informal with her or to ever be alone together if she didn’t like him more than most. Not with her unpleasant past. Callyph was encouraging him to pursue her, albeit slowly, and he wondered if his new friend was right. Daevarran worried that he was simply replacing Faetrix in his heart. He still longed for the happier times and the nights spent with her wrapped up safely in his arms away from the clutches of her relatives who sought to use her for their own nefarious purposes. It was time to stop dwelling on the suffering of Lady Severidan though. There would be new saviors, he imagined, whether she scorned them or not. The way the rogue publically treated her would attract attention of men who had a soft spot in their hearts. Faetrix would not die, nor would she waste away. She was too strong and spiteful for that.

  The hunter’s fingers dug into the engraved metalwork of the balcony as his head bowed and he gazed into the heart of the gardens below. His mother’s favorite roses were in full bloom and bled through the other blossoms in a circular pattern. The servant he had on staff to care for the flowers was money well spent. He felt that letting the garden die was letting go of the last of his family; his mother. He truly was far too soft of a man at times.

  Alone in the silence, save for his thoughts, Daevarran came to a decision. Golden hair spilled across his still bloodied armor as his head lifted anew. There was no use in punishing himself for the unhappiness of others when they made it clear that there was no saving them. Kaerenna’s company was one of the few things he found real enjoyment in as of late and he planned to investigate his feelings, carefully and with time, until he knew what should come of it. This time he would do things correctly. This time he would make a real courtship of it. After all…Kel’thenar had given his blessing.

Her tears had nearly been his undoing.

  What had been thinking, bringing her to his home? It was a helpless feeling to know that someone he cared for was suffering and there was nothing he could do about it. She refused to help herself and he knew he should want to save her, to protect her, to keep that bastard’s hands and mouth from harming her. Why was he walking away again? Daevarran wandered deeper into the woods before he sat heavily on a fallen log. It was quiet here and he reached a shaky hand into the small pack he was never without, strapped to his belt. Inside he found a cigarette and matches through touch alone.

  Placing the rolled dried bloodthistle between his lips, he lit it. Whatever happened he could not allow himself to fall back into that dangerous web, even if there was real love mingled with the mind games. A plume of smoke drifted from his mouth and nose as he gazed listlessly to the sky, allowing the cigarette to dangle from his lips. Tonight she would be gone. Tonight the rogue would take her and she would not fight what was done to her.

  Tonight he would allow it.

A true friend

  Kae was the most ridiculous person Daevarran had ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was abrasive and stubborn and most of all he didn’t let Daevarran bullshit himself. The mess with Faetrix had all been forewarned. From the start the redheaded ass of a death knight had been there, guiding him and supporting him as he progressed and fucked up. There were very few men outside of his own family that the hunter considered to be completely trustworthy, but Kae was one of them. He loved the guy. Perhaps not in the traditional sense of romance and flowers, but he really did love him.

  Their times together were often spent complaining and bitching about various aspects of their lives, or Daevarran aggravating his friend on purpose to see the amusing reactions. Kae appeared to enjoy flustering him just as much. What it all boiled down to was a friendship that Daevarran intended to continue indefinitely. Kae was everything he could be if he surrendered his life as a lord and passed on the Sunfall House to his brother. Free, warm mannered, open, and silly. When they conversed it was rare for the blond not to have a goofy grin painted across his face. He had never laughed so openly or as often as he did with his death knight pal.

  The smaller Sin’dorei man was a welcome addition to his small collection of friends. Kae had seen him at his worst and his best. Daevarran hoped to repay that favor as time went on. As wary as Faetrix had been of their friendship, nothing sexual or romantic had ever developed and while Kae liked to poke fun at him and harass him, but he was content with his love; The Doctor, or whatever his name had been. They were glad to share in each other’s happiness and equally glad to be a support, or a smartass, in light of unhappy times.

  Who knew that such an amazing friend could be bundled up in such a small, sassy package of elf?

His eyes drifted closed as they held onto one another; lifelines to the world. Kaerenna insisted that his problems mattered even when he found them to be petty and tiresome. A broken heart was not something a man was normally given time to mend. He was expected to pick himself up and move on. After all, he had a House to rebuild.

Yet, here she was in all her pink silken wonder, telling him that it was alright to need time. It was alright to mourn a loss even if it was partly his fault. The paladin had no idea how perfect she truly was. Daevarran was so glad to have met her. If he could do nothing else but be supportive of her to show his gratitude then that is exactly what he would do.

Daevarran would see to it that Kaerenna never doubted herself again.