You shouldn't avoid talking to Vatarie about trying to marry you behind your back

"I'm afraid I may not be attend the church today." Ortus's face fell slightly and you felt bad. "But I might be there after an hour or two." Her face didn't exactly rise but she nodded.

"Thank you for your time, Stud." She hesitated before using that title. Between Stud and Lord frankly you prefer Lord, less implied breeding. Though not by much considering male nobles basically exist to get their wives pregnant. She walks towards the front of the palace which is where you need to go so you just stand awkwardly in the corridor for a minute to avoid awkwardly walking with her.

Heading to the front of the palace you are rather thankful you aren't stopped by anyone. You do get a lot of 'Lord Christopher's' in greeting that you return but nothing that stops you from leaving. Ortus is lingering by the palace's entry chatting with a few other noble ladies. She bows slightly to you as you walk past and when you bow back there is a sparking of conversation. Choosing to ignore it you hurry away from the palace, using a bit of magic to increase your speed and duck anyone who might be running to intercept you.

There are a few carriages that seem to be leaving at the same time, when you easily pass them by some heads stick out of windows to watch you pass. A light jog down the hill you are distract by the smell of fresh bread. You remember how good the food you'd paid for with your own money was and take a quick detour toward the smell.

You are in a bit of a rush so just ask for some bread with honey. One and a half coppers later you are back on track enjoying your food. The bread is a bit lumpy and the honey has been watered down, something you didn't think would ever happen to honey, but tastes nice and you lick your fingers clean. With food done you starting thinking about what to say to Vatarie. You don't want this to be a fight or argument, hopefully this will just be a 'oh no that's just for future reference' and not a 'but don't you want to get married thing'. The first is something you can laugh about the second is ... Oh hey look how popular the academy's hill is.

People are performing all over the place. Incantors, a few singers, even a few scenes you assume are from plays are being performed. There are kids running around with parents allowing them a lot of freedom, that freedom being mostly used by the girls to chase the boys around. You see one girl catch a boy who clearly wasn't running very hard and the two stared at each other not knowing what to do now.

The smell of various sorts of food hit you. Ringing the grass are food carts. Not one is on the grass, just resting on the road while they sell, causing more than a few shouting matches with people trying to use the road. A law of the city must be no commerce can take place on a hill. Not a bad law really, aside from the traffic, it did keep the grass a strictly recreational zone.

You resist the urge to linger and find out if this is a festival or random gathering and just make your way to Vatarie. The climb is easy and you run into a lot of students coming the other way. Pointing at some of the performers and food carts as the pass. Most give you a nod or hello and you respond in kind. At this point you recognise most of them, though it often takes a second with their clothes being on.

Reaching the gate you pass through without issue and head for Vatarie's room. She'll either be there, the training arena or with Asune and Clare. Shouldn't be hard to find her. What you say when you see her is another matter. Reason for the letter aside, you're kinda worried what the dowry would even be. Not like your father has all that much being a Lord and all. Probably why Lord's aren't supposed marry this high about their station.

You enter the Dorms and climbs the stairs to Vatarie's room, a quick knock proves she isn't home so you turn to leave. You're eyes divert to your room. It's not like you've slept in all that much over the last week but with Edin getting engaged you think it'll be very lonely, maybe you'll get a new roommate. You have a flash of Lashay being pushing into the room by Ana and a similar track with Edin taking place.

Fleeing from that image you make your way to the training arena. The sounds of clashing metal doesn't necessarily mean Vatarie is there, favouring her magically enhanced fists as she does. When you hear the sound of metal breaking and laughing you know you've found your girl.

A smile creeps onto your lips as you round the stands and see Vatarie swung her left fist at Asune. That smile flatters slightly as the fist stops in mid air and a band a red forms around the middle of her hand. You move to stop whatever is going on as blood starts dripping when Vatarie does something you hadn't expected to see. She copies you.

A burst of magic fires from her right side. With her left fist caught by only the thin wires of Asune's gold tread the sudden momentum causes the band to open into a gash, but it gives Vatarie an anchor to pivot from. An elbow slams into the side of Asune's skull hard enough you think you can hear her teeth rattle.

Asune starts falling but her right leg tenses. Vatarie only has time to brace her stomach's muscles as the falling womans foot collides with her. There is a gasp and stagger from Vatarie, a slight wavering in her magical gauntlets as she redirects it to heal. Asune isn't able to push her advantage. She might have landed a solid hit but Vatarie's was a lot solider. The two women had to pause for a moment to allow their magic to heal themselves.

"That makes five draws." Clare shouted, she was in the stands you were standing beside.

The two women stepped back and patted sand off their clothes. Both were wearing the same thing, brown slightly loose tops and pants, perfect to get dirty in. "I won that third one." Vatarie said looking over at her and seeing you. "Christopher!" She shouted happily running over and hugging you. "Where'd you go yesterday?"

"Harea." You said back hugging her. Her injuries were already gone but you were still delicate when you squeezed her.

"Harea." Asune said walking over a lot less overly enthusiastic about your presence, but glad to see you.

"Oh hey." Clare said leaning over the side of the stands. She squinted at you. "What happened?"

You look up at her as both Vatarie and Asune seemed to note the pondering hanging over you. You thought you'd gotten rid of that when you'd seen everyone, guess not. "Vatarie can we talk in private?" You ask.

"Sure." Vatarie said brightly then buried her head in your neck to inhale your scent. "Back soon." She said to Asune taking a step to walk away with you.

"If you admit you didn't win the third one." Asune interrupted.

"Yeah fine draw." Vatarie said very easily while pulling you away. "Bye!" She shouted back, you looked at Asune and Clare both were surprised Vatarie had given in that easily.

The two of you reached what you think is an equipment room, it was a little building you'd never been in and all the swords and other gear Stephanie brought out had to come from somewhere. Vatarie bring you behind in and kisses you deeply. Her hand strokes you through you pants for a moment as she lets out a growl and bites your lip.

"Missed you." She said pulling her pants down before breaking the kiss and putting her hands on the wall and bending forwards.

You looked down, just to confirm she'd opened your pants without any difficulty. They weren't shredded at least. "Vatarie I mean actual talk."

"Huh?" She asked spreading her legs and looking over her shoulder.

"I met Baroness Terra." You didn't need to elaborate any further as her entire demeanour changed. The confidence to fuck in public replaced with an embarrassed shyness. For some reason you pictured her with a tail tucked firmly between her legs as she stood back up and turned around.

"Um, I know I should have asked first." Vatarie's words confirmed this wasn't going to be a 'for the future' thing.

"Why did you ask her anyway, why not ask my dad?" It was a question you already presumed an answer for, Terra was the closest female authority you had.

"'Cause you're not supposed to." She answered rubbing her right foot against the back of her left shine.

At least you weren't going to be surprised by some esoteric noble rules. "Ok why now, I thought we'd all agreed to not start any marriage talk until ..." Your mouth snapped shut and looked down at her stomach. "Until. Until." Your brain needed a moment and your mouth could only do so much on it's own.

"Asune said that with you and Mary being put together so much over the last week Aurora might be trying have you and her engaged. I like Mary but, don't want her to take you without a fight. And I can't fight her for your hand without my mum permission."

You sigh in relief. and some confused disappointment that you will think about later when your pants are back up. "But you can marry we without - nevermind, Asune told you that?" You get the feeling Vatarie might not be totally to blame here, actually blame is kinda harsh. You are finding it very difficult to think negatively of Vatarie will she is looking like a puppy you've been shouting at.

Vatarie opens her mouth to respond and the shouted at puppy gives way to angry puppy. "That ..." She purses her to cut of the string of swear words you see forming in her aura.

"Before you do anything rash." You grab her arm to stop a resuming of the dueling with less friendly terms. "What sort of dowry would you expect." Vatarie's eyes snap to you and hopeful puppy face ignites a very warm place in your heart. "Just for future reference."

"I was going to offer a chort of Livans to start but the upper limit would be to become one of my families Viscountesses." Vatarie sounded very proud of this so you assume that was expensive.

"Wait you'd offer. It won't be my father paying you to marry me?" Vatarie looked at as if you'd sudden regrown your missing arm.

"What? No, why would? Oh because your dad's a Lord." She looked almost relieved she'd figured it out. "Normally a Lord marrying up would pay the dowry but only if there was no other marriage possibilities."

"Right." That made sense, however you weren't sure you were thrilled about the idea of the people you love having a way to precisely list the value of your love against one another. Aside from giving Vatarie another way to compete there is the worry some outside party would outbid your lovers and you don't know how Terra fit into the dowry, if she got a portion or all of it.

"Do you think it's enough?" Vatarie ventured kissing your cheek.

"I guess." Again you have no idea how much her offer is. She growled and her hand stroked you again.

"You could be mine." She purred, her hand confirmed you were hard and she put her hand back on the wall. "My mate." She pushed her ass against you.

You looked down as her pant covered ass. This is probably going to be seen as rewarding her for the bad behaviour of trying to marry you. But on the other hand that faint disappointment from earlier is still in your mind.