"I don't think you should enfore limits."

You say it and Aurora raises an eyebrow at you, awaiting your explanation. "Aside from imposing control on how and how people express their faith which no one will be happy with, you'll need to station a guard or two at the church which is Farrah's home. If someone refuses to leave when they ask what would you permit the guards to do? Arrest them, assault them, try and disburse the entire congregation? If you tell them to only talk could you always trust the guard to never raise their hand?"

"Christopher is right mother, you can't just forbid people from gathering." Ana jumped in, seemingly thrilled that you weren't agreeing. "Beside I trust my Christopher." She looked at Lashay with a bit more contempt that you think is really necessary. He returns her look with a happy smile, looking like a devoted fiancé. You have to remind yourself what she had said about him, he's a political being and wants you on his side so you don't overtly interfere in their marriage.

"Very well. We trust you, though remember, no more mass treating my army." Aurora said with a warm smile to you. Very deliberate use of pronouns in that sentence. "How are your preparations for your wedding proceeding?" Aurora asks Edin directly. "I'm sure Lord Lashay would be thrilled to see how we handle such affairs, before you own daughter."

Edin brightens up and went over the shopping he'd done last weekend and this one. Lashay looked rather fascinated with all this asking the odd question of him and occasionally throwing one at Ana only to be shot down with single word responses. Lashay looked undeterred and moved from asking her to asking you. Not that that earned him anything much, you hadn't ever put thought into marriage, much less what you'd like your wedding to look like.

While he was talking lunch arrived. Assembled on the table without causing a break in eye contact or conversation. You all started eating as Aurora moved the subject on, you don't think she quite expected Edin to talk quite so much about his wedding but didn't want to be seen interrupting him.

"How is your training progressing Christopher?" Aurora asked. "I've heard that you and my elder daughter are getting along very well. Certainly better than you get along with some of my other daughters." She glanced at Ana, a very deliberate look from how Ana only bristled after it had been done. Apparently Ana is more than happy taking a backseat to her sister so long as she isn't put there by her mother.

"It is a shame that Mary finished her time at the academy isn't it Christopher. Imagine how much better you'd get along if she spent half as much time with you as I do." Ana bit her lip as she looked at you, then looked at Lashay. He held his happy smile but you could see a bit of sadness in his aura.

"I think that's enough Anastasia." Aurora warned.

"Though you and my older sister are almost as, intimately acquainted as we are." Ana continued not looking away from Lashay who held her gaze with that same smile. "Unless you've already f-"

"ANASTASIA!" Aurora shouted. "Perhaps you should also get more acquainted with your sister. Lady Demise, please ensure that Anastasia is presented to Mary for intensive endurance training. And she is not to leave her sisters company until classes resume. If you can hold yourself to your sisters standards."

Lady Demise approached Ana from behind her on the lounge. Ana stood, "Mother, Edin, Christopher," She gave you and Edin very warm smiles then dropped it entirely the moment she looked at Lashay, "Lashay." With that she walked out of the room with Lady Demise stalking behind her.

"Edin, perhaps you should find Blue and tell her about your progress with your wedding plans." Aurora said, Edin practically ran out of the room without any hesitation, not even look over to wave you a good bye. "I'm sorry for my daughters behaviour Lord Lashay. I fear our argument this morning has clouded her better judgement."

"It's perfectly alright your Highness. Our engagement came as a surprised to myself as well, and unlike her I did not have any," he looked over at you, "alternatives which could draw my eye." He swallowed and looked back at Aurora. "May I please return to my room, I'm in the middle of painting I would like to finish." Aurora nodded. "Thank you. It was, lovely to see you again Christopher, maybe tomorrow you would be able to take me to the academy. I am curious to see the view you spoke about last time."

You remember your offer to take him to the Dorm's roof so he could paint the city below. You aren't sure, Ana's warning is still in your head. "I'm afraid I rarely know how busy I will be, but I do remember my offer and will see it through." You feel rather stiff as you say that and you can see in his aura that he hears it. That splinter of sadness Ana had put inside him grew a little. Considering how Ana treats him he must be lonely here.

When he leaves and it is just you and Aurora in the room you look down at your tea and try to remember the last time the two of you were alone. You don't think it has ever happened. "Mind if I ask what the argument was about?" You ask after a long pause. Aurora doesn't answer right away and when you look up at her you see her studying you closely.

"I think we can drop the pretense at this point Christopher. Green was forth coming about Mary's forthrightness, before you showed up on my doorstep from the sky."

You took a sip of the tea then set it down. Mary had told you that Blue had long since told everyone who you used to be and who Clare is. "Right, sorry for, not being honest."

"Please Christopher," Aurora waved her hand dismissively, "if anything I'm glad you can keep such a secret. Mary couldn't keep one to save any number of lives except when it concern battle plans, and believe me I've tried teaching her that every secret concerns a battle but it has never stuck. I'm glad she'll have someone other than Green to keep her in check. Besides I can hardly blame you for keeping such a secret. Nor for not being forthcoming to me, I'll admit my suspicion of you hardly encourage total openness." She took a sip of her tea and leaned over to grab some food. Doing so made top fall open, adding a suggestion of cleavage that hadn't been there before. At least the only people you've told are people you are fucking." She chuckled while your mind instantly went to Lucia who knows everything just doesn't believe any of it. "It's a little archaic but a tried and true method of building trust."

"Guess that means we should." You cut yourself off from finishing that joke. Her suddenly being more relaxed had lulled you into being so as well.

"I would say you are a little young for me but." Aurora also doesn't finish her sentence but there is mirth in her eyes as she eats a bit of fruit with some sauce on it.

"Well since we are being open, is there anything you would like to know?" You ask as she licks her finger clean. You grab a bit of food to get yourself something to do other than look at her.

"Now that you mention it. Those rubbar trees you mentioned." Aurora still wasn't pronouncing it correctly.

You winced. "Yeah, from my old world, and a pretty isolated part of it. I don't know if it exists in this world." You'd like to think there would be an analogue of some sort here but can't make any promises.

"How advanced was your world compared to ours?" Aurora asked.

"Significantly, we had no magic so we had to invent things rather prefect natural abilities." You could see her thinking very intensely, already knowing what she was going to ask you say. "I don't know how everything worked but I could give some suggestions."

"Do you remember the woman you told about the rubbar tree?" You nodded at her question. "She had a lab at the academy. You'll be telling her everything you can and helping her to recreate whatever you can." You opened your mouth to reject, already you don't have all that much time in life, adding another thing on top sounds exhausting. "Naturally I won't be extracting the time you have to spend with Mary. You'll be doing this instead of attending classes on how to be a proper husband. For Mary's sake if no one else's, the last thing she needs is a proper husband." She smirks at you and you find it very hard to argue that point, not that you would have any intention of doing so. A way out of those classes sounds amazing. "I would appreciate it if you could ask Gabrielle to assist you as well."

"We come from different worlds, but I'll ask her." You say, feeling like this has gone a lot better than expected. "Speaking of, I'm inviting another potential champion here."

Aurora very carefully leaned back in her chair. You think you made her upset. "Will they be as passive as Gabrielle?" You don't answer. You doubt that Clare would invite someone of the more fighty persuasion, perverted was a whole other story. "Then I've no choice but to trust you to keep things calm." She was upset at you.

"Sorry." You'll talk to her in future about inviting more potential champions. Clare's whole, Princess, Queen, Goddess ranking might accurate but that didn't make it correct.

"I think I will simply have to adapt to the new circumstance, on one condition." Aurora leaned over to you. The opening that had occurred in her dress hadn't been closed by her moving around and that lean exposed a lot more of her torso than you thought you'd see again. The image of her naked body in the changing room was still in your head, as was Lucia's catatonic response to it.

"If it's to marry Mary." You go for a laugh but she raises and eyebrow at you.

"Why would I put create a condition for something that I already know is going to happen?" She asked as the corner of her mouth curled into a smile. "No my condition is a lot simpler. Any fight you have with Clare's sister, it stays away from our people, my daughters and everyone else you are fucking. Understood."

You nod, the very serious tone in her voice make it extremely clear that this is very far from a joke. Even if at this point you both know there is nothing she can really do to harm or contain you, you still believe she could absolute harm and contain you. "I promise, If I ever have to fight another champion I'll be doing it far from any civilization." You tiny fight with Eve was pretty solid proof that a serious fight between you and likely any other champion would flatten a lot of ground.

Aurora holds your gaze for a moment then nods and leans back. "Good, then I have a request, though you don't have to agree if you don't want to, if you do I am sure I can find a way to repay you." As she said that she adjusted her clothes, pulling open the top and exposing the space between her nipples for a brief moment.

"Anything." She's been more than accommodating to you, frankly there aren't that many requests you would immediately turn down, regardless of the attempts to get you too horny to refuse.

"Tell me why you want two of my daughters, along with the upper crust of the nobility." She finished adjusting her clothes and crossed her legs.

You blink at her a few times, not the request you ever expect her ask. You thought very seriously about your answer before you gave it. "Because I know what it's like to lose everything that anyone could possibly lose with no chance of ever getting it or anything like it back."

"Were you married in your previous life?" Aurora asked.

"No, I didn't even have a serious relationship, but I had someone I liked and thought I might like to grow old with." Your answer earned a musing tone from Aurora as she studied you.

"I'm somewhat glad my daughter found you and I arranged your marriage to Mary." She stood up and offer you her hand to stand. You took it and she pulled you up to stand very close to her. She was a little taller than you but not by much. You'd never been this close to her before. She smelled of the flowers that grew outside the palace. "If I'd met you first I think I would be spending my time explaining why I was marrying the son of Lord." She stepped back from you but didn't let your hand go for a little longer. "Your father hasn't remarried has he?" She asked with a soft smirk, a deliberate end brought to this moment.

"No, but you'd have to fight someone for him." You said stepping towards the door. "Thank you for your time and lunch." You bowed but then asked. "What are you and Ana fighting about?"

"I told her I was going to ask Lashay's mother if he can remain in the capital to attend the academy if she didn't stop being rude to him."

"Yep, that explains it." You sigh then ask, "Anastasia told me he's trying to manipulate me into not interfering with the engagement, is he?"

Aurora raised an eyebrow. "Until next time Christopher."

You bowed again and walked out of the room, feeling like that was about as close to an answer as you could get. You day was suddenly a lot more open than you thought it would be. Guess you should go and talk to Gabrielle about coming to the academy for technology sharing next week and maybe check in to see how she's going with aura sharing. Hopefully the rejection from last weekend was accepted as a consequence of you Greying out and she isn't self-conscious. otherwise this is going to be a very awkward moment with the permanently unkempt girl.