This story/drabble is weird. There is a hint of Lars/Rhen, but it's still Dameon/Rhen. This takes place after the canon ending…some time after Rhen is crowned as queen and Lars…where is he? Oh, right. He became a teacher at Shadwood Academy. Oh, and if I'm wrong about spellings and names, please do correct me.

Anyway, I don't own Aveyond and its characters, because if I did, Lars would not be friendzoned.

UPdate: Corrected a few errors and edited a bit.

And Still, You're Bitter

Or was it you who are bitter because I didn't ask you out before?

Lars looked at Rhen before taking a cookie from the plate a servant brought them. He was listening to her complaints of being a royal while he poured tea for the both of them. For that time, they were simply friends, the rivals who had graduated from Shadwood and defeated Ahriman together – Lars Tenobor and Rhen "Peta" Darzon. Outside of that, they were Professor Tenobor and Queen Rhen Pendragon.

Lars missed her company and the adventures, though his past self would have not admitted it. He grew to love the quarrels with Rhen about simple things and silent wars with Dameon about the same girl they love. He also became fond of watching Tei'jal trying to catch (trick?) Galahad into her arms, Pirate John's expression change as Elini talked about her three other husbands, and Marge let her weird ales be known at random times. Perhaps he even longed to ride a dragon again just to grab Rhen tightly and use fear as his excuse for doing so. Thus, he traveled to far Thais just to see its queen and have some moments with her.

"I miss those times, you know, Peta," Lars spoke before indulging into another cookie.

"Baby Lars, I do too. I wonder if you'll throw an insult at me randomly," Rhen replied, chuckling softly.

Before they knew it, they understood each other's body language and random words. The foul language and name-calling they use in their conversations became their sweet way of calling each other. Lars learned 'his manners,' while Rhen…well, nothing much changed in her, other than their relationship leaned on the positive side. They became the best friends in their group composed of mostly adults with a previous knowledge of the dangers and perils of the world's corners.

"When? Another one of your ceremonies?" asked the sorcerer.

"Then we'll bicker like an old couple," the sword singer nodded.

However, even before Lars could suggest things, Rhen was with Dameon. When asked, the Highlander couldn't give a clear answer either. The teens decided that, maybe, the chemistry didn't work. The Oriental was surprised when Rhen said she felt the same as him…until the Sun Priest came to court her.

"If only we could grow into one," the professor smiled, "Maybe this longing feeling would be gone, and so would be the loneliness and my journey to find myself a suitable wife."

"Yes, I hoped for that a little, too," the queen mused, "Maybe I'd be happier on the Eastern Isles than here, but Thais…I think your journey will never come to an end."

"It won't, I guess. Second best won't be good enough to replace my dream life with you."

"Ha, so even you, a noble since birth, dream? For what more?"

"Come on, Rhen. I am a normal person. Oh, remember Ylitta and Hector? They've married."

"Oh, really? Aren't they too young yet? And didn't Ylitta like you more?"

"Well, funny things happen, like Galahad actually drinking some living person's blood…"

"And Elini having twins fathered by Pirate John…"

"And Marge opening up an ale store in Veldarah…"

"And you not ending up with me…"

"And you being a queen, a position you said you despised not too long ago."

"And still, you're bitter about my decision, Lars. Give it a rest and move on. Our adventure and our friendship are the only roads that 'you and I' can walk together. The rest of our lives...that's up to us now."

"Maybe I am still bitter about it, but that does not mean we won't cease to be friends. I loved you when you were still Rhen Darzon, Peta, but when I think of you as Rhen Pendragon, things…get more complicated. Or was it you who are bitter because I didn't ask you out before?"

Dameon came in when the two were laughing so much that they needed to hold on to their chairs to support themselves. After a few more conversations, Lars left the place. 'In the end,' he thought, 'who regretted? Who was bitter? What did we gain, what did we lose? We only have the answers to ourselves, but no one, not even the Oracle, would ever know.

'…or would they?'