Soon Murtagh confirmed that he received the egg, and almost before Nasuada knew it, he was at Ilirea.

That night, she knocked on his door, and he answered it with a grin. "Hello."

"May I come in?" He stepped aside, and as he shut the door, she asked, "May I see it?"

"Are you hoping to become a Rider?"

She frowned. "No, but -"

"I jest. Here, take a look."

He opened his bag, and there it was. A gloriously vibrant orange egg, practically shining with life, and she sighed. "It is truly a sight to behold."

"It is."

She stepped back, and he closed his bag. "It is good to see you again, Murtagh."

"Aye."

"I suppose you would like to know how we intend to test the egg?"

"I think it would be helpful."

Nasuada described the plan as decided by the Council; three citizens from Surda and one citizen from all cities within a week's travel were already housed within the castle. A lottery determined who tested the egg first, and two days were given between each citizen to allow time for the egg to hatch.

When she finished, Murtagh cocked an eyebrow. "So I may be here for several weeks if the egg does not hatch."

"Yes."

"And the general populace is still not aware of my involvement, correct?"

"Correct."

"I see. And where will the eggs be stored in the meantime?"

"A room to which I have the only key and has been sealed off by magic to prevent any other attempts at entrance."

He nodded. "Good." He flicked a glance at the window. "You understand I will not stay in this room for the entirety of the process?"

"I did not expect you to."

"I will spend much of the time outside the city, with Thorn."

"I had assumed as much."

"He is on a hunt now, though. And I will inform you before I return to him."

"Good."

They looked at each other for a few moments, and he said, "If you have time, I would very much appreciate a conversation with you."

"About what?"

"Anything. Everything. It has been some time since we have spoken about anything outside of my involvement with these eggs."

"I agree."

And with that, she took a seat, and they spoke late into the evening, about anything and everything.

True to his word, he spent much of his time outside the city with Thorn, but only a week in did the egg hatch for a citizen of Surda.

King Orrin was awash with glee, and the Council was pleased as well. They agreed that the next egg be sent to Farthen Dûr, and reconvene upon its arrival.

Nasuada and Murtagh said farewell, and to her surprise, he scryed her a few days later.

She had just climbed into bed when his voice appeared in her room. "Nasuada?"

She blinked, jumping out of bed and hurrying to the mirror. "Murtagh!"

"I hope it isn't too late."

"No, not at all. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I just..." He trailed off, and she swore the faintest pink rose in his cheeks as he cleared his throat. "I just thought it would be nice to say hello, that's all. Since the frequency of my travels doesn't exactly allow enough time for letter writing."

"Oh, yes, of course. But... I cannot guarantee that I will always be available."

"I know. I won't, either. But I figured I could try."

"You are always welcome to."

And they had a short conversation, about anything and everything, before saying goodnight.

That became their routine; they would meet every so often, talk into the night, and bid each other farewell, and Nasuada was morbidly reminded of their conversations in Urû'baen.

But this was far more enjoyable.

Eventually, the dwarves exhausted their allotted time for the egg, Murtagh ferried it to the Urgals, and only two weeks passed before it hatched.

Naturally, Hadalfa was displeased, and it was agreed that Murtagh would next ferry two eggs directly to Farthen Dûr in the hopes of hatching at least one.

It took a few weeks, but one hatched, and the remaining egg was sent to the elves with the understanding that the next few eggs would come directly to Ilirea.

They worked out a rotation that was frustrating for everyone, which Nasuada had long learned was a sign of a good compromise, and eventually, the matter was put to bed.

And at the Council meeting scheduled just before Murtagh's next arrival, Jörmundur requested an item to be added to the agenda.

"I think we should discuss a fairly delicate subject."

"What is it?" Nasuada asked, and everyone else in the room exchanged a look, save for Maud, who simply folded her arms and adopted a bored expression.

"Well, to be blunt, we should explore the idea of a consort."

Nasuada was taken aback; of all subjects to discuss, this was the last one she had ever expected.

"Excuse me?"

"A consort, Your Majesty. Not a king - I think it would not send an appropriate message, and undermine your role - but perhaps a consort could... temper the uprisings," Hadalfa said carefully, and Nasuada's eyes narrowed.

"How exactly are the two related?"

"Stability. Permanency. Additional insight," Skgahgrazh rasped. "It is a good idea."

"I do not -"

"A human, I think - not a Rider, obviously, or an elf or a dwarf, as they live far too long to rule the populace. And Urgals..." Jörmundur paused.

"With due respect, Queen Nightstalker, no Urgal would agree to be consort to a human."

"And it would be quickly rejected by the populace, anyway," Orrin added. "Given that the alliance is already met with unease."

"Werecats would be open to a marriage," Maud said with a smirk. "How very romantic it would be."

"I refuse to discuss this." Nasuada folded her arms. "Meeting adjourned."

"Your Majesty -"

"Meeting. Adjourned."

They filed out of the room without a word, and Nasuada buried her face in her hands.

Unbelievable.

That night, there was a knock at the door just as Nasuada changed into her sleeping gown, and she called, "Just a moment!"

She tied a robe around her, and opened the door to find Farica standing there.

"Murtagh has arrived, madam. I showed him to his quarters already, if you would like to greet him."

She spoke with a blank face, but Nasuada could detect a knowing tone in her voice, and was simultaneously grateful and irritated with her for it. "Thank you, Farica."

Nasuada didn't bother to change before walking over to Murtagh's room and knocking on the door, and a moment later, he welcomed her in.

As he shut the door behind her, he paused, and then asked, "Is everything alright?"

"How do you mean?"

"I sense that you are... unusually agitated. Unless, of course, you have grown weary of me, but I find that to be an improbability of the highest degree."

"How very modest you are."

"Indeed." His expression turned serious, and he searched her face. "If it is a burden to have me here -"

"It has nothing to do with you," she interrupted shortly, ignoring the twinge in her chest that accompanied her words. "I simply had a very trying day."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

No, shouted her first instinct, but despite it, she found herself speaking.

"The Council advised me to marry."

Shock was clear on his face. "Marry?"

"Yes, marry. Choose a consort. Bear children. The like."

"Marry," he said again, and she thought she sensed a tinge of resentment in his voice.

"Yes."

They fell silent, and then Murtagh said with a carefully blank expression, "I assume you were uninterested in the proposition."

"You assume correctly."

He stared at her for a while more, and as each moment passed, she knew just what he was going to ask.

And then he did.

"...why?"

She regarded him carefully, and quietly answered, "You know why."

She knew he could hear the challenge in her voice, and her heart pounded harder with every second that elapsed. Would he accept it? Or shy away?

But his gaze did not waver, and eventually, he asked, "Would you forgive me?"

Her heart leapt, but she kept her voice even. "For this, there would be nothing to forgive."

She watched him take a steadying breath, and she was surprised at how nervous she was as well.

And then he slowly edged closer to her, and when she did not object, he cupped her face in both of his hands.

Much as she tried, she could not suppress her slight flinch, and as his face clouded over with sorrow and remorse, she held him by the waist before he could pull away.

She watched him, hoping desperately that he stayed in place, and nodded at the question in his eyes.

He held her heavy gaze for a moment, and then hesitantly flicked a glance to her lips, and she smiled, brief and faint.

He stroked her cheekbones with his thumbs, and whispered, "You are truly magnificent."

"And you are a worthy man."

He rested his forehead against hers, and she closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the emotion swelling within her, and after a moment, she felt his lips press against hers.

Her hands gripped his waist tighter of their own accord, and when he sucked in a sharp breath, she whispered, "Murtagh," against his mouth, and he nodded.

"Nasuada."

He pulled back, just far enough to meet her gaze as she opened her eyes, and she could see the worry written on his face clear as day.

"It has always been you," she murmured, and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly with a slight shake of his head.

"I cannot imagine why."

"I already told you. I understand."

"But you do not forgive."

She pulled back, releasing his waist, and his hands dropped to his sides. "You cannot accuse me of -"

"I'm not, I swear. I just..." He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, and shook his head again. "I don't know how we move forward from here."

"Neither do I. But..." and she pulled his hands away from his face, holding his wrists against her breastbone, and waited until he opened his eyes. "I want to try."

"Do you?"

"I do."

A sad look crossed his face once more, and he said in a low voice. "You must know I want to."

"I do."

"Is that enough?"

"I want it to be." When he did not respond, she asked, "Do you believe me?"

He hesitated for a moment, and then carefully said, "I believe that you want to believe it."

"To me, there is no difference."

"To me, there is."

"Please, Murtagh. Allow this a chance."

He smiled sadly at her. "And if I do, and you change your mind?" She did not respond - could not respond - and he shook his head. "It would be a heartbreak I'm not sure I could bear."

"I have greatly mourned your loss three times, Murtagh. I am no stranger to heartbreak."

He stayed silent, considering her words, and with every passing moment, her unease grew.

But finally, with a soft chuckle, he murmured, "You are prodigiously persuasive."

She smiled. "In part why I am queen."

"In part, yes."

He gazed at her a moment more, and then slowly leaned in again, and she did not flinch.

Something she tentatively labeled as happiness rose within her, and she smiled against his lips. He pulled back, just a breath away, and whispered, "Something funny?"

"Not in the slightest."

He smiled in response, and swallowed. "Loathe as I am to let you go, I think it best for you to return to your room. It would be... 'unseemly' for you to tarry with the reprobate Rider much longer."

Nasuada's smile grew sad, but she nodded. "Loathe as I am to leave, I agree." She brushed her lips against his once more in farewell, and murmured, "Goodnight, Murtagh."

"Goodnight, my Queen."

She walked to the door, and as she touched the handle to leave, Murtagh blurted out, "Would this have happened had the Council stayed silent?"

She turned to look at him, and his face was carefully blank. Every possible answer - yes, no, I'm not sure, possibly, likely not - all had a grain of truth within them, and yet, none sufficiently answered the question on their own.

So she settled for one that encompassed them all.

"If it were not tonight, it would have been another."

The look on his face softened, he dipped his head in understanding, and she returned to her room, mind buzzing.

If it were not tonight, it would have been another, she had said, and she believed it was the truest answer of all.