It's been three months since Darius's grand return to the Noxian army. Draven had made sure that there would be much drinking and celebrating amongst the Noxians before he and Katarina made their leave. Draven demanded that Eryn and Darius return to Noxus Prime soon, so he could show her around the capital, before beginning his trek back home. Katarina said her goodbyes quietly, not announcing where she was going, but Darius informed her she had a mission in Demacia's capital city that she had to go complete.

Darius quickly took back command from the standing commander, and within weeks they had stormed Whitburn's Keep and took it with ease. The soldiers seemed to buy into the idea that it had been a planned infiltration, especially with how quickly the keep fell without their leader's command. It seems most of the defending soldiers had retreated as well after the death of their commander, making their defenses fall like children's building blocks. But after that the Demacians turned offensive with reinforcements from their capital finally arriving, and the Noxians had to bunker down in Whitburn's keep to hold onto their newfound territory.

Eryn had spent the time working in the medic tent. Her arms were still recovering from what the healers said was 'an overexertion of her magic.' That when she had run out of mana, to continue casting her magic it needed to feed on something else to fuel itself, in this case her own flesh. So she had been relegated to the med tent, mostly changing bed pans as her mana was taking an extended amount of time to replenish itself. The medics spent a lot of time teaching her practical medicine, which she appreciated, it kept her busy and improving, but every day she worried about Darius on the frontlines. Soldiers always said the med tent was the worst place to be, filled with the stench of death and the anguished screams of the dying, but truly the worst part about it was the lack of information. Not knowing if they were winning the battles until the day was over.

But the days always ended with Darius arriving at the med tent for a "checkup" despite not even having any major injuries. The medics quickly learned that he wasn't here for them, but for Eryn, and would send her over to tend to him. She'd give him a quick examination before scolding him for any minor scrape he's sporting, and then she'd be whisked away for the night back to his quarters. He had taken up residence in what had once been Whitburn's room, a large master bedroom at the highest level of the keep.

Rumors spread quickly about her identity. Where had she come from? Why had Darius returned with her and granted her access to his private quarters? Some romanticized her, as a powerful mage on par with Noxian Elite, and that she had been the mastermind behind the infiltration. Others deemed her a common Demacian whore. She isn't stupid, she heard the things they say about her in hushed whispers as she walked from Darius's quarters to the med tent in the courtyard each morning. They never said those things when she's at Darius's side though, fearing retribution if the Hand of Noxus caught wind of the rumors. She knew though that it's nothing he can solve for her, this was her battle. She had to be the one to earn their respect.

Eryn found it strange each day to walk the halls of the keep that had once belonged to her ancestors. She supposed she should feel some attachment to it, some joy that her family's possessions were finally in some strange way returned to their owner. She wondered solemnly, as she lied beside Darius one night, if her father would be proud or disappointed. She never dwelled on that thought for too long, it's too hard to with Darius's arms holding her in his sleep and pressing her closely to his chest.

After nearly three months in the keep, the Demacians aren't making any successful advancements on the keep, but aren't able to be driven back by the Noxians. It's a stalemate, so much so that Eryn feels herself falling into a comfortable rhythm of day to day routines. But as soon as she's getting used to life in the med tent, Darius barges in midday to pull her aside. He always seems to be doing that, tearing down any sense of normalcy she begins to build. Not that she minds. That's what's so thrilling about being with him.

"Jericho wants me to return to Noxus Prime. It's urgent apparently." He says to her quietly.

"We're retreating?" Eryn asks, looking at him quizzically.

"I don't retreat." Darius says and she has to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She should have seen that line coming from him.

"Then what's happening?"

He breathes deeply. "Reallocating resources. Shurima is mobilizing, and Jericho doesn't want to lose our foothold on the continent."

"And our foothold here?"

"We can't spread ourselves too thin. And I have probably been outvoted by both of them if I'm being ordered to return. I'm just going to have to trust in his vision." She knows that by both he's referring to the Faceless Lady, the third member of the Trifarix. She's been able to suss from his tone over the past few months that he doesn't trust her, well... trusts her a lot less than Swain at least. "I'm leaving Farron here to defend unless it becomes impossible to hold. I'll command from afar, Jericho needs me back in the capital. We leave at dawn. Quietly."

Eryn can feel her legs shaking with anxiety and a lump forming in her throat as she steps onto the wooden stepping block placed in front of her. It creaks under her weight as she does which doesn't help with her nervousness. It only gives her about a foot of extra height but it's not the step itself that bothers her, it's the purpose of it.

Darius is at her side with a teasing smile. He's wearing simple traveling clothes with a red cloak fluttering gently in the wind. He's standing on the ground beside the wooden block, so for once she's looking down at him. She presses a shaky hand onto his shoulder to balance herself as a strong breeze runs through the grassy paddock they've found themselves in. "I don't think I've ever seen you so nervous."

Her face flushes bright red and she's about to reply with a witty retort, but bites her tongue as the stable boy finally arrives with a horse in tow. He's leading a chestnut stallion with a lean build and long reddish mane. It's lazily following the stable boy as he leads it over to the mounting block Eryn is standing atop of. Darius chuckles at her expression. "What?" She asks, her voice cracking, which only causes him to laugh louder. "Don't laugh at me! I'm regretting pulling you out of that Demacian dungeon more and more by the day."

"The farmer girl can stand up to The Hand of Noxus but is scared of a horse."

"We were never wealthy enough for one! We just had goats and an ox to pull our carts."

"How is a horse scarier than an ox?" His eyebrows are quirked as the stable boy parks the horse right before them in front of the mounting block. Darius gently pats the stallion's neck as he takes the reins from the stable boy.

Eryn rolls her eyes like the answer is obvious. "You don't have to ride the ox!" Even atop the mounting block the horse's back seems so tall before her.

"Yes, but you've ridden something much more dangerous than an ox." He lowers his voice so the stable boy doesn't hear, and her entire face turns a deep scarlet as he takes on a sultry tone. While she's off guard Darius takes the opportunity to lift her by her waist from the block and plops her into the saddle. She yelps in protest but doesn't resist as she settles into the seat. He adjusts the stirrups for her to fit her height while she clings to the horn of the saddle. The horse shifts from foot to foot while it waits for them to finish tacking up and Eryn feels her entire stomach flip upside down. "See? Not so bad."

She's staring down the neck of the horse, watching how its ears flick backwards, almost like it's listening to their conversation. "I still feel like walking to Noxus Prime is a better idea." She mumbles as the stable boy makes his way back to the barn to fetch Darius's horse for him.

"You'll pick up on it easily. Here," He hands her the reins, "have him walk on." He gestures with his arm for her to walk forward. "Squeeze his flank with your calves." Her legs thump at the horse's side and it takes a measly step forward. "Squeeze, not tap. And keep your eyes up and where you want to go. If you're staring at the ground you're more likely to end up there." She gulps and sticks her chin up high and gives another squeeze.

The horse is walking now, its body rocks from side to side beneath her and she finds she has to hold on just to keep herself from sliding off. Darius walks beside her, reaching up to help correct positioning and giving her small directions when needed. But eventually he stops walking beside her and lets her walk on her own, and she slowly guides the horse to walk in a small circle around the paddock. "See it's just like in life. Keep your chin held high and eyes focused on the future is the key to success."

She rolls her eyes. "Well Darius, if this whole Hand of Noxus thing doesn't work out I can see a future for you as an old stable hand bestowing life lessons upon the youth."

"I could always leave you with no lessons and let you figure how to control the wild beast on your own." Darius taunts, smiling wide when the horse rips the reins from her hands in order to lean down and bite at an itch on his leg. She lurches forward with a surprised squeak.

"Darius!" Eryn cries out as she struggles to get the horse to pick his head back up. She yanks on the reins but he seems to ignore her.

"Oh, so now you want my advice?" He has a bemused smirk painted across his face as he watches. Finally the horse lifts its head back up, but it seems less to do with finally listening to Eryn and more that it finally scratched the itch that was bothering it.

The stable boy returns now leading a much larger horse with a dark brown coat and black mane and tail. It clops excitedly beside the stablehand, its hooves that are larger than dinner plates thud loudly against the ground. Darius doesn't seem fazed by the large excitable creature, and Eryn sends a silent thanks to the gods that her horse is at least not thatone. When the horse reaches Darius he mirrors the affectionate pat he had given her stallion. He then places one foot in the stirrup and mounts the horse in one swift motion, swinging his body atop the beast with grace. The horse stirs beneath his weight as he gathers the reins in one hand. His red cape flutters behind him before settling to rest on the horse's flank.

As he's settling into the saddle she can't help but admire him. His muscular frame, his commanding presence, how the early morning sun halos his silhouette. He catches her staring and smiles back at her and her heart flutters in her chest. "Well I suppose the only good thing to come out of this horrible horse riding idea is that I get to see you look quite dashing. Like a knight from my storybooks."

He laughs as he commands his horse to trot up beside her. Her time being a head taller than him was short lived, as both him and his horse tower over her. "If you think this is still a horrible decision by the time we reach Kilgrove, we can sell the horses and go the rest of the way on foot. Deal?" She nods. "Good. Just let your horse follow mine, they're herd animals. They want to stick together. They know that in unity there is strength." He says the last line knowing it would provoke a groan from Eryn.

"I am taking back my compliment. You are not dashing, you are haughty and insufferable." She whines. He urges his horse onwards into a slow trot and Eryn yelps as her own follows, trotting to keep beside Darius's mare. She clenches with her thighs to keep herself from bouncing out of the saddle. "Are we in Kilgrove yet?"

They leave the Demacian countryside, and by horseback Eryn has to admit that it's much faster. Simply because they aren't the ones lugging their equipment. Her body aches at night from muscles she didn't know could ache, but ultimately she doesn't hate it. She enjoys how the wind whips at her hair when they canter along the winding Noxian roads. She appreciates having Darius take time to give her lessons as they travel and how he praises her slow improvements. And she adores how her horse who she's dubbed Red likes scratches on his chest after each day of work, and how he snuggles his head into her arms as they camp at night demanding her attention. By the time they reach Kilgrove, the halfway mark from the Gates of Mourning and Noxus Prime, she's fine with the horses.

They arrive in Kilgrove as the sun is setting and Darius pays for a room at the inn and stable room for their horses. After weeks on the road Eryn is more than excited to be sleeping in an actual bed. She collapses into the mattress the moment the moment she steps foot into their room. Darius simply chuckles lowly as he places their bags on the floor. "So are we selling-"

"Red is never leaving my side." She interrupts, her voice muffled by the pillows she's buried her face in. She feels the bed dip as he sits next to her. "I'd sell you sooner than him."

"I cannot tell if that's an insult or very high praise to the horse." He states and she hears him slowly undressing, kicking his boots off and tossing his shirt to the floor into a pile. "What does it take to be valued as highly as Red, the horse you hated nearly 2 weeks ago."

"Maybe if you were as kind as him when I ride you." She peeks out from the pillows with a wolfish grin on her face.

"I am very kind to you despite your continued ungratefulness." The bed shifts again from his weight as suddenly he's over top of her. He buries his face into the crook of her neck, planting kisses along her skin.

She rolls onto her back, guiding his face to hers so they're kissing. Her hands trail down his back, taking in every curve of every muscle as his tongue dives into her mouth. He tastes of metal, like copper and steel, something that's grown familiar to her now as they've spent many a night together like this. His own hands roam across her body, slowly pushing the fabric covering her skin off her body. It's not long before her shirt joins the growing pile of clothes on the floor, as he pulls it up over her head between kisses.

One of Darius's hands begins travelling south, and she runs her fingers through his raven locks of hair. He slips one hand into her trousers and gets to work massaging her clit, while his other hand rolls over her breasts. She gasps into his mouth as he tweaks her nipple, pleasure blossoming in her groin. He hums in approval as she squirms beneath him, rolling her hips into his hand trying to attract more friction.

He breaks the kiss, and Eryn makes a disgruntled sound as he sits up and pulls away. He chuckles, his half lidded eyes are alight with amusement as he slowly slips out of his trousers. "You still haven't learned any patience have you?"

"It's really not my fault, after the first time we did this you got yourself captured for almost a week. I never know if this is going to be the last time!" She protests, slipping out of her own pants and flinging them to the floor.

"Maybe you should think about that before valuing your horse over me..."

"I was joking!" She laughs and he pulls her into his lap. She straddles him, feeling his hard member pressed between their bodies as she presses kisses along his sharp jawline. The proximity has her dripping. "What do I need to do to earn your forgiveness, oh great Hand of Noxus?" She asks jokingly as she grinds against him.

He makes a pleased sound at the motion. "Why don't you show me if those riding lessons are actually paying off then?" He proposes and she laughs incredulously at the joke, rolling her eyes but still more than eager to oblige the request.

She places her hands on his shoulders and lightly guides him to lying flat against the mattress. He watches her hungrily, his hands resting on the gentle curves of her hips, as she positions herself above his member. The tip pokes at her entrance, and it takes all of her self restraint to go slowly, savoring the feeling of him entering her. He inhales sharply, his head leaning back into the pillows as she lowers herself. She bites her lip in pain and pleasure as his length spreads her, and she can't help but gasp when their hips meet again. She holds there, letting herself adjust to his size, before pushing herself up with her knees and then immediately slamming their hips together again.

Eryn sets a fast rhythm, leaning on his chest with her hands to keep herself propped up as she bounces herself up and down with her legs. Eryn watches him as his eyes are screwed shut in pleasure and with every slap of their hips together he lets out a soft moan. She loves how vulnerable he looks like this, quivering beneath her as she works herself up and down his length. His fingers dig into her hips as they follow the motion of her bouncing.

One particular thrust has her seeing stars as she presses against him, his dick pressing right into her g-spot. She moans loudly, as she shakily lifts herself back up and slams right back into it. Her legs tremble, threatening to completely give out beneath her.

Darius is the one to lose patience now, as he hooks one arm around her back and flips their positioning, pressing her back into the bed and locks their lips together. Her legs wrap tightly around his hips as he takes control, thrusting into her deeply. She moans into his mouth as each plunge hits her just right, and she can feel herself getting close.

Darius must be too, as his pace quickly becomes erratic, desperate to release the pleasure building in him. He breaks their kiss, letting his lips trail down her neck as Eryn's moans turn into cries. Soon she's calling his name, begging for him, and that sends him over the edge. With one final thrust he spills into her, and she digs her nails into his back as her orgasm follows suit.

Darius collapses beside her, pulling her close to his chest and tucking her head under his chin. Her back is pressed tight to his chest as she breathes deeply, coming down from the high of her orgasm. His hand traces her curves, starting from her shoulder and down her arms. He pauses when he reaches her forearms, they're still scarred from the events at Whitburn's keep. The flesh is still warped and singed a deep red. "Does it still hurt here?" He asks as his calloused hands run over the marred skin.

She shakes her head. "When I use magic it stings a bit still is all." His hand continues, finding her own and entangling their fingers together.

"That's good. I want you fighting at my side again if you're recovered enough. Maybe we should work on your swordplay too… for whenever you're low on mana…" He seems to be mostly talking to himself now, going over training regimens in his head as his thumb rolls over her skin.

"What about mounted combat hm?" She asks teasingly, provoking a chuckle that rumbles against her.

"I believe your riding has definitely improved enough that we can consider that an option as well." He replies, his voice taking a teasing tone to it as well and she laughs.

The idea of training alongside him sparks thoughts of the future, of Noxus's capital. Something that once sparked fear in her now fills her with excitement for her future. "What is Noxus Prime like?" She asks.

"I've told you so much of it already, do your interrogations ever end?"

"I want to hear more."

He hums, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "You'll just have to wait to find out."

A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed! I'll be crossposting my works here occasionally, but if you want constant updates follow me on Ao3, I'm BridgeGoblin there too, and Twitter GoblinBridge. This fic will be getting a sequel eventually, but between now and then I have a few other fics planned! Let me know what you thought and see you next time!