The chatter in the hall stopped when Pen and Crevan were announced. Many craned around to get a look at the Lord of the Court of thorns. The whispers were already rife that she'd cuckolded the king at mid-winter and had raised the other male to the rank of Lord to cover it up. It felt somewhat like Jareth's court all over again. She had endured those whispers, she would endure these. Crevan led her to the queen's seat and took the seat beside her. She turned to see Rhiannon on Nuada's other side.

Pen let herself have a small smile at the sight of her Spy Mistress playing "mistress" to the king again. She reached under the table for Crevan's hand and squeezed gently. He returned her squeeze and tried to make a conversation with the lord on his other side, who happened to be of the Ane Elle court. The whispers grew louder when the human delegation came in. It seemed she and Crevan were the main topic of gossip.

#

Nuada pried her fingers from the eating dagger, quietly reminding her that this was the Grand Council and the repercussions would get messy. Crevan had her other hand so she could not slide the stiletto out of her sleeve. For Crevan, this was a lesson on why Pen usually went to court functions as the Guild head or Lady thorn rather than as Queen.

"...Perhaps my lady and I should go for a walk." Crevan offered. "...It is stuffy in here."

Pen agreed, an excuse to get out before she threw something at the haughty bitch that was loudly insulting her and the Court of thorns.

They were well away from the hall when Pen stopped in her stride. She hated Court and politics. Crevan took her in his arms and held her in place. She leaned into the embrace.

"...I usually have a thicker skin." She said. "...I have a lot to think of."

She could see he did not want to be out in the open, there were enough rumors.

"There is an alcove little ways up, enough for two."

they continued on, the alcove was perfect.

"I take it you and Nuada trysted here." He said maneuvering her to sit on his lap.

She smiled settling herself.

"Yes, had to be quiet too..."

He looked and realized despite the bit of shelter the hall was very public.

"...Perhaps my lady and I will do the same one day." He promised. "...for now I have a puzzle to solve..."

He maneuvered her to sit facing him the skirts were making it a bit difficult. She placed her hands on his shoulders. He ran his hands up her thighs, feeling wisp of fabric on her hips. She shivered, he had good hands.

"Lacy..." He said. "...delicate."

"Expensive..." She reminded him.

He smiled. "...yes, I'll try not to damage them once I find out their color..."

Getting nothing but a wiggly woman on his lap, Crevan moved up to feel around her bodice.

"The same down this way..." He said, pushing aside the fabric on her shoulder to look for straps. "blue..."

"Exact color..." She said. "Or else you forfeit me for the night."

"Night blue..." He said and dipped his head to kiss between her breasts. "...And I guess one of his majesty's favorite colors...but we will simply sleep tonight. I wish to keep my promise until this is done."

"...It is because you had Ciri then." She said. "You do not wish to dishonor that memory."

He nodded. "...we were not lovers yet, nor really much. I do not know what I will do to see her again, though I know I shouldn't..."

"Tell me of where you bedded her first..."

A chance to tell a "story" to her and have a reason why they were sitting there.

He held her against him. "The time of the end...before Geralt defeated Imlerith. She slaughtered the crones. I came to her call, she wasn't innocent but the final step needed to be taken. She told me, I was the one she chose. She told me again and again..." He said. "We carried on but were not lovers. I think you humans would have called it hooking up..."

She laughed. "...Yes, I think that is an appropriate term."

"I lied to Geralt, refused to tell him my feelings." He smirked. "I was more worried that he'd use his sword when he found out I was...hem..trysting with Ciri." He leaned back against the wall, still holding her. "I knew she'd follow the path once she had fulfilled the prophecy, I had not realized how that would affect me..."

"...What did he do when you did tell him?"

He laughed. "Yen took care of that, a moat. High summer and neck-deep in Foul muck, on the other side of Boclair. I stomped to the nearest tavern, ordered an ale. Spat most of it out to clear the taste of Shit from my tongue. I then stomped back to the Vineyard. Ciri found it amusing, I did not. I threatened to portal Yen to somewhere that matched her demeanor..."

"And..."

"Another moat, I don't think I smelled anything other than shit for a month. Between that and Geralt dragging me from bed at the crack of dawn. I had gone through training once already thank you." He sighed. "...it was peaceful there. I came to miss it."

She found that a bit amusing, trying to imagine him covered from head to toe in muck, the only thing visible the vibrant blue she was looking into now.

"Every summer...?" She prompted. "You, Ciri and the children..."

"Yes, despite our distance...I watched my children run Feral, and got to feel like we were a family still for a little while." He listened for a few minutes. "...it was hard for Ciri to watch the world she knew disappear."

She remembered the "modern" world falling in the last war.

"...Not as hard for me, but I can understand."

He'd near forgotten she'd seen two wars between humans and Sidhe and a third lay on the horizon.

"What was it like for you, when you met Nuada..."

"Which time." She said. "...I was still an apprentice when I first met him. I wasn't afraid of him, I found him fascinating. I didn't know why then. I collided hard enough for the edge of his armor to bruise my face. Lochain once said the mark was imprinted on my soul as well."

"...am I the same, I fascinate you."

"...more than that." She said. "I am in awe of you. Of how hard you have fought, of how far you've come."

She kissed him, sliding her tongue against his. He responded, pulling her closer. The kiss deepened before they parted.

"...A little kiss and nibble..." He teased. "...My lady is being naughty again."

She smiled. "We should head back, we will need to have at least one dance."

"...I thought we were having one already..." He said.

She shimmied off his lap and adjusted her clothing. He looked down, groaning. She pulled him to his feet, pulling him close.

"We need to see if we are still the subject of gossip or someone else has taken the spotlight..."

He let out a sigh, "Do I have to gloat that I guessed..."

Pen pulled him back toward the hall laughing.