Lorcan was in the training room with the rest of the remaining Cadre. He had come on a visit with Elide from Perranth under the notion that she desperately needed a break. Which was true no one had been working harder than Elide to rebuild Perranth. He also had another reason however. He wanted to propose to her and he had a plan to do it, but not the rings.

Never once in the five-hundred plus years he had been alive did he ever contemplate buying a wedding ring. So naturally he had no idea where to start. The only married one of them was Rowan and Aelin had basically stolen their rings from an ancient treasure trove. Which honestly he thought would be easier, but Elide would probably yell at him for stealing. So he was instead going to ask Rowan where he had gotten their rings engraved. Aelin had been very showy of them at her birthday party and it had been easier to just nod at them when they had been passed to Elide and him by default. He did, however, have to admit that the craftsmanship was impressive. Rowan had also mentioned that the Fae who ran it seemed like a no nonsense kind of person. Lorcan could appreciate that.

So when they were all taking a water break Lorcan just ripped off the bandage. "Rowan where did you get your rings engraved?"

Cue Gavriel, Fenrys, and Rowan looking at him like he was insane. Fenrys grinned at him like a godsdamned cat, "Lorcan I'm so glad you finally accepted who you are. I mean no one ever believed me when I told them how soft and obsessive over small details you are. Really it's touching." He put a hand over his heart and wiped a fake tear.

Lorcan snarled and lunged at him. Gavriel pulled him back before his punch could make contact. Fenrys just kept grinning and when he snarled again Rowan rolled his eyes and said, "Why do you want to know Lorcan?"

He stepped away from Gavriel and replied, "When we get back to Perranth I plan on proposing to Elide and I need rings."

Rowan nodded and Gavriel slapped him on the back in comradery. Then Fenrys put his hand on Lorcan's shoulder, "Well good luck to her and you." Which was probably the least offensive thing Fenrys had said to him in awhile. He then left, " I'll see you all at dinner.

Gavriel turned to the two of them and said, "I'm babysitting Evangeline the rest of the day with Aedion," he left too.

Whitethorn turned to him, "I got the rings engraved at a stall in Orynth. I'm going to shower then I can take you there."

Lorcan nodded he really didn't want to shop for rings with anyone, but if he had to pick someone it would be Whitethorn. They and the rest of the cadre had gotten closer under Aelin's rule. Before, while they had been brothers, Meave had enjoyed pitting them against each other, so certain walls had always stayed up.

Thirty minutes later Rowan and Lorcan had showered and dressed in unassuming clothes. That was one thing that rather annoyed Lorcan now that he was a Lord, or about to become one, people were more likely to come up to him. It annoyed Rowan too he knew. They walked for about two hours making small talk when they came to a stall at the end of a street filled with other vendors. The stall was also set a good few feet away from others. Lorcan already liked it better.

There was a Fae female, the owner he assumed, sitting on a stool behind a counter talking to a noble. He and Lorcan looked at the various daggers and knives she had displayed. There were also rings, earrings, and necklaces out as well, but the few rings did not really look like wedding rings. Or at least ones that he thought Elide would like. He did, however, start paying attention to the conversation the noble and the Fae were having. Especially when he heard her say, "In the nicest way possible please f*ck off for at least another hour."

The noble looked highly affronted and Lorcan had to repress a chuckle and he heard a quiet one from Rowan. "How dare you say that to me? I am a nobleman of much higher class than you."

She gave him a long pissed off look and waved out her arm in an exaggerated gesture, "Lay thine eyes on thy field upon which I grow my f*cks and thou shalt see that it is barren." His eyes widened comically and he walked away with an offended huff and she rolled her eyes at his ridiculous antics.

Rowan put down the knife he had been looking at and walked towards the counter with smile on his face and Lorcan followed. "So what'd he do to piss you off?"

"He's come by four times in the last hour even though I told him the dagger wouldn't be done for two hours. And besides that noble people tend to piss me off. I'm not sure how you two do it all day."

Yeah, Lorcan wasn't either. Rowan raised a brow, "It gets annoying, but you learn how to tune them out. Besides do nobles commonly come to your stall Arklynn?" So that was her name.

"No," she replied, "it's mostly Fae and demi-fae because apparently I make humans uncomfortable, can't see why though." Yeah, Lorcan couldn't see it either. It couldn't possibly be the height or the weaponry or language. Or just her general disposition that made you think twice before speaking. "But I didn't always do this. So why did you come today?"

He looked at Lorcan and Lorcan swallowed and stepped a little closer to the counter, "I want to look at wedding rings."

She nodded and got off the stool and walked over to a wall of drawers. "So are you also looking for an engagement ring or just wedding bands."

What? "There's a difference?" He looked over at Rowan who looked just as confused as he did.

Arklynn turned her head to look at him. She had a slightly amused expression on her face. "Yes an engagement ring is what you give to the female when you propose and always has at least one stone in the center. The wedding bands are what you exchange during the actual ceremony." She pulled out two drawers and placed them on the counter for him to look at. "What most women do is that until the day of the wedding they wear their engagement ring then they take it off. Rings are exchanged during the ceremony and then when the women get home they put the engagement ring back on. Or they just wear one or the other."

Well. "The man doesn't where any sort of engagement ring right?"

"No he doesn't wear any ring until the wedding."

"Even I knew that Lorcan." Rowan commented dryly from where he had backed up and was again looking at weapons.

Lorcan just glared at him slightly and turned back to the rings and Arklynn. "I guess I'll get an engagement ring too." She just nodded and he looked at the various rings. One box contained rings with jewels and the other just had bands in different shades of gold and silver.

"I also have a booklet of designs if you don't like any of those."

Lorcan nodded and decided that it would just be easier if he just chose the wedding bands first; as that is what they are apparently called. He picked up a silver band and flipped it around in his hand. He knew Elide would want something simple and so did he. The ring also had small line engravings that he rather thought Elide would like. He certainly did, however, this ring would neither fit him or Elide.

He held it up to Arklynn, "I like the line engravings on this."

She nodded and took it from him, "I don't suppose you know know your ring size or your future fiancee's?"

"I know mine but not her's."

Arklynn nodded and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen of wrote down some number. She then took the ring, placed it back in the box, and slide it back into the wall of drawers. Then she walked back over and crouched down behind the counter, then came up with two different drawers.

In them were replications of different sized hands. He looked at her curiously. "Most men don't know their lover's ring size when they come to buy rings so I made these to solve the problem. You just pick the one that's closest to her hand and that tells me her ring size." Now he and Rowan were giving her a weird look. "I've been in this business for over 50 years. This is not the first time I've had this problem. After all it's really hard to keep an engagement a surprise when you ask a question like what's your ring size."

Lorcan nodded in understanding and chose the one closest to Elide's hand size. She nodded, "5. Your ring size? I'm going to guess 11 and a half."

He blinked, "Correct and I have to admit that's a little creepy."

She shrugged, "Keep looking at engagement rings. I'll go start on the wedding bands," then disappeared behind a curtain.

He continued to look at the rings and couldn't decide between two. He turned to Rowan, he couldn't believe he was about to ask this, at least it wasn't Fenrys. "What do you think?"

Rowan turned to look at the two choices he was holding. The one in his right hand was a simple thin silver band with a diamond cut in a square. The second was a bit fancier with one diamond surrounded by a flower pattern and then smaller diamonds on each side. He preferred that one, but wanted a second opinion. Rowan took the one from his left hand and examined it closer. "I think she would like this one more."

Lorcan nodded his agreement. Arklynn came out a minute later, "Decided?" He nodded again and showed it to her, "Good choice." She then wrote another number on the same piece of paper. Then asked, "Do you want the line engravings on both wedding bands or just hers?"

"Both."

Arklynn nodded and grabbed the remaining box and ring from him, "You can pick up all three rings tomorrow." Then disappeared behind the curtain again.

"Well," he turned to Rowan who had spoken, "that was our dismissal." Lorcan nodded and they left the stall.

"I rather like her. There aren't many who would dismiss the King of Terrasen and a well-known Fae warrior like that."

Rowan grinned slightly, "I thought you would."

They walked for a while then Lorcan said, "I wonder what would happen if she and Aelin met?"

At that Rowan shuttered slightly, "There would be blood; the only thing that would be worse would be if she met Manon at the same time."

Lorcan just shook his head, "Don't say that it's enough to give me nightmares." Rowan chuckled and walked then fell into a comfortable silence that stayed until they got back to the castle.

The next day Lorcan went back to Arklynn's stall, alone, to pick up the rings. When he got there though, a young red headed demi-fae was sitting at the counter talking (or more like flirting) with a human girl who was shopping with her parents, instead of Arklynn. For a moment he thought he had come to the wrong stall, but then she walked out from behind the curtain. "Tanner," she snapped, "what have a told you about flirting on the job."

The boy went the same shade as the color of his hair and mumbled something as the human girl giggled and walked away. She rolled her eyes and turned to the young boy, "Your dad's waiting for you out back." Wait was that her son? No, Lorcan sniffed the air; their scents were too different for them to be related."

He nodded and slid off the stool, "See yah later Aunt." Interesting. She nodded back to him and watched as he left out a door at the back of the stall.

Lorcan walked up to the counter as she turned towards him. "I'll grab them," she said before turning and disappearing behind the curtain. Not one to waste words then; another reason to like her. Less than a minute later she came back out holding to small boxes. Arklynn placed both on the counter.

He opened one of them and inside was the engagement ring. It looked exactly like the one he'd chosen yesterday only smaller. In the other box were the wedding rings. The line patterns were the same and the size looked right. Lorcan slipped his wedding ring on his finger, it fit perfectly. He took it off and put the ring back in its box and looked up at her.

Her face was a question, "Well?"

"I like them. How much?"

Arklynn named her price, and he nodded, and paid, then slipped both boxes into his pocket. "Thanks," He said as he walked away. She gave a noncommittal grunt in reply already moving back behind the curtain again. Yeah Lorcan really liked her.