I really did get back into this quite enthusiastically, didn't I?

Anyway, have some filler!

Includes some innuendo.

It was strange, how fast the time seemed to pass now that I wasn't alone. Suddenly the world seemed a little brighter when I knew that I had someone of my own to stand with at the end of the day. As May waned into June, I felt a bit like the late Spring that was becoming Summer: Growing, becoming. I sat with Jon and Gary as we pored over documents and reports. I sat with Alex and Amelys as we'd catch up and simply spend time together. I resumed lessons with Thom on magic...and at night we'd teach eachother about a different sort of magic that we were discovering together.

It was as we were sitting at a meeting one day, discussing the potential audience of the impending coronation, that I realised it was getting better. Jon and I were vehemently arguing about the attendance of the Stone Mountain family when we were politely interrupted by a servant. "Your Highnesses-" Jon was still not officially King despite the fact that he'd taken up a majority of the responsibilities "-Sir Gareth the Younger waits outside."

Cutting off our argument, the pair of us waited until Jon verbally admitted our cousin. The man strode into the room. "I could hear you two all the way down the hall," he remarked dryly. "Care to share what your talking was about?"

"If you spent as much attention on punctuality as you did chasing skirts then maybe you would know," I replied without missing a beat.

"Ouch. I wasn't expecting that. Where did that come from? I haven't seen that wit in Mithros knows how long."

At his words I finally paused, looking up at his face. When had he gotten so tall? Did he always look so mature? "...I don't know," I replied slowly, obstructed by a lump in my throat that was partly due to surprise at myself...but also at him. He's changed...but then, so have we all.

The cousin occupying my thoughts leaned over to kiss my cheek. "I guess I'll have to resume keeping an eye out for you. Life was so much easier when you forgot how to talk back," he joked, settling into the chair and accepting the papers that Jon passed to him.

"Well, if that's all you have to say, then let me say what we were...discussing." I paused to shoot Jon a look. "In no way will I accept any more Stone Mountain nobles than necessary. The Lord and Lady may attend your coronation. I won't have anything more, or you can be sure that I won't be in attendance." My suddenly-sharp tone startled a snicker from the son of Naxen. We both pivoted in our seats to look at him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're enjoying this."

"Maybe I am enjoying telling my brother how much of a fool he is. I used to do it a lot anyway – why not now?"

"Fine! The Master of Ceremonies will have a fit...but fine."

"Good."

~oOo~

It was only after the two men were alone – Willow had left earlier to attend to another matter – that Jon set down his papers with a soft sigh. Gary, hearing the slight catch in the noise, turned to face him, a puzzled look on his face. "Jon?"

"Something's happened," Jon replied thoughtfully, his gaze distant.

"Are you talking about Willow?"

"Something has changed in her," Jon continued, his voice carrying the tone of one who has not heard his companion speak.

"Maybe she is finally moving on – or at least, she is okay," said Gary. "Something like this doesn't just go away in a night."

Jon nodded absently, but his cousin could tell that the Prince was not convinced in the slightest. Gary could see that look on Jon's face – something was up, and Jon intended to find out what. "...You haven't spoken to her properly since your Father's death. Maybe you should," the son of Naxen commented.

"...Yes. Maybe I should."

~oOo~

"You're late."

I sat myself on the carpet with barely a glance at my tutor, before deigning to answer him. "I was held up in a ridiculous discussion about the attendance of the Stone Mountain family at Jon's coronation," I replied, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

"I assume you taught him the error of the idea," replied Thom, and I could tell by his voice that the idiot mage was grinning.

"Of course I did," I responded primly, hearing his soft snort at my worldly tone. "Now, I believe you are here to teach me magic."

"That depends on the magic." Thom waited a beat before he deliberately added, a nuance to his tone, "Your Highness."

My eyes popped open and I stared at him. "You shouldn't say those things where people could hear," I muttered, gesturing at the open door.

"Why not? All I'm saying is that there are many types of magic...some which do not require us to be seated..." The saucy-tongued sorcerer smirked. "...Like thread magic. That matters not on your position – only that you have a steady supply of thread."

"You don't even use thread magic," I growled at him.

"No – but you do, and it is enjoyable to tease you so," he admitted, the smirk growing on his face.

I wanted nothing more to kiss it off, but knowing the dangers of doing that when anyone could walk past and see us, I instead looked down, attempting to breathe past the heat that his words had instilled in me. A moment later I heard him exhale just as heavily as I had and I risked a glance at him. "You regret that decision to needle me now, don't you?" I murmured, seeing that his eyes were tightly shut – though he looked the picture of calm, I knew he most certainly wasn't.

His words confirmed my suspicions a moment later – though I was not expecting his fingers to brush up my thigh, the action lightning-fast. "Maybe now, but not later," he replied in the same tone, that stupid smirk showing for a brief moment as I fought a soft gasp.

However, if was only after I'd closed my eyes that he had the last word. "...And besides, Princess...that's when we learn about all different types of magic anyway." His sentence had blood rushing to my face as my eyes flew open yet again – and yes, the smirk was still present.

The Goddess take this idiot of a man!