Clearing the Waters

[»Míríel«]

Neron had been playing the violin for about an hour already. He had been playing multiple times of the day every day just for Jaedon. He know how she loved his violin's voice, and it gave him something to do. If he didn't have his violin he would have been a wreck of nerves, feeling absolutely useless.

Neron found himself with just Cecily and Jaedon. Tarian had gone out on the hunt for dinner and Cecily refused to leave until Jaedon was significantly better. Jaedon had woken up more often, though in the beginning she had no sense about her, and now she was starting to finally get her strength about her again. Still she was a far way off from being her normal self. So Cecily, though stubborn also knew that she needed to go out and gather supplies.

Neron's music grew thoughtful, he needed to talk to herHe had to explain himself. No doubt she wanted an explanation but there hadn't been the correct moment. Cecily was always hovering around or Jaedon needed to rest. Perhaps his moment would come soon. A sense of dread filled him. He was not used to this, explaining himself and weighed down by guilt certainly didn't help his confidence. As much as he wanted to get it over with there was still the anxiety of how she would take it, and the dread of actually talking about it.

The music stopped and he put the violin down and sat in the chair that had been his bed for the past days of Jaedon's sickness. He couldn't tell whether he was thankful to sit or dreading it. Every part of the chair bit into his back now, and the kinks and knots in his neck and lower back didn't make it any more comfortable. Still these injuries were worth the pain, and Neron had dealt with much worse.

"I'm going out." Cecily clasped her cloak over her dress. The material shimmered silver as strange rune-like designs decorated it. "I need to get some herbs." Her amber eyes narrowed. "Don't do anything stupid like making her talk to much or making her upset. You understand?" Not waiting for an answer she tied up her hair, making her almost look girlish, and headed out the door. "I will be back whenever you least expect it. So be ready." She sent a smirk his way before leaving the building, basket and silver pouch in hand.

Neron ran a hand through his thick hair and let out a sigh of relief. Finally alone. He couldn't help but feel the butterflies in his stomach. She's not awake yet... he reassured himself. Still he wished she would. He looked at her sleeping face and studied her carefully for any sign that she may be waking. Then at no sign he leanded forward, elbows on his knees with his fingers on the bridge of his nose, almost in a prayerful position, though more exhausted and tense.

[saerwen]

Over the past few days, Jaedon had started to feel better. She knew that she was no longer on the verge of death because she was no longer having to fight off the urge that told her to fall asleep and never wake up. While she knew that there were still serious problems and she was too weak to get up, she could tell that she was on the mend. It was now possible for her to listen to conversations and actually understand what was going on. She had heard small snippets of Neron playing the violin and had enjoyed every second, but if he ever caught her with her eyes opened, it seemed to disrupt his playing, like always. Part of her wondered if it was really like normal or if he was just excited to see her awake. Either way, it didn't matter. She was just glad that she could hear him play.

Even now, as Jaedon awoke, she knew that some part of her had heard his music not too long ago. It had pulled her out of her deep, dreaming state. She had been dreaming about something and then all of a sudden, the violin took over and the dream became all about the music. Jaedon could have almost laughed at her frivolousness. There was part of her that believed she could live solely off of music.

She stirred slightly, as she tried to blink the sleep from her eyes, raising her good hand to wipe them. Impulsively she would have used her other hand, but pain had already been her teacher more than once. She then turned looked over to where Neron usually sat and found his face about five inches from hers. She blinked her big green eyes at him a few times and then blushed slightly as she pulled her head back a little. He looked completely exhausted. She had become very aware of the fact that aside from the time when Cecily had shooed him out, he had not left her side for anything other than to eat or help Cecily. He had even sat or stood by her as he played the violin.

She took in a breath, still painful because of the wound in her side and stomach, and said, "You look terrible."

[»Míríel«]

Nreon jolted slightly by the sound of Jaedon's voice. Even though the characteristic smirk came to his face he couldn't help but be excited about her being awake. "You don't look to good yourself. But don't worry. I think I can look down past all of that to see the beauty within." The smirk deepened. "No matter how deep or long I have to search." The smirk turned into a genuine smile. "I am glad you are up Jaedon. It's nice to see those emerald eyes of yours."

Ever since the past days where he didn't know if he could ever see her eyes open again it had taught him to appreciate her every moment. Excitement come into his heart just to see her and hear her voice again. He sighed as he stretched his back. "I do have to admit I have seen better days. " Leaning forward he sighed. "So how are you feeling today?" His face showed his genuine concern.

[saerwen]

Jaedon gave him a slightly miffed look, and then replied, "Hey, you have no room to talk. Besides, according to previous information you have given you don't care much for outer appearance." She gave him a small smile as he welcomed her up. "I'm glad to be awake and coherent this time."

How was she feeling? As she thought about it now, she realized that she currently couldn't complain much compared to previous injuries. She pursed her lips for a moment and then said, "My shoulder is throbbing, and breathing hurts my side and stomach, but other than that, I am fine."

She then realized that Cecily was not in the house. No one but her and Neron were in the house. Now was the best time to talk, and talking to Neron is what she needed. She wanted to set some things straight with him. She took a deep breath and then winced slightly as she realized that hurt more than it helped. She decided not to do that again and then started talking, "Neron, I don't want this to turn into a fight, but I really need some answers." She looked at him pleadingly, "I want to make it clear that whatever your answer is, I am fine with it, I just need some reasoning, and possibly some time to fume." She didn't take her eyes off of his as she spoke, "The truth is, I love you, and that fact is never going to change, but my heart can only take so much. I have been told by you more than once that this playing and flirting was just to make sure that I didn't go off and kill myself or something like that. If that is all that it has been, then just admit it and don't lead me on anymore. But if you really do care about me, then don't keep playing with my heart. I feel a little bit like a chew toy right now, and it hurts. If you don't love me then, stop saying that you do, because it's only going to hurt me worse, and if you do, stop telling me you don't, because I am a little more than confused." She paused for a moment and then continued, "What you are saying and what you are doing are two different things, and I just want to know what is going on inside that head of yours. I have been on the brink of using my power on you more than once because I am so confused, and the only reason that I haven't is because I have been hoping that you would just explain it to me instead of my having to find out for myself. So, if you don't mind," she hardened her gaze slightly, "start spilling the beans."

[»Míríel«]

Neron nodded. "So am I." As she described how she was feeling all Neron could do was look at her with concern. He wished Cecily was here, perhaps she would be able to do something to make Jaedon more comfortable. Then again that would mean that they wouldn't be able to talk.

As Jaedon started avalanche him with words he pulled back slightly in shock and continued to listen to her. By the time she finished he broke eye contact and looked down at his folded hands. He needed to gather his thoughts. Although he had expected this, the suddenness of her questions had rattled him.Bowing his head slightly he ran his fingers through his hair again. "I know. I will try.I just..." He stood up abruptly and turned his back to her. Slowly he moved around the chair, his hand resting on the edge of it, tracing the outline with his fingers. Finally he stopped as his hand bounced up and down on the top of the chair for a moment. "I don't know exactly where to begin." He lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Jaedon. I..." He dropped his gaze for a moment, summoning his courage. Then meeting her eyes again he continued. "I love you. I truly do. It's just that." He stopped again. "I don't know where to start.." He walked to the end of the bed and back before he spit it out. "I didn't want you to die like everything else, everyone else." He looked at her face for a moment to see if it made sense and then raised his hand to his face, pulling it across it in exasperation. "That doesn't make sense does it?" He shook his head. Why couldn't his thoughts get sorted. " I loved you so I had to leave. I didn't want anything to happen to you." He slammed his open hand on the wall near him. "Curses! That sounds even worse."

[saerwen]

As Jaedon listened to the jumbled mess that was Neron's attempt at explaining himself, she almost felt sorry for him. He had that effect on her it seemed. Bumbling through words wasn't generally his norm, but as he floundered around, Jaedon found it fitting. It was much like how it had been on the day that he had told her he didn't lover her. It was the same topic and the same problem. Surely he had given this some thought while she was under? What was so hard about this explanation? She furrowed her eyebrows at him in confusion and then held up her hand for him to stop.

"Wait, Neron, just wait," she sighed, wincing slightly as she did, "you are going no where fast with this. Just go for one thing at a time. We've gotten past the most important part. You love me." She then smiled and said, "Now, let's start from there. You love me, but you 'didn't want me to die like everything else, everyone else'? What is that all about? Why would you loving me have anything to do with you leaving me?"

[»Míríel«]

Neron sighed in exasperation and collapsed in the chair. He was thankful that she at least got one thing from his bumbling. As he sat there arranging his words and taking a deep breath or two a deep sadness came to his eyes. "This is not easy for me to talk about."

He straightened his back and leaned against the back of the chair. His eyes were averted. "You know about my past with my family. I guess you could say the curse started there. MY whole family." He met her eyes as his own wavered between dragon and human. "Were murdered." His fists clenched and he looked away to stifle the anger. "IT seems that I somehow cheated fate by living, ever since then if I ever grew close to someone they would meet an untimely end. I didn't notice it at first." He looked back at her. "But it soon came to my attention. Fellow dragons, all after they met me died. It had been easy at first to find other young dragons or older dragons who would join me to fight against the humans. Many of them died by the sword, others met death in strange way. A great wind hit us one day, although many of us had enough control to land safely, the younger dragons died due to inexperience. Due to the strong winds we had to grip the ground, and by the time it was over we were all exhausted. Humans descended on us like ants and began attacking. I was the only survivor, the others died in combat or due to their wounds. " He paused for a moment and shifted in his chair before clearing his throat. "I sought revenge and that is where many of my scars came from. Still I managed to make one friend."

Neron glanced up at her. "A human." He lowered his gaze. "My first human friend. He was a violin maker." His hand mindlessly dropped to the case that leaned against his chair. "It was the first time I had been happy in a long time. He taught me how to play, how to use the instrument to covey my emotion and control it, instead of taking it out on others. One night after coming in late I saw a case on the counter. A sleek black one. When I opened it I saw the violin I now own in it. A note stated that he had made it with me in mind and that it was his gift from him to me. You see. I was leaving within the week to move on. Some people were looking for me. He sighed. "I went to find him and thank him."

The image came clearly into his mind, it was a very powerful image, his mind was open so he wouldn't be surprised in Jaedon could sense it. The scent of maple wood came to his mind. The wood dust and curls covering the majority of the surface of the shop. They were all so familiar and welcoming. Then he saw the blood and the hand laying limply with a note in it. "I came in and found that my old friend had been murdered. In his hand was a note. It read: "Death to the friend of dragons. May this fate find you someday." The man had done nothing wrong, nothing. He was old, probably in his late fifties and early sixties when I met him. He couldn't hurt a fly if it had bothered him. Yet once again, due to being associated with me, he died." Neron's eyes looked empty and distant as he was being pulled back into his memories. "You can guess that I went on a rampage after that, killing the men, their wives and children, their whole village if need be. That is where the scars came from.' His eyes studied her face for a moment. "There were other cases, but I believe your ears would grow tired from my rambling." He dropped his eyes and stared at his hands. "I'm cursed Jaedon. If I married you, there would be no telling what could happen. That's why I had to go. I had to break it off. My luck is to bad to have someone else in my life."

[saerwen]

As Jaedon listened to Neron, she realized that he was dead serious. He loved her, but there was something that he saw as preventing them from being together. She had to admit, there were quite a few things that could have put them on the incompatible list. She was a panther and he was a dragon. She was mortal, he was immortal. She was moody and selfish, he was easily angered and a jerk. On the overall general scoring of things, they were a match made in hell, destined for nothing good. But, that was the general scoring, the kind of score that applied to the everyday person. They weren't your everyday people. And when you thought about it closely, Neron and Jaedon had past's that were so similarly hopeless, that it only made sense that they would pull each other out of those places and then fall in love. They understood each other better than most people would be able to understand them.

However, out of all the things that Jaedon thought of as their inadequacies as partners, Neron pulled out one of the strangest as his final argument. Jaedon's face screwed up slightly, and she had to force herself to stay quiet as he finished his story. She wanted to burst out and yell at him, "You idiot! You tore my heart to pieces because of that?" but she restrained herself and made sure the urge was past before she spoke. It took her a while, but finally she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"So you are telling me that you decided to leave me because you think your bad luck is going to end up getting me killed?" She gave him a moment to think about what she had said and then continued on, "Neron, if you haven't noticed, I have the wonderful talent of getting myself into trouble, no matter what. With or without your luck, I'm gonna find myself in some sort of situation where death is the prime directive. I'm just good like that." She wasn't speaking sarcastically, but frankly.

She took a fairly deep breath, but not enough to hurt and started again, "Neron, the truth is, bad luck or not, I'm going to die at some point in time. Parts of me think sooner would be better than later. But, when I die, how I die, where I die, it doesn't matter." She had to pause for a moment. All of this talking was making her short on breath. She was horrified for a moment as she thought of how long she would have to work on running before she would get back into running shape. And then her thoughts went back to her current conversation, "I have watched so many people die after wasting their life, it's depressing. There is no way that I am going to live under a rock my entire life in the hopes that death doesn't find me." She paused as she thought of an applicable quote and then said it, "Every man dies, not every man really lives. I want to really live, Neron. And though it took me while, I have finally discovered that loving is part of living. I would rather die tomorrow with you right there next to me than die sixty years later and not be able to say that I loved someone my whole life long. There would be nothing that I had gained in my life if that were to happen. So please, don't force me into living a useless, wasted life. I wouldn't be able to live that way."

[»Míríel«]

Neron shook his head. "I didn't want to risk it. Jaedon if every time you went swimming with a someone the person died, wouldn't you stop swimming or at least stop swimming with people? I know it sounds ridiculous and crazy and even if you tried to explain it people would put you down as absurd but you know it as a fact. I couldn't risk it. I couldn't risk you dying." He leaned forward and ran both hands through his hair, and held them there as his elbows rested on his knees. Neron just sat there looking at the floor, listening to her.

Then looking up with a serious face he was going to try his hand at explaining. "Jaedon I know you are going to die eventually, I just wasn't ready for you to die yet. If anything I could do could keep you from it than I was going to do it. What you call superstition I call fact. " He leaned back in the chair. "I guess this has taught me that you can't control everything, I never stopped to think about what you felt in my rush to make sure you would live, so in the end what I didn't want happened." He paused for another moment. His eyes drifted over her face. She was so pale and frail he could barely stand it. One day she would return to this, if she lived on past these wounds. Old age would claim her youth and vitality and she would be feeble while he was still strong.

Leaning forward suddenly and grasping her hand, Neron's eyes grew pleading. "Jaedon will you live that life with me? Will you let me be by your side through it all? Will you let me be there for you when you need strength or just someone to talk to? Would you live the life of savoring every moment and milking it for all its worth, for living on the edge, for flying through the skies and touching the cliffs as they slide by?" He placed his other hand on top of hers. "What I am asking is Jaedon would you be my wife? I couldn't imagine living life without you and this experience has shown me that no matter how much or how little time I have with you, whether I or you die first, that we will live together as long as possible and the memories that we have created together will be there for us always when everything else seems to fade" Neron's eyes were glowing with a fire as he looked intently in her face. He had been wanting to do this for a while. At first he didn't understand the desire to tell her something and the rest of the time he was a coward. Now he had asked it, he would take any answer she gave.

[saerwen]

"I'll admit I can see where you were coming from Neron. I could see myself thinking the same thing if I didn't know better. You're too stubborn for me to say that I was dropping you and then just walk off. Somehow that creepy little stalking habit you have would keep you coming around me even if you didn't want to and then things would just be awkward," Jaedon smiled at him. And then got a thoughtful look on her face, "Although I have to say that I am kinda freaked out now, looking back. Somehow we always managed to run into each other. I never believed much in superstitions, but if you could find one to explain that, I might would give that two more seconds of thought."

Jaedon raised an eyebrow as he explained and then in a teasing way said, "I am glad to know that you devilish luck still has a grasp of the funny ways of irony. Your life would be infinitely less interesting and mine would be filled with less laughter if your luck lost its irony."

Jaedon almost jerked back when Neron leaned forward. The sudden movement caught her off guard. However, she prevented herself and then concentrated on what he was saying. Once her brain was firmly in place to listen, Jaedon realized what he was saying. Inwardly she was a mess of excitement, fear, happiness, and yet again, thoughts of irony. Her face probably looked a little comical to Neron. She was looking at him with huge, almost cute-kitten sized eyes, however her nose was scrunched up like she was trying to recover from a smelling something awful and her mouth was hanging slightly open. She was a mixture of confusion, hope, and disbelief.

Eventually she recovered from the initial shock and found her voice. She still had really big eyes, but now she was giving him a look that conveyed exactly what she said to him, "You're kidding me, right?" She paused for a moment to give it dramatic effect, then continued on, "After all of this crap that you put me through, and I still stuck around for your scaly hide," she then gave a huge grin, "did you really even have to ask? Of course I'll be your wife." She gave his hand a squeeze and then added in a slightly annoyed tone, "'Bout freaking time you asked."

[»Míríel«]

"I believe you have been the one to stalk me my little fluff ball. Either that or you used your powers of witches to to draw me towards you without me knowing it." Neron looked a bit more normal with his characteristic smirk on his face. Some of the tiredness and stress seemed to clear from his face as he began the playful banter with her. "That is not a superstition you unbelieving pansy." He leaned in as the smirk shifted to a genuine smile causing his eyes to light up. "That, is destiny."

Once she teased him about his luck he just raised an eyebrow and leaned back into his chair. Placing his fingertips together in his lap as he sighed. "It does, doesn't it. You got it right though, my luck is a devil and those are known for being full of mischief. The worst kind. At least someone gets something positive from it."

Neron watched as her face changed to a comical expression. He would have laughed if he hadn't been so baffled by it. Jaedon was usually composed, well except when he was around then she was usually angry, but that was besides the point. When she asked if he was kidding he got a slight confused look on his face. Had he said something wrong? But it didn't last long, it had to be a sort of trick right? Still she probably enjoyed how his head tilted slightly to the side as he looked at her with a suspicious but confused look.

The look was broken when she mentioned being his wife. A smile like one he had never smiled before came to his face. It seemed like all the clouds of darkness that hung over him disappeared and in shone the sun. "Well excuse me my lady." He bent over to touch the back of her hand to his lips. then looking up from his bent position to look her in the eyes he added with a gleam to his eyes, "I heard that waiting makes the heart grow fonder, I thought I might give it a try." He leaned back . "I think they were right." His mood grew more serious. "Thank you Jaedon." He stroked her hand slightly. "You have made me a very happy man." He leaned in, "Now that we are committed to living on the edge, how about I take you flying sometime." There was something different about Neron's face when he talked about flying. There was an excitement, almost childlike, in his expression. His green eyes widened slightly, his pulse quickened, it was as if he could feel the wind brushing against his wings at that moment. No matter how much he did it, flying never lost its excitement. IT was pure freedom and bliss. There wasn't anything that held you down to the worries of the world. Just the wind could challenge a dragon and that was something Neron liked to defeat. He glanced away from Jaedon , "Though, if you don't think you are daring enough for that sort of thing I understand. I suppose we could always find something else. "

[saerwen]

"No," Jaedon replied adamantly, "I have cast no spell on you. You stalk me all on your onsey." She then gave him a doubtful look, raising one eyebrow, and said, "Destiny? Really Neron, destiny? I'd sooner believe in the tooth fairy. I can clearly say I make my own fate. How else would I be in my current dilemma?" She then gave him a slightly miffed look, "And you better be glad that pansies are my favorite flower, because otherwise, I might have taken that as an insult."

Jaedon gave a little laugh when she saw Nerons face. Him tilting his head and looking at her curiosly was simply too funny. She endured the slight pain that it gave her to laugh at him, wincing as she did. It was nice to laugh again. Neron could always make her laugh.

"You are not excused," she stated matter-of-factly as he kissed her hand, then added, "But I am sure you'll make up for it eventually." Jaedon listened to him and bit her lip to stop herself from responding immediately. She had come so close to snapping at him, but she just gnawed on her lip until her smarting remark had died away until she was able to say it without sounding mean, "Uh-huh... So you mean to tell me you had this all planned from the beginning?" She shook her head, "You are something else. If it had been any other thing, I would have believed you, but that, was as sure fire a lie as I have ever seen." She gave a small smile, "Admit it. You were scared to ask." She already knew that answer to her question, but she still wanted to hear it. However, she made up for her previous accusation by saying, "I suppose that the well quoted saying is true."

When Neron mentioned flying, Jaedon raised an eyebrow. As he continued on, Jaedon couldn't help but notice the childlike happiness that came to his eyes when he talked about flying. She really hadn't had many good experiences with flying, whether on someone's back as she had done with Tarian or in an airplane, she liked neither. She was a woodland animal, a creature of the earth. She liked to feel the dirt beneath her paws and hear the almost mute sounds of the bugs moving through the trees and the leaves. She scrunched her nose up at the thought and then gave Neron a very diplomatic, "Why don't we think more about that when I am actually flying fit." Even with his added little manipulative pride teaser, she still had a less than enthusiastic look on her face. She replied to his little taunt, "I see someone has been learning how to manipulate from me. I knew it would come back to bite me one of these days, but I didn't think it'd be that hard."

[»Míríel«]

Neron shrugged,"By ill luck, but tell me how else would we have meet, I'm sure you didn't have us liking each other from the start." HE leaned forward again. "It was our destiny to be together, and so we are." He laughed at her mentioning taking offense and pointing out her favorite flower. "That was the point my friend. That was the point. I do like the ring of that though. Pansy, yes, seems to suit you. I think I will add it to my list."

"That I will" Neron's eyes sparkled as she mentioned him making it up to her. "Oh course you know me. I planned the whole thing out, I thought that it would be romantic, the near deathbed proposal. It will make a good story, you have to admit." He laughed. His words had been sarcastic, that was apparent. His face darkened slightly. "Me scared? Don't even try to taint my reputation."

"I may have picked up some tips from you, this whole manipulation thing. I'm thinking it may work in the end." He smirked. "As for being hard-"

"Jaedon!"

Neron turned sharply toward the feminine voice, just in time to see Miriel rush through the door and kneel down by the bedside.

"Jaedon is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable? I can't heal you completely, especially right now, but perhaps I could make you more comfortable." Miriel looked into her Friend's face absorbing the paleness with critical eyes. "You look terrible."

"Miriel, what are you doing here?" Neron leaned forward. How had she heard about this. He knew that Damion would not be happy knowing that Miriel was here. Miriel had a tendency to give up her own comfort for her friends. This was usually a good trait, but when it meant life or death it turned dangerous.

"Cecily told me you guys were up here. I had come to see her about how I was feeling." Miriel didn't take her eyes off Jaedon.

"Wait are you sick?" Neron looked the girl over. Ever since she had returned from the honeymoon Neron had never seen her so happy or well in his life. She seemed to glow, even more so than usual. Even now she looked fine. Plus one person being sick was enough, if both Jaedon and Miriel were sick Damion would turn into a nervous wreck. No matter how much Neron loved Jaedon, he didn't know if he could stand a worried Damion hovering around, Cecily was enough for him.

Miriel turned to Neron and smiled, "NO, no I'm fine. It's just..." She paused and saw that Neron wasn't going to let her get away with excuses. Miriel had a habit of saying she was fine when she wasn't, it gave her a record that demanded explanation whenever she mentioned her status of wellbeing. She blushed slightly, looked at Jaedon for a moment before looking down. "I'm pregnant." Her voice was low and her face seemed brighter than before. Then it grew panicked. "I haven't told Damion yet, so don't say a word!" She turned back to Jaedon. "But if I can do anything for you Jaedon please, let me know. I can't stand seeing you like this." Her face grew worried as she grasped her friend's hand.

[saerwen]

"Alright, fine," Jaedon gave up on arguing, "You be the mystical spiritual one in this relationship and I'll be the practical one." She pointed a finger at him, "But I still don't believe in fate."

Jaedon yet again had to choke back a flash of anger with Neron. She decided to try some reverse psychology on him and replied, "Good, at least you'll be calling me something pleasant and not using those other awful pet names you made for me. Witch, really? Who calls their loved one that? Pansy is much more preferable." It was hard for her to say that because she knew that he meant that name in the most demeaning way, but she decided it would be worth it if it would keep him from using it in the future."

Jaedon laughed again at his sarcastic lies. "Oh yes, and I suppose you threw in the tears that you were crying when you first saw me just for the dramatic effect?" She then looked at him with an expression that displayed a light bulb had just gone off in her head when he scoffed at the idea of him being scared. She then narrowed her eyes and looked at him, "You know Neron, it's almost impossible to lie to a telepath."

Jaedon's head turned to the doorway, but there was no real necessity for it, because Miriel was already there by her side before she could even completely move her gaze. She smiled at Miriel, "Hey Miriel. I am fine right now. Cecily and Neron have been taking excellent care of me. I've had more people watching over me than I could ever have need of." She gave a small laugh at Miriel's words and nodded, "Gee, thanks, Miriel. I seem to keep hearing that today. Neron has already told me how hard he is having to look to see past my current appearance down to my..." she looked at him with a glimmer in her eyes, "What was it you said? My 'true beauty within'?" She looked back to Miriel with a grin, "And I sit here wondering why I love him?"

Jaedon listened to Miriel with concern on her face. What was wrong with Miriel? If she wasn't feeling well, her body would usually find the cause and fix it right away. Why wasn't that working now? Then it came out. Miriel was pregnant. Jaedon's eyes got wider.

"You're kidding!" Jaedon whispered, and then louder she said with an excited look on her face, "I am so happy for you Miriel!" Then she heard Miriel say that she had yet to tell Damion. Jaedon gave her a disapproving look, "Don't you think you should tell him soon? He is going to be ecstatic!"

"Oh, trust me Miriel, I am good, really. I am on the mend so there is no need to be worried about me. If I need anything I'll get Neron or Cecily. Neron owes me anyway." She gave him a smirk, "He can be my slave until he makes it up to me."

[»Míríel«]

Neron smirked, "Good then I'm sure you won't mind me using it my little pansy. I'm glad you approve of this nickname. Perhaps I will use it more." He leaned slightly toward her. "Nice try though." He knew a little to much about Jaedon to fall for that one, plus he knew that she wouldn't be a fan of it, still he had to use it. He then shrugged nonchalantly at the tears. "I though it was a nice touch. Set the mood you know?" When she mentioned it being impossible to lie to a telepath he just smirked. "Makes it all the more fun.

Miriel squeezed Jaedons hand. "Love is a mystery." She smiled. Then a look of confusion spread across her face, "Wait did you just say that in front of him?"

Miriel couldn't help but blush slightly again at JAedon's excited expression. "Oh I will! I just found out myself, though I had been suspicious of it for a while. I didn't want to tell him and find out it was just from what I ate the night before." She frowned slightly, "You know how Damion would react to that." When Jaedon mentioned being fine Miriel's worried expression came back. "Are you sure?" The question was really just a rhetorical statement. "I don't like feeling so helpless...."

"Hmmm..." Neron's face grew thoughtful. "I'm not sure how I think about where this relationship is headed....Enemy, fiancee, than slave. "

Miriel paused for a moment. "Wait...." Her eyes grew wide and shifted from Neron's smirking face to Jaedon's. Finally it settled on Jaedon's. "Is it... true?" She clasped Jaedon's hand and drew closer.