Nauleth had hardly slept, but he was unfortunately getting used to restlessness. Regardless of the assurances given the night before, he was still more than a little concerned over the contents of both letters he'd received from Athrym's parents. Obviously, one was only slightly more worrying than the other. The boy knew he should share their contents with the blonde, even if he was only slightly nervous as to how the words would go over with her. Did she know her mother was Gioran? Did she know what a rude old man she had for a father?

It was with genuine trepidation that Naul made his way to the Library, knowing the sanctuary of books would be practically empty with classes out for the week and students gone from campus on various vacation-like excursions. It was too bad the girl was still on probation; the dark-eyed boy would definitely have liked to be comforted by her presence on his now-necessary trip to Vienda.

Gods, I hope I can manage to smooth things over well.

He settled into an overstuffed chair to wait for Athrym, carefully unfolding the two letters that had become hopelessly crumpled in his bag and then folding them again. Naul found it impossible to hide his anxiety and eventually he could only sit and fuss with his pocket watch. At least he wasn't in his school uniform. Or in a jacket.

Athrym adjusted the monite trimmed blue satin on the edge of her white glove as she walked, dressed in her favorite mugrobi outfit. It had been a while since she'd worn it, forgetting almost how she enjoyed the way the monite embroidered ribbons flowed out behind her. She walked with a brisk determination, heading for the library, heading for Nauleth. The blonde had a surprise for him, grasped tightly in one hand. A slip of paper. She couldn't help the grin that plastered her face as she swept through the courtyard to the library doors. Pushing them open, she stopped to glance around, before spotting the dark haired boy. Walking over to him, she seated herself across from him.

"Good morning Mister Siordanti." She began in mock formality, before noticing something in his eyes, his face.

"Is something wrong?"

Naul managed a smile, looking up, a little color rising to his pale cheeks as he tucked his pocket watch away. He did enjoy that dress. If her grin could melt some of his anxiety, her outfit somehow managed to assuage his fear a little with distraction.

"Good morning, Miss Bruthgrave." He unfolded the letters again, sort of displaying them, sort of shoving them in her direction, sort of just holding them there, helpless, "I heard from your parents," he emphasized the 's,' as if to really drive the point home that both Margol and Carmell had written him, "and they have two very different writing styles, to say the least."

The dark-eyed boy swallowed, "You can read them, if you'd like."

The remainder of her smile fell from her face. She didn't like the way he was talking...was it bad?! A slight narrowing of her blue eyes belayed her sudden flash of anger at the foolish people that had born her. It wouldn't matter. They would elope. Keeping a hold on her own slip of paper, she took the letters, glancing at Naul.



Carefully, she read through her Fathers letter, eyes hardening as she went, narrowed into icy slits. Her temple throbbed a little and it was hard not to tear the letter into pieces. She mumbled something unladylike under her breath, flicking sharply to the letter from her Mother.

This was not like the blonde fool at all. Athrym had always perceived her as a dimwitted trophy wife, in it for the money. But...according to this, she had been part of..of what an arrangement? Obviously she hated it, but something else. She was Gioran? The platinum blonde girl reached up and touched her hair for a moment, re-reading the letter. Finally she handed them back to Nauleth. Silence ensued for a moment.

"Wow. She really doesn't like you, does she? But...I think I can see why. It's...I think...she cares?" Pensive for a moment, she sat back and lifted a lock of white blonde hair to her lips, nibbling on the end, eyes far away. It was a habit she'd dropped when she'd left home.

"Gioran, huh. I didn't even realize. I just thought she was...really stupid. You know..blonde and all that." The lock was bitten angrily.

"Gods, Margol is disgusting. How did she ever go through with it. Gah." Looking up at Naul again, she dropped the hair.

"I should talk to my mother too." She reached forward and gave him the slip of paper. It was a permission slip. To go to Vienda during the school break.

"It's more than possible that she cares for you, Ath. She might even love you." Naul smirked, revealing in the waver of his voice that he was intimidated by the letter from Carmell more than anything else, "But, given my surname, I suppose her reaction to me and my past's to be expected ... not that I clocking care about all that political mess."

He looked at Athrym carefully, "I want you, for you, not for my social advancement."

Naul watched the girl with genuine interest. Her surprise, her little quirk with her hair, her ... She was handing him something. Opening it, he added frustratedly before looking, "Your dad's an ass. No one should talk about someone like you that way; especially not a relative."

The boy glanced down at the paper and smiled as he read it. It was a nice surprise.

"Lovely." He looked up, "We'll make a week of it, then. It might be a surprise to my parents." Naul liked the idea, but realized he'd invited someone else, "There's one catch. I believe there'll be three of us."

The blonde looked like she was going to dismiss the comments, but instead looked thoughtful. Love? Was Carmell capable of anything of the sort. The slender pale woman was about as emotional as a block of ice.



The young galdor couldn't help but smile, a blush touching her cheeks with pleasure. She felt exactly the same way. Waiting quietly as he read the slip of paper, she wondered how exactly how she would even start talking to her mother. How do you speak to someone you wrongly accused of empty headed money hunting, when you found they were in fact...trapped. Naul's voice drew her from her contemplation.



"Three of us?" She tilted her head in curiosity, wondering who on vita would want to come on a trip to see her parents.

"Mmhmm." Naul made an affirmative noise through his nose, expression slightly sheepish, slightly apologetic, "Angus found me on the floor in shock when I first received those letters. In my pathetic state, he made a convincing argument for me to take him with to Vienda. He claims to have a way with mothers, and part of me suspects its because he exudes a rather ... different air of safety, if you know what I mean."

The boy hoped Athrym did. He wasn't sure if he could explain.

"But I leave it up to you. It's more important for us to go, foremost." He smiled at her, warmly. Despite what had been written to him, Naul found it hard to contain some of the thrill of the potential that hung before them, between them.

Athrym sat back to think for a moment. She didn't particularly adore Angus, he got on her nerves how only a cocky boy like that could. It was no secret where the boys tastes lay...but that wasn't her concern. It seemed he and Naul had quite the friendship and it would give Naul something to do when she spoke to her mother in private.

"Alright then. I'm fine with that. Angus can come too." She smiled at him and shook her head.

"I hope you weren't in too much shock. Margol has always been like that, I learned to zone him out. But Carmell..well...thats new." A little thrill ran up her spine and she grinned ridiculously.

"This is scary!" The newly realized part Gioran giggled.

"Too much shock?" Naul smirked, one side more than the other, wordlessly in agreement that this was perhaps more than he had allowed himself to consider, "My parents may be disappointed in me, but I don't think they'd ever really sell me short. Not like that."

The boy paused and leaned forward in his chair, elbows on his knees, chin against his laced-together fingers.

He asked quietly, "I take it your parents don't know what happened either, do they?"

((SFSR!))

The girl's smile faded into something melancholy, and her blue eyes looked down into her lap. A small sound of self-mocking escaped her throat.

"No, I didn't tell them. The teachers didn't know, so they wouldn't have told them. And I didn't have any reason to tell Margol or Carmell. You've already read Margol's letter. He would have made it out like it was my fault or that I deserved it or something. Father doesn't hate humans, he pities them. It's wicks that are his pet hate. My mother was always so emotionless and cold, what sense would it make to go crying to her? No. I am strong and I can take care of myself." She repeated the old mantra, as though it made up for everything, avoiding his eyes.

Nauleth scowled; he knew the answer before he asked. With a sigh, he leaned forward in the overstuffed library chair to close the space between them, "Well, I won't say anything if you don't want me to. That's nothing they need to know if you're sure they won't understand, Ath." He sighed and reached for her hands,

"You realize the point of all this, awkward and somewhat difficult though it may look from here, is that you don't have to take care of yourself alone." The dark-eyed boy offered a lopsided smile, "Because you clocking well shouldn't have to."

The blonde smiled at him, reaching out to take his offered hands and rubbing the backs of them with her thumbs. This was the Naul she'd come to care about, the strong caring, protective boy. Looking up at him, she nodded slightly.

"I know. Thankyou." A thought occurred to her and her smile broadened.

"So this means I will get to meet your parents. Clocking hell. That will be interesting!" She chuckled almost mischievously.

Nauleth hadn't necessarily been thinking of his family. He blinked, smirking, "Hmm, I think my parents are the least of our worries. You should be more concerned about getting past my siblings. Gods, I haven't spoken to them in ... well ... in two years. At least my father and I are talking again."

The boy chuckled, "Nadia and Nicias will be the real challenge, especially if they're home for break, too."

Athrym made a face, it wasn't exactly a bad one, but it was still a face.

"Your...siblings? Ugh..thats going to be awkward. People here are either scared of me or hate me, and I bet your siblings are going to be in one of those boats." Sitting back, she pushed her fringe behind her ear.

"What if they absolutely clocking despise me?" The thought amused her slightly, but it also had her worried. What if they pushed her buttons just a little too far? She loved Naul, but could she restrain herself if one of them flung those rumors in her face?

...

Of course I could.

"They already clocking despise me. Well, as far as I know. After my backlash, Nadia promised we'd never talk again. Ever. Do you know how awkward it's going to be when I get home?" He sighed, expression on his face revealing he might have missed them both more than he was stubbornly willing to admit, "So, you're the least of their worries."

The dark-eyed boy frowned, genuinely feeling like things had changed. He hoped that, like Hadrian, the rest of his family would somehow eventually be willing to see the difference. Naul might not have turned around entirely, but he was definitely on the upswing.

Shifting in his seat, still leaning forward, his smile returned lopsidedly as always, "When did you want to leave?"

Athrym thought about it for a moment.

"Well, I hear its St Grumbles tomorrow, so I think I want to stay for that." She suddenly blushed, unwilling to speak further on the day. The holiday wasn't really all that interesting to her, she'd never bothered. But this year was different. She had actually bought gifts. For Nauleth, for Alisoina, even for Ellie, Hunter and Fowler. The blonde realized she'd have to duck out today and get one for Angus now. What did one buy someone like Angus? Shaking her head, she continued.

"Margol expects you there on the evening of the 6th, and I intend on coming with you. I will write today and let them know I'm coming. Perhaps we should leave here on the 4th and see your parents first? Spend some time in the city on the 5th, and then go and see mine on the 6th?"

Nauleth smiled, noticing the blonde's blush with no small amount of curiosity. Did he really have a present? What he'd managed to put together for Athrym had taken a bit of work, and the boy was also a little anxious for the day. The rest of his gifts were acceptable, thoughtful things that were typically expected—it would've been quite the challenge had he really taken the time to come up with suiting individual gifts for all the students he suddenly found himself able to call friends. The real question was ... would he even hand them out?

"Sounds like a plan to me—" Naul chuckled, smile becoming a sly grin, "Are you implying that you're staying at my house?" He rolled his eyes teasingly at his implications before turning a little more serious, "I should probably talk to my parents ... about everything."

He hadn't told them a thing.

Athrym opened her mouth to speak, realising she had quite implied that, whether she had meant to or not. Clearing her throat, she phrased it a little better.

"Well, I actually meant was that we could see your parents first. You know. Put your things away and say hello. I didn't actually consider where I would be staying on the 4th or 5th..." She shook her head at her own failed planning. Perhaps she should go to her parents early and let Angus and Naul blow off steam before they saw her parents.

"I don't mind staying with my parents, it means you and Angus can have a little 'boy' time."



The blonde looked stunned for a moment.

"What?! You haven't even told them?! Nauleth!" She laughed suddenly.

"And your worried about Carmell and Margol? I...do you want me to be there when you tell them?"

Color, bright and full, rose to Nauleth's cheeks once Athrym started laughing. No, he hadn't told his parents his intentions, but it wasn't out of embarrassment or fear so much as habit. He'd become used to keeping things to himself after his backlash; and while wanting to marry someone was quite a big deal, he'd simply not thought about how his family probably would like to hear the news.

"Well, um, I haven't." He blinked, "But I will. Either by seer stone or in a letter. Before we get there. I think they'll be pleased."

He grinned, sheepishly, "You'll be with me when we get there, and I already told my father about you when we went to see the Circus."

Athrym couldn't help but find the blush adorable on the usually controlled boy. She grinned impishly, resisting the urge to jump up and cuddle him.



The memory of that night turned her smile into something more nostalgic. Her blue eyes softened and she nodded.

"Did he approve of me then?" The galdor asked quietly.

Nauleth opened his mouth to speak, then stopped, unsure. Had Hadrian said anything either way, really? He reached up to rub the warmth that was spreading from the base of his skull and down his neck, chagrined.

"I think ... I think he was surprised." His smile was sheepish, fleeting, shy, as if thinking back on his brief reunion with his father was both happy and awkward, "Honestly, I think both my parents will be clocking excited someone wants to put up with me."

The dark-eyed boy's ploy at self-depreciating humor was still much more than that. He'd never really considered such an idea, either, until Athrym. Politics and other such family business be damned, Naul sure did hope his parents ultimately approved of his choice.

The blonde smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"I honestly thought my parents would be the same. But apparently, thats only the case for my father." Squeezing his hand, she grinned.

"Who wouldn't want to put up with Nauleth Siordanti? Once you get past that 'I will kill you' exterior, your really a very nice person." Her voice was light and playful, teasing him gently to remove the embarrassment he seemed to feel.

Nauleth smirked lopsidedly, tilting his head a little to look at the floor, "That's generous of you, Ath, but there's a lot of clocking exterior." He chuckled, self-depreciatingly, humbled by the blonde's observations, "I know from our trip to Vienda that I certainly tried my parents' patience enough up until my backlash. That was the last straw for them, and it's going to be only slow steps forward from here into their good graces."

He shrugged, dark eyes meeting blue ones, "You already know I have you to thank for some of what you see."

Taking a quick glance around the quiet library, the blonde slipped over to sit on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck with a broad smile.

"I didn't do anything, except be a complete emotional failure. Your the one that pushed me to change. I don't see how I need any thanking there." It was true. Athrym couldn't think of one instance where she had actually helped Naul. It seemed she was forever stumbling, and he was there to pick her up.

Nauleth bit his bottom lip to keep from making any surprised noises of objection to the blonde's sudden movements, blushing a deeper shade, unable to continue to look at her. He'd have no excuse should someone wander by, disarmed and made instantly helpless.

"Bah! You're far from a failure ..." The boy muttered quietly, chagrined, unsure of what to do with his hands, "Anyone could've pushed you to change if they clocking bothered to pay attention to you, I bet. I just don't see how anyone hasn't until me, really."

He laughed, quietly, looking around with a bit of furtive nervousness at their precarious sitting arrangement, "You deserve plenty of thanking from a boy who had no clocking sense of direction until recently—and that would be me."