Happy New Year... Honey (III)

"What is it?" Shianni asked, flushing lightly at his attention. Although, naturally, she had been watching him just as much throughout the short trip. He was so handsome. "My hair is fine?" She smiled and reached up to pat at her long, pale hair. She doubted it was out of place, but she did not mind a light tease, because surely he was not simply watching her.

Shianni beamed at the simple words. "I have loved once before, but it was far from this, it was false and meaningless. What I feel for you is entirely genuine." Her lips curved into another nearly shy smile. "I hope to spend much more time with you from now on." Most notably taking advantage of the new information they had found.

"Of course I will!" Shianni said. She leaned forward and stole a light, quick kiss. "We can be horrors to the students and professors alike." It would be so enjoyable. She had momentarily forgotten about the cursed ring attached to her finger.

"Oh, no...the ring!" Shianni pulled her hands from his and looked at them. She was very nearly pressed to tears at the possibility that she would be unable to make good on her acceptance when she realized the blasted d'Avonderre ring was missing. Then she could have squealed in delight. "It is gone! Oh it is gone!"

"Oh but you do not understand! I was tricked into an engagement when I first arrived here and the cursed ring refused to leave. The portrait of the woman it belonged to claimed it would only respond to love, and now it is finally gone!" Shianni was even more certain now of her choice. If the ring accepted this, then it must be true.

"Yes!" Shianni never would have thought she would want to see a ring on her finger, but here she was near quivering with the thought. "It should have a deep blue stone, like the night sky..." she mused as they started walking. Perhaps it should have small diamonds like stars. "I must send out a long distance owl or two as soon as possible!"

Emilian had been sincerely trying to not be bitter and grumpy toward customers. It was working fairly well a decent part of the time. He was nowhere near the business he had once gotten, but he still had a more or less steady stream of people in his shop. He had to grudgingly admit that the counseling bull might have been a good thing. That even the letters he wrote to send out that he never got a damn reply for might have been a good exercise, even if people were so disgusted by him they refused to accept an apology.

Well, he could probably have been a bit more sincere, but he was working on it.

However, no matter whatever changes might have gone through him in the past months, including proper personal hygiene, he did not appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night. He didn't care that it was new years, he had no reason to care, and the only recognition it had gotten was a flick of the wand to change the calender before he sent himself to bed.

His dream had been a pleasant one where all his parts worked correctly once more, including his hand, when he was woken by a message. He had groaned but pulled on appropriate clothes to see who on earth wanted him at this hour. What he hadn't expected as he opened the door was to see a beaming, handsome couple. Oh he really, really didn't want to deal with this right now.

"Yes?"