"We can now carry on once again with the tournament, then, Valkinvar?" I brightly ask the holy warrior as I sit on my throne. Gazing out towards the dually occupied valley, I frown at the pair of aelenvari men as they stare each other down.

"If you believe everyone is ready." she answers as her hand pulses with powerful magic. I gesture for the crowd to quieten down and rise to my points. My true-voice lightens up and it reaches out so that even the two men ahead of me can hear. Magic enters my palm and I strike it down into the ground, starting the competition anew.

I return to my throne and gently gaze over to my right, I smile at my beloved as he shows a strange side to himself. He is surrounded by an unusual sight, all over him are yellow-haired petals. Is my plan working? He's starting to seek the comfort of other women over just thinking about the Thief.

Is he setting aside his misplaced love for the Thief so that he may carry on with his purpose? Or, is he so reluctant to let her go that he wants as many ways to remember her by? Strangely, I feel rather unbothered by all of it. I am content to let him be smothered by many as we sit on our satin-cased pillows.

Though, I do force a slight sneer at the sight as I feel strange not doing it.

I return my gaze out to the current match and look a bit at the crowds on either side of our near-royal podium. So many men have lost or gained current and potential lovers, the two ahead of us are going to do much the same. All of this will happen just because either one will renounce the will to carry on. I cannot look at it with any sincerity, though, they're all beneath me.

I cannot see any reason to be invested in them, I know all of the men within our flower well, almost intimately. I need to know so many things about them to know who they are best suited to interact with, either stem or petal. They're trying their hardest with me in their eyes but I am not impressed. The stems eat it all up, though, every last drop of it, they love all men equally.

I start to take a long sip from my glass of crimson-coloured, rose-pollen wine.

"Ivy-Mother." the Gilded-Bark calls out and he snatches up my wayward attention immediately. This strange harem of his vanishes at only a silent word and I continue to sip on my drink. The smirk I am hiding vanishes as the glass leaves my lips.

"How might I serve you, Gilded-Bark?" I ask him as I stand up in the event he might need me to do something. But, he just gestures for me to sit back down. His arm starts to linger out to the Champion as he sits in distant shadow, tended to by the Valkinvar.

"I have heard of your attendance with him... How you were willing to present yourself to him with full honesty. I want to know, what are your thoughts on the day before yesterday?" he asks and I force a smile to come onto my face. H-How did he hear about what I did with the Champion? Not even the gentle wind disturbed the entrance to the bulb as I lay there with him, tending to him...

"W-What do you mean, my Gilded-Bark? He failed to beat you decisively and paid for his hubris. We already knew before that, that he does not have what it takes to surpass you." I answer as my eyes linger away to elsewhere. Over him and then away, then back to him, my Champion.

"But that is not true. He held his ground again and again the first time, getting up so often the chain broke from it. Then, he approached a challenge I refused to even go near..." he tells me as his eyes narrow at the distant human and I am taken aback. I was not aware that the Gilded-Bark walked away for that reason. I follow his eyes and envy glints in them as I watch my Champion converse with the Valkinvar.

I should be the one speaking with...

I scoff suddenly, "And look where it got him, your actions were wise. He could not see that wisdom, you showed your superiority quite cleanly."

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"Superiority? I've yet to see it. But, to keep on track with my intentions, Ivy-Mother... Am I right to doubt him? If the chains stirred doubt within me then the weights ensured it grew mighty." he says as he covers his mouth slightly to rub it. The hand drops from his chin and he looks about, almost clueless.

I don't know how to answer his question... Why would he doubt him? How could any of us possibly doubt the Champion? My Champion!

"Forgive me, it seems I have just confused you. Allow me to explain, clarify. Not only did the Champion arrive into our minds with the endorsement of a Valkinvar. She came with the proof of his strength, my precious seed, my unborn son. Then, when we found him, he blessed us with a living bounty of those who had been stolen. Not just a sum of our missing people, a few from other flowers. Many races have those who owe themselves to him."

"Maybe-"

"His battle with the parasites showed us yet more where we could find more of our kind. The traces of his escape have given us so many hints, even as our chances to do anything grow so slim. So much good has come of his actions but, despite all of it. My precious Dandel'lhia, he could not save her. I know she was there... I've seen the traces, the proof, I have walked those foul, sodden walls myself with spear in hand!"

I nod slowly at his words as he seems to lose track.

"Had he not done what he did, might I have been able to save what is... Was dear to me? Had I managed to find her before any of that, could I have done better than him?"

I blink over and over to myself as I look around aimlessly. Within my head, I can feel the God of War make it into the place he is so commonly found at. I nearly jump when he suddenly gets out of his seat with a sigh. He walks to the edge of our platform and places a hand on the barrier.

"I suppose I will hear your answer soon." he goes as he hops down onto the valley grass. I turn away briefly in shame as the thorns keep the crowd in check as he strides out into the open. In the distance, the Champion rises to meet him. I clutch my hand close to my chest with the other as my heart quivers.

I know what this is all about, the questions! He doubts my loyalty to him, to our flower. He knows and suspects that I am failing to keep my mind in check. All for a lonely human far from his strange, unknown home...

No, he's wrong, he's wrong! I am not on the same level as those who leave their flower for a human they just saw. I am not like them, my heart is only for the Gilded-Bark. A member of my people, an aelenvari!

I let out a long, tired sigh and try to ignore the current match as much as possible. But, how can I ignore it...? This match is the Gilded-Bark's! The one I have spent so long trying to get the attention of...

This is his moment to show that he is truly the one for me. The best man of our flower together with the best woman of it. I cannot just sit here and ignore this match... No, I need to leave.

I am within my right to do that! I am Rose'lhia, Ivy-Mother, petal! I am, yes, I am...

But, the cheer of the crowd and the shudder within the air tells me otherwise. I step out towards the barricade at the edge of the podium made for me and my love. My hand gently grasps the dark, painted wood and I look out at the great glow in the distance. Human and aelenvari clash against each other in a pure display of internal-magic!

The ground is splitting under the points of the Gilded-Bark and the feet of the Champion. Muscles bulge against each other as their full strength collides against the other. My dear love uses his larger size to his advantage and he stabs his points into the earth. But he needs to keep moving and keep his momentum up against the Champion.

All to the backdrop of excited screams and flaring lights of the crowd. Like with the two battling men, the noise lowers and rises in accordance to the progression of the match. The crowd turns wild as the human facing my love is thrown over his shoulders with a well-placed grab. If only the human would care enough to back down before his clear superior...

The human gets back to his feet and he charges right into the waiting Gilded-Bark!

It carries on like this, the Gilded-Bark throws the Champion again and again. It does nothing to stop the Champion and I move closer and closer towards the edge of the podium. Leaning out over the barricade, away from the protection of the silk canopy above me. The greatest, most divine voice in all of the world shines above me.

My mouth moves, making the movements of a cheer even if I am not saying anything. Once again, they clash together firmly... I stop and blink. I feel my heart as I finally think about how I understand it.

They both needed to rest, but only one of them needed me. Only one of them showed themself to be at such heights that they needed me afterwards. I pressed my whole body against him and lent him some of my strength. He's dim compared to before, but he fights on with my strength at his side.

"You can do it, my Love... You can do it... Beat him!" I whisper initially, but my tone keeps rising with each word spoken. Each word spoken sees me lean further over the edge as my voice rises. My heart is finally being understood by my mind!

I need to shout it out to the world, to him... My human love, my Nin!