Edwyr had wanted to keep training. He had very little time to try to get better, but he had wanted to use whatever time he still had to do so before they left for the jungle. And yet instead of doing anything to achieve that goal, he was finding himself too distracted by Wyn to pay attention to anything he was saying. They'd already kissed more than a few times to the point that it felt like most of the training had been just that.

So much for taking it slowly.

But despite his annoyance at his lack of willpower, Edwyr couldn't feel too guilty about it. Mostly because Wyn wasn't doing anything to put a stop to this either, so Edwyr was going to blame him for his lack of progress, also.

Edwyr breathed in deeply as his lips left Wyn's, unable not to grin at the other elf's somewhat dazed smile and hooded eyes. Edwyr blinked as he realized he'd pushed Wyn against the wall, and he immediately let go of him, taking a step back as his face grew hotter. He'd not meant to do that, so he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

It was strange—he'd never been quite so enthusiastic like this. There was just something about Wyn he really gravitated to, it seemed, and now that the other elf had made it clear he was interested, it was as if every single one of Edwyr's barriers had been torn down.

"You are quite good at that," Wyn said, breathless, which was a stark contrast to how composed and proper he usually sounded. Edwyr wouldn't mind making Wyn sound that way more often.

Edwyr smirked. "Magic or kissing?"

Wyn chuckled, closing the distance between them, and leaning in to give Edwyr another kiss, short and sweet. "Both."

Edwyr wasn't sure about that given that he'd not kissed anyone in quite a while, but he supposed he and Wyn shared that. He certainly had no complaints about Wyn's skills, and he was very relieved to hear Wyn had none about Edwyr's. He'd be offended if Wyn had any, of course, but it would certainly bother him.

"Edwyr." Wyn smiled at him so warmly, so gently, that it made Edwyr feel completely disarmed. He wasn't used to people looking at him like this, and he didn't know what to do with himself when Wyn did it. But he didn't want it to stop. It made his insides flutter and made him feel a little dizzy, but it was a good feeling. "Would you like to accompany me to Lightkeep?"

"Lightkeep?" Edwyr repeated, his eyes wide as his eyebrows flew up.

"Uh, yes." Wyn clasped his hands behind his back, looking out the window to his right instead of Edwyr. "I have an errand in the city. And I thought, perhaps you could come along. I could use the company."

Edwyr almost laughed. It was rather amusing that Wyn was trying to be so coy about inviting him. But of course, Edwyr was interested. He'd never been to Lightkeep. He'd never been to most places, sure, but Lightkeep was significant. It was the only human city. Supposedly thousands of people lived there. It was almost impossible for him to imagine, but he wanted to see it. And coming there with Wyn was a wonderful bonus, of course.

But it didn't seem right, not with what was coming.

"Shouldn't I stay here and train?"

Wyn's face fell. "Of course, if you'd rather train...."

Edwyr sighed. He'd not meant to make Wyn think that. "I'd rather come with you. But it seems irresponsible to leave when we'll be going into the jungle soon."

Wyn smiled again, not looking horribly disappointed anymore, thank the Goddess. "Worry not. We have time. Besides, you've been training without pause for a month. You have more than earned a break."

Edwyr felt like Wyn was just making excuses for him, giving him that special treatment Orenis had mentioned, and Edwyr didn't like that it made him feel good. He shouldn't feel good about getting to skip his duties because the de facto leader of their group had a romantic interest in him. But at the same time, this was probably the first time anyone had done that for Edwyr, and he couldn't get himself to care enough to tell Wyn not to do this. Besides, apparently, Wyn had been giving him special treatment the entire time and Edwyr had just not noticed, so this was probably not as big of a deal as it felt.

"All right. Then I would very much like to join you."

Wyn beamed at him.

++++

They ended up using the Infuser hidden in the basement beneath the castle to travel to another Infuser site along with their squawkers. Edwyr had been very curious where they would find themselves, but it turned out to be a round, stone room, surrounded by piles of rubble outside. They were now at the edge of the jungle, surrounded by fields of grass and some solitary trees dotting the landscape.

Unlike the ruins of Urzikal, this didn't seem grand or even hidden. Was it not concerning that anyone could find this place?

But before Edwyr could ask, Wyn explained as he stepped outside onto the grass, petting his squawker's head as he went. "When we found this particular Infuser, it was covered in rubble. We reconstructed this room, and enchanted it to blend into the surrounding environment."

Edwyr didn't stop following him, but he did look back to point out the stone building wasn't exactly inconspicuous. But then he froze, staring at the pile of rubble behind him, ignoring Tempest's annoyed grunt at the sudden halt. The building was...gone. Or well, disguised, he supposed, but it looked like it was gone.

"Yes, you need to walk inside the room for it to become visible to you, which is very difficult if you don't know where it is," Wyn explained. "Would not want anyone finding it."

Edwyr stroked a hand over Tempest's forehead to soothe away her irritation before gently pulling on her reins to get her to walk with him again as he continued trailing after Wyn. "So, has someone used this Infuser to gain magic?"

Wyn shook his head, climbing up into his squawker's saddle. "Unfortunately, this one seems to have little to no magic left. All it can support is travel."

That was a shame, but Edwyr wasn't surprised. They would not be using it just to travel if the Infuser had more to give.

Edwyr climbed onto Tempest's back, prompting her to start moving when Wyn's squawker did. Tempest did so immediately, taking her place next to the other animal as they trotted over the endless green fields.

"What is your squawker's name?" Edwyr said, suddenly realizing that he'd never thought to ask. Naming animals wasn't something that elves did, but Edwyr had no doubts that Wyn had named his mount. The way he acted toward her was proof of that. He petted her, handfed her, talked to her.... Edwyr had even once come across her sleeping at the foot of Wyn's bed because, as Wyn had been happy to explain, she'd gotten lonely in the stable.

"Midnight," Wyn replied with a smile, running his fingers over the squawker's shiny dark blue feathers. "Well, it was actually Sirili, the elven word for midnight, but everyone kept calling her Midnight when she was young, and now she only answers to that."

Wyn sounded annoyed, but there was still a smile on his face, so Edwyr doubted it was genuine. Though this piece of information brought with it questions. Because Wyn had implied at some point that Midnight was older. And squawkers lived for a very long time, almost as long as humans did.

"You've had her since she was a baby?"

Wyn grinned. "Yes, she was very adorable. Kept trying to climb on everything, especially shelves."

Edwyr was too confused to find that amusing, even though it was. "How old are you?"

It didn't seem to make sense. Elves lived for a long time, but few lived for more than a hundred and fifty years, give or take. And Wyn didn't look old. He looked older than Edwyr, yes, having a few wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead, but he didn't look that old. Certainly not old enough to make it make sense considering that Wyn had lived on Aendor for presumably a long time before being banished.

Wyn sighed, taking in a deep breath before looking Edwyr straight in the eye. "I am older than I appear to be. Through magic, I have found a way to extend my life indefinitely."

Edwyr stared at him with wide eyes, not sure what to do with this information. "So, you are immortal?"

Wyn chuckled softly. "Well, as far as old age is concerned, yes."

Edwyr didn't know where to even begin to understand that. For all he knew Wyn could be thousands of years old, and there would be no way to tell, which Edwyr found both impressive and disconcerting.

"I will be turning one hundred and seventy-two this year," Wyn continued, looking away. His smile had ebbed considerably now, and his head was bent forward just a little. Wyn probably thought Edwyr was disturbed by the new information, and while he'd be somewhat right on that, Edwyr found himself strangely unbothered now that he'd had a few seconds to think about it.

"I apologize," Wyn said, still not looking at Edwyr. "I should have told you already. I was concerned about...how you might react."

Yeah, Wyn should have said this to Edwyr earlier. But at the same time, it didn't truly change anything. Edwyr had already been aware Wyn was older, much more powerful, and knowledgeable. It just made perfect sense now that Edwyr knew the other elf had had an entire lifetime to perfect his skills. Actually, this made him seem less like some arcane, unknowable being, and rather simply an expert, which if anything made Wyn seem more real, so to speak.

Though if he was that old, Edwyr couldn't help but wonder just how long it had been since Wyn had been in a relationship with someone. When Wyn had mentioned it had been a while, Edwyr had assumed a few years, but it could very well have been decades. He had no idea what that implied, but he would make sure to make a mental note of this.

"It's fine," Edwyr finally said now that the silence between them had stretched too much for comfort. "Thank you for telling me now."

Wyn's eyes finally met his again. He seemed surprised by Edwyr accepting it, but he gave a small smile, so Wyn was clearly not planning on questioning it. "Do let me know if it ever becomes...not fine."

How was such a powerful sorcerer so awkward and unsure of himself when it came to these discussions? And why did Edwyr find it appealing? He'd rather not think about that too hard right now.

The rest of the trip went by in companionable silence as their squawkers kept heading south. After half an hour or so, Edwyr had just been about to ask how far Lightkeep was when finally as they made their way around the jungle, in the distance the city became visible.

And Edwyr almost gasped. It was even bigger than he'd thought it would be. There seemed to be hundreds of buildings made of white stone, shining in the sun as if they were glowing. Incredibly tall, stone walls surrounded them, protecting them from all sides, and up on a tall hill on the right stood a castle, proud and tall, with towers and catapults.

"Quite beautiful, isn't it?" said Wyn, smiling at him. Edwyr just nodded, finding himself at a lack of words. Lightkeep was certainly larger than the settled part of Aendor, even from here it was obvious. And it was more impressive than the elven island as well because none of it had been built by magic. It was incredible.

As they got closer, Edwyr began to notice other details about the city as well. The colorful banners hanging over the walls, the fact that some houses had colored, usually red roofs bringing an interesting contrast to the city as a whole, the trees he could see peeking over the walls, and the flags flying from the tips of the castle's towers, as well as the towers which were part of the walls, no doubt meant for archers and elves to use so they had a good vantage point when they defended the city from the beasts.

But as they reached the road leading to the city, and Edwyr ran his eyes over the people working in the fields surrounding Lightkeep, he had to wonder how often the city got attacked. None of the humans he could see walking around seemed particularly worried about the jungle in the distance. And while Edwyr was glad for it, of course, it was incredibly odd. Every time anyone had to leave Lightwood's walls, they went out there knowing that they might not return. And yet here, there were fields of wheat and vegetables as far as the eye could see, and there seemed to be no danger. And there were herds of animals grazing around, a few humans watching them, too.

"Many elves are stationed here," Wyn explained to him as they continued heading to the city. They were almost in the shadows cast by the walls now. "This is what it looks like when humans and elves are working together as they should be."

Edwyr couldn't miss the wistful, but also slightly resentful tone in Wyn's voice. But Edwyr didn't blame him for feeling angry about it. Edwyr had been alive for only a fraction of the time Wyn had, and he was angry, too.

He wanted to ask about the elves living in the city, but that thought left his mind when he noticed the guards standing by the city gate. But before he could grow nervous, Wyn patted his shoulder.

"They let almost anyone in. You need not worry."

Edwyr looked away, feeling quite foolish now. Right, no one knew that they were working against the Council, not even the Council itself. Everyone here only saw the jungle animals as a threat, and nothing else. He kept forgetting that he had no reason to think humans or elves would treat him differently. What had happened with that Council elf earlier was unfortunate, but she'd still suspected nothing.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Wyn climbed off his squawker, nodding at the guards as they reached the city gate, through which people were coming in and out, seemingly without a care. This was truly bizarre, but Edwyr jumped off Tempest, too, saying nothing.

"Oh, Wyn, hello," said one of the guards, an older woman with a helmet. "Here to grace us with your presence again?"

It felt like a passive-aggressive insult, but the tone didn't suggest that. And neither did Wyn's chuckle in response. "Indeed, but only for a moment. I need to buy a few things."

The woman snorted, looking curiously at Edwyr as she waved them in. "The usual, then. Well, come on in."

Edwyr frowned at her as they walked through the gate, leading their squawkers with them.

"So, they know you here," he said, curious about what that had all been about. Wyn smiled, his eyes lighting up with amusement.

"Yes, I own property in Lightkeep. Though they think I am magicless."

"You—" Edwyr blinked, his eyes wide. When Wyn had mentioned that elves lived in Lightkeep, he'd not thought he'd been talking about himself. "I see."

"I was thinking perhaps I could...show you around later."

Edwyr rubbed his eyes, laughing. While he had no idea why Wyn hadn't been with anyone for a while, he had no trouble believing it with how awkward he was about these things. Edwyr didn't have much experience with this either, but he wasn't this bad, he didn't think. Though it was quite endearing, so he couldn't complain. "I would like to see your house, Wyn. Of course."

Wyn grinned at him, his cheeks darkening as he blushed. How was this man possibly over one hundred and seventy years old? "Wonderful."

Edwyr expected them to leave their squawkers at the stables next to the wall, just off the main street, but Wyn suggested none of that, leading Midnight down the busy street. Edwyr didn't argue, not wanting to leave Tempest behind, and so he followed him, trying not to gawk at everything around them. The street was lined with stands carrying food, clothes, fabrics, and other items of all possible colors, the air was filled with a familiar tang of salt, but it was barely noticeable over all the savory and sweet smells coming from the food being offered. And the people around them were wearing colorful clothes. It boggled Edwyr's mind.

The humans he'd known, that he'd met so far, had barely ever thought about how their clothes made them look, and neither had he. He wore clothes and armor because he needed them to survive, and that was all there was to it. The fact that these people had the time to worry about this truly said something about the locals.

Edwyr felt anger start to burn within him when he saw it, but not anger at the humans. It wasn't their fault they were fortunate enough to have been born here or have been able to move here. No, this only fueled Edwyr's fury toward the Council. It made sense to send more elves where the majority of the humans lived, but that didn't mean it was fair that smaller settlements got nothing at all. It made him think of Arbane and Lanna. He hoped they were safe, despite living in the so much more dangerous north. He knew that they could take care of himself, but it made him furious to think that they could live out their lives here instead, happy and safe.

Edwyr's anger lessened, though, when he saw Wyn was smiling at him. He took a deep breath, trying to push these thoughts away. Right, there was no point in getting resentful toward people who weren't even present. He was here with Wyn, and he should enjoy the visit to Lightkeep, an amazing city. And so he did his best to push all his negative thoughts aside as they began to traverse the crowded street.

He let himself get lost in the spectrum of colors surrounding him, looking at all the flags and lanterns hanging from the houses around them, connecting to houses on the opposite side or next to them. All of the food stands they passed looked so tempting and exotic. There were fruits and vegetables he'd never seen before, meats he'd never tasted, and smells he'd never come across. Not to mention all the kinds of bread, rolls, and sweets. But Edwyr didn't stop to inspect any of it closely. He had no money on him to buy it, and he didn't want to make Wyn pay for it. Besides, they were here because Wyn needed to buy something, so they should deal with that first.

And so Edwyr trailed after the other elf, continuing to look around the large city as they left the main street and started to walk uphill. Tempest shook her head, fluffing up her feathers as she relaxed, which made Edwyr smile. She didn't like crowds, so this new, much emptier street was no doubt a welcome change for her.

Edwyr found himself studying a tree growing between two houses, bearing beautiful pink blossoms, and he ended up almost bumping into Wyn before he realized that the man had stopped, and was now looking at the house he was standing in front of.

According to the sign hanging over the door, it was a bookshop. Interesting, Edwyr had not been aware such a thing existed. Books were not something one could easily come by outside of Aendor, but he supposed that it wasn't anything stranger than what he'd seen so far in Lightkeep. Still, he couldn't imagine how expensive a book was.

"Would you like to come inside with me, or is it okay if you watch our quasir for a moment while I buy what I need?"

Wyn was being a little strange about what exactly he was going to buy, but Edwyr didn't bother questioning him. It seemed to be of little importance. So he just shrugged, taking Midnight's reins from Wyn and watching him disappear inside the bookshop.

Wyn's squawker stared at him, her head tilted to the side so she could look at him properly, as if evaluating him. Edwyr had not been alone with Midnight until now, so he wasn't surprised by this. He supposed, though, that due to the change in his and Wyn's relationship, he would be around Midnight more often now, so they might as well use the moment to bond.

He reached out to her beak, letting her sniff him, before moving his hand to her shiny, dark feathers, scratching the top of her head. Midnight let out a pleased trill, pushing back against his hand and stepping closer. Edwyr jumped when suddenly Tempest nudged him with her head, scratching at the cobbles that made up the street, her ears flat against her head.

He smiled. Of course she was immediately jealous. Letting go of her reins, he stroked his hand over her head as well as Midnight's, placating them both. He didn't stop until Wyn came out of the shop, and when Edwyr put his hands away, both of the squawkers let out annoyed huffs. Midnight shook her head, raising her beak in what Edwyr assumed was meant to express her outrage, while Tempest stomped her feet, cawing.

Midnight's ears immediately flew up in happiness when Wyn embraced her neck, though, cooing. Edwyr did the same for Tempest, which did seem to make her feel better. They both truly spoiled their squawkers, but Edwyr didn't care.

"Did you get whatever it is you need?"

Wyn nodded, a very pleased smile on his face as he presented Edwyr with a small bottle of...was that ink? "The finest squid ink on the mainland."

"We came here to buy ink?" Edwyr raised an eyebrow, now very confused.

"And parchment," Wyn added, raising his other hand to show Edwyr a white, boxy package with string tied over it.

"You could have conjured both yourself," Edwyr pointed out, frowning. He'd seen Wyn do exactly that one time when he had no parchment on hand and didn't want to go anywhere to get it. And while Edwyr had no idea how Wyn did it, he knew it was possible. He was definitely missing something here.

"Not of this quality. And good ink is integral to any research." Wyn was still smiling as he put the parchment and ink into Midnight's saddle bag, but it didn't seem as genuine anymore. He looked a little unsure, in fact.

"Why are we really here, Wyn?"

Wyn sighed, turning to face Edwyr, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes missing their usual spark completely. "I just.... I do need the ink, but I mostly wanted to show you Lightkeep. Have a nice, relaxing day."

Edwyr's eyes widened, and his heart fluttered. Oh. He'd not thought of that at all. He'd assumed the main objective was to get supplies, perhaps some information. Not this, though he was very touched. Wyn had just wanted to spend time with him. "Why didn't you tell me that?"

Wyn pushed a strand of hair behind his ear, avoiding eye contact. "I assumed you would refuse. You almost did even with the excuse of me having to run an errand."

Edwyr shook his head, rubbing his eyes. They needed to learn to communicate better. But what was done was done. "I only said that because it seemed like we should be focusing on other things."

Wyn nodded, his head hung low, his eyes trained on the ground. "Right, of course, you are correct. If you wish to go back—"

"No," Edwyr stopped him immediately, smiling. "I want to see that house of yours first."

The other elf's eyes snapped up to meet his own. Edwyr felt his cheeks heating up at the gentle grin that appeared on Wyn's face then, once more feeling completely disarmed by it. "Yes, of course, I did promise that."

Edwyr snorted, leaning in to kiss him. Underneath all that knowledge and wisdom Wyn was absolutely ridiculous, and Edwyr loved it.

Wyn cleared his throat when they separated, blushing. "Uh, yes, follow me, please."

They went up the street, taking a few turns before Wyn stopped in front of a tall, white wall and dark, wooden door. Reaching into his robes, Wyn brought out a key and unlocked the door, swinging it open.

"After you," he said, smiling warmly as he stepped aside and gestured to the door. Edwyr wanted to shake his head at this, but for some reason, he was more touched by the gesture than anything. It was the little things that Wyn did that made Edwyr feel, well, appreciated, which until recently was a feeling that had been very hard to come by for him.

As he stepped through the door, though, all these thoughts disappeared as he became overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the garden beyond. It wasn't a particularly large space, but every inch of it was stunning. There were the flowering purple vines running across the inner walls, stone planters with colorful flowers he'd never seen before lining them, and a small pond in the corner with more strange plants floating on top. Even the vibrant, green grass filling the rest of the space was beautiful. And somehow, Edwyr felt immediately relaxed just by standing here, and that was before he even noticed the two wicker chairs with a table on a stone platform next to the house. There was even a small, wooden roof overhead to protect whoever was sitting there from the sun and rain.

Edwyr had never seen anything like this, but he already liked it. Even the idea of sitting in this space doing nothing seemed incredibly relaxing to him. He was brought out of his gawking trance only once he heard the door close.

"I know it's rather small, but the house itself is bigger," Wyn said, making it almost sound like an apology. As if this place wasn't stunning.

"Wyn." Edwyr shook his head as he turned to face the other elf. "It's incredible."

"Oh." Wyn grinned. "I am very glad you think so. I am quite proud of the garden."

Edwyr couldn't help but burst out laughing at the immediate switch of mood. He didn't want Wyn to mask his true feelings just because of what Edwyr might think, but as long as it was reserved for harmless things like this, it was very amusing.

"So, you come here to tend to it?"

Wyn sighed, his smile becoming sad. "I used to live here. But now that I visit only around once a month, I pay someone to take care of the place for me."

If Edwyr didn't know Wyn could create precious metals from just about anything, he'd take this as a massive indulgence. Not that he'd have any right to tell Wyn how to live his life, but next to everything else, it seemed so trivial and frivolous. And yet Edwyr couldn't fault Wyn for caring for his garden so much at all. It was highly endearing that such a powerful sorcerer, someone planning on overthrowing the High Elven Council, was proud of the flora he'd planted next to his house.

"Anyway, would you like to see the house now?"

Edwyr smiled, nodding, eager to see the interior if this was what the garden looked like. They led the squawkers to a small stable jammed between the house and the wall, just large enough for both of their mounts. Both Tempest and Midnight started to happily munch on the hay left out for them, likely by whoever was taking care of the place for Wyn, and didn't seem to care at all when Wyn closed the stalls so that they couldn't go out and very likely destroy the entire garden. Squawkers tended to eat anything in sight when left to their own devices.

And with that done, Wyn finally led Edwyr inside the house. Edwyr prepared himself for something ostentatious, but it turned out to be much less so than expected. There was a lot of furniture all around them—wardrobes, chairs, a table or two—all made of a shiny, dark brown wood, and while even just that was more luxurious than anything Edwyr was accustomed to, it was still not what he'd been expecting. There were no precious metals to be found anywhere. The most expensive-looking thing he could see was the silver chandelier hanging above.

Edwyr looked around, running his eyes over the spiral staircase in the back of the room, the kitchen in the far corner, and the large bookcase on his right, in front of which were a couple of cushioned chairs and a small table.

"Feel free to look around. I will go make us some tea," Wyn said with a smile, heading to the kitchen corner. Edwyr watched him with a raised eyebrow. The elf could just create tea using magic. But along with him buying ink and parchment, perhaps Wyn simply enjoyed the human way of doing things. Edwyr would perhaps as well, had he not been forced to do it that way his entire life.

He walked over to the bookcases, making sure to not step on the rug so he wouldn't dirty it. Edwyr ran his fingers over a few of the books, reading what was written on their spines. He was not at all surprised to find that most of the books seemed to be about flora and fauna, but a few books stood out to him immediately. Such as one titled Illusion Magic.

Edwyr was about to take the book out of the bookcase, his curiosity too great not to, but then something else caught his eye. A small painting propped up on the windowsill between the bookcases. It wouldn't be too strange, if not for the fact that Edwyr could immediately tell this was a painting of Wyn and someone else.

Frowning, he picked the painting up, absently noting that its wooden frame had a stand built into it so it could be easily displayed. But what interested him much more was that the person sitting next to Wyn and holding his hand in the painting was a human. A man of perhaps forty or older, with short, graying hair and stubble, grinning at Wyn. And the elf was smiling back.

Suddenly feeling like he'd stumbled onto something far too private, Edwyr put the painting back, trying to shake off the odd feeling it left him with. But as he turned around, it was already too late. Wyn was standing there, holding two cups of tea, his eyes wide.

"Uh, apologies, I...forgot that was there," he said, grimacing as he put the cups down on the table.

"Don't apologize, Wyn. This is your house," Edwyr reminded him. He wasn't jealous. That would be ridiculous. Wyn had already made it very clear that he'd had at least one relationship with someone before, so Edwyr had been aware of it. It was just surprising because Edwyr had never thought it might have been, well, with a human.

Wyn shrugged, sitting down. He still looked rather embarrassed. "Still, this is terribly awkward. I did not wish to surprise you like that. We can pretend you didn't see that painting if you'd like."

"No," Edwyr said immediately, feeling a blush creeping up his neck as he sat down as well. Dammit. "I mean, it's fine. It isn't awkward. I am just surprised that you were with a human."

Wyn leaned against the table with his elbows, propping his head up on his joined hands as he frowned pensively down at his steaming tea. "Yes, his name was Atho." A small, gentle smile lit up Wyn's eyes then. "He is the reason I own this house, actually. I was researching the jungle at the time and did not mind staying outside, but he wanted me to return to the city every night so he could stop worrying about me for a moment." The smile disappeared as Wyn looked at Edwyr. "But I am sure you do not wish to hear me ramble on about my late husband. Excuse me."

Husband? Edwyr hadn't expected that, but perhaps he should have. Humans seemed very enamored with the concept of marriage, something elves didn't do at all. So it would make sense for a human to wish to marry Wyn. Still, that was something Edwyr would need time to wrap his head around. It seemed the elf was full of surprises, but that was hardly a surprise itself—Wyn was very old, after all.

Edwyr shook his head, watching Wyn grimace at him with guilt. "Stop apologizing, Wyn."

Wyn sighed. "I'm sorry."

Edwyr couldn't help but laugh, then. It was concerning how often Wyn had apologized since they'd arrived in Lightkeep, but the sheer ridiculousness of this moment was too much for Edwyr to bear.

"I'm serious," Edwyr said once he got over his laughing fit. "Whatever you wish to share, I'll listen."

He put his hand on the table, reaching toward Wyn, who after a moment of hesitation put his own forward, letting Edwyr grasp it. Edwyr smiled, squeezing, which did seem to make Wyn seem less tense. He didn't want him to feel guilty for sharing things about his life.

"Well, as a matter of fact, there is something I'd like to share with you."

Edwyr nodded, quite interested in what it might be, especially considering Wyn's serious tone.

"My name. My true name, that is." Edwyr straightened up, immediately intrigued. "It's Tehreswyn."

So he'd been right. Wyn wasn't his full name. And it was very likely he had more than one given how powerful he was, but Wyn probably didn't want to bother with the others given his distaste for the Council. Edwyr repeated the full form of his name in his head several times, smiling. Yes, Tehreswyn fit the elf very well. It was elegant, just like Wyn himself. Edwyr was going to have no trouble getting used to this revelation, at least.

"I don't quite know why I go by Wyn to protect my identity at this point. It is simply a habit, I suppose," Wyn continued, chuckling. "There might not be anyone left to remember my banishment. But I wanted you to know my name. It seemed...right."

Edwyr's smile grew. Hearing that made his insides flutter. "Thank you."

Their lips met then, and as Edwyr let his hand wander to Wyn's long hair, pulling the other elf closer, he was sure. Ignoring his duties for today had been a good choice, no matter what kind of consequences it might bring later.