Aftermath

"Ohhhh," Tia mumbles, her head spinning as she turns over between the blankets. The sensation only worsens, even as she lay still, and she reluctantly peeps her eyes open to ascertain her location. A steady rain patters against the crystal above and Tia is immediately thankful for the storm darkening the sky beyond. "How did I get here...?" Tia mutters with knitted brows.

"Are you awake?" Aldric sounds, rubbing at his own eyes as he sits up from the couch. 

"Al?" Tia blinks at him, wincing as the room spins from the slightest tilt of her head. She gasps, double checking her appearance and releasing a relieved sigh as she spots her white hair. "What happened...? Why-"

"You don't remember?" Aldric questions with trepidation, stretching his stiffened body as he regards her. A question hangs in his eyes.

"Everything is a bit fuzzy..." Tia laments, covering her eyes to try and steady her perception, "Gods... how much did I drink?"

"Far too much," Aldric muses, earning a short laugh from Tia. 

"I don't remember you going with us," Tia states with furrowed brows, trying to take stock of the evening, "Oh... Oh, you were Florio's roommate!"

"It didn't seem real," Aldric admits with some amusement, "Seeing you stumbling out of my own room! I thought I was dreaming."

"I can only imagine," Tia agrees. She swings her legs over the side of the bed, bracing herself as the world swims about her and wincing. "I think that ass bought me too many drinks on purpose!" Tia grumbles.

"The one who got too handsy?" Aldric questions with a tilt of his head.

"I told you about that?" Tia gasps, holding her head steady as she blinks at him.

"Briefly," Aldric answers, seeming to contemplate before he continues, "I'm sure Florio will tell me all about your adventure but... how much of the night are you missing...?"

 "Hmmm," Tia hums, running her fingers through the tangles in her hair, "It's coming back in bits and pieces. I remember the fight... drinking with the vikings and... helping Euan get everyone back," she pauses to chuckle, "Danut was wasted!"

"You were pretty far gone yourself," Aldric chuckles and Tia winces.

"I hope I didn't do anything too embarrassing," Tia breathes, Aldric turning his flushed face away while Tia's gaze drifts in recollection, "Mom always told me I get clingy when I drink. I didn't say anything to give myself away did I??"

"N-no your identity is safe," Aldric tries to smother his own embarrassment but his heart still pounds, "Though it is a bit alarming Euan of all people knows you. Knows both of us."

"Euan," Tia snorts, too dizzy to notice Aldric's shift in behavior, "He has a way of discovering everyone's secrets."

"If by discovering you mean snooping," Aldric states with a sour tone and Tia sniffs. 

"I guess that's how we got here?" Tia questions, glancing about the cave.

"You didn't want to wake your roommate," Aldric answers.

"But why... did you stay out here?" Tia questions, raising a brow at him.

"You, um," Aldric takes a deep breath to steady his nerves, "You didn't want to be left alone. Something about nightmares?" Tia's face falls into a grimace, "You seemed fine most of the night."

"I've been plagued by them for months," Tia admits with a somber air, "Ever since..." she gives a sharp breath, "But none last night. The alcohol I guess."

"You've never mentioned them before," Aldric states thoughtfully and Tia gives a sad smile, "That's what this secret friendship is for, isn't it?"

"There are still things I can't tell you, Al," Tia answers, meeting his gaze with sad eyes, "Even if I want to. Even if I hate secrets."

"Because it gives you away?" Aldric suggests, earning only the hints of a frown.

"Or something much worse," Tia answers in a melancholic tone and Aldric searches her eyes, "Which is why I need to know what else I'm forgetting."

"S-something about how, um," Aldric stammers and shifts uncomfortably, "Euan knows who you are because of bees, mention of someone he called 'prince charming', a strange power you've been struggling with and..."

Aldric's eyes are everywhere but on Tia and, at the mention of power, she watches him more critically. Especially as he pauses and his words stick in his throat. Aldric can feel his heart hammering away in his chest again, unsure of what to do with these unfamiliar reactions. With these feeling he wasn't sure he'd ever have the opportunity to experience. Yet all Tia sees is his sudden discomfort and avoidance, her own heart pumping with dread.

"Al," Tia states firmly, taking his hands in hers and seeking out his gaze, "What did I tell you, what happened?"

"Y-you, um," Aldric states haltingly, his expression wobbling with his nerves as he eyes her gesture, "You might've..." he takes a bracing breath and finally meets her eyes, "Kissed me."

"Oh...!" Tia squeaks. Aldric watches her eyebrows shoot up and a gasp suck into her chest. Tia's hands flit to cover her mouth, "Oh, I didn't...!"

"You very much did," Aldric states as his own face burns, his fingers finding their way to his lips.

His eyes land on the bed she perches on the edge of and she follows his gaze. Quick flashes of the moment come back to her as she seeks them out and Tia buries her face into her hands as her face swelters, as the sensations of the memory lingers. This does nothing to hide the scarlet peeking past her fingertips and Aldric holds his breath, awaiting her reaction. 

"I'm so sorry!" Tia releases her apology in a puff of a breath.

"Sorry...?" Aldric questions but she continues speaking into her own hands, eyes pinched shut.

"I-I can't believe I pushed myself onto you like that...!" Tia laments with a squeaky tone, "Blubbering a-and grasping and throwing myself at you... I'm so sorry Al!"

"Tsuki," Aldric states as softly as he can, "You don't need to-"

"You've been such an amazing friend to me, Al," Tia's hands drop away and her face pinches with remorse, "I-I don't want to be another one of these women throwing themselves at you!" her consideration chokes him up, his mouth hanging open, "I know you hate romance. I know you're overwhelmed by it all but I still pulled something like this?"

"Tsuki!" Aldric states more firmly, her mouth snapping shut as she falls silent, "I know you're not one of those women. I know you never will be."

"So... you're not mad?" Tia peeps, searching his face. 

"I'm not mad," Aldric answers and she releases a sigh.

Tia's hands still contort in her lap, her nerves twisting his own stomach. Aldric can sense this is his moment to reach out, to express his interest, but the words which seek to spill forth are still formless in his mind while his hesitation is palpable. Tia also can't bring herself to question his true impression, equally hesitant for an unfavorable answer.

"Good morning!" Euan sounds as he steps into the cavern, "Awright ya wee bawbags? Have a good coorie last night?"

"Do I want to know what that is?" Tia answers after a curt sigh, shifting her attention to him. 

"Ye dinnae know whit a bawbag is?" Euan answers with a mischievous grin and wriggles his brows, "Ye might o' found out last night, eh?"

"Is everything that spills out of your mouth inappropriate?" Aldric answers, scowling at him already.

"Dinnae fuss at me if ye didnae get any action last night!" Euan teases readily. 

"Urusai, Euan!" Tia barks, her face pinching in aggravation.

"Och!" Euan gasps and points between them with a grin, "Something did happen!" neither teen can look at him and he cackles, "Whit does 'at mean, anyway?"

"It means 'you're annoying', 'you're being loud' and 'shut up'!" Tia answers back happily, speaking as if her words are lashes.

"How can one word mean all 'at?" Euan questions.

"I'll have to remember that one," Aldric muses, stepping behind Tia as Euan prepares a portal.

"Good morning, Al!" Florio chimes as Aldric slides into his seat in the mess hall.

"You're... chipper given the night you had," Aldric notes with a raised brow, his eyes sliding to Danut next, "I was expecting..." 

"It's sickening," Danut grumbles as Aldric gestures to him, cradling his throbbing skull in his hands, "You had just as much as I did!"

"But not nearly as much as Tsuki!" Florio chuckles, his eyes darting back to Aldric with a grin.

Florio looks as if he has more to add but as Aldric's expression tightens into an anticipatory grimace, the breath freezes in his chest. He presses his lips together in silence as Aldric gives him a quizzical once over, regarding Florio carefully as he pauses to sip his morning tea. The tense silence persists until Florio flashes another smile. 

"You really shouldn't test your crafts on yourself," Aldric denotes with an admonishing tone.

"You have a hangover cure," Danut complains, his crimson eyes flashing to Florio with near accusation, "And you didn't think to share?"

"It's experimental!" Florio titters in a high tone, "I only cooked it up this morning," Danut leers at Florio nonetheless, sliding his cup in front of him, "Alright, just don't blame me if-"

"Do not," Danut halts him as Florio reaches out, "Spit in my tea!"

"I only did that once!" Florio's voice is high in his defense and Aldric offers a snort of a laugh.

Florio's eyes find Aldric again as he stirs Danut's tea with a purple finger, his friend maintaining a far off gaze. Aldric's mind is clearly elsewhere and he crosses his arms before him like a dam, as if whatever occupies his mind is begging to spill forward, but Florio continues to bite his tongue. Danut's eyes slide between them.

"I will admit," Danut finally breaks the silence, "You are holding out far longer than I'd have ever expected."

"What?" Aldric gasps, finally breaking from his own thoughts to find Danut giving Florio a coy smirk. Florio leers at Danut with a pout, looking as though he might burst. 

"I mean," Danut chuckles and wafts a hand at Aldric, "Ordinarily you'd be all abuzz! He was out all night with a mystery woman and he clearly hasn't slept. I didn't know you had this kind of restraint!"

"You're not helping!" Florio grits out through his teeth.

"It's kind of freaking me out," Aldric admits with a half hearted laugh.

"What??" Florio gapes, "B-but you..! I-" he pauses as if to catch his breath and eyes Aldric more carefully, at his posture, and presses his lips together, "Wait, did you... actually want to talk about it...?"

"I..." Aldric breathes, leaning forward onto the table and interlocking his fingers before his mouth as he gathers himself, "Something happened and I don't know what to make of it."

"Oh?" Danut presses him, both watching the prince carefully. Florio is visibly barely containing his own excitement and curiosity. Aldric remains mystified by his shift in behavior and releases a pressured sigh. 

"She um," Aldric mumbles, "She kissed me last night."

"Dear Luxis," Florio gasps before an exuberant grin over takes his expression.

Florio quite literally bursts into a flurry of rose petals in his excitement and these petals flutter upward until Florio reforms close to the ceiling and hoots his excitement once before fluttering back down to his seat.

"Bravo tío!" Florio laughs despite the sudden attention of their peers, a smile still wobbling onto Aldric's face as Florio slaps hand to his back.

"All this over just a kiss?" Danut chortles, leaning back and rolling his eyes. 

"You shut your mouth!" Florio demands with a quick glare before his excitement bubbles forward again, "How was it? How did it happen? Are you two..." his head bobs but his grin remains, "You know?"

"I-I um," Aldric stammers, more than one uncertainty passing over his face, "It was... We didn't really get a chance to talk...? But maybe she's better off-" Aldric mutters almost inaudibly.

"Ye had alllll night wi' her," Euan interjects, sliding his breakfast onto the table and quickly earning a glare from Aldric, "Whit more chance did ye need?"

"We were interrupted," Aldric bites with accusation.

"Euan," Florio gasps, "Don't you know better than to get between a budding couple?"

"Budding couple ma arse," Euan chortles as he munches on his breakfast, "Only thing I interrupted was pigeon toed, hand wringing silence!"

"Were you wa-" Aldric growls until Florio gestures for him to stop.

Florio leans forward as Euan pops a brow at him, a purple hand hovering over Euan's tea. With a wry smile, Florio wafts his fingers, red petals fluttering into the cup and floating atop the drink. Euan and he hold each other's gaze, an uncharacteristically ardent grin growing on Danut's face. Florio waves for Euan to partake in the drink without breaking this gaze. Euan gives a hard laugh, picking up the mug and gulping the tea down with a challenge in his eyes.

"Oh I wouldn't...!" Florio mutters with raised brows, pressing his lips together as Euan sets down the empty cup. 

"Ye think I'd be afraid of a few flower petals?" Euan boasts and Aldric barely stifles a laugh, "I dinnae whit ye dainty lads are used tae but... but..."

Euan pauses, his fingertips beginning to tingle. Before he can so much as suck in another breath, his body numbs rapidly and Florio is quick to slide his tray aside as Euan slumps onto the table.

"Made fun of his magic, hm?" Aldric muses, leaning forward as Euan's eyes dart and he fails to move his leaden limbs. 

"Whit th' fuck is 'is?" Euan husks, growing more indignant as Danut hums with laughter. 

"You can't say I didn't warn you!" Florio states, crossing arms, "I'm capable of far more than just, 'flower shit'."

"Ye pompous little shite!" Euan seethes, his face flushing red as his eyes scrape for aid before seeming to stick on someone, "Oy, moggy! C'mere!"

"Don't bark at me," Tia grumbles with a hand to her forehead as all eyes swivel to her, "Not today, Eu... an..." she pauses as her eyes land on him, sliding over those at the table, "What happened to you...?" Tia questions, taking a tentative step closer. 

"Tia...!" Florio catches her attention with a nervous smile, "We can explain!"

"These sleekit nyaffs slipped me something," Euan interjects aggressively, "I cannae move," his eyes slide to the nearest security staff, pointedly ignoring them, before returning to Tia, "But I know yer no' gonnae let them do whitever they want, aye?"

"The only one here doing whatever-" Aldric scoffs, halting as Tia levels a heated leer at him in warning. Florio seems to brace himself for the worst and Danut's wings move as if to shelter the other two. Tia huffs as Aldric falls silent before leaning to meet Euan's eye. 

"I'd be more than happy to help you," Tia states carefully before narrowing her eyes onto him, "If you can look me in the eye and tell me you didn't earn this."

"Wha-" Euan gasps, knitting his brows at her suggestion but she inclines her head towards him with a knowing look, "I did no'!" Euan explains in a high tone. Tia scoffs, leaning back up and looking to the befuddled trio. 

"What's wrong with him exactly?" Tia questions into their baffled expressions. 

"They drugged me!" Euan exclaims.

"Oh, hush!" Tia fusses, dismissing him and refusing to meet his accusing glare until he folds.

"Poison, not drugs!" Florio notes and Tia's brows shoot up. 

"Does he need to go to the clinic?" Tia questions, concern still sneaking into her voice. 

"Florio doesn't care for lethal poisons," Aldric assures her.

"My toxins are far more sophisticated!" Florio seems to brag and Tia tries not to laugh, "But..." his eyes drift to Euan's cup, "I didn't expect he'd drink all of it! He might just be stuck like this all day!"

"All day??" Euan gasps, his eyes drifting back to Tia who still refuses to look at him, "C'mon moggy! I thought we were friends!"

"Friends don't lie to each other," Tia answers with a leer, holding him in another intense stare. Danut, Florio and Aldric all glance to each other into the silence. 

"Fine!" Euan finally relents with a bursting sigh, his face twisting into another frown as Tia just her chin at the trio, "I'm sorry flower b-!" Tia cuts him off with nudge and he sighs again, "Florio. Happy?"

Tia glances to Florio, seemingly satisfied if not still flabbergasted, and gives Euan a sniff of a laugh. 

"Okay you big oaf," Tia chides, earning incoherent grumbling from her friend, "Let's get you up."

"We couldn't possibly let a lady try and carry a man his size," Danut insists, rising to his feet.

"Oh, I'm not carrying him," Tia snorts and gathers Duff in her hand. 

'What makes you believe I would carry him?' Duff protests and Tia gives him a scowl. 

"I'm not tolerating any sass today," Tia grumbles before thinking the rest, 'And it's the least we owe him after this week.'

'Fine,' Duff answers, his voice as hard as hers. 

Tia runs a charge into him, garnering more gaping mouths. He slides to the ground as he grows, Tia cutting the charge once he is at the thickness of Euan's body.

"Is that enough?" Tia questions, earning a nod.

"It gets bigger??" Florio exclaims.

"'at's whit she said!" Euan snickers.

"He says if you make bad jokes while he carries you," Tia denotes, "He will drop you."

"Oh, I like him already," Danut hums, helping to move Euan onto his back. Euan slumps over Duff's upper body, his arms slung over his horns, and Duff uses the rest of his body to slither forward.

"I should tag along!" Florio cuts in as Tia give a curt wave, tilting her head at his offer, "Medic is going to want to know what's in his system!"

"Oh... Okay," Tia titters, gesturing for him to follow. 

"So," Euan answers as they near the exit, "Does this mean I can say I've ridden a dragon?"

Aldric's brows shoot up as he and Danut watch them go, both Tia and Florio failing to stifle their laughter as Duff dumps Euan onto the floor.

"Isn't she just full of surprises," Danut notes, earning a snort from the prince.

IN THEIR SHADOWS HIATUS NOTICE

I wanted to avoid this as much as possible but unfortunately, it's clear to me this is necessary. I've hit a point in the story that I need to develop a number of things, world building wise and plot planning wise, before I can move forward without sacrificing the quality of the story and writing. I don't want to barrel forward haphazardly and see the story suffer for it. I am also juggling a few things IRL with my health and have to be extremely careful of burnout right now.

Hopefully, this will only last a month but there is possibility for longer. For now, I won't be posting any new scenes or chapters but will instead be focusing on building and editing Emynea. I might release side content if the mood strikes me but In Their Shadows is officially on hiatus for now. If you haven't seen it already, I've done quite significant editing to previous chapters including adding quite a bit of art! Feel free to reread/skim through I think the pictures add a lot to the experience!

On the bright side, once I do have more fine details planned and written a lot of exciting content is in the horizon! The story will officially step out of all introductory phases and will move into the flesh of the plot! Antagonist plots will attempt to ensnare Tia, Allen's resolve will be put to the test, Tia, Euan and Annie will get into shenanigans, mysteries swirling about will be revealed, Aldric and Florio and several others will have their own romantic adventures, ambitious interlopers will craft manipulations of their own. There is much to come!

PS.  I am considering releasing a scene every week rather than whole chapters once a month. Lemme know in the comments which you'd prefer!

UPDATE

Hello all! I know it's been a while, I've been working away at the worldbuilding for Emynea. This hiatus has definitely stretched on longer than I wanted but it won't carry on for much longer. I am currently editing my articles and the story in general. In fact, I've been converting this manuscript into an alternate, illustrated version using articles! These are far more visual and easier to read and I plan to integrate a lot of features into this version. There are even character images in dialogue! I am editing and revising In Their Shadows as I convert this over and plan to pick the story back up once I am finished with this. In a way, the revisions are also helping me get back into the same mode and feel to continue where I left off! I've had plenty of fun ideas for upcoming adventures, so look forward to more soon. Thank you for your support and check out the new illustrated version in the world of Emynea, I promise its even better than before!

--Lee Stepp