Lily’s eyes looked over a letter that appeared to be written with precious intent. The way the quill stroked across the page told her this letter took some time to write. There had been some nervousness when her green eyes looked over some of the letters but there was a smile on her lips. He would be coming to get her for an outing. “What do you think little one?” Lily looked down to Yeva who was also staring at the letter.

“I don’t understand any of it, Mama.” Yeva scrunched her nose a bit more. “Who is it from?”

“You remember Auron?” There was a head tilt from the little one as Lily chuckled. “Who fixed my necklace that you broke?” Yeva’s eyes got big for a moment and suddenly she was nodding furiously. “He’s asked Mommy out on a date… What do you think?”

“Say yes!” Yeva bounced excitedly. “You can’t go looking like that Momma!” The little one grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled her upstairs. “You gotta look special!” All the way up into the queen’s room the little one began to go through all the dresses, jewelry, and shoes. “What does Auron like?” The littlest blue eyes looked up at her mother.

“I don’t know but try and make everything match alright?” Yeva nodded to her mother’s request. Yeva ultimately chose a sun drop yellow dress that had a plunging necklace. It crisscrossed in the back to support the top. It was sleeveless and had a matching sun drop waistband around the top of the waist that tied in the back. The skirt was long but nothing that Lily wasn’t used to.

“You look, pretty Mama,” Yeva brushed out her mother’s long golden curls. “I can’t do your hair…” Yeva got down and went to go find one of the servants of the house. Pulling the servant with her Yeva led them over. “Can you do Momma’s hair up? She has a date tonight?” Lily laughed and so did the servant as the woman worked on putting part of the queen’s long hair up. Yeva went and retrieved some small yellow roses from the garden and handed them up to the servant for her hair.

Jewelry was easier for Yeva but she still needed help with the clasps which Lily did for her. “You are doing very well.” Yeva’s face lit up as she finished the touches on Lily. “He will love it I am sure.” Once the time came to meet Auron Lily left the house and moved down to the bridge by the aqueducts of the Yellow Court. This was where he said he wanted to meet. Hopefully, Yeva didn’t overdress her.

"You look especially radiant today, my lady. Surely the sun itself would be envious of y–" A charming voice was suddenly cut off by the sounds of gagging, struggling, and then yelling from the same person. "Gah! Ok! OK! Stop–let go! Can't breathe! You're…crushing…me…" In the empty debate hall in Antikythera, there was a woman holding a red-haired man in a headlock as he kicked and flailed on the floor. Releasing him, he slumped onto the ground wheezing while holding his neck. "Just stop. Nobody's going to fall for that one. Ugh, can't you make your flirting a bit…oh I don't know–less flamboyantly sappy?" Shiloh criticized as she watched him gasp for air. "What else am I supposed to do?! That was the best I could come up with! And stop choking me!" The brunette stared back blankly. "Well maybe I would if your pick up lines were less nauseating." 

"You do this to me every time! Why?!" Ever since he managed to get her to accept him as a brother figure her routine assaults became even worse! "Because they're bad, and you should feel bad. Why are you so surprised?" Groaning, he threw up his hands. "I'm your older brother! You're not supposed to use choke holds your older brother!" "Why not?" She flatly asked back. "BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HOW LITTLE SISTERS ARE SUPPOSED TO ACT!" He shouted in exasperation. She blinked, still having that stone-face of hers. "But I wrestled with my adoptive brothers all the time and they were fine." "What exactly were your adoptive siblings again?" He glared, crossing his arms. "Mountain trolls." Burying his face in his hands he screamed.

This was his fault. Why did he think asking her to help him practice for his date was a good idea?! "Forget the practice, I'm done. Gods…" Why was she so frustrating? His mood had been completely ruined and he still had an hour before he was supposed to meet Lily. Going into his room he threw himself onto the silk and cotton sheets, yelling into the pillows to vent his irritation. After that he felt better, and went to pick out what he would wear today. 

Arri was always warm, so something light would be best. Picking out a silver silk shirt, he spent a few minutes debating whether to go with the pinstripe vest or a solid black waistcoat. He chose the latter, fastened an orange embroidered scarf loosely around his neck, fastened a golden rose pin to the lapel, and matched it with black slacks. He left the cuffs and collar undone for a more casual look, and fixed his hair. Adding a few drops of rose oil and orange blossom water, he slipped on a pair of short black gloves before leaving.

He was early, and nervous. The weather was balmy, and he was thinking up ways to make today's excursion more pleasant. A gondola ride was a classic, idyllic way to spend a few hours, and they could move on from there. "Don't think about her…don't think about her. She'll kill the mood." He muttered under his breath, keeping any stray thoughts of what happened that morning away. Today was going to be a special date with Lily, he wasn't going to let that stubborn deity sour it.

There was no nervousness coming from the Yellow Queen. She had been a socialite for much of her life and had attracted hundreds of suitors. It made her more confident than a lot of women or even men. However, there was a sense of excitement that seemed to radiate from the blonde haired woman. She found herself fancying Auron quite a bit since the first time they had met back in Shiloh’s temple. He had been so kind to her child and the way he held himself was quite good as well.

Red and green eyes focused on the rippling waters of the aqueducts below as she waited patiently on the bridge. There was a tender smile across her face as each second and minute ticked by. The excitement was starting to bubble over as she held it in. There were butterflies in her stomach but she knew it wasn’t anxiety or nervousness… It felt more like fleeting happiness. Maybe this was something that she had been missing for a while. The queen hadn’t courted anyone since Clyde and that hadn’t gone over well at all. That had been majorly her fault but with everything that had happened, she couldn’t quite hold it against herself. Cyprus had been a problem and she was dealt with.

Now her foot was tapping against the stone of the bridge. There was a tap, tap, tap followed by a rapid two taps and finally, her foot slowed back down. The breeze swept by and brought with it the scent of all the flowers in the gardens nearby. It was enough to calm her just a bit. Just the right amount. She turned her head to watch a dandelion seed float by just in time to see Auron making his way to her. “Auron!” She shouted as she raised her arm to wave to him.

“So are you going to tell me what this surprise date is?” She cozied up on his arm as soon as he was close enough to her though she was conscious enough to make sure he was fine with how close she was being to him. “Yeva decided she would be the one to dress me today… so I do hope our date isn’t too hard on my legs considering this dress is very long.” She held it up just enough off the ground so that it wasn’t a pain to move in. "You clean up rather well yourself actually." She took notice in how he had groomed himself that evening and felt a tad overdressed thanks to her young daughter.

Lily came in from the roses, radiant as ever. The way the sun's rays played off her blonde hair and dress made everything glow. When she waved, he went over forgetting all that morning's earlier unpleasantness. "I can see where Yeva gets her eye for color from. You look absolutely amazing, Lily. Although it may be hard to believe, this is my usual attire. My employer almost never cuts me any slack during my work hours." They were close enough for the faint fragrance of the golden roses in her hair to mingle with the orange blossoms scenting his shirt. Smiling, he reassured her: "You won't need to worry, we won't be walking very much with what I have in mind." Right on cue, one of the gondolas making their rounds drifted on by. He motioned to the gondolier and the svelte vessel gently neared the edge of the water. 

"And here is my little surprise. After you, milady." With a bow, he took a seat on the gondola following Lily. The gondolier pushed off with a single stroke and the boat was carried by the current. On the gondola there were plush seats of velvet and plenty of leg room. In between the seats on each end there was a small table secured to the bottom of the gondola. He had planned this in advance, he wanted everything to be perfect. A bottle of chilled wine was resting in an ice bucket on the rosewood table upon a red silk cloth. It was a light wine, a sparkling sweet rosé that was perfect for a leisurely gondola ride. The water's coolness suppressed the rising midday heat, reflecting the strong sunlight in glistening ripples as the boat made waves. 

This canal ran through the Yellow District, passing by the district's famous Night Gardens. Like the rest of the canals flowing through Sularia it connected to the other districts, including the Red District's red rose gardens and the Purple District's picturesque designs. It was a lovely way to take one's time in seeing in the sights of the Arriese capital and appreciating the local architecture. Producing a pair of glasses and a cork remover from the rosewood table's lower compartments, he looked into her eyes before offering to pour her a drink. "May I?" 

Lily chuckled a bit and shook her head. “I had little doubt you dressed differently from when you worked,” she spoke softly as the sight of him appeased her. With her worries about her feet put to rest, Lily was eager to see what Auron had in store for her. They had only ever met a few times and of those few times, it had always been about fixing her necklace as it was business with Shiloh.

A date on the water then? That was a rather nice touch as she took his hand and lowered herself into the boat. She took a seat next to him and smiled. “This is a nice surprise indeed.” It was different from the courting that she had had in the past which worked well for her. Her eyes went over every little detail and she chuckled. “You planned quite the evening from the looks of it.” He was just as thoughtful about their date as he had been about how to repair her necklace.

“Of course,” she took one of the glasses once he was done and sipped on it gently. “This is quite the surprise~” She repeated herself offering up a gentle smile. The sights of her homeland were welcomed and she had often no time to appreciate them. “Is this your first time in Sularia, Auron?”

It was by that moment that Lily had to remember that she hadn’t called upon her small talk abilities in a while. Had it really been so long since she had a real date? It was rather embarrassing and she worried about not saying the right thing to the jeweler.

“Color me surprised when I got your offer. I hadn’t thought I impressed much on our visit to Antikythera but I am not at all upset by the invitation. You made quite an impression on Yeva and me during the business trip. She hasn't stopped wearing the brooch you made her since the day she got it. It took everything for me to convince her not to sleep with it.”

As the gondola gently drifted along, the shade from the umbrella finally fell over them as the sun was no longer shining from the front. He was pleased to see that everything was to her liking, and was finally able to fully relax since…forever. The thought that he almost couldn't recall his idle days before being forced into indebted servitude was dreadfully frightening. It was all that slave-driver of a deity's fault–with her dull eyes and outrageous demands. And it was thanks to her that he desperately craved the balmy sunshine that bathed Arri. "It pains me to say so, but yes. Regrettably my work has kept me from visiting Canelux's jewel of the northeast sooner. Sularia truly is one of the great wonders of the world; everything from the gardens to the streets are beautiful." He stopped himself before saying too much. Though he enjoyed Lily's company, there was always concern lingering in the back of his mind when he thought of her. It wasn't until now that he came to the full realization why. 

Beneath his excitement, he became very much aware of the gap between himself and Lily. She was the queen of the Yellow Court; one of the five queens in one of the wealthiest nations in all of Revaliir. She was a descendant of Willow, the Empress of Arri and the first of all Rosenites. She was a leader among her people, beloved by them and her family.

He had come from nothing, one of countless urchins with a smattering of infernal blood. He had lived using his wits and whatever little power he had to stay alive and out of sight. His successes had been built on the misfortune of others and the lies he had woven to keep people from knowing who and what he was until it was too late. He was a fair-weather friend of the rich and foolish; he was a swindler. He had nothing. 

Auron couldn't find a single good reason as for why she would want to associate with him if she knew who he was. 

"It gladdens me to hear that it was a pleasant surprise." When she mentioned her daughter, Auron couldn't help but smile. "I'm flattered that little Yeva loves it so. It isn't often that I receive such high praise on my handiwork." Since it was just her and him here, he figured that he could afford to take a few jabs at his employer's expense. The fact that he could expect Shiloh to tell him to redo his pieces at least once or twice was a sore spot that hadn't faded. "If she ever wants another, she's always welcome to make a request. No matter how much work I have, I'll set aside time for her." As he took a sip from his glass, the red-haired man mused to himself on when he had last had the pleasure to enjoy the finer things of life. 

It was then that their boat slowed as it passed another gondola going in the opposite direction. The other boat was empty, and he caught a glimpse of the gondolier's face. His golden eyes stared for a moment, then blinked as he thought it was just a trick of the light. As he discreetly tried to have a second look at the person, they were too far apart for him see anything other than their back turned. He brushed it off as his mind playing tricks on him. This was supposed to be a special day for him and Lily; she wouldn't show up here.