Bedrest was unbearable. Kieran spent most of his time reading, or sleeping when no one was in the room to keep him company. Syn took the best of care of him when Teu was busy. She made for great companionship when the hours became long and quiet. Of course, there was also the occasional nieces and nephews who would visit and told him stories or played little games with him. Not to mention the children of the town who came and gave him flowers and well wishes. It was these little moments that made things a little more bearable.

When Kieran was finally allowed to leave the bed for short intervals to exercise his muscles, he stayed near the shop. Not from fear of what happened, but his physical capabilities. The surgery was a success, the arrow was removed with little extra damage to the area, but it had still hit the bone. He was just glad his wings had finally disappeared, removing the excess weight that rested upon his shoulders that he was still unaccustomed to. But he needed out of the shop, away from Mamlak. Kieran needed someplace different, a fresh setting.

”Teu, I’m going to visit Ria, check in on my little nurse,” Kieran informed his beloved. He gave her a loving kiss, and opened the special door that was enchanted by Raith to lead directly to the throne room in his domain. The dragon did not feel comfortable about using this method, as it was meant more for Alairia to have a direct connection to her mother despite the distance. Still, with help from his cane, Kieran entered the god’s realm. It was the first time he had been there. While he took in the sights, he wondered how he would find Alairia. One should not simply explore the home of a god without permission.

Another day had been handled business wise, and Syn was feeling quite pleased with her end results. Many items were crossed off of her to-do list. That meant that she had earned her treat for the day. A piece of dark chocolate was between her index and thumb as she sat on one of the benches of the throne room. There was a small block resting next to her while she sat with legs crossed over the other. Heels were lain carefully off to the side as her bare toes bopped up and down. Syn swayed side to side while humming a tune to herself. Each little bite was a slice of heaven. Rarely did she allow herself such indulgences, but today had been a win on all accounts.

It was the opening of a rather special door that made Syn open her eyes. Head turned slightly to see a man with a cane limp through the door before it closed behind him. Silence filled the room again after his echoing entrance. The vampiress took a slow inhale of breath before wiping her hands against each other. She slipped on her heels again, a simple black, to stand up. Lady Alairia had indicated all of her potential family that could enter through the door. None of them seemed to come to mind looking at the man…though Syn had to admit the list had been longer than she was interested in remembering.

A small sniff of the scent from the man told her he had a dragon’s flame within his chest. ’That would be the father,’ she thought inwardly. Click of her heels brought her closer to the man with hands clasped before her waist. ’Good day to you…sir,” she said allowing her eyes to shift down his form. Her lips curled upwards as she did enjoy the visage of the man, even if he was Alairia’s father. ”What is it that I can help you with? My name is Syn, personal assistant to our Lord Raith.”

In the throne room, where sound could echo, he heard the distinct click of heels upon the polished floor. Kieran's icy gaze quickly found the source to be an attractive looking woman, possibly of elvish descent. But there was something cold about her, something he could not quite put a finger on. For his young age, there were things he was still quite uneducated about. He had no doubt that this side of things with Ria would allow him an insider's look.

The woman approached cordially, hands clasped before her, as she greeted him. It did not escape his attention that she was eyeing him, something that Elwin would probably act upon. This dragon, however, did not react in the slightest about being admired. So long as she did not act upon it, he could not help if she liked what she saw. Kieran gave a deep, respectable bow to her upon the introduction. "A pleasure, Lady Syn," it had been so long since he had given such a proper greeting, but old habits died hard.

"I am Kieran Rothslin seeking an audience with Alairia. Pray tell, is she available?" While he was addressing Syn, he could remember when he first met Ria. Her worried face hovered over his as she dutifully did her tasks. That perfect curl that he tugged on to entice a smile on her sweet face. Alairia would always be that little girl to him, which caused a fond little smile to play at the corner of his lips.

Flowers had been freshly cut to be placed in the entrance hall. Raith was more than tolerant to the flora being placed about the temple. He supported pretty much anything that Alairia wished to indulge in, but the flowers were a stark contrast to the layout of the temple that was to embody Wrath and the Heavens. Still, the Lady of the Temple wished to put some warming elements about the dark mansion since the flowers had been grown in the garden realm gifted to her from her future husband. Hands fluffed up her most recent arrangement that popped colors of blue and purple in the entrance hall to contrast the black marble about the room.

Alairia stood back a few steps to look at the floral arrangement to assess if it had been a good enough fit for her intent. A smirk graced her lips as she cocked her head to the side. This particular collection was one of her largest arrangements yet. ’My lady, Syn is within the Throne Room greeting your father,” a gentle voice whispered at Alairia’s shoulder. The smile brightened that seemed to reach her eyes. It had been a while since the blonde elf had seen her stepfather, and even more extended since she had come to live in the Temple with Raith. Hands quickly made their checks to ensure that her gauze layered dress was fitted correctly before combing through her long blond tresses. Her silk slippers quietly carried the half elf from the entrance way into the throne room.

It was there she saw Syn holding herself in the normal elegant poise that most women begged to possess. Alairia halted her progress upon sight of her father. She bit her lower lip gently as she began moving towards the pair. The Lady of the Temple paused next to Syn in order to place a gentle hand upon the red haired vampiress’ arm. ”Thank you for greeting my father, Syn.” There was a tension released in the muscles of the temptress at the slightest touch of her mistress. Alairia had been intimidated by Syn at first, but now she knew there was nothing to be jealous of. It had taken little time for Ria to win over the vampiress.

”Of course, my Lady. It was my honor. I will get some finger foods prepared and brought to the garden for you both.” Syn bowed to the pair before leaving the room with a feline grace in her step. Alairia watched the assistant to her future husband leave the throne room before turning to Kieran. Arms crossed over her chest while pressing her lips tightly together. ”Are you serious, daddy? Can you ever go a period of time without needing to get gravely injured?” Her hazel eyes rolled in a childish way that would never leave the girl no matter how much she grew up. She grinned brightly at Kieran as she shifted to link arms with him.

”Come, Syn will bring us our treats in the garden, and I want to show you around. This is your first time here, isn’t it?” Ria rested her head upon his shoulder. She guided him towards the door that was off the throne room to enter the garden realm created specifically for her. Alairia still did not know how large the place was, but it had its own waterfall in the distance. There was little lacking in the realm for Alairia’s needs. ”This is my personal place that I grow the herbs brought to the store. The soil here is especially fertile. I have little to worry about for the plants care.” She followed a stone path that had been recently put in towards the covered gazebo. A table had already been set with some finger foods as well as a newly brewed pot of tea. ”Sit, and tell me what exactly happened….”

Movement from the actual entrance of the room caught Kieran's icy gaze. What he saw brought a warm smile to his face. Ria was a vision of elegance and beauty as she paused momentarily. His heart swelled upon seeing her. So much had happened, yet she still found the strength to move forward. He watched her as she seemed to glide across the room. Syn was greeted first who bowed her way out.

When Ria's attention turned back to Kieran, she crossed her arms and had a disapproving look. "What?" He asked in return. "Oh, that. What can I say? I enjoy a life of danger?" Kieran chuckled as he watched her roll her eyes, only to shift into a more jovial mood and linked her arm through his. "Yes, actually, I do believe it is." He pressed his lips into her hair, missing the closeness he had once shared with her.

She led him into a door that led seemingly outside. Where the temple could be described as broody, this was a stark contrast. Light beamed down upon them, the sound of a distant waterfall could be heard. Bees buzzed happily as they worked to pollinate the realm. Raith was going out of his way to ensure she was happy and wanted for nothing. Delightfully, his eyes wanted to drink in everything, to see the world that his stepdaughter was living in as the beloved chosen of a deity. "It's beautiful, Ria." As the obedient stepfather, he sank gratefully into the chair, hanging the cane nearby.

"Where to start? The first thing to change was my mood until I became easily irritable by the smallest of things." If it wasn't for the children and Teu, he was sure he'd be comparable to his twin. "Then one night, I turned. My dragon emerged. I still can't recall what I did that night. But I woke up the next morning some distance from town, being hunted. Apparently I was in the middle of transforming back to human. They called me demon, Alairia. While most of their shots missed, they grazed my side and embedded one into my leg." Kieran found he had been tapping the table with his middle finger rapidly, fidgeting as he recanted the tale. "I can't recall a time in my life where I had been more scared for my life, feeling vulnerable in a very primal sense. Yet when those archers bore down upon me to loose the final shot to take me, it was your mother I thought of."