Minagrain in front of me turns incredibly nervous, and she blushes again and again. Her ears start to move wildly, and she takes her tail and uses it to cover her face. She jumps from one foot to the next and then falls to the ground while still holding her tail.
Then she looks at me, and she nods.
"Was that a, yes?" A say with a face of disbelief.
"Yes," She gestures towards me.
I pick her up, twirl her around, and say, "I happen to be the happiest man around!"
She turns more and more red as I twirl her around, and we both laugh together. Then stopping I hold her tight and put the ring on her finger which makes her raise her arm to stare at it, before looking directly at me and smiling.
Is it even fair to be this cute? Is it even fair to be this adorable? It is like this little girl has a grip on my soul, and there is nothing I can do about it. I am completely dominated by her.
"Don't worry Minagrain, I will get this traded for some jewellery for your tail instead of this human tradition."
I pull her close and continue to hug her, and then she stares into my eyes while I stare into hers, and then I hear a ridiculous amount of claps again, and again.
Looking around, I notice that both of us are in the middle of the courtyard. All those who were working from the staff to the soldier, were all looking at us and clapping.
This all makes Minagrain far more embarrassed as it seems she didn't notice this either, but I pull her close and say, "WHERE GETTING MARRIED EVERYONE!"
The cheers increase, and Minagrain gestures, "Don't be telling everyone, I don't want you to get embarrassed."
"What is there to be embarrassed about my love? I won in this aspect of life, and I plan to enjoy my victory for the rest of my life!"
Suddenly I hear, "Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her, kiss her."
Turning my head, I see Aurelius who is wearing his cloak, chanting this, and I gesture to him that I am going to slit his throat.
But before he stops, Laeg says, "Kiss her, kiss her, kiss, her, kiss her." And soon the rest of the crowd starts to chant the same thing again, and again.
Looking at Minagrain, I say, "I am sorry for this, you don't have to do anything you don't want to."
But she looks kind of disappointed as I say this, so I pick her up and I start to kiss her, and the rest of the people around me cheer, but soon all their voices fade from my ears as all my senses are completely dominated by Minagrain.
-Break-
With Ibar in a headlock on the ground, I say, "So what were you doing walking around with Minagrain all by yourselves?"
"I was watching her like you instructed us to!"
"I don't care, I am jealous!"
"YOU IDIOT!"
Laeg walking over to us with Aurelius comes and kicks me in the face, and says, "Control yourself!"
I am knocked back to a wall, and as I lay against it Minagrain comes up to me and pats my wounds on my face, and I say, "Who wouldn't be jealous if someone tried to touch my precious little goddess here."
Minagrain blushes and Laeg picks me up by the collar and says, "I don't care, just behave!"
"How mean!"
"Well then behave yourself and we won't have to have this issue."
The boys' troop suddenly appears all around me, and Ruairí says, "How rude of you to say such a thing to your master."
Laeg gets a little scared by this, and Ibar moves to protect her, so I say, "Hey Laeg these guys are my new slaves, and as my first decree you're free to do whatever you want to them. They are you and Ibar's personal guards."
"Huh?" Ruairí says.
Freaking out a little he says, "I thought we are going to serve under you."
"I obviously cannot allow you guys to join me if one of my people sees you all in a negative light, so when Laeg is comfortable enough around you bastards you can work for me all you want until then that isn't my issue."
Ruairí makes a disappointed face, and in that moment Laeg kicks him in the balls which causes him to fall to the ground in pain, and then she turns to the rest of the boys' troop and says, "Line up."
They make scared faces, but I glare at them, and say, "Fall in line."
Laeg proceeds to continue on kicking them with both a sadistic and satisfied smile pasted over her face.
As she does this, I turn to Minagrain, and say, "Since I plan to marry you on my birthday next year, we should inform both your mom and Ferdiad."
The moment Ferdiad's name leaves my mouth my mood sours and I feel like I am one moment away from crying, but I manage to keep myself together and look at Minagrain.
Minagrain in response to my question makes a worried expression, and I ask, "What's wrong?"
Ibar puts his hands on my shoulder, and then says, "We have something to tell you."
Laeg stopping turns to me, and says, "We didn't know how to relay this information to you, especially after we heard all you went through with the house of Laoch. But Ferdiad has left the house of Faoláin."
Standing up, I say, "What the hell are you talking about? Why would he do such a thing? Where the hell is he?"
As I speak, I move increasingly close to Laeg, and my tone isn't a kind one. But Minagrain and Ibar stop me, and Laeg says, "He left for the house of Sealbhóir, after saying his goodbyes to everyone else here."
"Why?"
"He didn't say to anyone but Lugh."
"I see," I say as I start to move.
Ibar says, "Where are you going?"
"To go and find him, then drag him back here!"
"Setanta you can't just force him to be here."
"I can do whatever the hell I want!"
Suddenly I am tugged from behind, and I turn around to see Minagrain who slaps me, and I say, "Wha?"
She points at me, then gestures, "Bad."
Continuing from that, she says, "We all help each other here, so don't just run off after being in such a harsh battle. We can all go together."
"Right."
Turning to everyone, I say, "Get the rest of Solasmionna we are all going to Falias."
I pick Minagrain up and I start to walk away with everyone, but as I do I move over to Aurelius and take off his hood, then I say, "Oh this is Aurelius a human, he is my friend and by extension of all of you guys friends now as well. Make sure no harm comes to him."
Everyone looks shocked by the fact that I have a human right next to me, except for Minagrain who waves and smiles at him, and I bury my head in her as she adorably does this.
-Break-
Location: Lugh's chambers
Φ In front of me, Lugh sits at his desk, and I finish my report by saying, "As you requested the Fuinseogs intercepted Setanta's group trying to head into Falias and stopped them. A battle broke out but using his legacy and skills Ronald was able to subdue Setanta before he got too wild and did any lasting damage."
"Good to hear. I am glad we set up this safety net the moment Ferdiad left."
A bit nervous, I ask, "Though this probably won't stop him, the fact that Ferdiad just up and left isn't something Setanta is going to just let go of, and in all honesty, many here don't want to let that go either."
"I know how you all feel. But we were too complacent with him since unlike Setanta he never acts out.
It seems that the disgusting snake got his hands around Ferdiad while we were focusing on other things, and now Ferdiad won't even talk to his mother or sister.
Though for now we must protect ourselves, and I want you to still make it so that any contact between Ferdiad and everyone else will be banned until further notice."
"That sounds extremely harsh. His mother was hysterical when he left, and she has been trying to contact him ever since, even Minagrain and Setanta are raging around like beasts trying to get him. It feels cruel to do that."
"Regardless, I don't know what Ferdiad has been told or how far he is willing to go so until further notice he must be treated as an enemy agent, and cannot have free access to those who care for him," Lugh says while shaking.
"Don't you think we should take some action?"
"For Red branch house going to battle over something like this would be seen as utterly insignificant. Especially since we can't claim we had any rights to him; he had no form of marriage pack with any of the Faoláins or the houses surrounding us. And now I have heard rumours that Glic Sealbhóir will be his new wife."
"Isn't she the one?"
"Yes, she is probably my cousin. I had dropped a few hints towards her since she was a child about this, but I have yet to see if it has born any fruit, all I can hope for is that her Faoláin blood overcomes that of her Sealbhóir blood."
"I know, but everything about this just rubs me the wrong way. It feels like we are allowing that bastard to have his way, and push his venom into Ferdiad and by extension Setanta.
I made great efforts to make sure he never had any form of impact on your life while growing up, but it seems he has taken an interest in our house for the third time, and he has been successful so far."
"Don't fret Darragh, we still have all the evidence we had gathered from when we helped Spéirdeannach get rid of her husband due to being the ones who by law have to conduct the autopsy. It is rather conclusive when put with all the other things both me and Medb have gathered.
The house of Laoch has always had a disdain for the Sealbhóirs, due to this deceiving nature, and we have recently gained an upper hand against the house of Eire with regard to the fact that the next head has fallen under my son's command.
We have the support of the four kings, and when we start the invasion into the eastern continent next year, we will have all the proof we need to force the House of Sealbhóir out of the Red branch for good, and I will reclaim my aunt, my cousin, and my son."
"I think this is too easy. He without a doubt knows the trouble of the house of Serlasracht losing their former head who had a tight relationship with him, so I doubt he doesn't know of the evidence you gathered. He must have realized all of this, and has planned accordingly."
"I am sure he has some backup card, namely the eastern continent, which he has been weakening. I am sure he will probably try to use the role he has over there to protect himself for the time being and wait for a weak spot to attack, but all we can do till then is continue to defend ourselves and build up strength."
"You're right my king. But you also need to rest, you cannot be trying to do all of this without taking a nap yourself."
"I will get to it eventually Darragh, I still need to sort things out with the house of Laoch. Daire was a beastkin who had agreed with Conchobar's plan, and now that he is dead we need to find another helper."
Grabbing Lugh, I say, "No you will do it ,r ight now you fool! You need to your habit of overworking, if you're going to be a married man."
Looking up, Lugh says, "I guess you're right about that."
-Break-
During the era after Setanta was referred to as Cú Culainn the beastkin spent time resting and building up strength for the battles to come the very next year and in the blink of an eye time had passed and on the 13th day of the 2nd month of the 133rd year Lugh's wedding has arrived.