Let The Chaos Continue

Rosella, Parch, Parrot, and Rin

Parch was sneaking through the Rainwing village in the hopes of finding someone, and for the first time in his life, that someone wasn't Rosella. In fact, he was actually hoping to avoid his future wife until after this conversation was over. 

And yes, he said future wife. Because that's what Rosella was, just as he was her future husband. It was just something they both kind of knew and agreed with at this point, unless Parch did something extremely stupid. Like, stupid enough for Rosella to break up with him. Parch liked to think he had enough brain cells to avoid that ever happening, but then again, some days he wasn't sure. 

Some days he also wondered if, past all the fangirling, Thorn and Sunny didn't want him to end up with Rosella because it would cause so many complications for the future of the Sandwing throne.

He hated the fact that that was somehow his responsibility. When he was a young dragonet, he'd often wished for a little sister, just to get the pressure off himself, but he knew that would never happen. Haze, according to the stories he'd heard, had quite colorfully told everyone in the Stronghold that she was not having another dragonet after Parch, even if that meant she would have no heirs. So the job fell to Parch, even though everyone in his family told him he should marry for love.

Just a pre-approved love, he supposed it should've been phrased. But he didn't care what the Sandwings thought about him and Rosella. He did, however, care a little bit about what the rainforest thought of them.

Hence why he was looking for someone to discuss the matter with. The dragon he settled on, of course, happened to be Rin.

"Rin!" He said cheerfully, sliding up casually beside the princess as she walked with Parrot. "Hello, and hi Parrot." Parrot nodded. That was usually the extent of the attention he was given in the family, and he was fine with it. 

"Hi Parch," Rin smiled. "I think Rosella is in the Nightwing village with Wren, but I could be wrong."

"Actually, for the first time in my life, I'm here to speak with you, not her." He laughed at the look Rin and Parrot gave him. "I know, I know, hell is freezing over as we speak, and YES, I'm aware that the rest of you exist. But I figured that as a princess and, rumor has it, the next Queen of the Rainforest, you would have some answers for me."

"Well, for starters," Rin said. "I'm only potentially the next queen, and even if I am, that won't be for decades, because you're going to have to pry that throne out of my mother's cold, dead talons and I'm half sure she's immortal so it's never gonna happen. But other than that, carry on."

"So, um, from the Rainforest's point of view..." Parch started. "What exactly would you say their opinion on my and Rosella's relationship is?"

"......I think Parrot can answer that one."

"We don't care," Parrot supplied. 

"Yes, but-" Parch began.

"No, no," Parrot interrupted. "We don't care. If it doesn't involve a sloth's death or fruit, there's an 85% chance that nobody cares. At least on the Rainwing side. We're gossip lovers, so if anything, your relationship is a source of entertainment. Go nuts, the crazier the better. Nightwings might grumble a little bit, but ultimately they've accepted that they don't have the right to object to anything anymore."

"Yeah, dragons are still pissed at them over the War of Sandwing Succession, and that was AGES ago." Rin went on. "So go nuts, Parch, nobody is going to stand in the way of your relationship." 

"And what if we end up ruling three tribes?" Parch asked.

"Sweet." Parrot shrugged.

"Bigger army?" Rin offered. 

"PARCH!" Rosella's familiar voice interrupted. Parch broke out into a smile at the sound and spun around as Rosella set down on the platform before them. "What are you doing here?"

"Attempting, and apparently failing to surprise you," He said smoothly. "How'd you know I was here?" She gave him a deadpan look. 

"Do you honestly think I don't bribe the guards at the tunnels to tell me the second you come into the forest?" She raised an eyebrow. "Because I do. It costs me a lot of guavas from Mangrove, but I do it. And I have to bribe him for the guavas to bribe the guards, so really it's a whole complicated system that I wouldn't have to do if you would just tell me when you're coming to visit."

"But where's the fun in that?" Parch insisted. He and Rosella wandered away, chatting and poking at each other. Rin and Parrot watched them go with smiles.

"Remember when we used to act like that?" Parrot asked.

"We never acted like that," Rin objected.

"We did so! That whole playful shove thing? We did that all the time!" Rin gave him a look.

"No, actually it was more like this," She said, promptly shoving him off the platform. Parrot let out a yelp.

"So many years we've known each other, and you're still cruel, Rin!"

"Oh shut up, you love me!"