[1] WEEPING MONK // you're not what I was looking for

40| Afterglow {Part Three}

[CW// innuendo, implied sexual content, mild blink and you miss it smut]

Ari and Lancelot fall further in love and Squirrel makes a discovery.

They were stood outside in the courtyard, the Fey standing by idly with the readied horses. "You must come and visit us again," Lord Hubert told Ari, his hands clasped over hers as the Fey began to part ways and head back to their forest, a journey which would take half a day at most.

"I hope one day that I get to do so," Ari smiled back at him. She shook his hands one more time and moved on, letting her father say his farewells to his old friend after her.

Lancelot couldn't quite look the old king in the eye, knowing that he had bedded his daughter in the night. He shuddered to think of the look which he would receive if the elder Sunborn found out. His spine stiffened with who she stepped to next, a slight scowl spreading across his otherwise expressionless mask.

"It was a pleasure, your Grace." Henry, the Lord's son took Ari's hand with a light bow and kissed her knuckles delicately below her binds. Ari grimaced on the inside, knowing full well that Lancelot was watching somewhere over her shoulder. She knew that the man meant nothing by the gesture, it was a common thing amongst humans but it was unusual to her in this way. She chuckled slightly with her awkwardness as he let her hand go.

Ari smiled at the dark haired man out of curtesy, "Thank you," and didn't know what else to say in response.

Lancelot's scowl deepened at the man's action. He had lived with humans for all his life and knew that a kiss to the knuckles between nobility was just a sign of respect, yet still the jealousy rose in his veins.

His brother nudged him as he stepped a little closer. "Try not to make it so obvious, will you?" Hector hushed, flicking his eyes between the elder Ash and the Fey queen.

Lancelot cast his sight slowly down to his brother and Hector almost felt himself recoiling, he had not seen this look on Lancelot's face much before, not since they were children. But Hector was older now and stronger, he knew how to get on his brother's nerves. Hector grinned at him just to mess with the man like brothers should and Lancelot rolled his eyes away heavily.

He looked back to Ari, at where she was greeting and smiling with a group of Fey that had come to the courtyard from the town. The sinful twist of envy had flowed strong in his veins the evening prior, as he watched the apt young man dance and twirl her amongst the others at the feast. He did not think that he was truly jealous of the Lord's son, but more of that he himself could not act that way like he wanted to with her in public. Lancelot knew every inch of her intimately now like no other will so long as he was here, and he could not acknowledge that they were so much more than friends to those who did not know them. There was no such feeling that compared to holding and having someone completely and yet not being able to reach out.