To say that Warren had been unprepared for the wicked little turn of events was a gross understatement. One moment he was sipping his drink and thinking that perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing that Jakob had dragged him out of the kitchens for the day, and the next all hell was breaking loose. To be honest, he wouldn't be fully certain of what had happened until several hours later. In the moment, the only thing that really registered was the sound.

Shattering. Smashing. The deep rumble and a boom that was almost like thunder but also far sharper - far too sinister to be something of the natural world. Whatever it was - wherever it was coming from - it was manmade. There was a different sort of terror that people felt when the threat was coming from human intervention rather than something of beasts or nature. The screams sounded different. It was in the inherent betrayal of the thing that lashed out at that naive child at everyone's core that cried out with bewildered, fretful pain, 'I trusted you!!' - not because of any individual, personal connection, but because on some level, they were all supposed to be of the same. They were supposed to be kindred of spirit, if not kind of blood, and that had to accound for something... didn't it?

Warren only had a few moments for that fear to sink in, and then they were moving. Iiro's hand was firm around his arm - and normally he wouldn't be particularly pleased with the man's assuption that he needed to be lead, but a calm was invading the fear that reminded him that he could trust the Prince - that it was going to be okay if he just trusted him. So, he did. It was easy to do, and it was so much better than the fear.

Not that he wasn't afraid anymore - but his fear just shifted back a few slots and first and foremost was that notion that he could trust Iiro, and that when he did everythign would be alright.

He swallowed tightly, then gave a nod, and moved with the Prince willingly at a quick step that wasn't quite a run but really couldn't be called a 'walk' either as the trio of them made their way through the chaos until the cacophony of it all finally started to clear. Later, he'd think about the soot-smeared faces, how some of them were so afraid, and others were so angry, and some were terrifyingly gleeful in a way that shook him to the core.

When they finally came to a stop, Warren's heartbeat was still doing a very aggressive tap-dance of anxiety against his ribs, but he felt less like hiding in the pantry than he though he probably should have. He wasn't about to question it, though - it was a relief not to be a complete and utter disaster, and it felt good to be able to trust someone.

Iiro drew closer and Warren looked up to meet his eyes during the quiet murmur of an almost too-intimate moment. The attempt to lighten the conversation wasn't missed on him, but he found it more difficult to take the bait than under usual circumstances - explosions must throw him off his flirting game more than he thought they would. He'd have to work on that.

"While you find out what happened?" he asked, feeling worried and bewildered. "Don't tell me you're planning on going back into that mess." He took Iiro's hand and gripped it tightly. "What if it's not over?"

When Sora asked to leave, Riley finally felt like she could fucking breathe again. *Thank the Darkness!* she sent on her Rose thread with Jeremiah. Despite her annoyance at his gentle chiding, he had been right, of course. Had someone pressured Riley to talk about one of her bonds before she was ready, she likely would have punched hard enough to break their nose. Each new bond for Sora meant so much to Riley that is was hard to remember sometimes that this was Sora's time and Sora's male, and it was hers to decide how to go about things.

There was no reason to stand against the Queen. They had already had to endure more than enough through dinner and this discussion of the Dragon Mother's letter. Hanaki had offered them his own interpretation, and it was one that Riley appreciated. He did not blunt his words for their comfort. Riley respected that. That didn't mean she hadn't wanted to hear what he had to say.

Dena Nehele had enough of an issue taking its own people hostage. They didn't need to become the dumping grounds for those that had displeased the Dragon Mother or the Great Clans. At the same time, if Tacea was so overabundant with Queens that they were worth nothing more than bargaining chips, why shouldn't Dena Nehele's hungry land benefit from what Tacea shunned? Riley didn't like to think of them as hostages, especially where Toyani was concerned. She couldn't see Toyani being anyone's pawn, really. But when it came right down to it, Riley would happily take their strength and ability to feed the land. The harvest this year was better than last year, but it was still just enough food to get all of Dena Nehele through a long winter. Riley wanted to see a harvest that would see all of Dena Nehele fed without question. She would take what Queens she could. 

Smiling at Sora and her Prince, Riley spoke for the room. "Nothing that cannot be handled later. Go. We'll see you both tomorrow. Good night." Sora looked visibly relieved. The Sapphire Prince rose from his seat and bowed formally to the Queen and the Triangle. He thanked them for their time, and then turned and followed Sora from the room. Riley tried to think of the last time she had seen Sora walk quite that quickly. She hoped that whatever transpired between them would deepen their bond. The first few hours after bonding could be so important for how the rest of their relationship could be going forward. She only wanted the best for Sora and her foreign Prince.

Once they left the room, Riley shifted until she was sitting cross legged in her chair. Now that it was just her Triangle, she didn't have to continue trying to be something she wasn't. "Why is the Dragon Queen sending hostages to Dena Nehele? And why the fuck can't she just say she's unhappy?" Turning to Drake, she said, "I promise never to bitch about having to communicate with the Eyriens again. Illyrian is so straight forward compared to this."

Savi was trying to tell her that she didn’t have to do this to make him feel good, but he might as well have told Stela that she didn’t need to breathe. His moans, the feel of his fingers in her hair, made her work harder to silence him. She grasped his shaft to make the crown of his cock swell, stroking him while her head and mouth urged him on. She moaned against the hardened flesh between her lips, gratified to find that Savi was enjoying this as much as she was.

She brought him to the near edge once, stopping briefly to ensure that he didn’t go over. She crawled forward to kiss him once again, then straddled hm on the bed. For a moment, she just looked down at him, her long brown hair mostly spilling down her back, a few locks hanging down across her chest. Her blue eyes focused on his. Stela seemed to consider something before reaching back to grasp him and stroke him again.

“I trust you, Savi. I know the kind of man that you are and that you wouldn’t hurt me. You...I’m glad we met.” Stela said.

“I’ve been looking forward to this since I asked.” she said, leaning down to kiss him once again. This kiss was long and lingering, Stela’s tongue brushing against his. The kiss broke and she angled his shaft against her sex, sinking down on it slowly. Stela moaned as the Warlord was sheathed inside her once more. She rocked her hips slowly, letting him feel her as she adjusted to this new sensation.

They spent the night together and part of the following day, exploring and enjoying each other. By the time he left, Stela was too tired to say goodbye.

Then again...she was sure she'd see Savi again very soon.

Stela thought that sex would be just one more sensation, just one more thing to mark her transition into adulthood. She had to undergo her Virgin Night in order to safely seek the well of her power during her Offering. While she was sure that Savi would make sure she enjoyed this night, Stela did not expect it to be memorable beyond what she was losing in order to gain her adulthood. She trusted him and expected that he’d do right by her, given his experience with the role.

Later, Stela would contemplate the kindness that her past-self had done her in selecting Nolan Savu to take her through her Virgin Night.

Every thrust had Stela crying out, biting her pillow to stifle the screams. He said she felt good. She thought she sound say something, but another orgasm found her then, tearing another scream from her throat. She didn’t want to stop. If Savi decided that he wanted to fuck her until Winsol, Stela was fine with it. If he wanted to fuck her beyond that, she’d find a way to fit it into her schedule. She liked the way he fit her, though, and she made sure he knew it.

“Harder.” she said, glaring up at him.

“Harder.”

She wasn’t happy until Savi was practically railing into her. She bit his shoulder again when she came, the world going dark she lost consciousness. Stela lost all sense of time and space, floating along on another current of pleasure that could have led her back to Mother Night’s embrace or into the Twisted Kingdom, or to wherever people went as their world shifted and reorganized itself beneath them.

She woke to find Savi dozing beside her. She ached, but it was great ache. She rolled over and watched him for a bit. He looked relaxed, if not peaceful. A mischievous grin spread across Stela’s face as the idea came to mind. Her hand grasp him, stroking him once again until he was hard once again. Then she took him slowly into her mouth, teasing him with her lips and tongue.

The pressure and the rhythm made Stela moan Savi’s name. The longer he worked, the deeper her sighs. “Again.” she demanded, fighting the urge to beg him to keep going. Something was building, coiling low in her stomach the longer Savi massaged her clit. They hadn’t even truly begun yet and Stela was sure that she could stay like this forever, at the edge of nothing and everything. She didn’t even mind the pain, the nails of her hand sinking into Savi’s wrist to make him keep going. She didn’t hold him long. He moved away from her, sinking lower and lower still until he was between her thighs.

His mouth focused on her pearl while his fingers teased her sensitive nipples. Stela bit her lip, sighing as that building sensation sharpened and grew stronger. Savi promised to keep her safe and give her what she needed. Some stray thought wondered what it was she needed, other than the sublime sensation of his mouth on her sex. Stela couldn’t think of anything she needed, but she couldn’t really think about anything at all. Her hips rolled against his mouth. “There! There, please! Don’t...oh...please!”

His nails sank into her thighs and Stela came hard for him. She grasped the sheets in her hands and saw stars from the force of her climax. She could have laid there and just basked in that feeling for a time, but Savi didn’t stop. He kept going and Stela’s body responded in time. “You’re...you’re not...you’re not stopping…oh fuck!” she said, her tone incredulous. She came again quickly, her entire body going taut for a long moment before she relaxed once more. She could have floated away completely, then, but the kiss Savi gave her just then said that he had no intention of packing it in for the night.

She was nodding enthusiastically by the time he asked if she was ready. He could have asked her for anything just then; she’d have agreed to please him and to learn anything else he cared to teach. He was inside her soon enough . Stela’s nails raked his back after the first thrust. Her screams grew louder, deeper, and when she felt herself climaxing again, the Priestess bit hard into his shoulder even as she moaned against his skin.

“Don’t...don’t stop. Please.”