Her Majesty

Aletta is all commotion, when they return. Every militia member has swarmed in from whatever perches out on the moor they'd been keeping, every staff member has abandoned indoor work, every slacker has poured out from the tents, and they all crowd around Addam like their very lives depend on it.

And that's funny, because what they're excited about is that Azurda has brought every member of the warring party back home safe, save the boys who are still camped watchful in Auresco; their lives very much do not any longer depend upon Addam's fierce, if teddy-beared, service.

But let them have their fun, right? They, Lora and Addam and Hugo, should have gone back to Auresco immediately, by rights, to offer confirmation and spoils and whatever else to the king and to Zettar and Amalthus as well, but instead they're here. So only the heartiest of congratulations are offered, with pats on the back and begs for details and a not at all modest helping of ignoring Mythra full out until Addam clears his throat and assigns the credit onto her diadem directly.

Flora, left somehow inside on her own (or maybe she'd been purposefully, and thus rather smartly, keeping out of and away from the pandaemonium), steps carefully off of the manor stoop with no fanfare at all, makes her way down the larger staircase that separates the dooryard from the garrison, and just watches.

Silly, aren't they? It's not so much self-centered as perceptive to think that he probably came back here to see her, and he doesn't have that much of any significance or intelligence to say to any one of them, especially given how many times she can make out the word "Mythra" being shouted with remarkable clarity from among all the fuss.

So that's why and when the only one of the incomers with any sense starts to emerge in her direction, ponytailed head still higher than most of the Tornans' caps. Minoth's expression is half a grin and half a grimace as he pushes through the sea of arms and armor; it resolves itself into a look of general contentment when he spots her.

"Flora," he greets, turning around to cross his arms and lean up against the stone with one knee bent back so his boot can rest on the wall.

"Minoth," she greets gaily back, lacing her fingers together over her stomach. "And how are you, in...all of this?"

"Eh, could be better. I like to be flexible, but Augustus nearly crushed me - you saw the way he pounded his palm right over top of these feelers I've got on my back. Titan's foot..."

Flora wrinkles her nose, shrugs, purses her lips mischeviously together at the sound of Addam's trademark expletive. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."

Now Minoth peers more pointedly down in her direction. "Oh, you can't see over all these people, huh?"

"Not particularly, no," she allows with a smile. "I imagine they're very excited to see Addam."

"And aren't you? I mean, if you could actually see him." The wayward boot comes down, and the other begins to start away. "Here, I'll get them to clear out, just-"

"Minoth." Flora doesn't follow, but she does take his hand.

"Uh, yeah?"

"You came over here to get away from the crowd. Don't trouble yourself, we'll have him to ourselves eventually."

"The, uh...our...selves."

"Why, yes. You are going to stay with us now that the war's over, aren't you?"

Minoth...considers that for a moment. "I suppose I will. But you mean...with you, with you?"

That can't possibly be what she's asking - what she's saying, not even really asking. After studying his bewilderment for a moment, Flora pats Minoth's hand with the hand of her own that isn't already holding and gently squeezing his, and says, "We'll have plenty of time to talk about that later. Now, why don't you tell me all about your grand victory?"

Now Minoth snorts, not impolitely. "Wasn't anything that great. Malos was overconfident, is all. With the teamwork and bonding Lora and Jin taught Addam and Mythra, getting him subdued was easy."

Subdued, that is, as the precursor step to stabbing his Core full through and completely deactivating him, which was well gruesome and didn't bear thinking about, but they had asked Mythra, what's your choice? What do you best feel is the safe bet here? And she'd gulped and bitten her lips and said that she didn't trust herself to just dismantle him any way more politely than bodily. So that's what they had done.

"Addam and Mythra?" Flora inclines her head to one side and closes the space between the side of her body and Minoth's dangling arm somewhat. "Didn't you help at all?"

She's teasing, but it isn't exactly cruel. "Nah," he deflects. "It's one thing to have two Blades, but you can't really actively fight with two at once. I just hung back, operated on my own to help Hugo. Held the fort, so to speak."

"What about Haze?" The space shrinks once again. "How does that work, protecting the healer? I would imagine she still needs someone to watch her back while she's watching all of yours."

"Sure," Minoth agrees. "Haze is no dumb bunny, but I still make sure to keep an eye on her, bump off any enemies getting too close. We all do." A small smile crosses his lips, though he's not quite sure that's due more to the fond recollection of their group's stumbling sincerity about their commitment to keeping Haze out of danger or to the way Flora is...snuggling up to him.

"It's no big thing," he says again. "Just did what we came here for. Right?"

"Right." And Flora is definitely no longer paying attention - despite all the interested and well-considered questions, it's possible that she never was.

"Flora?"

"Mmm?"

"You, uh, okay there?"

She sighs, presses closer in to his chest. "I'm lovely."

Oh, this? This is trouble. "C'mon, Flora." Minoth, halfway to being semi-exasperated, leans his cheek down to rest on the crown of her head. "Are you flirting, or are you just tired? I'm a little too tuckered myself for...I don't know. Mind games?" Is that what this is?

She wiggles her head from side to side, pushes back and squints up to poke his nose back up to where it came from, and then pulls his right arm up and over her head to wrap around her own right side. "I'm lovely, and I'm lonely, and I wish all these silly people would go away. Isn't that just exactly how you feel?"

"Flora." Both arms come around her now, and the incipient intentionary purpose was quite possibly to shake awareness into the silly little princess, but instead Minoth just finds himself leaning again. "Horses sleep standing up. Cowboys don't."

Flora giggles, apparently fully intoxicated on the very fact of having a willing and able protector there with her for no other calling - none at all! - than to philander and lie in wait for the silly little prince to come unstuck from his destiny. "So come inside. Right? That's easy enough. It makes loads of sense."

"And you like things to make sense, or so I've gathered."

"Mhm...!"

"Okay, so tell me what else makes sense to you. I like to write plays, so tell me what I should put in your ideal picture-perfect happy ending."

"Hmm..." Flora taps the index finger of her free hand to her lips. "Well, since the heroes have all won, I think there should be plenty of kisses for the fair lady left at home, and cuddles by the fireplace, and happy family meals, and songs to sing, and dances to dance, and everyone and everything in its place, just how it should be."

Minoth makes an appraising face. "Very specific."

"And does the playwright approve?"

"Absolutely. You sound like a woman who knows what she wants."

"Then can I have one of the first?"

So Minoth relents, and we go across the square to where Addam has finally been let somewhat free. And his first thought is...

"Minoth! Minoth!!"

But no loping cowboy appears.

The most immediate waypoint is the chief Urayan overseer of the Alettan camp, and Addam goes to him in earnest. "Augustus, where is Minoth? I could have sworn here was here just a moment ago."

The big man shrugs, affable but more or less indifferent - he has Brogyn's back to get up on now, as it comes closer to dinnertime. "Beats me, Lord Addam. I think-" but oh, he's spied them now "-Minoth usually goes where he wants. Hope you find him, and good luck, and all."

Soon enough, the rest of the crowd clears with nothing short of theatrical convenience, revealing one oblivious Minoth with his lips meeting Flora's and his waist being hugged by the arms of the very same dear lady.

"Ahem." The guilty parties stop what they're doing and look up, and they don't even look half sheepish.

"Well?"

"Well?" Minoth echoes Addam, but not with the hands indignantly propped on hips.

"What's this all about?"

"Well, I couldn't be sure if you were going to kiss her, and I know you weren't going to kiss me. So it's efficiency."

Flora nods, prim as ever. That's easy enough. It makes loads of sense.

Addam eyes both of them, shifty and stifling a smile. "Ah, I see. Efficiency. Indeed."

"She's a pretty nice girl, Addam, but she doesn't have a lot to say."

"You've got to be joking - Flora's the best conversation partner I've ever had. She always has plenty of witty things to say."

"Sure, sure. I'll believe that, on any other day, when it's not homecoming time. Her Majesty here has been pretty impatient."

"I have not!" And a kiss on the cheek is not the most gracious form of a covert "shove it" but it will certainly do the trick, at divers times.

"How long until you get back from chatting it up with our assorted sourpuss relatives?"

Addam calculates that for a moment. Looks back at Lora holding hands with Haze, and Hugo excitedly regaling Yrrith with all he's learned since their first pass through the camp, and Jin and Aegaeon skirting themselves off to the side as neatly and stiffly as they can, and Brighid and Mythra exchanging shares of glory the most civilly he's ever seen them do.

"I dunno," he offers at last. "Should be two days, at least."

Flora frowns, and knows she's being petulant. "Two days?"

"You've waited this long," Minoth reminds her sagely, picking the words right out of her head, which she should be thankful for, and is at some base level, but on the whole just scowls at. "What's another two days?"

Addam grins; he's got them now. "Oh, no, that's only if I stay here with you tonight. Otherwise it's just the one. I can arrange that, as long as Nuncle is ready, don't worry, I'll just be a mo-"

She catches him by the tail of his waistcloth, and he turns back around laughing as loud as anything.

"I've missed you, Flora."

"I've missed you more - and you know it!"

"And what am I, a potted plant?"

"Well..." Addam takes a measured look. "You've certainly got the foliage."

Eyes roll, but not anything so dramatic as heads, and Flora preens as she leads the core troupe, helmed by two very silly but very loyal men, into the house for the very same cozy celebratory dinner.