Chapter 34

chapter Thirty-four

Travion opened the door wider and looked at Damion. He was staring at the door, just waiting for the moment when he would see her. He didn't want to tell her no. He'd been looking forward to the feast too. "Hey, Trey?" His brother looked over at him with a smile. "Can I have a moment with her? Please?"

Travion nodded, opening the door wider as he let Volencia in as he went out. "Princess?" Damion looked up. "Let me just warn you, I have had my fair share of drink today. I'm a bit out of sorts."

"Fair enough." She walked in, looking as lovely as she always did. "I don't suppose an apology at this time would be enough to make us right again, would it?"

"We are right, Princess. I just-need time. I'm feeling overwhelmed." He looked into his cup, and placed it on the table, sliding it away from himself. "Why don't we take a break from it all, and just go enjoy some good company and food?"

He almost melted as she beamed down at him. "That sounds like the best idea I've heard all day."

Damion reached a hand out to her hair, it was down, which was unusual for her. It ended at her waist. "What happened to your hair?"

"Oh," she stepped back, twirling for him, "Your mom happened. She said that my mother never wore her hair beyond her shoulders when they knew each other. The laws that state a queen or princess were unable to cut their hair was created to prevent us from being able to fight back effectively. If we're forced to have so much hair, it trails the ground, or just gets in the way. They basically just needed to know that they could control everything about us. As she was telling me this, I started to remember, she was right. My mother's hair was to the middle of her back by the time I could remember, but she had always kept mine relatively short also. That didn't change until after my father was cursed." She pulled her hair over her shoulder, "Do you like it?"

"I do." He ran his fingers through her hair. "You must feel better too. All that weight gone, and you won't have to wait for hours to get all those braids in and out all the time."

"I can reach it all myself, too! I'll be able to bath on my own!" Dipping her head back, she closed her eyes, and Damion felt the burdens from earlier easing. He was glad he'd decided to invite her in. Seeing her happy made everything worth it. "It's so nice. It's freeing, I didn't realize how much I hated having all that hair."

He opened the door for her and waved, "I bet." He gave her a lazy smile back. He let his hand rest on the small of her back as he walked beside her.

"I'm going to grab myself a chartis, do you want one?"

"Not right now." He hung back away from the tree. He didn't want to lose his head with her. "Maybe after we've eaten." She disappeared between the branches, reemerging a moment later. She popped a piece into her mouth as she joined him.

"Hey, I'm glad you guys came out to join us." A group of lizards waved from beside a table. Damion introduced her to everyone, as they handed out plates and cups. "Eat as much as you'd like. If you don't like it, feed it to Damion. He'll eat anything." They laughed, and Damion herded her toward the square.

He was pretty quiet overall, and no one seemed to notice it. At one point, someone even just shrugged it off when she asked if he was okay in front of them. The lizard frowned. "He's just having one of his moods. Hopefully it doesn't last too long."

"You have moods?" She'd questioned a little later in the evening, after their bellies were full and they were sitting by the fire.

He stretched his legs out, leaning his back against the chair she had been given. "I suppose." He said lightly, tossing a twig into the flame.

"More like a sadness that swallows him sometimes." a young lizardess offered, her name was Octra, and she had been one of the younger folk Volencia had really taken to, one of Travion's wife's friends. Their children were about the same age. "We all worry about him when it happens It's nice to see that there is someone who can keep him grounded when it happens." Volencia leaned forward, running her fingers through Damion hair. He leaned into her, choosing to ignore the comments from Octra.

With him sitting in front of her, she rubbed his shoulders and neck. It was relaxing to feel pampered and full. "I wouldn't have guessed you had fits of sadness. You always seem have such self-control." Damion got a little nervous as some of the Samanthians exchanged surprised glances, but no one else added to the conversation and he let him left relax back against her.

"Hey, Damion?" Travion walked up, placing himself between him and the fire. Damion looked up, not moving otherwise. "Do you think you'd be up for a fire story? I bet the Princess would love it." He kicked a thumb behind him, toward the firepit.

"What story?" He already knew the one Trey would suggest.

"I think the creation story would be a good one to start with."

Volencia leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I've heard a lot about these fire stories, I would love to hear one." Her arm crossed over his chest, hugging him from behind. Holding her hand, he turned his head slightly, and they were nearly nose to nose. Her blue eyes shining in the firelight. "Please?"

"Anything to make you happy, Princess."

She giggled, her other hand cupping his face. "Well, that's easy enough." She started to lean forward, and this time, he let her lips brush against his gently. A cheer went up from others around them.

Damion shifted, "Alright, if we're going to do this, I need to go get things ready." Standing, he dusted himself off. "Everyone go tell the others, we're doing the Creation Story for a second last time. If they want to come see it, we'll start in about ten minutes. Trey, I'm going to go see if mom and da wanna come."

Trey nodded, following him. "This is going to be great. I've missed this so much." He was more excited than anyone.