168 Krystof's Reques

The afternoon sky was a clear blue and there was not a cloud in the sky. From Tyr's apartment, one could look at the many ships docked in the harbor. Their hulls bobbed in the water and a returning ship's white sails interrupted the otherwise flat horizon of the sea.

Krystof sat on the sofa and put his drink down on the corner of the table. The sunlight bounced off the crystal rim and diffused a wine-colored light across the tabletop. While he did not feel the need to involve Tyr with his decision, he thought Luna would appreciate the gesture. "Tyr, how long have I known you and Luna?"

The serious tone in his friend's voice made Tyr frown suspiciously. Something seemed off. "I'd say a little over four hundred years. I don't remember." He had known his friend for as long as he could recall.

When he stared into Tyr's eyes, which were the same green as Luna's, he thought about the future and how he wanted to spend it with her. He gave a thoughtful smile, "Your sister really does mean the world to me. You know that right?"

This conversation was becoming tiresome for Tyr. He looked out the large floor to ceiling window, unconsciously giving a grunt of acknowledgment.

The comments that Krystof made struck Macha as odd. It was also suspicious that he wanted to visit them without Luna. He rarely stopped by just have a chat and now she had a theory on why he decided to stop by. She scrambled off of the sofa to see if they had any champagne chilled.

"Where are you going?" Tyr inquired after the warmth of her body left his side. He stood up, wanting to assist her with anything she needed.

Macha had a huge smile on her face that she could not hide, "NO. No, no, no. You sit down and talk with Krystof. I don't want to disturb you two. I'm just checking if we have any champagne." She pushed him back to the sofa and patted his shoulder to motion for him to stay.

Seeing her reaction caused Krystof to stifle a chuckle. She had been quicker on the situation than he thought she would be.

Tyr reached up and tugged on her arm so she would sit down. The topic that his friend chose to discuss bore him, so he preferred for her to take his place in the conversation. He moved to the kitchen and glanced over his shoulder, "I know where it is. Sit, I'll get it. It's just Krystof, it isn't like we're talking about anything important."

Macha put her elbow on the armrest so she could rest her chin on her hand. She and Krystof exchanged glances, and she rolled her eyes.

When Tyr came back he set three glasses down and began filling them up. He didn't bother passing one to his guest, instead, he left it there for Krystof to get on his own. After handing Macha hers, he took a sip from his own glass.

Macha elbowed him in the ribs and his head snapped to look at her. He raised his eyebrows and cried out, "What?"

"You should have waited to take a sip. Champagne is always better when we can toast something," she complained. Sometimes he really did not read between the lines. She almost wondered if he acted like this on purpose.

Krystof did not want them to get into an argument, so he cleared his throat. "It's fine." Turning to Tyr he continued, "I feel like since I've known you two for so long, we all know the best and worst of each other. While Luna has her faults, I find them endearing..."

Tyr glanced at the large adamantine clock that hung on the wall behind Krystof. The large metal wyvern wrapped around the clock face. He stifled a yawn and thought about what to do after Krystof left.

He wanted to go to the market today because he promised to make the fried chicken wings for Macha tonight. "Yeah, that's nice," he downed his drink and stood up. "I have things to do. We can talk about how great she is later. I'm sure she'd love to hear it from you, anyway."

A frown appeared on Krystof's face. He should have known his friend would be impatient upon hearing him praise Luna. He ran his fingers through his sun-bleached blonde hair, "All right, fine. I'm asking for Luna's hand in marriage." He decided to ask Tyr without the pleasantries. It was always easier to talk to him like that.

The sudden statement caused Tyr to shake his head, "What?" In the corner of his eyes, he saw Macha bouncing on the sofa with excitement. This alone made it obvious that he did not mishear his friend.

Krystof stood and sighed, "I was trying to make it special, but you're too impatient. So can I? You're the head of the Valois family."

The two had been dating less than he and Macha. He expected them to date for at least ten more years before talks of marriage even started. "You've only dated her for about four years," he pointed out.

"By the dragons Tyr, when did you become such a prude? Like I said, we've known each other our entire lives. I'm pretty sure I don't need to wait any longer. I don't want to be a thousand by the time I marry her." He took a sip of his champagne and the bubbles tickled the back of his throat.

This was not going how he expected it to. Upon reflection, he realized Tyr took his relationships slowly, so this would appear rushed. Wanting to explain better, he stated, "The war made me realize that I don't want to waste any more time. I want to have her as my wife."

Tyr's mouth was dry. He grabbed Macha's glass and emptied it. Now he worried that Macha would feel slighted that he did not ask her to marry him. Luckily when he glanced over at her, she did not seem upset. Distracted, he muttered, "Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and do whatever you want. She's a grown woman and can get married if she wants."

Macha ran up to hug Krystof, "Congratulations! Oh, I can't wait to hear how you propose. Do something romantic!" She knew he probably planned on being romantic and she did not have to ask.

After Krystof left, she cleaned up the glasses. Tyr was still on the couch looking at the spot where his friend had sat. She called from the kitchen, "I'm going to get ready. You said you we have things to do?"

The news left Tyr in shock. He wondered how his friend could be so positive about wanting to marry Luna. It was a big commitment, and they lived such dangerous lives, one of them could die at any moment.

While he dated Macha with the intent of marriage, he wanted to wait until times of peace before he considered taking that step. Right now the politics seemed too unstable to even imagine getting married.

****

Later, as they walked around the market, he admired how much time Macha spent picking the perfect fruits and vegetables. The Swat family ring shone from the sunlight. It only came off of her fingers when they were training or sleeping. He wondered if she would wear the Valois ring as diligently as the Swat one if they married.

That thought made him remember his mother and her damn plots while he was away. "Macha, I need to see Hrod soon. Since we just got back, there's still a lot of paperwork to catch up on. Do you think you can stay here and work on that while I settle some family affairs?" The shop merchant handed him the chicken wings, and he paid for the food.

Now that Tyr's hands were full from their groceries, Macha looped a finger into his waistband and let him lead the way. "Of course. I was the one who ran away from my responsibilities in the first place. Despite being irresponsible, I have no regrets Captain!" She realized that since she left suddenly, so the guild and his family affairs were a mess. Sheepishly, she added, "I guess I made things difficult for you, huh?"

He moved his hip, so it bumped her lightly, "It's fine. I won't be away for very long." After a pause, he asked, "If I fought with my mother, would you be angry?"