Happy birthday to me! [Dragonsong!]

[Rhindeer]

Valor had been about to tease her more, because it was so, so easy, but all the mirth drained from him the moment she uttered that sentence: that they kept her wings clipped.

He could only assume who they were: whoever owned her before he did.

That gross, uncomfortable feeling settled over him again, that subtle horror at recognizing, more and more, exactly what slavery meant now that he was directly confronted by one of its survivors. Her words were a little familiar, too; hadn't she mentioned this before? But he had been too drunk at the time to to consider what it meant and had largely forgotten about it until now.

Placing one of his hands over her own, he gave her a light squeeze. "No one will ever clip them again. Ever." His voice came out a little rougher than he intended, surprising even himself; he hadn't realized how angry he'd become, how angry the idea of people holding her down and cutting her wings made him. And they'd no doubt have to pin her--she didn't seem the sort to take anything without a fight. It made his chest hurt as he remembered how she had been earlier, how she had sobbed when he'd dredged up painful memories...the thought of her enduring such violence was--he didn't want to think about it.

He took a deep breath, fingers touching her manacled wrist. "We're almost there."

[DragonSong]

Ka'lei stiffened slightly in surprise at the vehemence in his voice, even more surprised by his touch on her hand--not surprised at the touch itself, she already knew he was prone to physical contact, but surprised that...she didn't hate it. It didn't feel intrusive or dominating, it was just...there. She still wasn't sure exactly how she felt about it, but she didn't want to make it go away.

Much like Valor himself, she supposed.

When his fingers moved to her wrist, she flinched back a bit. Not because she though he was going to harm her or yank the chain or something, but because that was simply what she did when anyone might move to touch her bindings. She forced herself to breathe and hold still, not jerk back from him entirely.

"How close is almost?" she asked after a moment, hoping she sounded flippant and not strangely breathless. "I know it's just gold, but the sooner I get these off, the happier I'll be." She hesitated, then added somewhat cautiously, "And...you too, it seems."

[Rhindeer]

"Close," Valor said as they turned down a quaint side street. The cobblestone roads were clean and well-maintained in this part of the city, one of the wealthier districts, and the tavern Pari enjoyed visiting was no exception. Expensive, clean, and with even more expensive ladies attending the patrons within. It was far too classy to call itself a brothel,  but let's be real--that's basically what it was.

It wasn't Valor's favorite place. He found it rather dull, and it didn't give his family the gray hairs that visiting the slummier parts of the city did.

It wasn't much longer before they approached The Gilded Nightingale. There was a hitching post and water trough outside, and Valor brought Cloud to a stop before it. His mood had sobered considerably; he kind of felt like a giant asshole now, bringing Ka'lei out in public with visible shackles still attached to her. But what was the alternative? He swung down form his horse, tied her reins to the post, and then offered a hand up to Ka'lei.

"Here we are!" he said. "Now come on down the same way you went up, but in reverse. Don't worry, I got you."

[DragonSong]

Ka'lei shot him a Look that spoke volumes as to just how she felt about the idea of "I got you". It wasn't even just hearing it from him--she didn't much care for the idea of placing that amount of trust in anyone. Kai might have been the only exception, and that was on a good day.

Still. Getting down from a horse wasn't exactly a life-or-death situation. And she didn't entirely relish the idea of sitting up on Cloud's back for longer than she had to. Especially not on her own.

So she took Valor's offered hand and swung her leg over the horse's back, dropping to the ground with a soft "Oof" of surprised breath when her legs didn't immediately quit underneath her.

"Ah--thanks." She nodded at Valor a little awkwardly and drew her hand back, curling and uncurling her fingers. Glancing up at the establishment they had stopped outside, she pulled a face. "Oh. Good."

[Rhindeer]

Valor had his hands out, prepared to steady her should she need the extra support. Not that he didn't believe her capable, and she got down far easier than she got up.

Ka'lei made a face, and Valor followed her gaze toward the brothel.

This was going to be...interesting.

"One step closer to freedom, hmm?" he remarked and offered his arm for her to take. "Let's just hope Pari's still here and not laid up with...someone. Come now! We'll make this quick, promise!"

Because, as he opened the door and guided her inside the establishment, he couldn't imagine this would be a very comfortable experience for her. The smell of alcohol and perfume filled the air, along with raucous laughter and flirtatious giggles. Ka'lei in a gilded collar and manacles was not a good look, and Valor was suddenly strangely conscious of that fact, as though they were wrapped around his own skin. And all the whole as he maneuvered them through the press of scantily clad bodies, he kept an eye on Ka'lei—especially when someone let out a low wolf whistle.

As they headed toward the lounge he picked up on a familiar voice. And sure enough, toward the back of the room, a shock of blue hair stood out among the patrons. There Pari was, stretched out on a settee with both arms slung around the two women sitting on either side of him.

Valor shot Ka'lei a look. "Ready?"

[DragonSong]

Oh, she hated this.

Not so much the concept, really—she'd known in a vague sort of way that houses of "ill repute", as it were, weren't always the sort of horror she might imagine. She'd even briefly known a woman in Essyrn—a friend of a friend—who worked for a place called The Stray Cat that was by all accounts a more comfortable and safer environment than Ka'lei herself often dealt with.

And it only took one look at the men and women reclining with their clients here to know they were here of their own will; she'd known plenty of bed-slaves in her time, too, and none of them had had the spark in their eyes that these people did.

So no, it wasn't the concept of a brothel that raised her hackles. It was the fact that she was walking into one in golden shackles and a damned collar. At least she had proper clothes on now—she didn't even want to think about what it would have been like to arrive here in the strips of fabric in which she'd been delivered to Valor's chamber.

The wolf whistle made her gorge rise, caught between the impulse to whirl and bare her teeth like a hunted animal, or to shrink in closer to Valor's side and try to make herself as unnoticeable as possible.

The first impulse won out. She caught the eye of the man who'd made the sound and hissed and spat at him like a threatened cat.

It was evidently an unexpected enough move that it startled him from any further leering.

Ready, Valor asked. Like she hasn't been waiting for this moment her entire life. "Yes," she said quickly. "Yes, please, let's get this done."

[Rhindeer]

Did she just...hiss at a guy?

Valor's eyebrows raised, impressed, and he honestly couldn't have expected any less from her after the greeting she'd given him on day one. Add another thing to the list of things people would get to talk about later.

There would be more where that came from.

With a nod her way, Valor cleared his throat and strode forward. "Pari, you rascal!" he announced, and the blue-haired man jerked his head away from the lady he was currently kissing to flash a startled look Valor's way. He'd been drinking, from the flush in his face and the watery look to his eyes and it took an extra couple seconds before he recognized his friend. When he did, his eyes cleared a little and he broke out into a wide grin.

"Valor! Hi!" he said, waving. "Didja come to play, too? Oh, who's the lady? She's pretty--oh!" He laughed, rubbing his forehead. "That lady! No wonder she's so pretty, I pick good ones, huh? But why's she still all..." He waved at her manacles. "You big doofus, you''re s'pposed to take them off!"

"Oh gosh darnit, why didn't I think of that?" Valor gasped, pressing both hands to his face.

"Yeah, honestly, that's really kinda dumb--"

"Maaaybe it's because, I dunno...you still have the key?"

"Like how would you all even...wait. What?" Pari cocked his head, blinking dully.

"Yeah. You never gave me the key, Pari. And I just cannot have my bride getting married in slave chains! Can you imagine? Who does that?"

"I guess that would be kinda--huh?!"

Valor sighed, flashing Ka'lei a 'play along' sort of look before pulling her in close, one arm around her waist. "You really did give me a gift, Pari. The gift of true love! Now hand me the key so I might unchain her body just as I unchained her heart!"

Pari had gone quiet, as had the ladies on his arms, and several people standing nearby had also trailed off in their conversations to eavesdrop. For a few long moments Pari seemed gobsmacked, his mouth hanging open, but finally the spell broke and he began to fish around for his coin purse.

"You're joking," he murmured, finally producing a silver key and holding it out for Valor to take. Valor snatched it and flinched, holding a hand to his heart.

"You dare question my love? My own best friend? You of all people? My dearest Pari?"

"Either that or I'm way super drunk."

"I'm just as surprised as you, honestly," Valor said, and passed the key off to Ka'lei. "Well! As much as I'd love to join you, my darling and I have much to do to prepare! But here--" He flicked a coin to Pari with a wink. "That girl's on me. Now then, darling, shall we?"

And he flashed a smile at Ka'lei, jerking his chin toward the door.

[DragonSong]

Wait.

This man had thought--

You're supposed to take them off.

That was not the sort of thing you said about the purchase of a slave--even if you were drunk off your ass and forgot to hand over the key. That was the sort of thing you said about...well. One of the absurdly pretty people lounging around this particular kind of establishment.

...Dear sweet Goddess.

She didn't know if that was funny or just sad.

She managed to keep to her role as Valor pulled her into his side and defended the "reality" of their love to this Pari person. She could feel what felt like dozens of eyes on her, but made sure not to let any discomfort show as she turned her face into Valor's shoulder as though bashful and let her wings rustle slightly.

When he indicated that they should leave, she nodded and smiled as vapidly as she could manage, not trusting herself to speak in the sudden influx of thoughts and emotions. She followed him back out onto the street, and waited until they had a little distance before releasing the tight breath that she'd been holding.

"Oh my gods." She bent forward slightly, bracing her hands on her thighs. "Oh my gods, he--did he think I was a prostitute?!"

She looked up at Valor, flabbergasted. "I mean, I knew he was an idiot, but really?"

[Rhindeer]

"I...er...yeah. Yeah, that's...that's a thing Pari would do. Look, the gods sacrificed brains when they gave him looks and I say that with all the love in my heart. It explains a lot. Honestly, I'm relieved," Valor admitted, letting out a breath. "Pari's a dumbass, but he doesn't have a mean bone in him. I never pegged him as the type that'd buy a slave, and, well..."

He scratched the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "I mean, I thought you were just a kinky prostitute at first, too, so...y'know...speaking of dumbasses..."

[DragonSong]

"Sweet goddess." She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a vaguely hysterical giggle. "That—y'know what, it's oddly reassuring," she laughed as she straightened up. Flashing a quick, sharp-but-still-playful grin at Valor, she elaborated, "I'd rather your friends have less brains than the gods gave to a chicken than be the type to buy bed-slaves."

She felt...bubbly. It was like an adrenaline rush, like she'd just gotten away with something risky that she knew she wasn't supposed to do. And she knew that had everything to do with the key Valor now held.

She swallowed, automatically starting to edge toward him before she forced herself to be still. She took a breath. "So, ah...suppose we get this off now?"

She held her shackled wrist out toward him, trying not to let the sudden fear show in her face. Fear that this had all be some sort of ruse, that he wasn't about to unlock her chains, that she was still—and always would be—a slave. Though she thought she managed to keep her expression steady, her whole body trembled just slightly as she waited.

[Rhindeer]

Valor snorted at that perfectly apt description of Pari (and himself, though he wouldn't know it) and waved a hand through the air.

"Oh pish dear, we may be scoundrels but we're scoundrels with standards," he said, puffing out his chest with mock self-importance. "Besides, where's the fun if she isn't in on the game, too?"

He gave the key a little twirl as she held out her wrist. Ah, enough blabbing, of course she wanted the damned things off! He reached out a hand toward her wrist then paused to meet her eyes. 

"Here, let me just..." Gently, he turned the manacle on her wrist so the keyhole faced him, then held her limb steady as he inserted the key and twisted. With a click, the manacle fell free, and he was quick to remove the next one, dropping the metal to the ground like the trash it was. Which left only the collar.

"Lift your hair and turn for me?" he asked, motioning with a finger, then paused again. "Er, unless you wanna do this one yourself?"

[DragonSong]

Her breath caught slightly when he met her eyes like that, fear and hope warring for dominance behind her stoic expression. Then—

Clink. Clink.

The shackles fell to the cobblestone, one after the other, and she couldn't stop the brief burst of elation that fanned her wings out and fluffed her molting feathers.

Gone. Gone gone gone, and her whole body felt lighter. Even though she still wore the collar, she felt like she could have actually flown.

When Valor reached toward her neck, she found herself caught between flinching and automatically reaching to pull her hair to the side. But then he paused, asked if she'd rather do it herself, and she was frozen for a moment.

"I—" She took a breath. "I don't think...I think you'd better," she muttered after a moment, before admitting even more softly, "My...hands are shaking. I'm not sure I can... It'll be quicker if you do it."

In one brisk motion, she turned and pulled her hair over one shoulder, revealing the small keyhole at the nape of her neck—and that her hands were indeed shaking, strongly enough that the tremor read through even as she twisted them together in front of her body.

[Rhindeer]

Valor didn't hesitate. He didn't dare make her wait any longer, for she had waited too long already—and gods but he felt like such an asshole now for having her wait as long as she had in the first place. For the first few hours of knowing her, the whole thing hadn't felt real, in a way. Like, he knew slaves were a thing, of course, but he'd never interacted with one. He'd never looked an imprisoned person in the eyes and seen their real fear or the way their hands shook or heard their story. It had always been an abstract idea in his privileged world and some part of him still hadn't fully grasped that she was a real real slave, and not just the fun and games type Pari had mistaken her for.

The moment Ka'lei pulled her hair to the side, Valor reached up gently and turned the key in the lock.

Click.

The collar fell to the cobblestones with a metallic clatter and she was truly free. Well, free save for the paperwork, but free enough still that she could run if she wanted—and he wouldn't have the heart to chase her. Well, no, that was a lie; he'd chase, but not to keep her against her will. 

He'd just chase because...well...

Well what?

Shaking the thought away, not daring to find out where it lead, he stepped around her again so he could face her and raise his eyes to hers. "You'll never again wear a piece of metal you don't choose for yourself," he told her, offering up a small smile, his own a little strangely uncertain. This was brand new territory for him. "The only metal that belongs on you is silver and gold adorned with jewels and given as a gift."

[DragonSong]

The weight fell from her shoulders, and her breath staggered to a halt in her chest. She just stared down at the open collar for a few moments, unable to see anything else.

She managed to lift her eyes when Valor moved back in front of her, but she could do little except stare at him either. She heard the words, even felt her mouth start to twitch up into a hint of a smile.

"Flatterer," she accused, though the amused bite to her tone that had become her default with him was missing.

She glanced down at the collar again, stared--and then in a burst of motion bent to pick it up, turned and flung it as hard as she could against the wall of the brothel. The thin gold hit stone with an oddly high-pitched clank, and it clattered back to the ground, dented and twisted.

Ka'lei bit out a sound that was caught between a laugh and a sob. "Fuck you," she snarled at the open, broken collar in Essyrni. "Never again." She swallowed, then repeated it in Common, a little softer, "Never again..."

She took a breath, then fluffed her wings, straightened her shoulders, and turned to face Valor again. "So. Well. Ah--thanks." She swallowed, eyes suspiciously bright, but was clearly working to slide back into the sharp, dry personality she wore like a protective cloak.

[Rhindeer]

Valor watched as she vented on the collar, and though he didn't understand her words at first, he didn't need to. The message came through loud and clear in her tone.

He waited quietly, not wanting to interrupt her well deserved catharsis. This moment was about her and for her, after all—which was a somewhat strange realization.

When was the last time he'd ever put someone else first?

His world was a selfish one. Everyone was out for themselves, vying for power and alliances for their own gain, even his own birth was just to add to the numbers game. He wasn't interested in any of that, despite his family's occasional and disastrous attempts to use him as a pawn, but it was still the reality of his existence. He lived for himself and for his own whims and fancies and screw everyone else, because they would screw him over too if he were important enough to bother with. But Ka'lei wasn't from his world. She existed so far outside it, in fact, that the same rules just didn't apply. And for whatever reason, this just...huh.

It felt good.

And it felt disgusting. This was what some nobility bought. People like Ka'lei. This was what a "slave" looked like. Only there would be no broken chains for those others toiling away in the Houses of people he knew.

Valor sucked in a breath when Ka'lei turned to him at last, bright-eyed in a new way, and he shoved the darker thoughts away. Perhaps he was a fool for what he was going to say next, but gods help him, after everything he'd seen...after this...the thought had been scratching at his mind since that moment in his room, but it was louder now like nails scraping metal, digging in deeper in a way he could no longer ignore.

"You're free," he said suddenly, meeting her eyes. "Truly. You can leave if you want to. I'm not going to make you stay or try to stop you, and it won't offend me if you go. You're not my prisoner, not anymore. But..."

He quirked a little smile, tone playful. "I'd definitely appreciate it if you're still down for our farce. And I'm still down to help you find your brother. I just want you to know that whatever you choose going forward is your choice. Entirely."

[DragonSong]

Ka'lei sucked in a sharp breath. She...hadn't been expecting that. From her--admitedly relatively limited--experience with Valor, she'd come to the conclusion that he was a careless, vapid, but generally well-meaning child of wealth and privilege. She'd met her share of people like that in Essyrn, but always peripherally, and certainly never in any capacity where they might be inspired to free her. 

But she assumed if she had, they all would have wanted something in return. As Valor had said he did. And he'd offered not just to unchain her--literally and figuratively--but to help her find Kai. Any price was worth that. 

And here he was telling her that...she didn't owe him anything. There wasn't a price. That...how did she even...what was she supposed to do with that?!

She took a breath. She could go. She could just leave. 

But...

"I...don't have a trade," she said slowly. "I mean, I think I could find work, but I'm not established, I wouldn't know where to... And I'll never be able to find Kai without your help." Another breath, then she shook herself, wings and all, and refocused her attention so she could meet his eyes and hold them. "No one in Essyrn would believe that I'm anything but your wife. Hells, they probably won't even believe that, but you're an eccentric foreigner, we can make it work." She swallowed. "I...can't go back there alone. And I don't..." She trailed off, then started to smile just a bit. "I don't mind helping you out with your family. We'll just...we'll make sure we know where we stand about it."

She dropped her eyes and scuffed the toe of one foot against the cobblestone. "...Thank you, though. It--it matters. That you want me to have a choice."

[Rhindeer]

"Wait, really?" Valor blinked at her, for a moment staring like a fool. It was, of course, the answer he had been hoping for—but also an answer he had been prepared not to receive. Because why wouldn't she just take her freedom and go?

But...she had a point. She was kind of stuck wasn't she, freedom and all? And despite himself, he let out a relieved sigh—and felt a small, small pang of guilt. Gods. This whole thing was selfish and he knew it. He had gotten Ka'lei wrapped up in the scheme in the first place because as a slave she couldn't exactly say no, and a slave was about the only person he could get to agree to such an outlandish plot. What noble lady—hell, what tavern wench?—would agree to such a thing? What would anyone get out of such an arrangement? He hadn't been thinking about what Ka'lei wanted back then; he'd just seen an opportunity and gone for it. But as many things in life went, it wasn't that easy. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized...well...

How fucked up it all was.

How scared she was, how wounded.

He'd had no idea.

He quickly shoved the thought from his mind, recovering fast. "Oh. Well! That settles it, then! And oh, stop, no need to thank me. It's nothing, really! I mean, like, what would I even do with a slave? I have servants."

As if that explained away everything. He realized, with a gross twist in his belly, that having servants didn't stop others, after all. But he shoved that thought from his head.

"Anyway!" he said with a clap of his hands. "Here we are, then. Our plans will go forward as decided. We'll get fake-married and find your brother and then...who knows! In the meantime...you'll just have to pretend you're into me when we're out in public, but you already know that. That's about it. And I promise nothing untoward will happen. Folks here are fairly prudish so the most scandalous it has to get is—" He lowered his voice, leaning in and waggling his eyebrows. "Hand holding. I may have a reputation for public debauchery but you can just be shy or something."

He paused, then added, a little hesitantly, "Ah. And in private, well, your life is yours. If you want to fool around, by all means have at it! Just be discreet. Preferably wait until we're somewhere people don't know us."

An odd statement, perhaps, considering he'd just admitted to his own public escapades. But at the end of the day, Ka'lei was a former slave he'd dragged into the world of nobility.

She would be judged differently, as such.