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“I’m out,” Laudna says as the round of betting on this game of Fork in the Storm comes to her. She’s rolled terribly on each of the first two rounds and given how confident Chetney looks and with Ferne lingering with a suspicious smile behind him, she’s fairly sure they’re cheating anyway. Best to cut her losses here. She nurses her drink as she watches the rest of the game play out and, sure enough, Chetney emerges victorious, much to Dorian’s chagrin. Chetney pulls the large pile of gold towards himself, face lit up with a smug smile.
“Good game, blue boy, you were a worthy opponent.”
“Thank you, Chetney,” Dorian replies. “How about a rematch?”
Uninterested in losing any more gold to this game and in desperate need of keeping track of her increasingly drunk fiancée, Laudna excuses herself from the table, her seat immediately swept up by a new player. She glances around the Lakecap Skyport and Lounge, setting out to find Imogen in the bustling crowd. Her eyes sweep over the crowded space a couple of times before catching a glimpse of that familiar lavender hair that calls to her like a beacon no matter how many other bodies mill about.
Laudna makes her way over to the booth where Imogen sits alone, a drink on the table in front of her. On her way, she passes Ashton and Prism next to each other as they play Griffon's Wall, Laudna smiling as she notices Ashton’s hand on Prism’s thigh. The pair reconnected once everything with the Solstice settled down and while they haven’t said anything yet, Laudna is fairly certain that they’re dating. She would know—she and Imogen hid their relationship from the rest of the Hells for several weeks when they began dating eleven months ago. After a brief adjustment period of taking each step as it came, things moved fairly quickly after that. Each new step felt as natural as breathing, as if they’d always existed in this romantic space and were just waiting for their brains to catch up to their hearts. Imogen proposed a few weeks ago, almost as soon as they moved into their very own cottage on the outskirts of Heartmoor Hamlet. This trip, in addition to being a big family reunion after all going their separate ways a few months ago, is a celebration of their engagement.
Tucked into a corner booth with what must be her fourth drink of the evening, Imogen’s face lights up with excitement as Laudna approaches.
“Hi, sugar,” Imogen says, beaming. Laudna is about to take a seat across from her but Imogen slides further into the booth, patting the now empty space next to her for Laudna to join.
“Hello, darling,” Laudna says as she easily slides in next to her fiancée. As soon as she’s seated, Imogen draws her in for a kiss, which Laudna can feel Imogen smiling through. “Are you all right?”
“Oh yeah,” Imogen says, nodding. “I just needed a break. I’m glad you’re here, though.” She lays her head on Laudna’s shoulder, taking her hand in her own, her fingers immediately moving to toy with the snake ring that was recently moved to her ring finger. Prior to their engagement, they’d discussed the possibility of picking a new ring for her engagement ring but, ultimately, both women struggled to envision a ring that would more perfectly represent them and everything they are to one another.
Laudna places a gentle kiss to the top of Imogen’s head, thankful Imogen’s isolation is nothing more than needing a quick reset. Since getting the circlet, crowded spaces have been infinitely easier for the sorcerer but after being conditioned to fear crowds almost her entire life, they can still sometimes be overwhelming for her. It often helps for her to find a quiet corner to collect her thoughts before rejoining the larger group.
Laudna looks around the crowded space, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling casino. Many of their friends are still gathered around one of the tables for Fork in the Storm while Orym and Dorian have moved to play Griffon’s Wall and Ashton and Prism have shifted to the bar, fresh ales in front of them and matching smiles on their faces. She gestures for Imogen to follow her gaze towards where the pair sits. “I know those looks,” she says, eliciting a laugh from her fiancée.
“They look like us before the others knew we were together,” Imogen says with a chuckle. “Like they don’t want to blow their cover but can’t stop starin’ at each other anyway.”
“There’s no way she’s actually rooming with Deni$e,” Laudna laughs.
“Not a chance. If Deni$e is lonely, I’m sure she can join Chet, Fearne, and Deanna, though.”
Laudna laughs again, wishing she didn’t have that particular mental image in her head. “I’m sure they’d all have a marvelous time.”
“Not as marvelous of a time as me,” Imogen says suggestively as she lifts her head from Laudna’s shoulders, looking into her dark irises. “None of them get to have their way with you tonight.”
Laudna smiles, a blush creeping onto her face as she looks into her love’s eyes. She hopes Imogen always has this effect on her, that even after 50 years together, she’ll still make her sluggishly beating heart flutter, still have the ability to make her blush with just a look. “We can go to the room whenever you want, darling.” She reaches up, taking Imogen’s chin in a gentle hand and drawing her into a kiss. Alcohol running through their veins, they linger in the kiss longer than they would otherwise given the crowded space. When they part, Imogen is breathless and smiling.
“We have all the time in the world, honey,” Imogen drawls. “But I want another drink. Do you have any gold? I lost all mine playing Griffon's Wall. Can I tell you a secret?” She asks, not even waiting for a response before leaning in as if she’s going to whisper. What comes out instead is more of a whisper yell that leaves Laudna’s ears ringing. “I’m so drunk I forgot how to play. I went all in on a 13 and stayed. I was so confident.”
Laudna laughs, wishing she had been around to see that. She breathes a sigh of relief when she remembers that while they brought a fair bit of gold to the casino tonight, she was responsible for most of it, Imogen’s pockets being too small to hold much of anything compared to the pockets on Laudna’s dress.
Laudna slides out of the booth, reaching a hand down to help Imogen out as well. Despite Laudna’s assistance, Imogen is unsteady on her feet as they wander towards the bar, finding a pair of empty seats a ways down from where Ashton and Prism sit, drinks long forgotten in front of them.
It’s not long after settling onto barstools that the bartender notices the couple and takes their order. Of all the challenges Laudna’s appearance has brought her over the last thirty years, standing out enough to get quick service will never be one of them.
“This is the best engagement party,” Imogen says. She pauses to take a sip of her new drink before taking Laudna’s hand in her own, drawing them towards her until their joined hands rest on her lap. “Honestly, I could marry you right now.”
“As could I,” Laudna agrees, heart soaring at the sight of Imogen so happy, so carefree. It’s been a long road to get to this point and, truthfully, there were times Laudna worried that things would never settle down enough for them to even think about something so simple as an engagement party or the spring wedding they’re planning. And while Laudna could marry Imogen right now, while she very much would like to marry Imogen without waiting a second longer, they deserve to have a proper wedding after all they’ve been through.
She’s lost in thought for a moment as she imagines the first time she’ll see Imogen on their wedding day. She has no idea what type of dress Imogen is going to wear but, really, she knows she’ll be stunning either way. And as long as it’s her who gets to remove it at the end of the night, she really couldn’t care less if Imogen wore rags or a ball gown or her horse riding overalls or nothing at all.
As if sensing where Laudna’s thoughts have gone, she hears Imogen’s voice ring out in her head. I have big plans for when we get back to the room later. We might have to pay to replace those damned white sheets when I’m done with you.
Laudna does her best to control the blush that blossoms on her cheeks but with Imogen’s voice saying such things in her head, it takes everything in her not to create a scene right where they sit. She braves a glance over at her fiancée, her gaze so brazen that Laudna has to look away.
We really need to learn to bring a set of sheets when we leave home, sugar, Imogen drawls in Laudna’s head before Laudna can even think of replying to the first message. Even through this mental connection, Laudna can hear just how deep Imogen’s voice has become, her drawl always more noticeable when she’s turned on or drinking. And when she’s both, well, Laudna is done for. She is putty in Imogen’s hand.
Imogen, you have to stop or we’ll never make it to our room, Laudna replies, knowing her message probably sounds as breathless as she feels.
As you wish, darlin’, comes Imogen’s response. Laudna relaxes slightly, forcing herself to think about anything other than what Imogen might have planned for later. When the next message comes through just as Laudna goes to take a drink, she nearly drops her glass. I’d rather drag this out anyway.
Laudna feels some of her drink spill down her chin at Imogen’s words, uncertain if she even remembers her own name with Imogen saying these things in her mind and looking at her like that. If pressed, she’s certain she would think her name is actually darlin’ or sugar or honey or anything else that comes from Imogen’s beautiful, filthy mouth.
“Careful, love,” Imogen says aloud, gently wiping the bit of spilled drink from Laudna’s chin before drawing her in for a kiss. Wouldn't want you makin’ a mess. The message is followed by a wink that nearly makes Laudna fall off of her stool.
Luckily for Laudna’s sake, and the sake of everyone in the casino, they’re shortly joined by Deanna, Frida, and FCG who drag Imogen away for a game of Fork in the Storm. Filthy woman , Laudna casts message, projecting her words into Imogen’s brain as she watches her walk away.
Laudna stays seated for a solid twenty minutes, composing herself after the intensity of their interaction and all the desire it stirred up.
When she’s finally able to move, Laudna meanders towards one of the tables for Griffon’s Wall. She joins at the next opportunity and plays a few rounds before ultimately winning a pot that barely puts a dent in the amount of gold Imogen lost an hour prior. She’s just about to join a new round when she hears Imogen’s slurred voice ring out in her head.
Darlin’, where are you? I’ve been lookin’ all over. With Laudna’s direction, it doesn’t take Imogen long to find where she sits at the table that has now begun the next round of the game. Imogen slides up next to Laudna, hand rubbing up and down Laudna’s back in delicate but sloppy motions.
“There you are,” Imogen smiles, words mumbled and slurred. “I missed you, sugar.” She places a string of wet kisses on Laudna’s jaw, beginning to draw attention from others at the table. “You’re so beautiful.”
“I missed you too,” Laudna says. She excuses herself from the table, bidding good night to Orym and Dorian as they continue the game. Turning to Imogen, she takes her hand in her own, gently brushing the lighting scars that still mark her skin. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
“Yeah you will,” Imogen says, a wide grin blooming on her face. “I’m really drunk,” she adds, more somberly.
Laudna nods her agreement, laughter tumbling from her lips. Imogen was certainly drunk before but since the last time they’d seen each other, she seems to have gone to another level entirely. In fact, Laudna has never seen her this drunk before.
“Deanna and Frida bought me shots,” Imogen explains, answering Laudna’s unasked question. “I made seven mistakes tonight.”
“What’s that?”
“Seven drinks, seven mistakes,” Imogen says. “And lemme tell you, those last two really fucked me.”
Laudna bites her lip to stop herself short of saying she’d argue betting all her gold on a 13 in Griffon's Wall was her eighth mistake. “It’s quite alright, you can sleep it off,” she says instead. For all of their flirtation earlier, she knows Imogen is in no state to make good on her promises from earlier, no matter how badly they both might want it.
Imogen is having more than a little trouble walking straight so Launda drops her hand, finding it easier to keep her steady with a hand on her lower back. It’s no small feat given the state of her fiancée but she manages to guide Imogen up the stairs to their floor, unleashing a sigh of relief once they make it up without incident.
As they walk the halls leading to their room, Laudna keeps a firm hand on the small of Imogen’s back, more than a little worried that if she lets her out of her sight, Imogen will get lost and never find her way back to the room.
“I know where I’m goin’, honey,” Imogen slurs, as if reading Laudna’s mind despite the circlet blocking the transfer of thoughts.
“I’m sure you do, darling, you’re very capable,” Laudna chuckles. “What’s our room number?”
Laudna realizes the question was a mistake as soon as Imogen lets out a drunken giggle. “69,” Imogen laughs. She turns to look at Laudna, her attempt at wiggling her eyebrows looking more like a medical emergency than an attempt at flirting. To add insult to injury, her laughter quickly turns into hiccups, which Imogen attempts to stifle with a hand over her mouth.
“Close,” Laudna says. “We’re room 327.”
Imogen doesn’t respond, staring off into space as they draw nearer to their room. As they approach, Laudna retrieves their room key from her skirt pocket, briefly lamenting how empty they are compared to when they departed for the casino just a few hours ago. As she does this, Imogen rambles incoherently about the night, recapping nearly every moment.
Laudna deftly unlocks the door, swinging it wide and allowing Imogen to enter first. “Here we are,” she says, following Imogen into their spacious room.
Immediately upon entering, Imogen flops down in the center of the bed, arms splayed out on either side of her. “I love it here, don’t you?”
Laudna smiles, appreciating not for the first time just how different this trip is compared to the last time the Hells were in Yios. Before the circlet, before the Solstice, everything weighed so heavily on Imogen’s shoulders that she was never able to fully relax and enjoy their rare nights of joy. Now, though, with the gold circlet shining in her hair and the worst of the Solstice behind them, Imogen is as relaxed as Laudna has ever seen her.
Seeing that Imogen is in no state to get herself ready for bed, Laudna begins to gather her bedclothes for her, humming to herself all the while. For a moment, she thinks Imogen might have fallen asleep but just as Laudna goes to remove Imogen’s shoes, the shorter woman opens her eyes, lovingly gazing up at Laudna.
“I have a question,” Imogen says.
“Mmm?”
“Are you single?” Imogen questions, eyes wide and a soft smile appearing on her lips before she hiccups again.
Laudna laughs at the question. Tossing one of Imogen’s shoes aside, she begins undoing the laces on the other boot, the task much more difficult than it needs to be as Imogen fails to stay still for more than a millisecond at a time. “I am not,” she answers. “I have a fiancée whom I love very much.”
“Oh,” Imogen replies, face falling. “That’s nice. That’s really nice. She’s probably very cool.”
At this point, Laudna is almost certain that Imogen is doing a bit. The handful of times Laudna has ever seen Imogen drunk, she’s always gotten extremely flirty, always intentionally trying to get Laudna to blush, in public or otherwise. Even just an hour ago, their flirting nearly got out of hand for a place so public. This seems like one of those games and Laudna is all too happy to play along. “She’s very cool,” Laudna affirms. “I love her more than anything and cannot imagine my life without her. She’s the best part of me.”
“That’s nice,” Imogen repeats. “Does she treat you well? Are you happy? Is she pretty? I bet she’s gorgeous if she gets to be engaged to you.”
Laudna chuckles, tossing Imogen’s other boot into the corner with the other one. “She treats me very well–she’s my best friend. She’s my everything, really, and makes me happier than I ever thought I could possibly deserve. And, yes, she is absolutely stunning. Very capable too. She could have anyone in Exandria so while I often wonder why she chose me, I’m certainly glad she did. How I got so lucky I’ll never know.”
“That’s so nice,” Imogen says, tone unreadable as she stares up at the ceiling.
Laudna nods an affirmative before turning her attention back to their bags to retrieve her own night clothes. Once again, she’s sure Imogen has fallen into a drunken slumber until she hears the distinctive sound of sniffles coming from the bed. Abandoning her mission, Laudna crosses the room and sits gently on the edge of the bed, doing her best not to disturb Imogen further. “Darling, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothin’’,” Imogen says, tearfully looking up at Laudna.
“It’s obviously not nothing.” Laudna gently reaches out, using her thumb to brush tears from Imogen’s eyes, cradling her face. “Talk to me.”
“I’m happy for you, Laud,” Imogen says. “I’m really happy you found someone and I’m happy she treats you well and I’m happy she’s beautiful. I really am happy for you.”
It hits Laudna in that moment exactly what is happening. She knew Imogen was drunk but she surely never thought Imogen was so drunk that she’d forgotten that not only are they together, they’ve been engaged for weeks. Hell, the reason they’re in Yios to begin with is to celebrate their engagement with all of the people they hold dear.
“Darling–” she begins, hoping to calm Imogen’s rapidly building emotions.
“Hold on, I wanna finish,” Imogen says.
Torn between knowing she could clear this up instantly and always wanting Imogen to be able to voice her thoughts, no matter how absurd they might be, Laudna ultimately decides to keep quiet. She moves her hand from Imogen’s face, drifting lower until it rests on her shoulder.
“I am really happy for you,” Imogen continues. “But I can’t lie, I’m a little jealous of your fiancée. More than a little jealous, actually.”
“Are you?” Laudna says, eyebrows quirking in amusement as Imogen nods in response. “And why would that be?”
Imogen huffs an exasperated sigh, raising her hands and dramatically throwing them back onto the bed. “Because you’re so stunning and kind and beautiful and I’m in love with you. I have been for years, actually. And I’m sorry if that’s not okay for me to say with you bein’ engaged and all but I just have to make sure you know, especially now that I know you’re gettin’ married.” She reaches her right hand up to touch Laudna’s cheek, reverent in her gentleness. It’s not lost on Laudna that had she used her left hand, she might notice the gold entwined snake ring that sits on her ring finger. The ring matches Laudna’s in every way except where Laudna’s stone is red, Imogen’s is purple. It wasn’t cheap to commission a jeweler to recreate the exact ring but Imogen is worth every copper and then some.
“I know, love,” Laudna says, a bemused smirk on her lips. Despite her best efforts, a laugh escapes, prompting fresh tears to swell in Imogen’s eyes.
“You’re laughin’ at me,” Imogen whines. She folds her arms across her chest, rolling away from Laudna’s grasp and facing the wall. “I tell you I’m in love with you and you laugh at me.”
It takes all of Laudna’s resolve to contain her laughter as she watches Imogen pout. “‘Gen, look at me,” she says gently. For a moment, she thinks Imogen is going to ignore her, content to continue staring at the wall in her hurt. Finally, though, Imogen rolls back over and looks up at Laudna, tears steadily streaming down her face now. As much as Laudna hates seeing Imogen upset, it’s difficult to take her seriously in this moment. “I know you’re in love with me. And you know what? That works out quite perfectly because I’m in love with you too.”
Imogen’s eyes go wide in shock and although she seems surprised, Laudna is sure the message has sunk in. That is, until Imogen opens her mouth to speak again as her brows knit together in confusion. “Won’t your fiancée be mad?”
“Oh, I think she’s quite thrilled about it, actually. The engagement wouldn’t really work otherwise,” Laudna says. “Imogen, you are my fiancée.”
“I’m sorry?” Imogen asks, eyes going impossibly wider as she sits up in bed. “You’re not serious.”
“Deathly,” Laudna replies. “Imogen, darling, look at your ring finger.”
Imogen does as has been asked of her, eyes finding the engagement ring she’s worn so proudly over the last few days since they retrieved it from the jeweler. She’d been showing it off to their friends–and more than a few strangers–all night. Reality finally setting in, Imogen’s face splits into a smile as wide as Laudna has ever seen, the tears of sadness from moments ago now replaced by tears of pure, unfettered joy.
“We’re engaged,” She breathes, her smile never leaving her face. “I can’t believe it. I… I never thought… Laudna, I’m your fiancée?”
“You most certainly are,” Laudna affirms. She gently brushes messy lavender hair away from Imogen’s face, lovingly gazing into Imogen’s eyes, still sparkling with unshed tears as Laudna pulls her in for a gentle kiss.
“Wow,” Imogen says when they part, as if she still doesn’t fully believe what she’s hearing. “I’m so lucky.”
“Not nearly as lucky as me, darling.”