“I do think one should always hold a special sort of appreciation for a man who knows better than to climax too early,” Freydis commented as she regarded his easy smile from the corner of her eye, a thin shadow of a smirk on her own lips. She became more comfortable on the sofa they shared, sitting side by side once he pulled himself upright. “You are indeed the neediest, greediest, hedonist in all of the Queenset Isles, aren’t you?” she commented, a hand sifting through his curls before gripping them and tilting his chin upward and out of the palm of his hand before she pressed a kiss to his lips.Â
Freydis merely let out a soft huff when he mentioned he wasn’t seeking out opportunities to play in the Queen’s presence. Freydis had developed a rather soured opinion of the monarch after the Winter’s Ball and the lack of aid afforded to Aventia, even if it had been prudent to save resources. Allowing Marinus Bay to keep its doors locked from refugees in the aftermath had sealed Freydis’ unfavorable opinion. “I had it commissioned,” she answered in the time it took for him to lift the lid and the ribbon that had been securing it a moment before to fall away. Within, under only a thin layer of tissue was a new lute. This one, carved of the finest wood money could buy, had an ornate front that depicted a swirling night sky composed entirely of chipped sapphires of varying depths of blue. Further, the motif of the cycle of a moon was inlaid in carved opals and gold filigree reflected back the light of the room in intricate patterns across the body of the lute. “It was meant to be a gift when you became a Maestro. The more I got to know you, the more I requested changes to the original design, and then, when we got back, I figured… just give it to you now. Why wait?”Â
Her hand found the place just above his knee, resting there with what was likely an increasingly familiar weight. “I didn’t understand how much the lute you have now meant to you when I commissioned this to be made,” she explained. “I don’t expect you to replace it with this–I don’t even expect you to perform with it if that isn’t what you’d like. It's for you to use. Or not. Whatever you’d like.”
"All my years of practice have come to fruition just for you." Soren knew they were partially joking, but he meant more in his innuendo than anything else. It was true, it all had to be good for something. "Yes...but I'm your neediest, greediest, so on and so forth." He grinned through the kiss, the Vuldak bumping their noses together. This was ridiculously disgustingly romantic, but he found himself staying exactly where she pulled him, in each and every direction.
The lute was beautifully carved, intricate with details that Freydis had clearly picked out herself. It was new and improved upon his old one, the sapphires and the moon that were added in a nice touch to show that Freydis seemingly listened to all the shit that managed to leave his mouth. Soren held it up so the light could reflect properly, letting his fingers skim over the strings so it could play a simple few notes. It was beautiful, and he could recognize the care and recognition that went into it. He hummed after a minute, realizing he'd gone quiet in the aftermath of Freydis' explanation. His old one was nearby, as it always was, a sentiment of who he currently was. The one in his hand seemed to imagine another Soren, someone who deserved such a gift bestowed upon him. "It's beautiful, Frey. Thanks." He felt overcome with emotion, unable to really explain his thoughts in a timely manner that showed he wasn't just fobbing off her gesture. He did snap out of it rather quickly; the perks of performance. "I have a song for you. I'll tune this – it'll be fitting for the first one." Perhaps the only one – he wasn't sure he wished to play it in front of anyone but Freydis, the only one worthy of it all.
He pulled the lute closer, strumming it a few times to tune before he looked Freydis once more in the eyes. He began a version of the Lover's Before, the song she'd found dreadfully romantic once – but with a twist. He'd made a version that he'd wanted just for her, words that he pulled through and carried the song on. It went on for a bit, before he strummed the last few notes, letting the quiet settle on them again. "I think this lute works just fine, yeah?"














