Hello all!

So this story is a second birthday gift for Berry the wonderful~ RhenxDameon fluff and introspective thoughts.

Growing Pains

Calloused hands rested gently on the cold balcony, as a woman garbed in the finaries of a queen watched out over the royal grounds with a distant gaze. The blowing wind stirred the few violet hairs not tamed back into an elaborate style.

"Rhen?"

The soft call pulled her abruptly from her drifting thoughts and she half turned to see the familiar form of her husband step onto their balcony. Brown eyes were filled with concern as he reached out a hand and ran it along her back.

"Is everything okay? The chancellor said that you missed a meeting completely, one about your family." His hands would have been warm if she could have felt them through this dratted dress and what felt like millions of petticoats she was forced to wear below it.

His words made her twitch as she realized the time.

"The meeting! For the new monuments to Devin and Queen Al- I mean my parents, I completely forgot that was today as well!" Rhen squawked, eyes wide as she pulled free from Dameon to rush back into their suit. "I made sure to go to the tea time the chancellor scheduled with the ladies of nobility and I was at those meetings for the new law I had proposed but I completely forgot about this one! Ohh and I have to be available for the dinner party which means a full clothing change an-."

In her haste to get to the door Rhen found her feet catching on the dress she was sure she'd never truly get used to and she tumbled ungracefully to the floor. Her words stuttered to a halt for a moment, before a mix between a laugh and a sob escaped her and she threw her hands up into the air helplessly.

"And I absolutely despise this dress!"

At that last exclamation, Rhen's eyes filled with tears, serving to only further frustrate the sword singer who flopped forward with several muttered comments. Steps crossed the floor to stand in front of her as Dameon kneeled, gently taking hold of her chin to lift her head so he could meet her eyes. She could see worry and understanding mixed in them as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead oh so gently.

"It's alright, take a moment to breathe." He murmured lovingly, absently smoothing the hairs that had come loose back against her head before straightening out the creases in the top of her dress. "It will not kill them to give you a moment of your time back."

Rhen sighed, shaking her head tiredly.

"No, this is important. They need to remember who saved their people in the first place. My parents deserve to be honoured for their sacrifice."

Hands gripped hers as Dameon leaned forward slightly.

"Rhen, everything is important here. You told them you would make things right and you have been working constantly since we were crowned, attending meetings and social events daily. I mean, when was the last time they gave you a day off?"

They both knew the answer to that question. There had been no day off for the chosen queen.

She let out a frustrated breath, pulling the fabric of the dress to the side as she pushed herself to her feet and paced around the room.

"They need me in order to settle Thais and establish our place as a trade city once more, there's so much work that there just hasn't been the time to rest. I know they need assistance, but I'm failing it feels like at every turn! I've missed more meetings then I can count this month, I'm terrible at connecting to the small talk that the nobility takes part in, and I feel like a small girl playing dress up to play a part I'm not prepared for!"

Rhen's voice went pitchy in the last part before she dropped down onto the bench at the foot of their bed. She looked over to her husband who's expression was a very interesting mix of understanding and amusement before a split second later it had smoothed into sympathy. The sword singer narrowed her eyes, pouting at Dameon.

"You're laughing at me." She said sulkily.

"No, never my love." He hastened to reassure her, coming to sit next to her, "But you do have to admit, playing dress up or not at least these dresses are ones you find incredibly pretty."

Rhen was silent a moment, refusing to admit the point until she made the mistake of glancing over at Dameon who had the audacity to look adorable with his gentle little smile and dancing eyes.

"OKAY FINE! …The dresses are very pretty, but they're so impractical for moving around. I don't remember the last time I could even handle my sword without fear of damaging my clothes."

Dameon reached over, fingers weaving together with hers.

"Love, I know you want to help them, but no ruler can go constantly the way you have been. They schedule you full days, you even worked through the last solace, with your only stop to make an appearance for the public at the festival. You may be queen, but you aren't the goddess. You're allowed to take time for yourself. Time for just us." He stated quietly, his face serious.

Rhen sighed, running her fingers gently over the cloth of his robes. He wore a very similar outfit as king to the one he had worn through their travels, and if she closed her eyes she could imagine for a moment that they were back in their house in Sedona with their friends. No social pressures, just talking together the way they always had before.

"They need me though. There's so much that they didn't do, and laws that are truly awful and archaic. Did you know that in order to take the throne no prince or princess is allowed to be single? They could have to marry a perfect stranger! If-... when we have children I don't want them to miss finding love. They should get to have it just like I do." She said, leaning her head against Dameon's shoulder.

"They will always need you my love, and to them they will not discern between the things that matter and are urgent and the little social calls that you don't need to always add to your plate. There are plenty of royals and nobles that don't carry the weight of the world on their shoulder, and they serve their people in every way needed." He paused there for a moment and kissed her temple, "They are taking advantage of your desire to help, and they're going to run you into the ground if you let them continue like this. You may be their queen, but they don't own the person behind the title."

His words brought pause to her thoughts, and after a few moments of warring thoughts Rhen considered what she would say to Dameon if the situations were reversed. She knew she would say the same.

"Drawing the line here feels more difficult than it did on the quest somehow." She finally sighed before looking down at her hands with a little snort. "Maybe I'll just run away to Aveyond, say the Oracle chose me for a life of roaming

Dameon laughed softly, pulling her to her feet and tugging her along as he walked backwards towards their closet.

"It is. I find myself doing the same thing, there are so many demands on me that it feels impossible to dare to say no. But that's neither here nor there. Right now I want you to get into this closet and change into something more comfortable. I'm cancelling all our appointments for today, and then I have a plan."

It was late morning and the chancellor stood at the foot of the throne dais, discussing heatedly with a servant.

"You were told to leave the room? But Queen Rhen always requires maids to assist with dressing! Is she not coming today?"

The servant opened her mouth to respond before going wide-eyed and just pointing behind the older man towards the door. He turned, in time to see the royal couple stride into the room.

Yet, it was not what had been since their arrival.

Gone was the extravagant finery that had dressed their queen up like a fancy doll, the makeup and elaborate updos tamed. In their place was the warrior who had walked through their halls that first day.

Still garbed in a dress, but now a lilac purple one that one could move in. Finary, but simplistic in its elegance and beauty. A braid with woven flowers so similar to the one she had worn to battle.

And the sword of a hero once more strapped to her back.

"M-my queen-!" The chancellor stuttered.

The powerful sword singer before him smiled, nodding to him as the couple stepped up to their thrones.

"Good morning! Before we start the day my husband and I wished to speak with you, about our schedules."

He did not know how to respond to this change, and so he simply watched as at her words the healer next to her smiled so tenderly and raised a hand wearing the signet ring to his lips for a lingering kiss.