Wren Bonus Story: I Would. (nonbinary Wren)

"I can't believe I agreed to this," I mutter under my breath. I glance around the lavish enclave I'm sat in, perched on the edge of a too-plush couch to keep myself from sinking into it. We've been waiting for an hour, and I'm steadily regretting coming here.

"Technically Adaan agreed to it for you," Wren corrects, handing me a crystal glass and clinking it with theirs all in one motion. "Cheer up - it's not all bad. The wine's terrible, but at least the company is conniving."

That coaxes a laugh from me, at least. "Technically we haven't met our company. I don't know if you've noticed, but this is Lady Zidri's foyer."

"You're asking me if I've noticed that I'm alone, in a small room, with the most attractive person in Leas?" they chuckle, taking my chin between their thumb and forefinger and tilting my head ever so slightly upward.

"I don't know if I'd put it like that..." I say, swallowing hard as I look up into their dark eyes. The corner of their lip lifts.

"I would," they say simply. For a beat my mind goes blank, until they step back, releasing me.

I clear my throat, recovering my composure as quickly as I can. "So what makes you think she's going to be 'conniving?' Or were you referring to yourself?"

"Me, conniving? I am the picture of honesty."

"I was under the impression we both were capable of lying when necessary. We kept our entire investigation of Virano secret from my Den, for one."

Wren hums in agreement as they examine the books placed on one of the end tables. "A fair critique. Perhaps I should've said I'm the picture of honesty with you. The Tale of Dancing Suns... is that a fairy tale?"

"Yeah, it's a children's story. They use it to teach kids about Leas; why would that be here?" I frown.

"It's a dig, no doubt," they reply, their face too neutral for me to read a reaction clearly. "She's implying I know as little of your city as a child."

"It's not Leas we're here to discuss," I say skeptically. "Magical matters are the same, regardless of location. She has no reason to be hostile."

"Maybe so," they shrug. "But I expected it anyway. Nobody likes a know-it-all, let alone one who's come to tell you what you're doing things wrong in your own house."

If it were only the book, I might doubt that. But we've been kept waiting for ages with no one around to ask how much longer we'll be here. The butler who saw us into the estate was so rude I felt like I was breaking into the house instead of arriving at the behest of the city's Den, and we haven't been served any food during our wait.

"That last one's the real kicker," I hum under my breath.

"What's that, darling?"

"Nothing. Just, it's really rude in our culture not to offer someone food when they stop by - let alone if they've been at your house for hours. I think you're right about us being unwelcome here," I take a few pillows from the couch and try stacking them behind my back. Somehow it's even less comfortable than before. "So you've experienced this a lot?"

"There are stages to the reactions I receive," they turn from the book and wander over to the portrait of our host on the wall. "At first, everyone's excited to look at the shiny new person. Eventually that fades into things more like this. And then, if I'm lucky, I'll make a few genuine friends."

"Sounds hard," I comment, giving up on the couch with a huff and moving to stand beside them. They place an absentminded kiss on my temple and make a noncommittal noise.

"I wonder how they get that shade of blue," they say, taking in the color of the sunset sky behind the painting's subject.

"A lot of paint pigments come from plants," I reply. "I've brought some back from the wilds, myself."

"It's beautiful. You'd look nice against a background like that."

"What, you're going to commission a portrait of me?" I laugh.

"Perhaps not," they smile wryly. "Though I admit I'm in the mood to give you a gift. Why don't we browse the market, when we're done here? We've earned it."

"You're not kidding," I mutter, just as the door finally opens, and a voice calls for us.