Author's Note: This really doesn't fit into the theme or style of the rest of the story… but you know what? Who cares? Every so often, I like to have some fun, and I fully intend to. Hearing Cynn's "MINE!" moment in Cantha got me started.

Bonus Content

Vows Made in Autumn

or

"That Monk is Mine!"

Cynn took a deep breath from the balcony and gently swirled the wineglass in her right hand… feeling remarkably clean air fill her lungs, as opposed to the musty, smoky taint of Ascalon prior. King Coran's restoration still wasn't complete (he had said on many occasions that it would be at least three more years before anyone could rightly compare the kingdom to the rich, lush, green country from before the Searing), and that a great many things could yet go wrong in the process.

The elementalist figured Coran was being too hard on himself. Sure, the grass was still rather sickly looking, but no worse than it was after a particularly long drought. Maybe the waters weren't exactly sparkling clean yet... but it was pretty damn close in her estimation. All in all, it was many shades better than what it was.

A knock on the door drew her attention towards the interior of the chambers. Making sure her robe was tied tightly, Cynn responded to the summons, revealing the shaved head of one of the many sisters of the Temple of Rin… Melanie, if she remembered correctly.

"Oh, Madame Cynn!" Sister Melanie declared, "I would have assumed you would be preparing for the matrimonial ceremony!"

"Why?" Cynn answered with an exhausted breath. "I think I've earned a few hours of peace. I'm sure Devona can handle things for a while."

Suddenly, the elementalist's eyes narrowed, and her voice turned accusing, "Why are you here, anyway? You know perfectly well that Mhenlo is at the palace for the wedding."

Melanie started, waving her hands to ward off the famously volatile Cynn. "Yes, I do know that! Father Mhenlo sent me over because he forgot his formal sash, and couldn't leave to get it himself."

Cynn looked over to the open wardrobe, and sure enough, the length of royal blue velvet stitched with a representation of Dwayna in gold thread hung from the leftmost hook. Silly monk of hers… he'd leave his head behind if it wasn't attached to his neck.

"Well, you can return and tell that High Priest in training that his charming, lovely, and long-waiting amour will dutifully bring him his neglected article when she arrives at the palace shortly." Cynn said playfully. "I suppose its time I prepared and went over there anyway."

"I will do so." Melanie replied with a deep bow before retreating at full speed back the way she came.

Cynn pursed her lips at the sister's frightful flight then huffed indignantly. The elementalist thought she was being a lot nicer to people over the last few months. One would think they'd stop fleeing in terror the moment she frowned… at least eventually.

The elementalist sighed in resignation, and poured out the remains of her wineglass into the… plumbing (as Coran called it), setting the empty article back on the dining table, and collected her garment bag that contained her formal gown for the wedding. She supposed she had dallied long enough, and probably should head for the palace.

She had to turn about quickly and gather Mhenlo's sash, musing how embarrassing it would be to forget it after that outrageous message given to Sister Melanie. With both articles in hand, she stepped out of the nicely expansive homestead Mhenlo held as High Priest in waiting, and into the bright Ascalon sun.

The walk to the palace wasn't normally a long one… merely across the center district of Rin, but with all the bustle of people preparing for the "big moment", the going was significantly slower… even though people did give her a generous berth as they noticed who she was, making what would have been an impossible trek at least manageable.

Maybe having the whole of Ascalon afraid of her wasn't so bad after all…

Once the palace walls were in view, however, she happened to overhear a discussion that drew her attention. It was a group of children, young boys from what she could tell, apparently playing "war". That in and of itself wasn't surprising; after all, children often played such games without realizing the full meaning of what they were acting out.

What did cause her eyebrows to raise was the argument as to who would play what. She expected that the biggest complaints would be those chosen to be "Charr". This was not the case…

"Toby, you play the monk." The largest of the group ordered.

"But I don't want to!" The boy in question, one of the smaller children, protested.

"Do it or you don't play!"

The other children echoed the statement, and finally Toby stomped his foot, wiped his eyes to stave off tears, and said, "Fine! I won't play! I always play the monk! I'm sick of it!"

Toby then turned full about, running in a full sprint away from the other boys, seemingly oblivious to the blonde elementalist in his path. Cynn was so certain that the child would step out of the way that she couldn't react in time as he collided with her legs, knocking the child over and nearly toppling Cynn before she managed to correct herself with a slight flailing of her arms.

The young boy's eyes bulged in terror as he realized just who he had nearly knocked over, then curled into a ball on the ground as Cynn bent over him. He peeked out from behind his arms frightfully after three seconds to realize that the elementalist wasn't about to turn him to charcoal, but instead was offering her hand to help him up.

When Toby nervously accepted her assistance, Cynn turned a half grin and said, "I heard you fighting with the other boys."

Perhaps too scared to speak right away, the child only nodded.

"Now… why don't you want to be a monk?"

"Be… because…" Toby began with a stammer, "Because monks are stupid and weak. They just heal people, and then the big strong warriors get famous and get pretty girls."

Cynn's first instinct was to fume about the chauvinism inherent in males even at a young age… but resisted the urge. She was a nicer, friendlier, not fry-off-your-gonads-for-the-slightest-slight Cynn, and anyone who said otherwise was going to get a fireball in the mouth, Grenth take it.

Then she had an idea…

Cynn smiled warmly… or at least tried to smile warmly, not having much practice at it, after all. "Do you think Queen Devona is pretty?"

Toby nodded, and Cynn added, "Well, King Coran's a monk… how is that possible if monks never get pretty girls?"

Toby's mind milled on that offered piece of information; and he worked to find a counter argument to support his predjudice. Eventually he found one that suited him. "But he's a king! Kings are even better than warriors!"

Cynn frowned ever so slightly… she had figured this child's simple mind would have been easily converted. Okay… this was going to take a serious effort.

She smiled again, this time in a smug, knowing fashion, and asked, "Do you think I'm pretty?"

Now, Cynn could have looked like a mountain troll; but here was no way Toby (or anyone not of the "insane", "suicidal", or "catastrophically stupid" categories, for that matter) was going to tell the volatile elementalist that she wasn't anything short of the most beautiful feminine sample in the whole of the world. Thus, the young boy's response of, "Yes, ma'am," should have been of no surprise.

"Well then, come with me."

She took Toby by the hand, and continued to proceed to the palace, gesturing off the palace guards with a passive flip of her wrist and a simple, "He's with me."

Blinking warily, but knowing better than to question her, the guards allowed her and her young escort to pass through without delay. Toby's eyes grew wide as he beheld the palace courtyard where the upcoming marriage was to take place.

"There you are." Yuu grumped. Cynn turned, and barely fought off laughter. She wondered how much time and effort it had taken to force the assassin into the bridesmaid dress she now wore… and Cynn admitted to herself that she had chosen that light red color for the maids because it would not look particularly good on the almond skinned woman. "I trust your being fashionably late was justified?"

"Had I not dawdled, Mhenlo would hardly be properly prepared, and we'd have to wait anyway." Cynn retorted, holding up the monk's sash.

Finally, Yuu's attention turned to the child holding her hand tightly, "Who's the urchin?"

"Someone I'm trying to prove a point to."

Yuu snorted, and paid the two no further mind, striding off as if with great yet indiscernible purpose. "You think I'm sour… just try and get to know that girl sometime." The elementalist said, then escorted Toby further into the courtyard. She grinned brightly upon seeing the object of her search, and nearly wound up dragging the poor boy holding her hand towards the dais before she released the child and dashed up the few steps.

"Ah, so the lady has arri…" Mhenlo began before Cynn threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, quite adequately breaking his train of thought for the moment. "Well, while not unwelcome… I must say I am curious what has made you this affectionate…"

"Quiet." Cynn replied, placing a finger on his lips. "I'm recruiting for your order." She then turned to Toby, who was wide-eyed at the bottom of the dais. "So, do you still think monks don't get pretty girls?"

The young boy shook his head, and with that Cynn tapped Mhenlo's chest, and handed him the sash he left in the homestead. "I suppose I must get dressed… watch Toby for a moment, would you, love?"

Mhenlo gently wrapped the sash over his shoulders, looking bemusedly at the young boy in front of him, but before the monk could say anything, another voice had stepped in. "Yuu tells me that your soulmate has… adopted… a young boy from town."

Mhenlo chuckled, and said, "Really… Yuu said that, did she?"

Toby finally turned to face the unidentified voice, and turned rigid as a board to see the lavishly dressed King Coran, with a simple crown of gold around his forehead, and a bright red cape hanging off his trim shoulders.

Coran also forced back a laugh, and said, "Well… I believe her exact words were, 'Mhenlo's little fire demon abducted a filthy creature from outside the palace'… but I could be mistaken."

"No, I do believe you are correct, dear." A woman's voice replied, and the Queen appeared at Coran's side, dressed in a magnificent dress of light aqua and lace, holding a bundle wrapped in rich purple velvet. "I just hope she isn't that acerbic as Allister becomes old enough to understand words."

She gently rocked the bundle in her arms, with Toby correctly identified as the infant prince. His attention was then captured by the king as he knelt down and asked, "What is your name, young man?"

"T… Tobias. Tobias Wesley." Toby stammered. "But… my friends call me Toby." The child suddenly remembered he was supposed to do something when addressing the king.

Coran seemed to sense this, and said, "Oh, don't bow, dear boy. You are in the presence of friends." He stood, and his hand went to his chin in thought. "Wesley… Wesley… oh yes… the weavers in Adelbern Square. Devona love, could you have a messenger deliver word to the Wesley family that their son is here in the palace, and they can come retrieve him at their leisure anytime after the wedding?"

"I'm… not in… trouble… am I?" Toby asked nervously.

"No, of course not." Coran said with a shake of his head, again kneeling to the boy's eye level. "In fact, when I was about your age, I stumbled upon a commoner's homestead, and they watched over me until my father could recover me. It's only fair that I return the favor every so often… right, dear?"

Devona snorted with light mirth, a very unladylike gesture that highlighted her less than ladylike profession. "Yes… I suppose it is." She then retreated towards the edge of the courtyard, likely to fulfill her husband's request.

"Now young man… why don't you come with me, and we'll get you cleaned up a bit; can't do to be mussed before a wedding. Cynn's worked very hard to make sure that her wedding day is as perfect as possible, after all… and let me assure you that you don't want to see her angry…"