When to release the Void [Attn: Bella/Gareth]

[Roan]

The mantle of Mistress of Arms was no longer new to Riahana Gaidar. She recalled how Lord Ives ran the Yards when he held the position, and while she was not him, she strove to do at least as fine a job as he. . .imparting her wisdom to those who signed the books to become the future Warders of the Grey Tower. The Gaidar did not have quite the harsh reputation the Freak of the Yards may have had, but any who thought she was soft would find out quickly how wrong they were. Firm but fair. . .it was the motto she lived by, and she was always willing to give those who came to her a chance. Sometimes, she gave them a second or third chance, if she thought they deserved it and would live up to it.

There were times when the bureaucracy and paperwork weighed heavily on her shoulders, but Riahana knew such things came with the territory. Most of the paperwork was routine, but sometimes. . . sometimes the workload seemed to weigh heavier and cause more stress than a battle with a Trolloc. An exaggeration, sure, but there were times when it felt like an understatement. With the Weapons Hall more or less condemned, Ria felt as if she walked with a massive weight on her shoulders. Decisions had to be made about where to house the weapons, what should the new hall look like, and who would sign off on any of it?

As Mistress of Arms, all decisions came down to her, and the last several days had been filled with opinions, whether they were sought after or not, on the best design for repairs. At the end of a very long day, Riahana opted to combine the Weapons Hall and Armory, and hopes others on the Warder Council would see the advantages in the new layout. One area to gather gear in a moment of emergency, and one place to guard from those who might see an easy target. One place that the Quartermaster would oversee as his domain.

Riahana's recommendation for the new combined armory/weapons hall, along with a sketch of the plans, had just been sent to the rest of the Warder Council. Looking outside, Ria realized dusk was upon the Tower, and she'd worked late yet again. There were still forms to read, and documents to sign, but they would be there tomorrow. Pushing them aside, Ria stood from her desk, put out the candles that provided her with light, and withdrew from her office, locking the door behind her.

The work day was done, but the weight of it bore down on her as she made her way through one hallway to another. The Void was Ria's method of choice for letting stress and worry slide off of her, and the Void settled over her as a second skin. In the back of her mind, she took comfort in the small bundle that was Gareth, or rather the bond between the two of them. Her family was her respite, though she'd not seen much of them lately.

As she approached her quarters, Ria knew Gareth was home. She was not surprised to see his hulking form in the main living area as she crossed the threshold from the hallway into their family quarters. "You are a sight for sore eyes," she said as she closed the door behind her.

[Bella]

To say that Gareth was proud of his warder-wife was an understatement. After all, he was bonded and married to the Mistress of Arms of the Grey Tower, and that was no small amount of prestige. It was well earned, and she was walking in the footsteps of those who had come before her, her own kin. So yes, he was very proud of her and didn't think any man could be prouder.

However, there was a downside. Sometimes, it almost felt like he didn't have a wife at all... The Yards kept her busy and he was understanding of that, of course, only a true cad of a man wouldn't be, but he had rather been missing her lately.

When he felt the bond growing, he knew she was coming closer and this made him smile. Soon the door opened and he turned where he stood by the side board in the living room, letting that smile fall on her. "I was beginning to wonder if I needed to send a search party," he teased, putting down the pot that had been in his hands and walking to meet her halfway.

He reached out for her and pulled her close, greeting her with a kiss.

[Roan]

That smile. . .it always had a way of melting her heart, and to be welcomed with it at the end of a long, stressful day? Tension melted away, and Ria could feel the muscles between her shoulders relax. She gave a soft laugh at Gareth’s joke about a search party, but before she could counter with a witty comment of her own, he pulled her in, and kissed her.

Any tension left from the day melt away then and there. Sliding her arms around her husband, as she returned the kiss in kind.

Ria knew she'd been working long hours of late, but it hadn’t dawned on her just how much time she’d been spending in the Yards and away from her family until she was in Gareth’s embrace. As the kiss ended, she pulled back every so slightly to look at him, a smirk on her face, “Mmm. . .that is quite the greeting, love. The kind of greeting you give someone you haven't seen in days.” She tilted her head, “Have I been that bad?”

[Bella]

Gareth looked at her with a dry expression, and didn't let her get very far from him. "No, you have not," he said with emphasis. "But the workload, that has been. A necessary evil, I'm aware, that comes with the job. But it is okay for the Mistress of Arms to take a break from now and then to attend to the parts of her life that are not Mistress of Arms related."

Shifting so his arm was around her shoulders, he gently (but firmly) steered her around to the sofa. He sat down, listening to it make the usual small groan of notice for his size, and then pulled her down into his lap.

"So, no more Mistress of Arms tonight, yes?" he said, grey eyes lifted to meet hers. "Just Ria. Though I'll still call you mistress if you'd like me to." Those eyes flashed with affectionate humor and one corner of his mouth lifted in a teasing smirk. To his mind--intuition, experience with years of marriage, and the bond--he knew she needed a little lightening up.

[Roan]

How long had it been since she’d sat on Gareth’s lap? Riahana realized, as she settled onto said lap, she couldn't remember. Placing one arm around his neck as she laughed softly and looked to her husband with an arched brow, “Hmm. . .I think just Ria for tonight. I would like a break from being in charge for once.”

Leaning back to rest against her husband, Ria moved so she had both arms wrapped around Gareth’s neck, “It would be a welcome change to relinquish responsibility, in fact.” She took in a deep breath and let it out in a content sigh as a hint of a smirk appeared. She'd missed their light banter, and realized she'd need to make a better effort of balancing her responsibility to the Yard with time she wanted and should spend with her family.

“You wouldn't happen to have something in mind for us this evening, would you?” Ria asked. Taking the night off, and hanging up her Mantle of Mistress of Arms for at least the night was a very appealing thought. Since returning to the Tower, both she and Gareth bore more responsibility, and a heavier workload. Mostly, it was manageable, but of late, she'd had more evenings spent in her office than at home. The idea of cherishing the night ahead was like permission to let her guard down and just melt into the giant of a man that was her husband

[Bella]

One big hand rose to brush a long strand of hair, which had come loose somewhere along the course of her day, out of her face and behind her ear before that hand dropped down to rest around her hip again. He was almost tempted to suggest they just stay like this for the rest of the evening, but then he knew that they wouldn't stay just like that...

"Now that you mention it," he began with a low chuckle rumbling deep in his chest, "I spoke with the Yellow Asha'man who is keenly aware of your health and concerned for your well-being, and he did have a suggestion. He thought that maybe getting out of the Tower proper would be wise, such as...a night, just you and your wonderful husband, going to Hama Valon for an evening?"

He grinned unabashedly.

[Roan]

Laughing softly, Ria tilted her head to look at Gareth with a raised brow, “Ah, I see. . .I’m assuming this is the handsome Asha’man who, aside from being keenly aware of my health, is also keenly aware and interested in my. . .posterior?” The man’s grin, which Ria didn’t think could get any bigger, grew almost exponentially.

Ria smirked, “The man well may be right. A night away from the Tower would likely do us both some good. Your hours may not be as long as mine have been, but I know all too well how busy you can be in the Infirmary.” A night in Hama Valon meant getting off Gareth’s lap, and she worked on gaining the motivation and momentum to do exactly that. Her own smirk grew into a more mischievous grin, “I have nothing pressing first thing in the morning, so we could, if you were at all interested, stay the night in Hama Valon.”

Initially losing the battle to climb off of her husband’s lap, Ria’s mind went to her wardrobe, and what she might wear for an evening of being ‘just Ria.’ Her preferred attire gravitated towards trousers instead of dresses, but perhaps for such a special occassion, she could make an exception. “I suppose I should go get myself cleaned up and made presentable,” she mumbled as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I would imagine you’d rather not be seen with a sweaty, disheveled mess if you could be seen with a picture of a lady,” she added with her smirk still ever present.

[Bella]

As she leaned into him, he encircled her more thoroughly with his arms. He inhaled slowly, appreciating just this moment of nearness. He kissed the top of her head and then leaned his against hers. The battle being waged in his own mind was constantly shifting as to who owned the ground: the desire to stay like that or to go out.

"A night in the city sounds most appealing," he rumbled softly into her hair. Einion could, after all, well take care of himself. He was all but a man now, and seemed hardly ever at home anyways. The books nearly owned him.

Then he chuckled. "I would be contented to be seen with my wife in any state she would so wish," he said. Even though he knew her not the type to trap a man as such, it was a pitfall he was determined to not fall into all the same. "However, I do intend to change out of the Asha'man blacks for the occasions."

[Roan]

Ria rather liked her husband in his Asha'man blacks, but the chance to see him dressed up? It was enough motivation for her to (reluctantly) pull herself off of his lap. A playful smirk still held court on her lips as she took a step towards their bedroom, "Well then. . .it will take me a bit to make myself presentable, and I think I'd rather have as much of the night to ourselves as possible." The prospect of possibilities came flooding to the Gaidar, and the smirk turned to a grin. "No peaking until I'm ready."

How her husband wasn't supposed to peak, given they shared quarters and a bedroom, didn't really matter. Shedding her Warder Yards garb, Ria moved to the wash basin. She didn't have time for a full-on bath, but she did get the day's grime off with quick wash before padding across the floor to her wardrobe. She kept her undergarments elegant, yet simple, as complicated garb was. . .well, complicated.

There was a reason Riahana tended to gravitate more towards trousers, boots, and blouses over dresses. . .form and function mattered to someone who might have to spring to action at a moment's notice. Dresses were made for a kind of function, yes, but not generally geared for combat. Dresses were not, of course, a new concept to her. There were those who helped make sure what dress she did own fit the fashion of the times.

Given her husband was one of the best Asha'man of the Yellow, it might seem logical that she would own something yellow or golden. Ria was not into pastels, though, and hers was a dress mostly of deep blues and hints of silver. Getting into the dress was an interesting challenge, as was fastening the bloody thing up. When it was all said and done, the gown was a traditional length, with three-quarter length sleeves and a neckline that would tease and taunt her husband most of the night. Once the dress was on, Ria pulled on her dress boots, which had a slight heal so she'd be just a little bit taller next to her giant-of a husband. Into each boot, the Warder slid slim daggers. While it was a night off as Mistress of Arms, Ria would always be her husband's Warder. She did not expect trouble, no, but it was better to be prepared. . .just in case.

To finish off her ensemble, Ria picked up the only piece of jewelry she owned aside from her wedding ring; a simple silver chain with a tear-drop sapphire pendant. It hung on her neck line in such a way to draw one's eye to the v-neck, and down. She looked herself over in the mirror once, and smiled before she exited the bedroom. She felt almost giddy with the thought of a night away from the Tower. . .where it was just her and Gareth. She loved her children, sure, but sometimes it was nice when she and Gareth could have time of their own.

Gareth had his back to her when she stepped into the living room, "Well. . .what do you think?"

[Bella]

It was the very rare occasion that brought Gareth the chance to see his wife so dressed up, in a literal dress. Of course, he loved her no matter what she wore--in fact, his favorite look was nothing at all--but there was something special about...well, making a special moment. He smiled broadly. It wasn't his usual economical expression, but a full and sincere look of pleasure.

"As ever, you are the picture of beauty, my wife," he said, bowing his head slightly to her but keeping his gaze fixed on hers as he did. "I fear that I shall make a shabby companion for you, but I'll endeavor to do my best." He stepped closer and leaned down to kiss her before going into the bedroom. He had chosen to avoid temptation and simply stay out of the room until she was done.

Once he was, he changed from his Asha'man blacks to something that wasn't really that different: black trousers with a rich yellow cording down the sides of each. His jacket was, well, also black but not in the style of the Asha'man and with subtle details in the same rich yellow color, and more elegantly tailored to fit his frame. With a washed face and brushed hair, pulled back in a low ponytail, he re-emerged.

He held his hands out to the sides with a small smirk. "I shall be quite out-shined, love, but I think that's not a bad thing."