Her Soldier, His Warrior

Addition to the Guard

"Someone's awfully happy." Enya comments as Soren shuts the door to their room, the dorky grin on her husband's face growing wider. "What happened today? Beat Corvus at another one of your random challenges or did he actually beat you this time?"

"Nah he lost the race this time, but something better happened today!" Soren says as he walked over to where she sat and took the hairbrush from her hand. "Okay okay, so you know how for the crownguard you need a recommendation, right?"

"Yeah, you got one from Harrow and that one crownguard captain who was retiring." Enya says as he starts to brush her loose hair. "What's that got to do with Corvus?"

"Well...Ez mentioned that he actually liked Corvus protecting him, it made him feel safe and that was when I wasn't there to do it. You know, I was kinda on disability leave and being locked away in the pantry. So I suggested it, and Ez agreed to it, to ask Corvus if he wanted to join the crownguard."

"Oh- oh! Did he say yes?"

"Yeah! I'm taking him tomorrow to a blacksmith I know to get him some armor done for his uniform, nothing too fancy like mine." Soren says with a grin as he put down the brush. "So yeah, our little crownguard club is growing!"

"That's wonderful! Now you can both protect Ezran!" Enya says as she gets up from her seat to turn and kiss him on the nose. "Don't tell me, you want me to make him a cape so you two can match."

"Ancients no, he won't look as good as I do in it!" Her husband laughs and smiles softly at her. "But you know, there's someone else I've wanted to ask to join."

"Who? Bradley? I think he'd be a great candidate for a member of the guard, even helping out with removing the injured off the battlefield." Enya says, then notices her husband getting down. "Soren what are you doing? You know the floor gets kind of cold at these hours and I haven't even lit a fire yet."

"Oh I was just gonna propose."

"You did that, like four or five months ago, in Xadia."

"Shh, let me have this moment. Enya Mulligan, will you accept the honor of not only being my wife, but also joining the crownguard?"

Enya blinked in surprise as her husband withdrew a badge of the crownguard from his pocket and held it out to her.

"Soren, did you seriously just propose to me while asking if I'd like to be part of the crownguard in the same sentence?" She asks raising a brow.

"Maybe..?" Soren responds sheepishly. "But do you want to or not? Ezran also felt safe with you being at his side, and when I suggested asking you he gave me the go-ahead."

"Being your wife, we're already married you goof, since the spring remember?" Enya says with a chuckle. "But being part of the crownguard? A mhuirnín, don't I need to be an actual soldier for it?"

"Well yeah, but with some training -"

"Years of training, you saw how bad I am at sword fighting."

"Under my care you'll be almost as perfect as me in a month! Or a year. Or two."

Enya gave a soft laugh as Soren gets off the floor and glanced away. She took a step towards him and turned his head so he was looking at her. "Hey, look at me. I would love to be able to protect my little brother, I'd do that no matter what. But don't you think putting me in this would be kind of...distracting? And there's some nepotism in this? Last thing I want is to take a spot in the guard that should go to someone who really deserves it, plus I'm not even a soldier."

"Gren said you were, you fought alongside all of us as one. And if even the commander considers you one, that's good enough for me." Soren points out and gives her a peck on the cheek. "I married not only a tailor, but a soldier too, and it'd be a shame that one of the king's two unofficial guards wasn't a part of his official guard. Also I promise not to be distracted while you're with me."

"You're not giving up on this aren't you?"

"Nope!"

"Fine, but I need to be trained first before I can get accepted." Enya sighs and Soren grins triumphantly. "Seriously, I need to be trained Soren, it won't be fair to the other soldiers if some girl with very little training got accepted. You're lucky you were very skilled before getting your position. I will not accept this position for nepotism."

"Fair enough, but I won't be going easy on you with the training." Her husband laughed as he slung an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be as muscular as our fearless general."

"That's from years of training, I'm not gonna earn that in a month!"

"Oh and who said this will take a month? Maybe in a few months you'll gain a bit of muscle!"

Enya laughed as she leans against her husband, sighing in content. "Okay we'll see. But you can't have me training all day, my dad still needs help with his work, so don't think I can spend hours swinging a sword at you or the other soldiers."

"Fine, just four hours a day and when you can, you gotta partake in the little contests I did with Corvus." Soren chuckles. "Oh and guess what? I think I gave him the right push with his girlfriend."

"Soren, give them time!' Enya gasps and smacked his arm. "Just because we got married so suddenly doesn't mean you should push our friends to do it!"

"They've been dating for years!" her husband protests. "I'm just being a good wingman to my friends! Didn't Corvus give you that push too?"

"No, he got me to realize I actually liked you and afterwards wouldn't stop teasing me about it!"

"Good! If he hadn't, I would have remained in the friend zone!"

"No you wouldn't, I would have still found out when you ate the mushrooms I told you not to eat, you doof!"

"Ugh, I really wish you didn't witness that." Soren groans and his wife laughed. "It's embarrassing! Confessing to you before the battle was more romantic!"

"It was, but you confessing to me when you were on Truthshrooms was funny." Enya says with a chuckle as her husband pouts and she kisses his cheek. "Hey cheer up, I won't tell anyone about your first weird confession. If anyone asks, we'll just say it was before the battle, okay?"

"Fair enough." Soren says before grinning mischievous. "Push up contest! Two sets go!"

Enya yelped in alarm as she is released and as Soren dropped to the floor to start the exercise, counting loudly.

"Ancients help me, what sort of man did I marry?" She muttered.

"One that will keep you in shape!" Soren responds cheerfully. "Come on before I beat you!"