Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

To the City of Osay

Aguano, Alosrin, and Niowei march onward toward the city of green and wait in line to be admitted into the city.

"Hey, you're cute," a little boy walks up to the little Niowei who's holding onto her mother's hand.

"Thank you. You're cute too," Niowei wears a bright smile that erases the little boy's cheerful confidence.

"I'm not cute. You are."

Aguano squats down and chuckles. He places a hand on the little boy's shoulder, "What are you trying to do here, kid? You are much too young—"

"I'm not a kid. I'm seven," the little boy declares.

"I'm turning seven too!" Niowei smiles with her rosy cheeks.

The little boy blushes and runs back to his family who are a few meters in front of Niowei and her group.

"Did you make a new friend?" Alosrin picks Niowei up.

"I don't know," she places her head on her mother's shoulder. "Why's the line so long? I'm thirsty, mommy."

And while Alosrin tries to feed Niowei's thirst, Aguano speaks out, "Why do you let your daughter lead you around? Shouldn't you lead her?"

"How is my daughter leading me?" Alosrin glances over at Aguano.

"Is it not obvious? You spoil her and never let her endure any life lessons."

Alosrin turns to his daughter, and before he could deflect the question to her, she asks with a tearful squeaky voice, "Is Yllathanise a bad girl?"

The elf turns to Aguano.

"You're not. Your mother is the bad one," Aguano answers.

Niowei pouts and rests her head on her mother's shoulder, "Am I making mommy a bad person? I'm sorry."

"Both of you don't even sound genuine. It's as if each of you are trying to manipulate the other: fabricating your dreamy behaviors," Aguano crosses his arms and rolls his eyes.

Alosrin laughs and rubs his daughter's back to comfort her, "You and your brothers are very similar in that aspect. You see genuine behaviors as manipulative and calculating, yet are very drawn to their charms."

"Charms?" Aguano mumbles to himself.

The little boy from earlier returns, "Um. My mom said that you're outsiders so if you don't have a place to go after entering the city, you can stay with us. Also, my young uncle can't stop looking at you."

"What?" Aguano sounds horrified.

But Alosrin answers, "Then please give your mother our thanks."

"Okay." He stares at Niowei for a moment before running back to his family.

Aguano shakes his head, "That kid is really something. Blurting out something like that. Everyone's been staring at your dark skin, but I didn't think anyone would find you're attractive. You so ugh."

"You're much too hilarious, Aguano," Alosrin sighs with a defeated smile.

After a few hours, Aguano, Alosrin, and Niowei stands before the gate guards to state their purpose of entrance.

"What's your purpose for entering Osay?" The guard asks habitually, only looking at the records before him.

"To escape the famine," Alosrin answers.

"Hey, hey. Why are you answering? We're asking the man who is the head of house," another guard slaps the record from behind the guard. "Pay attention to who you permit, else you'll be punished."

"Yes sir!" Then the guard refocuses on Aguano and repeats, "What's your purpose for entering Osay?"

"To escape the famine?" Aguano glances over at Alosrin's indifferent face.

The guard inspects Aguano from sole to crown, "What famine are you escaping? You and your family look like you all have been eating well."

Aguano turns to Alosrin dumbfounded.

"You're the type of husband who only—"

"Our supply will not last us much longer, but we still have some spare change," Alosrin places three gold pieces onto the record before the guard.

"Don't interrupt me, woman!" The guard smacks his lips annoyed, but as soon as he looks down and sees the three gold pieces he suspects them more.

He turns to his fellow guards with the three gold pieces in his hands to be examined by the entire team.

They tasted the gold pieces one after another with much glee, but rottenly glare at Alosrin.

"You three may enter the city. Welcome to Osay, the capital of Kalor," the guard records their entrance and rushes them through the gate.

When the three reach the other side of the gate, Aguano quickly defends himself, "I'm not married to you."

But all Alosrin worries about and mumbles to himself is, "I did not realize I look feminine."

The little boy rushes to drag Alosrin and presents him to his mother and the family.

"Thank you for—"

"Before anything else, are you really married to that barbaric behind you," the boy's grandmother whispers to Alosrin.

"No," Alosrin shakes his head.

"Good. Now if you'll marry my youngest son, you all may stay with us in the city," the grandmother takes Alosrin's hand with a light shimmering in her aging eyes.

Alosrin chuckles, but Niowei blurts out, "No! Only my daddy can marry my mommy."

"Silly child. Your mother is not wearing any engagement ornaments, she is far game. Come on, say yes, darling. He's my youngest son, I will be free to die after seeing him get married. He has been so picky, that boy."

The man of the hour blushes in a red light with his mouth shut tighter than an oyster.

"I am terribly sorry about this confusion, but I must decline. My people do not have a concept for engagement ornaments of any sort, but I am indeed taken. A mother like myself is no fit for a young handsome man like your son, madam."

The elderly woman glances at her son's disappointment with sadness of her own, "Let this one go, my son. There will be other women you can choose from in this big city."

"Yes, mother." He answers with a tight knot at the back of his throat, and then he runs away.

"What a disappointment. You're the first woman he ever looked at in a romantic way," the elderly woman sighs softly. "Anyway, will you allow an engagement between your daughter and my grandson?"

Aguano chuckles from a distance.

But Alosrin lowers his head and answers politely, "If your grandson and my daughter are meant to be, we need not arrange their engagement at such a young age. As future fellow citizens of this beautiful city, our children will see and interact with one another. They will come to us when they're sincerely ready to start a family."

The little boy's father takes the elderly hands, "Mother, she speaks so well, she and her husband must be from a wealthy family. We are poor. We don't match them. Let them go. I'll talk with my son as soon as we reach my friend's house."

"Please don't think of it that way. We are people just like you, but I do not wish to confine my daughter to something she did not choose herself consciously," Alosrin lowers his head once more for a bow before taking the first step away from the little boy's family.

When Aguano, Alosrin, and Niowei could not hear the little boy's cry anymore, Aguano argues, "It didn't sound like you're tied down to anyone either."

"Does it matter? ... Let's have lunch." Alosrin stops in an intersection and asks Niowei, "What would you like to eat?"