Phoenix Maplewood down for me

his grin grew wobbly, a bit, as she addressed him with the my liege she'd used before. he heard her out, though, head slightly tilted at her reasoning. she came from a place far different than anything he had ever known; while small courtesy bows at a foreign border were one thing, this was altogether another. he nodded, letting her know that while he vehemently disagreed, her input was, at least, valued.

"you don't have to do any of that here," aditya countered softly. "at morningside, we respect each other by being kind. by doing our part in the hunts, the patrols, watching the children. . . otherwise, we're family, and treat each other as such. no bows necessary."

his eyes creased as his smile grew broader again. "and no more 'my liege.' it's aditya. or even adi, if you prefer," he added. "shorter, easier to remember." he hated the title, really. it made him feel like some sort of despot.