Moonspear rock the boat

Alya's dark eyes glinted at the suggestion that Nikai might've gone without her. "Of course I'm going," she said sharply, only softening her voice through great effort. "They'll make due without me," she added, giving his cheek a perfunctuory nuzzle. She couldn't seem to stop touching him now that he was back in reach. It was odd, because they hadn't been overly affectionate on their trip, as far as she remembered. But it had been a different time, too, and Alya had still been recovering from her various heartaches.

But she was healed, now, and more wholly herself than she had ever been. As Nikai had surmised, she'd begun to see that she was not always right, not always supreme, and entirely mortal - but it was more than that. She was learning to be kinder, and more patient, and less prideful. And she was still a holy terror, honestly, but that was too hard ingrained to ever truly be trained out of her.

"But before we go, there's something we have to do," she decided, firming her stance. "I'd like to formally declare my intention to court you - so I want to introduce you to my mother and father." Although the first half of the statement was gently teasing, there was no mistaking the determination in her eyes. This time, she would not sit around waiting for the prince to sweep her off her paws. She would the prince, damn it!