Sun Mote Copse time's the revelator

but of all the places arcturus hadn't been, wraen's childhood home interested him the most.

he listened in earnest to wraen's recounting of her first crush. he couldn't help the prickle of jealousy and insecurity he felt, but he did his best to hide it from wraen's discerning eyes. if he was lucky, she might not notice.

he thought this male stupid to refute wraen's affections; such scorn was on the tip of his tongue, but he bedded his thoughts down and continued to listen. he was most dissatisfied, but in the end, wasn't it him that benefited from leander's turning away of wraen? without the courtly male's rejection, arcturus might never have met wraen at all.

a weird blessing in disguise, thought arcturus. he went from dissatisfied to distressed, to hear wraen's cautioning. she was not that old, and hello! he was right here! she did not need to be a spinster when arthur was very much under her nose and waiting for the right moment.

he wanted to move closer, but stayed that impulse. how he wanted to blurt it all, admit his adoration of her -- his practical worship -- but if arcturus had learned anything during his time with the sovereign, it was that there was simply too much at stake to jeopardize his relationship with her. "i promise.. but, you speak as if you are an ancient crone." arcturus avoided inputting too much emotion (particularly, his utter disbelief she was suited for a spinsterly life), meeting her gaze for a brief moment before looking at his paws. "as if your time was up. i think that is anything but the case."