Peregrine, his arm around Fiona's waist as Gilderoy walked slowly at their side, started to look around him again long before they reached the inn's courtyard, which Leodhais with Alexandra, Freddie and Gollum had already crossed on their way to the building's door. Something felt off. 

He could feel Fiona's body stiffen under his arm; it was uncanny how she always seemed to feel what he felt; it was as if his feelings and worries channelled directly into her. It was amazing and awful at the same time.

Peregrine dispised to trouble her, but there didn't seem to be a way to prevent it. He had already let her know, unconsciously and quite against his will, that they had been followed from London to Liskeard but not beyond The Stones. Whichever Highlander had spotted them in her world, must have resolved that their group was too big to risk a fight, and he would seek Peregrine at some later point, alone. 

However, something else felt wrong now... A Higlander had passed through here; the signs of a recent stand off in the courtyard were well visible to his eyes. It hadn't been a big fight; the dragon had allowed whoever had defended the inn to chase him away easily.

Peregrine knew well who had stood to defend her home here. She was alright; he could sense his sister's aura of happiness and contentment at seeing the elf even through the inn's walls. The scuffle had happened too long ago, the traces of the Highlander's scent were too weak for him to tell whether this had been Lingwir the Blue, who had attacked him later in Fiona's world, or the other one who was after them now, the one who was biding his time, who hadn't walked through The Stones yet. 

He needed to deliver Bella and her son to Alaric's inespugnable castle fast, he resolved, kissing her on top of her head quite without thinking, closing his eyes briefly as her scent imprisoned in her indomitable curls overwhelmed his senses. She was precious; he needed to make sure that she would be safe. If this was Ancalagon following them, things would turn ugly and dangerous, and he didn't want her to witness it, whatever the result of the duel might be. Neither of the two possible outcomes was something she needed to see-- he would either die, or he would kill the dragon she had once loved, the father of her only child. The Highlander who had killed his parents...

Banishing those terrible thoughts, he noticed that Gilderoy had slipped inside the building, flooding them with light and the sound of voices for a heartbeat even as he took the next step, realising that she stopped, using the moment of solitude to their advantage, and stood, his body held in the vice-like grip of her arms, face tilted up, eyes closed, lips parted in an invite of a kiss he hadn't realised he had been trying not to think about since the breakfast. 

"Bella," he muttered.

He knew that he should tell her that they shouldn't indulge in this wonderfully pleasing behaviour, that it was probably wrong to let their acquaintance slip down this way, following their unresistable attraction when they both knew that it would not go beyond that point which they were both rushing towards, that they couldn't have the sort of future together they both desired. She would become the Queen of Silmarea and her father would force her to marry, if not Leodhais then another elf most likely and he, preferring not seeing her married to someone else and settling, eventually, inevitably, into the calm contentment the union would offer to her, would leave Alaric's court the moment her son was trained. 

However, it wouldn't happen anytime soon. So far it only felt like a too vague premonition of the future that couldn't prevent him from kissing her now, and enjoying greatly the feeling of her lips, soft and subtle like rose petals moulding around his, the touch of her hands that strayed under his cloak and traveled, radiating heat throughout his body up his sides and back until the inn's door opened again and Freddie walked out, peering into the darkness. 

"Mum, Peregrine, where did you get to? We are waiting for you," he called into the gloomy courtyard, his eyes finally settling on their silhouette. 

Peregrine pulled the petite woman to him briefly, chuckling into her heavenly scented hair as she replied, trying to keep her voice steady as she pushed her glasses, dislodged after the deep kiss, up the bridge of her nose, "We are coming."

He gave her a moment to take a deep breath even as he composed himself too, before he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her steps towards Freddie who caught her by her hand the moment she was within reach.

Then he pulled them inside.

Despite the early hour-- it was far from the inn's closing hour yet-- the large room wasn't too crowded. Peregrine, his one arm still around Fiona's waist, the other on her son's shoulder noticed, along with the scowl on Alexandra's face when she saw them that way, the knowing, happy smirks of his companions', and Annwyn's reaction, so unexpected from the always composed half dragon that it only confirmed to her brother that she had really fallen in love with the elf, who held her on his lap even as she run her fingers through his blond hair. Apparently, seeing him again after only a few days made her feel emotional. 

She sprang to her feet and rushed towards the three newcomers still standing in the doorway, her hand pressed to her lips, tears glistening in her eyes as she laced an arm around Peregrine's neck and whispered in his ear, "You look like a family."

She collected herself before he could reprove her for those words, bent down slightly, and embraced Fiona. "You must be our future queen. Welcome to our world. I'm Annwyn, Peregrine's sister."

Peregrine let go of Fiona reluctantly as Annwyn pulled her from him and led her deeper into the inn, towards their table, making room for the last group of customers who were leaving. 

Peregrine observed the men's reactions. Their eyes appraised the short redhead who bore an unmistakable resemblance to her father. They didn't look too surprised; the news of the quest for the king's lost heir must have spread like wildfire throughout the country. They bowed to her without disturbing their small reunion, and she smiled and inclined her head in greeting, in a perfectly queenly fashion. It was their reaction to the blue-eyed boy that surprised the dragon shifter.

Everyone seemed to be drawn to him by some invisible force, their eyes finding his small form among the many adults and he met their eyes unblinkingly, bowing his head to them while an enigmatic smile emanating reassurance, tranquility and love among many other feelings while the ring he still wore around his neck glowed bluelly from beneath his clothes, the colour of the ring's magic the same as that of his eyes. Was it a sign? Was the boy destined to take Alaric's place and not Bella?

Shaking his head free of those thoughts, Peregrine let the last group of guests out, and, after looking around the room to make sure they had really been the last, he locked the door. They were alone, and he preferred it that way, just friends and family. The rain must have discouraged everyone from crossing the swamp tonight. 

Thanks the gods for the rain, he mused, finally approaching the table even as Bella's words addressed to Annwyn reached him.

"I'm no queen," she replied to a question he had not heard. 

She allowed Annwyn to lead her by the hand to her place at the long table, but closed her other hand, freed by Freddie who had already ran off to Gilderoy and Gollum, around Peregrine's the moment he reached them, not caring what anyone would think. The only thing that mattered was that he didn't pull his hand from hers but rather laced his fingers through hers. It felt heavenly. Nothing else was important.

"I'm not here to succeed your king on the throne," she added, looking at Annwyn, her words conferming Peregrine's recent thoughts. "We're here only because, taking everything that has happened recently into account, coming here suddenly looked like the safer option..." she trailed off as she sat on the bench next to Peregrine, looking at him questioningly, seeking reassurance. Reading him, perceiving his feelings and behaviour now, and in the last few hours, having come here didn't seem all that safe anymore. 

But Freddie needed to be told about his dragon side; he needed to grow up among others like him and be trained. And nothing of that would be happening in the present day London. Moreover, Peregrine would not be staying there with her either... Botheration... 

Turning the subject around as much as she could, thinking through all possible aspects of her problems, her mind always returned to the dark dragon shifter.