The New Solare - 6. Chapter 6- Sindri's Decision

Since he had planned for Gallant Sindri to have lunch with him on their picnic, Gonuret had let the others know in advance that they were to eat without them. By the time the two of them had returned, the other Gallants and Ansar were finished just about finished with their food. Solare Vitara was seated amongst them. They all stood up when they caught sight of Sindri.

"You are all free to do as you wish," Solare Vitara told the Gallants in a dismissing manner. "That includes you as well, Visionary Ansar."

Ansar, who was hoping to catch Sindri alone for a final debriefing on the Gallants, huffed and dragged his feet to his room. Kelius sent a glare towards Gonuret as they walked towards the room they shared. The others took off in different directions.

When she was finally alone with Sindri, Solare Vitara gave him a sympathetic smile. "Tomorrow you are to narrow your choice down. After the last couple of dates, be prepared to make your final decision. Do you have any questions or requests before then?"

Sindri watched as everyone was dismissed before turning his attention to Solare Vitara. He nodded. He already had it narrowed down. After his date with Ruthed, he and Emyve were out. Ilohir had asked him to not pick him from the beginning, and he respected that. He did feel a connection with Madhal, but it felt platonic...that left only Kelius and Gonuret. "As of right now, I only have one question." He said as he turned to look at her. "I know what my responsibilities will be after I choose a lifemate, but, what happens to the others when all of this is all over?" He hoped that he would get to see them again. After all, it would be a shame to start new friendships if he wasn't allowed to see them for a long time. "It may sound childish, but I do hope to see everyone again. I've made many new friends."

"That part is up to you as the new Solare," Solare Vitara replied. "The Gallants are usually free to go back and forth from their home biome to Middlemost. Most choose to have two residencies, one here and one in their biome. Should you need them, as you probably will soon, you can summon them to the Gallant Hall for any serious decisions pertaining to either a single biome or the entire planet."

Sindri was glad to hear he would at least see them again. All of them had become friends as well as dragons whose opinion he highly valued. "I see. That clears some things up. Though, I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions for everyone as we go along." He replied with a small smile. "Thank you again." That being said, the two of them bid themselves a good night and walked away.

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Ansar fed his rabbit mulishly while Ruthed happily played with his own. "Madhal should just come out and publicly say that he wants Ilohir as his lifemate instead of Sindri."

"We're not allowed to choose for ourselves until the Solare representative makes his choice. Only then are we free to choose whomever we wish," Ruthed reminded him.

"Still, I don't think it's-" Ansar's reply was cut short when the door to their room was slammed open to reveal a fuming Kelius. "Ack!" He gasped in shock.

"One of you!" Kelius hissed. "Switch places with me as Gonuret's roommate before I do something I'll regret! I can't stand that stupid, goofy smile on that little fucker's face! All I want to do is punch it right off!"

With a shrug, Ruthed hopped off his bed and walked out of the room with his rabbit in tow. Ansar, who was still in shock, watched the teal-haired dragon abandon his spot without question. Kelius practically slammed the door right behind Ruthed on his way out.

"The freak's the matter with you?" Ansar questioned warily.

"I don't know how, but I think that pale punk managed to outdo me on his date," Kelius growled. "But, I'm not going to hand Sindri over to him so easily..."

"My best friend is not a possession," Ansar pointed out. "You keep talking as if he's some kind of trophy."

"Just what do you know, you're not even a Gallant!" Kelius retorted.

"Well, I know what not to do when it comes to the way I treat loved ones!" Ansar countered.

Kelius let out a derisive snort. "Oh? Kind of like how you knew what not to do when you shoved me into the lake without even knowing how to swim?"

"Th-that was your fault for dragging me with you!" The beige dragon huffed. He stood up to glare into crimson eyes. "And you've yet to allow me to properly thank you for saving my life. Argh! Forget thanking you! You don't deserve it."

The copper dragon's jaw dropped. "You are an insufferable spoiled brat with moths for brains!" Kelius declared. "Maybe I should have just let you drown!"

Ansar gasped loudly in an indignant manner. "You know what? Fuck you!" He rushed towards Kelius, ready to shove him hard with his hands when his wrists were grabbed, and he was pulled off balance. The next thing he knew, a set of full, soft lips pressed against his in a punishing kiss. His complaints became muffled, and then non-existent as a warm tongue invaded his mouth. Ansar's lids felt heavy, and he closed his yellow eyes as his struggling completely died out.

Kelius didn't know what compelled him to do such a rash thing, but once he started, he couldn't bring himself to stop. Why did the brat's mouth taste so good? The trembling tongue that hesitantly slid along his somehow excited him even more. When he felt himself becoming aroused, he snapped out of it and pulled away, his red eyes wide. "Shit. I...I didn't mean to do that. I was angry. I shouldn't have let out my anger on you."

Ansar's eyes lowered to the ground as he tried to hide his pain from the other dragon. "D-don't worry about it. It never happened. You can sleep on Ruthed's side. I'm going to get some fresh air!" He rambled as he all but ran out of the room.

The copper dragon raked his fingers through his auburn hair and pulled back on it in frustration. "Fuck!" He hissed, feeling more confused than he had ever been in his life.

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Ansar was seated on a window sill in one of the hallways furthest from the Gallant Hall. His knees were bent, and his elbow was sprawled over them as he rested his head on his arm, gazing at the darkening sky with vacant eyes. Tears were still silently falling down his cheeks as he tried to uselessly will his feelings away. He couldn't afford for his heart to give way so easily for that blasted Gallant! Not when Sindri hadn't made his decision yet. The beige dragon would never willingly destroy his best friend's happiness over some stupid, sexy dragon. So, why couldn't he stop the tears from falling?

Sindri was making his way back to his room when Ansar seated upon one of the window sills. He smiled as he approached him, but the smile quickly turned into a frown when he realized that the beige dragon was crying. "Ansar, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

The brunette heard Sindri's voice distantly as if the apricot dragon stood further away than he was. Ansar didn't like to hear the worry etched in his friend's voice. And, he liked it even less that he was the cause of it. "N-no real reason," He replied with a sniffle. "Just kinda worried that the Sentains might not let me stay here to help you when you're officially the Solare in a couple of days." What he told him was true, but that wasn't what worried him the most. Either way, he aimed to ease his friend's concerns.

The apricot dragon sat down next to his friend. "Surely, if we both talk to them, we can convince them to let you stay." He needed to find a way to cheer the other up. "I can't tell you who, but I've narrowed it down to two people. I think I know who I'll choose now, but I want to see how the dates tomorrow go."

Ansar didn't know how he managed it, but he summoned up a smile just for Sindri. "Good. C-can't wait to see who it's gonna be."

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The following day, after breakfast, all of the Gallants lined up just like they did during their first introductions. Ansar remained seated next to Sindri as the blonde revealed who was going to go on a second date with him.

"Everyone, I've narrowed it down to two people. Some weren't chosen due to private or personal matters." He started. He knew that Ruthed and Ilohir would be alright with his choice. He just hoped that Madhal and Emyve wouldn't be upset, in turn. "Gallant Kelius. Gallant Gonuret. You are the two that I have narrowed it down to." He only hoped that the two didn't try to fight each other over this.

Madhal sent Sindri a wink. "Well, since I'm out of the running, I'm going to go and compromise all of Ilohir's time," He stated as he held out his elbow for Ilohir to take. "Shall we?"

A flustered flush formed across Ilohir's face. "A-alright." He replied softly as he took hold of Ilohir's elbow. "Good luck to you, Gallant Sindri." He said over his shoulder as they walked away.

Emyve nodded in acceptance while Ruthed hopped from one foot to the other in joy. "Thanks, Sindri!" The aquamarine dragon squealed as he tugged Emyve by his wrist out of the ballroom. "Come on, Emyve, let's go do something fun, you big lug." He certainly loved the tall, dark, and handsome type.

Ansar looked over at Kelius, but the copper dragon's gaze was centered only on Sindri. With a sigh, he stood up. "I'm going to…take a long walk." He said as he walked away.

As soon as Ansar's back was turned, Kelius's crimson eyes followed the beige dragon's every step until he left the ballroom completely. "I have the first half, right?" He affirmed as his gaze went back to Sindri's.

Sindri smiled when he saw just how happy the others seemed with his decision. Not a single one of them had countered it. He was glad that they took it so well and he hoped that everything worked out between the two apparent pairs. He looked over to Ansar as he walked away, frowning and a bit, and confused as to why the other was acting that way. The blonde eventually turned his attention towards Kelius. "That's right." He replied before looking over at Gonuret. "Would you please keep an eye on Ansar until I've returned?" He asked the white-haired dragon.

Gonuret was surprised when Kelius chose the first half. The auburn-haired dragon had been so fired up about his having the lasting impression on Gallant Sindri the day before. Why would he want to risk his having the final lasting impression now? When the apricot dragon asked him to watch over the brunette, he gave him a reassuring smile. "Certainly," He replied as he headed in the direction of the beige dragon.

Kelius's hand formed a tight fist, and he almost scowled as he saw the sky blue dragon heading after Ansar. With a shake of his head, he focused his attention back on the blonde. "Forgive my distraction," He began. "Is there any place in particular that you'd like to go?"

The blonde noted that Kelius seemed strangely upset when Gonuret went after Ansar. Was he jealous? Or was it that the copper dragon simply did not like Gonuret at all? "It's fine," Sindri replied. "We can go wherever you would like. I'm more focused on spending time with you two today."

"How about we walk around the inside and outside of the fortress?" Kelius suggested, denying the fact that he didn't want to stray too far from the fortress in case Ansar got himself into trouble again.

"Good idea. That would give me a chance to become more familiar with the fortress, too..." Sindri concluded. As they walked around, he realized that Kelius seemed much quieter then he was the other day. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Kelius answered. "I'm not fully focused today, for some reason." As a quick change of subject, he asked. "So, down to the final two…is it that you couldn't get enough of me the first time?" A smug little smirk formed on his face. "Or did Gonuret not quite measure up to your expectations? You can tell me," His voice fell to a whisper. "Did you find his package to be too small to your liking or something? What's his flaw?"

Sindri's face turned red upon hearing Kelius's questions. He lightly punched his arm. "That's not it!" He said quickly. "I think I know who I have in mind to choose, but I wanted to take the chance to spend time with you both to make a secure decision. I've never liked anyone until now, so I'm not one hundred percent sure of what I'm feeling if that makes any sense."

A wide grin formed on Kelius's face when Sindri punched his arm. That's the spunk that he liked to see in the blonde. But, his face became a bit more serious when the apricot dragon spoke of his feelings. "Maybe I can help you a little with that." He offered as he gently pinned the orange-eyed dragon to one of the empty hallways. He slowly closed the space between them more and more. "Whenever you get too close for comfort with someone…" He said as he trailed a finger along Sindri's jaw. "Your body tends to react no matter who it is. You become nervous; you anticipate what will happen next…your body is on alert." He explained as he leaned down to whisper into the Gallant's ear.

Sindri had raised a brow in curiosity when he first heard Kelius say that he would be able to help him sort out his feelings. His eyes widened when he was pinned up against the wall, and his heart started to race more and more as the other Gallant closed the distance between them. He was so close that the blonde was able to see the dark red of Kelius's pupils and the few freckles on his nose.

"But, the trick is to sort through all of those reactions and realize what it is that you want to do. Do you want to pull the person closer to you, do you want them near you…or do you want to push them away?" Kelius slowly pulled back. "Well, Gallant Sindri? Did you want me to close the distance? Or did you want me to move back?"

The apricot dragon listened carefully to the copper dragon's words and tried to calm his racing heart so that he could think. "Honestly? I think that I wanted you to move back…"

A bittersweet smile formed on Kelius's face. "And I think I wanted you to say just that." He admitted. "Guess we both have our answer, don't we?" He asked as he stepped back and shoved his hands into his pocket.

"I guess so..." Sindri said with a similar bittersweet smile on his face. "Though, I still have some questions for you." He warned as he looked up at him. "My first question is if you think that you and Gonuret will be able to somewhat get along now that this is over? I hated seeing you two go at it before. While my feelings for you both are different, I still care about you both. I don't like seeing the people I care about fighting one another."

"Hey, we DID get along in our own way," Kelius half-pouted. "What's life without a little competition? But, yeah, I guess we never really hated each other…I'll try to keep from fighting too hard with him if it'll make you happy." He conceded.

"Kelius...I could hear you both down the hall last night after our date. Both you and Ansar are rather loud." Sindri pointed out with a slight laugh. "Speaking of Ansar, my other question is…what do you think about him?"

"What's life without a little rowdiness?" Kelius countered with a slight wince. He had forgotten that Sindri was just down the hall at the time. But, when the blonde cornered him about Ansar, he rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Well, he's a brat with a head full of dreams. If he just kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, I wouldn't have to worry so much about him getting into life-threatening situations…"

"I guess I can't argue there," Sindri said with another small laugh. Was it just him or was Gallant Kelius becoming nervous while talking about Ansar? Hearing the dragon's final words, he felt a warmth building up inside. "It sounds like you care a great deal about him. Why don't we go find him and Gonuret, then? I want them to be the first to hear my decision."

"Damn," Kelius sighed as they walked back in the direction that Ansar and Gonuret went. "I just wish I could have stalled a little longer. It's no fun telling that pale punk right off the bat. At least we could have made him sweat it out a little longer." He complained with a smirk.

Sindri let out a laugh. "Well, we could...but, as Emyve said, I shouldn't sit around and twiddle my thumbs. I need to pick my lifemate as soon as I can. But, if you have any ideas, we can mess with him a little before I tell them." He acquiesced with a playful smile. The blonde could be mischievous too, on occasion. "Just don't push it too much since Ansar was upset the last time I saw him."

A devious smile tugged at Kelius's lips when he was permitted to mess with Gonuret. "Oh no, if we do it right, Ansar wouldn't have to be involved in this at all." He schemed. "Here's what we'll do…" He began as he whispered his plan into the apricot dragon's webbed ear.

The two of them were getting close to the lake when they spotted Ansar at the edge in the distance and Gonuret watching over him from behind a tree. When the sky blue dragon caught sight of them, Kelius waved him over.

"Congratulate us; we've chosen a lifemate," Kelius preened with his arms across his chest, looking triumphant.

"I see…" Gonuret replied, a nearly heartbroken expression on his face.

Kelius snickered and shook his head in disbelief. "I'll let Sindri fill you in. Excuse me." He said as he walked further down to approach the beige dragon. "Hey, haven't you learned your lesson about being near water without knowing how to swim?"

Ansar tensed, startled, before turning to grumble at the copper dragon. "Well, maybe I'm a bit of a masochist...anyway, shouldn't you be off somewhere with Sindri?"

Kelius kept a serious expression on his face as he spoke. "He's made his decision."

Ansar's yellow eyes flickered over to peer at red ones before turning back to gaze out at the water. "…Oh?"

"He chose the pale punk Gonuret, imagine that." He continued with a smirk. "Guess that leaves me sexy, free, and single..."

The beige dragon huffed audibly. "Ha! It's a shame that such rejection didn't truly bruise your ego."

Kelius walked even closer to the brunette. "Not when it's not Sindri that truly makes my heart race." He placed a hand on Ansar's shoulder and turned the smaller dragon so that he would face him.

Ansar kept his gaze pointedly at the ground, a slight blush forming on his face from the mere touch alone. "Th-then good for you. N-now just leave me alone," He hissed in a weak voice.

"Never," Kelius replied with conviction before leaning down to capture Ansar's lips with his own. "You're stuck with me whether you want me or not," He growled into his ear. "Lifemate."

Ansar felt a mixture of guilt and relief as he clung to Kelius's form and buried his weeping face against the taller dragon's chest. "I do want you." He admitted in a soft sob.

::::::

Gonuret frowned, feeling utterly confused when Kelius left him alone with Gallant Sindri. "I don't understand…"

Sindri felt a tug at his heart when he saw such a heartbroken expression on the sky blue dragon's face. But, he figured that he owed Kelius one last bout of mischief before letting him go. As soon as Kelius reached his destination, he turned to look at Gonuret. "Maybe I can clear things up," He began as he closed the distance between them and hugged the other dragon close. "At first, I wasn't sure of what I was feeling...but, Kelius helped me realize that the one I want by my side until the end is you, Gonuret." He explained before looking up at the white-haired dragon with a smile on his face. "I wanted you and Ansar to be the first to know."

Gonuret's breath hitched when the apricot dragon hugged him. His arms slowly wrapped around the Gallant's form as he spoke. That was when he felt his heart soar. "Sindri," He whispered, for the first time not calling him by a title, but by his intimate name. His hands reached up to cup Sindri's face as a rather stunning smile formed on his own. "I will be most happy by your side, in this lifetime and any others that follow." And he finally gave in to the urge, no, the need to kiss the desert dragon. At first, it was the barest press of their lips, but then he lost himself in the taste and touch of Sindri's mouth beneath his. The tip of his tongue slid along the dragon's bottom lip, seeking entrance, and sliding inside as the blonde's lips parted for him. Gonuret pulled his lifemate flush against him as their tongues became thoroughly acquainted, and he refused to let go until they were both panting for air.

Sindri realized that Kelius was right earlier. Right then, while his heart was beating wildly, he wanted this. He wanted to be closer to him. He held him tighter as they kissed and was reluctant to part just because of the need for air. The blonde panted but managed to give Gonuret his most endearing smile. "I love you, Gonuret." He confessed before reaching up to place a quick kiss on his lifemate's lips.

The sky blue dragon felt as if his heart would burst. "The word 'love' isn't nearly enough to describe how I feel for you," He replied. "But, it's a start." He hugged him tightly once more. "I love you with my entire being, Sindri. Thank you for choosing me."

"Well now, seeing as how we're probably not going to be able to pry them apart about now," Ansar drawled as he approached the new Solare and his chosen Lunare. "Should we simply drag them into the ballroom for lunch? I'm sure everyone's ready to eat and hear the good news while they're at it."

"I couldn't agree more," Kelius spoke up from beside him. "But, easier than dragging them, I have another idea that could work."

"Oh?" Ansar wondered aloud.

"Didn't you once tell me that the new Solare is ticklish?" Kelius pointed out with an evil glint in his eye. "Ha! Look, he's doing his job already." He said when Gonuret shifted to stand protectively in front of Sindri.

"Don't you even dare; you two," Sindri warned with a half-pout. But, he blinked in surprise when Gonuret stood in front of him protectively.

Ansar rolled his eyes, tugging on Kelius's hand. "Come on. Lunch calls, guys."

Sindri laughed before grabbing Gonuret's hand. "They're right. Let's head to the ballroom. I'm getting a bit hungry."

Then, the four of them headed for the ballroom. When they entered, Sindri figured that they could guess who they picked since he and Gonuret were holding hands, but he still wanted to make the official announcement. "I've decided that my lifemate and the new Lunare will be Gallant Gonuret," He declared before smiling up at the other dragon.

Gonuret lifted Sindri's hand to kiss the blonde's palm and lifted it to his cheek. But, it wasn't the new Solare's announcement that had the others gaping and gasping in shock.

"K-Kelius and Ansar? Really?" Ilohir asked what was on everyone's mind.

"Cosmos, we're all doomed," Ruthed sighed. "I'll never be able to play a joke on either of them without the other one retaliating."

Emyve shook his head disapprovingly at his other half. "You shouldn't be playing jokes on anyone."

Madhal simply laughed merrily. "It seems like everything worked out fine in the end. Enjoy the time you have together because tomorrow the real work begins."

Sindri laughed. He knew that the others were going to make a bigger fuss about Ansar and Kelius being together, but their reactions were funnier than he had ever imagined. He looked towards his best friend. "I have to admit that I was just as shocked as they were. But, if you're happy, I can't say anything else other than the fact that I'm happy for you." He smiled, truly meaning it.

"I am very happy," Ansar responded as he rushed over to give his taller friend a tight hug. "Thank you, Sindri."

"Well then, let's have a good lunch to celebrate!" Sindri announced after hugging the beige dragon back. "As Madhal said, everything has worked out fine but tomorrow is when we have to get to work."