Ostus wasn't thinking when Kiara grabbed his arm. Why, oh why did he not see this coming? Instead, like an idiot, he turned, almost dumbly, and was "assaulted" by Kiara's lips on his own.

His body reacted before he could get over the shock to stop himself -- Ostus turned to fully face her, never breaking the kiss as he did so. He curled an arm firmly around Kiara's waist and pulled her to him, deepening the kiss with vigor, eyes fluttering closed.

Her lips were heaven against his, the taste of her divine. One hand threaded through her scarlet hair, pushing down the scarf she wore around it. He wanted this moment to last forever, but eventually he broke away, breathless.

A smirk played upon Ostus's lips as he stared at Kiara in a bit of a daze. "Damn it, woman, you just destroyed me," he commented before sweeping in for another kiss. There was no way he would be satisfied with just one. There was also no way he could be angry at her for just making his life more difficult, not after that kiss.

His hands began to wander this time, delighting in the curve of her back, sweeping below her hips, then sliding up either side of her body in order to touch--

He broke this kiss more abruptly this time, his body aching in a way that he knew meant he would cross lines if he did not stop now. "A-and here I thought you hated me," he said in a slightly wavering voice, flickering a smoldering smile. Gods, he wanted her; this was entirely unfair. Meanwhile, his body protested on this abrupt end to more interesting activities. Why should he stop? Since when had he ever stopped before? If Kiara wanted this, who was he to not let it happen? Most importantly, he wouldn't have another chance with her again, so why why why... "You better get in that tent if you know what's good for you." He smiled as he said this, scarcely believing his own words. "And I'll stay out here..." Pointedly, he sat down by the tent, as uncomfortable as that was, though he hoped, very much, that Kiara would ignore his advice and dive into his arms instead. There would be absolutely no way he would refuse her again if she did, but even if she didn't...

Oh, fuck it.

~~~

Ostus woke up the next day like a new person, though that wasn't necessarily a good thing. In reality, it was his way to shield himself from the hard trip to come; what better way than to pretend he was back in his old life? So he strode past the city gates with Kiara following behind, each step oozing with haughty confidence. It was morning market, the streets bustling with people. "S'cuse me, fucker," he quipped. "Pardon me... watch where you're stepping, asswipe! Coming through, important shit to take care of with the royal family..." Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to annoy folks around him. However, he was in a terrible mood despite the events of the night before and frankly couldn't care less. He didn't want to leave Kiara.

It was strange not stepping around trees in this capital city. The castle itself was nestled against the side of the mountain; some of the towers looked as though they were carved straight from that very rock. Most of the buildings, in fact, were made of stone. To Ostus, they didn't look overly cozy or inviting. The architecture seemed rather dull, the people here more concerned about sturdiness with their construction than aesthetics. Still, what the people lacked in a beautiful town, the majestic mountains against a bright blue sky made up for it as a gorgeous backdrop.

When Ostus finally approached the guards standing by the castle gate, he bowed in an exaggerated flourish, removing his hat so these dark-skinned men could see his pointed ears. "I am Ostus Osaron, knight of the Astora army," he announced. "The beautiful woman behind me is Princess Kiara of Astora, here by request of the Berinike royal family."