Ed smiled fondly at Aera. “Rewarding, indeed. I am glad you had been lucky to find that friend, then. Thanks to him, I’ve had the honor of knowing the Lady Aera.” He peered at her hand, curious, as she produced the brooch with the moon flower embossed upon its face. He took it gently from her palm, examined it as he listened to her words, then looked up again to meet her gaze. “[i]I will treasure this always, my lady,[/i]” he said softly in Elvish, pinning the brooch before clasping his hands together behind him. “In Amria, court custom usually dictates that a gentleman kiss a lady’s hand in greeting, gratitude, or farewell. But I would rather not be impudent.” He touched his hand to his chest as he bowed before Aera. 

Meanwhile, the Amrian soldiers not only looked excited at the prospect of going home, but doing so in the company of the Empress herself. When questioned, most couldn’t wait to see their families and provinces, while a few were raring to rejoin the fight and avenge their losses. “You can’t even stand for too long without your left knee shaking!” they’d cajole one of the soldiers, who laughed off the remark. 
“Don’t care, and don’t embarrass me in front of Her Highness! Beggin’ your pardon, my liege,” he added with a brief bow to Kire.  
“Our first stop is the Northern Hold,” Kire said, smiling. “Lord Edward’s sister the Lady Elva is holding the fort there, and while I’m sure the elves here had treated you with the best care at their disposal, I’m sure my cousin will still want to look everyone over and see if there’s anything she can do for you.” 

“Your Majesty,” another said, one of the few who wanted to get back into the fray, “would you need more soldiers to accompany you to the gate? We may not have magic, but like the Countess and your friend,” here she gestured at Zeke, “some of us are still able enough. We’ve done nothing but sit on our haunches for nine months, Your Grace.” 
“I appreciate that. Truly,” Kire replied, “but it is my duty to bring you back to Amria, and it is your duty to return. When we are all home, we have a bigger fight to rejoin. And speaking of rejoining,” she said, spotting Edward approach. Her eyes went briefly to the brooch pinned to his collar. “Are you sure you want to come back?” she said, teasing Ed a bit.
Ed rubbed his nape with a grin. “More than anything. Aera’s fetching our guide. We’ll be off soon.”