"You can toss Gossamer off for me," the King responded dryly, but he meant every single word. If d'Artagnan showed up tomorrow and told him Gossamer was rotting in the sea, Mauja would probably kiss him and dance around in joy. He'd spent the entire journey to the Veins trying to avoid carrying out all the thousand ways of killing her that he'd come up with, and then a great deal many hours on the way home scheming several more ways to do it. Kri, while a nuisance too, wasn't as bad - she just seemed plain suspicious. Gossamer, on the other hand, had just been stupid. It made him appreciate his Doctor so much more, and a genuine laugh escaped him when d'Artagnan bumped him back. Something so simple, and it felt so good! How was it even possible? But he'd had enough of questioning - himself, the moon, the sun, the world... So he didn't want to question this simple bit of joy, just enjoy it. Mirth sparkled in his eyes, heart yearning to open up completely, and he didn't hold it back. Only time would tell if his Doctor would disappear, like Psyche, or stay, as he so far had. He was tired of subconsciously pushing others aside.

His ears perked up as d'Artagnan mentioned Kou, and that she'd been a good choice. Mauja gave a hushed laugh, but broke off just as quickly when d'Artagnan did. The monarch's gaze swung around to the chocolate mare, and onto the cat perched upon her withers. It was growing, turning fluffier and larger. He liked it, actually, but wouldn't want a cat himself. At least, he didn't think so. He had no idea. As he always did, he drew in her scent, and like every other time, it brought that wave of.. something over him, an involuntary shudder. I should've learned by now, not do that around her. He'd seen her around Ulrik a lot as of late, so it was no wonder she carried faint traces of his scent, but.. gah! In resigned frustration he let his gaze glue itself to her, listening as the Doctor greeted her and Dirk, the cat. Thinking back on it, he'd never properly congratulated her.. at least, he thought so, and frowned ever so slightly. "Lotus," he hummed. It was true that she'd not shown up when the Sun came around, but he didn't fault her for it. Ulrik hadn't been there either, and he guessed they'd been someplace else... doing something else...

He gave himself a mental smack. If it had been a mortal invasion he would've roared at them for not coming to the Edge's defense, but under the circumstances it had probably been for the better that they hadn't. They seemed okay, both of them, no burns or singed hairs. "You're looking good," he said before he knew it was out of his mouth. He didn't falter, though, just tried to brush it over by keeping on talking, his voice smooth despite the confusion over what he'd just said. Previously he only had trouble keeping his eyes off her and his attention straight, very rarely had something robbed him of all control like that. "And Dirk, too. He's coming along nicely." And he smiled, a soft little smile - but if you knew him and knew him well, you'd see the tightness of it, the slightly dark shadow of frustration just behind his eyes. Mauja didn't like irrational things, especially not when they affected him in unpredictable ways. He liked Lotus, just not for the first fifteen minutes or so when meeting her. It unnerved him, and he could tell that it affected d'Artagnan too, and that neither of them was fond of it.

( woops, this sucked. sorry. xD )