Startling was something he had grown almost immune toward, after years of being mocked and picked on. Flinching and jumping gave your tormentors satisfaction, it showed weakness, that they had caught you off guard. Aurelius, no matter how relaxed and casual he may seem, never let his guard down again. Even with Mauja, whom he was sure meant no harm; he was still sheltering himself by old habit. Mauja picked up their previous conversation and Aurelius swam around him slowly, in a large circle. "Even fools can be king, if they are lucky enough to be born of the right bloodline. As for my former queen… If she didn’t have my sire, she had nothing. The promise of rank and power can make you put up with a lot, but it doesn’t necessarily improve a poor character. On the contrary," he spoke, reflecting over just how much heritage had mattered in his old homestead. Even if he was the most cunning of all his father’s sons, the pure and the baseborn, he had never a chance to be named successor to the throne. Not wanting to live his whole life in the shadow of his father’s adultery, he had chosen a different life for himself. And he liked how it turned out thus far.

He swam along with the pale stag, feeling the water getting colder as they went out further. The thought of the deep darkness below the surface wasn’t something he liked to think about, it was a little unsettling, but he did not let it show. There was no secret agenda in the question he had asked; he did not wish to question the motives of his new king, at least not at this time. The answer, however, was a few moments underway, which immediately perked his interest. There was potentially something more here, something worth looking into, but not yet. The hour wasn’t ripe for that kind of interrogative behavior. Aurelius did not mind the other species at all; how could he, his mother being the most cunning creature he had ever encountered, hornless or not. The frown on Mauja’s face did not go unnoticed, but Aurelius looked at him in sincerity, making it clear that he meant no unpleasantries by asking. "A noble purpose then, no question," the dwarf spoke, heading back for the shore.

Aury felt tired when he reached the shore, but it was a pleasant feeling. Shaking his hide like a dog out of water, he had little droplets of silvery water clinging to his dark fur, reflecting the remaining light. As he had anticipated, his skin had barely gotten damp, thanks to the protection of aforementioned coat. Clever eyes sought out the leader, curious suddenly about the other members of the herd, all those personalities that he had yet to encounter. "So, what kinds of personalities have chosen to make The Edge their home? Their absence has made me rather curious, I must admit," he said, enjoying the chill breeze as it swept across the beach. The imp imagined what residents of such a place could look like, but he drew a blank in the end; it could be anyone really. One thing he was certain they had in common; they were all horny. One way or the other.