#How serious was Aymeric when he said he'd take her wearing the hat?

[quinn-borel]

If you're still looking for prompts, would you be willing to write a bit more on how Aymeric talked Quinn into wearing the infamous Chastity Hat for mass? XDDD. (Sorry--it's just so funny!)

Quinn loved Aymeric, that was an undeniable truth.  She cared for him, stood by his side, and supported all of his endeavors with a warm smile and words of encouragement.  Some would say that small facets of her personality had changed to accommodate her new life with him, such as curbing her drinking and no longer philandering about with other men and women.  She was a woman wholly devoted to him, just as he was devoted to her.

Again, to stress: she was devoted to him...not his religion.

“You have got to be kidding me.” she stated rather firmly, “No.  I love you, but that’s a bit much.”

“Dear, it’s not as bad as it looks, I promise you this.”

They both stood in their now-shared bedchamber as the steward of the house brought in the newly-spun garments for the new lady of the house to wear.  It was the latest fashion–an Ishgardian-woven gown with soft fluff around the neck and breast region with long sleeves and little to no train.  A typical dress worn by ladies around Ishgard, and certainly not foreign to Quinn’s personal wardrobe since her arrival in the city.  What irked her was the demanded fashion from the Holy See…

A tall cone-shaped hat with white cloth jutting out of the tip and over the sides, fashioned to cover her hair and only allowing her facial features and ears to show.  It was the utmost show of modesty, both the steward and her husband explained.

“I don’t give a shite if it’s for ‘modesty’…” Quinn went on, “I’m no woman of the cloth–this is absolutely unnecessary for an ‘outsider’ like me to wear.”

“My dear, you’re not the only one who will be wearing this, mind you.” Aymeric said as his lips twitched, trying not to smile, “It’s the appropriate attire to wear to Mass.  By Halonic doctrine, all those presenting as feminine should wear-”

“You’re excusing this!?” she turned to him, sharp on her heels, “Aymeric, you–by the Gods I see that look in your eyes.  You think this is amusing.”

He let out a laugh, unable to conceal it much longer.  Truly, he had never seen someone so apprehensive towards a dress code.  Quinn crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, to which Aymeric immediately straightened up,

“Forgive me, my darling. I couldn’t help myself.”

“I’m not wearing it.”

“Quinn, please.” he gently placed his hand on her shoulder, “You’ve trialed much in your days as the Warrior of Light.  You can handle seventy minutes with a…cone on your head-”

“Even you think it’s silly.” she pointed out, “Imagine if you had to wear it.”

“I had to wear a chainmail coif that covered my ears when I was a Temple Knight.” Aymeric reminded her, “Now that was uncomfortable.”

Quinn sighed as she rolled her eyes.  There was no winning the argument with him.  She quickly grabbed the hat and dress from the steward and dismissed him.  Aymeric ran his fingers through his hair, still trying not to laugh too much.

“I’m doing this for you.” she grumbled.  Aymeric smiled and pressed a kiss to the side of her head, arms gently wrapping around her to hold her,

“And it means the world to me, dear.  My beautiful wife (cone and all) by my side during Mass? What more could I ask for?”

“Now you think buttering me up with honeyed words is going to make me less irritated by this thing?”

“It was worth a try.” he released her and went back to his wardrobe, “We should hurry, lest we be late.”

Quinn stared at the hat, trying to make heads or tails on how to put it on.  As apprehensive as she was to wear it, she knew deep down how much it meant to her husband.  As the Lord Speaker, Aymeric had a reputation to uphold as a beacon of hope for this people, which meant that everything he did was under scrutiny.  And by extension, everything his wife did was under scrutiny as well.  While he wasn’t close to being a man of the cloth, he was still a man of Ishgard’s faith and attended Mass on the regular.  Having Quinn as his wife, she was expected to attend with him–the main excuse for early on in their bonding was her work in Mor Dhona.  However, as time went on the excuse faded and she had no choice but to attend whether she was a Halone worshipper or not.  At first, she didn’t mind the thought–she would simply play the part and meditate during prayer.  Everything else would fall into place.  What she wasn’t prepared for was the fashion doctrine…

After a few minutes of deliberation, Quinn turned to Aymeric with the hat snugly fit on her head.  To make light of it, she posed for him–hand on on hip with the other running down her thigh,

“How do I look?  Sexy, right?”

He balked at the display before letting out another cackle of laugher.  Quinn’s eye twitched slightly and her head tilted awkwardly from the extra weight.

“I could take you right now.” he said with a smirk, “…But in all seriousness, it doesn’t look that bad.”

“I feel like my entire equilibrium is thrown off.”

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it.” he chuckled, “…Thank you, Quinn.”

Her gaze softened towards him–maybe the hat wasn’t all that bad.  It made him laugh, it made him smile, and it was her taking part in his culture.  Their culture, now that she was bound to Ishgard.

She did it for him, and that was just another way she showed her devotion.