"He does order breakfast pretty often. That's sort of the same thing."
"Aara! Sheik!" they hear, and Kryn runs up and hugs them both. "I can't believe you're here! You've never come here before! Aara, you're practically glowing! You need a souflé."
Aara laughs. "Do I?"
"Of course, I'm never wrong." She turns to Goddard and studies him. "Pudding? No. No. Mousse. Decadent and rich. With cinnamon for spice."
"That sounds delicious," Goddard smiles. "Oh, you wouldn't happen to have any cookies that look like dead people around would you? It's a...strange story. Don't worry about they why."
Kryn cocks her head to one side. "Those are for you?" she laughs. "I'd thought I was losing it this morning when I made them! Find a place to sit, anywhere you like, while I get your dessert. Coffee? Wine? Milk?"
A waitress drops off their wine and let's them know their desserts will be a bit, and Aara sees Kryn go to sit across from Gath and take his hands in hers.
"Well...they seemed to hit it off...somehow..." she offers quietly.
Kryn watches Aara wave down a waitress and speak quickly, frowning at the sudden discomfort radiating off Goddard. "Your friends are here, Duckling," she tells Gath. "You don't have to sit over here and keep me company."
"Friends?" Gath turns slightly, only needing to catch a glimpse of them. "I know she doesn't like me and he probably doesn't want to have anything to do with me now. I'll just have to deal with that later though. Maybe. I suppose I should. For their weak little minds anyway."
"You're wrong about her," she tells him. "It's not clear, but it isn't dislike. As for him..." She studies Goddard and his discomfort a moment. "Well, for now you're right."
"For now? Well, he'd eventually get over it. Maybe years later, which would be too late, but he would still sort it out. And I'm missing something when it comes to her. I've been told multiple times she doesn't hate me and I still don't belive that."
"Too late? For what? And she's extremely guarded where you're concerned. I knew the moment she saw you. Whoosh, walls," she adds, throwing her hands up to demonstrate.
"Too late for uh...I don't know...I'll be gone or something...how is that not dislike? You build walls to keep things you don't want around or dislike out." Gath picks at his piece of cake. "Like chaos beasts or attacking elves..." he mutters.
"Muddled? No. I think...I think she's an annoying human. Soft and weak. You have to be delicate and yet, even in her weakness, she gets whatever she wants. Probably because she is a soft weak human woman."
Kryn laughs at him. "So muddled! You can't lie to me, Duckling. That woman is anything but soft and weak. People like that don't have scars like hers. Take another bite of cake and try again."
"It doesn't work that way, I told you. But if I look harder..." She squints a little, looking around him as well as at him. "Admiration? A little? I can't tell if it's that or something else. You begrudge her anything positive you might feel towards her, like she's taking it from you against your will. Is that jealousy? Why?" She punches the bridge of her nose. "It's muddy and riddled. Just like how you talk."
"Liar," she chuckles, sipping her coffee. "You've been walking around with all this mud in your mind and your spirit, Duckling. Rafi, bless him, loves her and can't help you nearly as much as he'd like because of vows and such. Start talking and let me help you." She puts her cup down and snatches a piece of icing off his cake and licks it off her finger. "And tell the truth this time," she adds with a giggle.
"You always have to be in control of yourself. If you're not, you do stupid things. Like rip someone's jaw off...or let yourself get stabbed in the back..."
"I'm just trying to point out how important it is to control oneself and its a reminder...everytime I look at his face, of...nevermind..." Gath stifles himself with another bite of cake.
"I know what you're pointing out. But why don't you like her? And lack of self control is no longer a topic," she adds hastily. "Niether here nor there."
Gath closes his eyes and tenses up his jaw. "We're the same. Him and I, and like every other human, she sees what we'll do as wrong. Except, he's an idiot and tries to change for her. He's better than that."
"If you mean what I think, once. But he was in a weird place mentally. He regrets it. I regret it, only because it's made him unhappy." Gath looks down at the cake and frowns. "You must have put something in this cake. I'd never normally say any of this to anyone..."
"Duckling, get your head out of your ass," she giggles, combing his hair with her fingers. "That's him using her as a excuse. You can't blame her for that, only for what she's done. It sounds like she isn't the problem at all."
"Could he? What if it's him, and he's just using her as a smoke screen? That's not fair to either of you and it's clearly driving a wedge between you and her." Kryn sits back and watches them leave. "I hope they remembered those cookies. Morbid little cuties."
"I'll bet if you talked to each of them, just like you're talking to me now, you could find out. And that little remark about something in the cake was rude," she scolds comically. "That's delicious and you needed it."
"I do plan on apologizing. Even if the end result is me going my own way. And I shall apologize to you too. The cake was delicious. I'm just not used to this."
"I don't mean apologizing. I mean talking. Ask her how she feels about it. Tell her you're not a threat to what she has with him. And then tell him to quit using her to mollify his own guilt." She grins and kisses his cheek. "And you don't have to apologize to me. I'll let it slide because the cake is especially good tonight."
"He bit me and things got a little crazy," he mumbles. "And she said I was his...slave. It all seems stupid now, but my past and my pride...it was all a mess."
"A talk is definitely in order," she decides. "Separately, of course. Just...put your pride aside for a few moments. She's not what she was before, but neither are you. You don't have to be what you think you were."
"Yes, separately, and I will think like my lord for once. For at least five minutes. Tap into the part that made us all the same to him. Not the druchii part."
"You're funny," she laughs. "Daddy would be a little offended to hear me called bright. He can't stand that I'm more flour than flame," she explains. "He's rather I fix the oven instead of bake in it."
"Maybe. Either way he'll keep the fixing the oven for me." She twitches an ear toward the door. "Oh dear, there's a tall order. I've got to leave you, Duckling. Someone's coming with a desperate need for sugared roses in a white chocolate shell." She hops up and kisses the top of his head. "Go talk to them, and be a grown up about it. And tell Rafi I'm angry with him," she says as she runs off for her apron.
Aara swings the little box holding the dead man cookies in one hand as they walk. "They really are bizarre," she laughs. "Kryn even have them stab wounds."
"Maybe some kind of wine? Maybe ask specifically for something we can recreate our dinner with? I'm sure Tallyn and Gill would know exactly what to make if you tell them what it's for."
"Oh Tallyn. Just the elf I wanted to see. I am positive you'll be able to help us. I'd like to order something special. I'll leave exactly what it is up to you. It just needs to work for a specific purpose."
"Oh no no no. We had dinner earlier at a lovely place you might know of. Decadence I believe? I'd like to give Aara a turn, so I thought maybe you could send up appropriate foods and we could just recreate the experience."
Goddard tries not to laugh. "Do you know of Decadence? We needs food sent up so that we can recreate the experience. Tallyn couldn't handle this apparently."
Gill raises his eyebrows. "Aara you took him there? Rather bold of you. Did you have the steak? It's really delicious," he tells Goddard. "But you have to be very careful with the knife."
Raising an eyebrow, Aara takes up her wine and goes into the bedroom. "Well isn't this impressive," she muses, leaning against the door once she's closed it
"I accidentally knocked the tray onto the floor," he chuckles. "But you can leave it. And now you have to find something to use as a blindfold. Then I'm at your mercy."
Grinning, she sets her wine aside and licks up her abandoned scarf from earlier. "That was easy." She approaches slowly, admiring the layout before blindfolding him.
"Hmmm, where to start?" she wonders, tapping her lip with a fingernail.
"I don't think they can really compare," she says. "Table, bed. Blindfold. Room, restaurant. They're too different. What do you think?" she asks, leaning over and licking a bit of sauce off his chest. "Missed some."
Try as she might, Aara can't help the shiver that runs through her. "Oh good. I'd hate to only be memorable after we slept together," she says sarcastically.
Struggling not to smile, she bumps her shoulder against him gently. "No one had ever looked at me the way you did. Like I was a child to save, or a weapon to wield."
"Books it is! Let me go find my boring book and I'll be right back." Goddard gets to his feet and drapes his robes over himself before he goes into his room to find his book. "Where did I put the?" he mumbles, scanning the piles of books and papers.
A few hours later, Aara jerks awake, clamping down on her panic before she wakes Goddard. Taking deep breaths, she reminds herself of where she is, and that it's just Goddard wrapped around her.
Heart pounding too hard to relax, she slips out of bed, keeping the sheet wrapped around her and goes into the common room.
"Water," she whispers to herself. "Calm down and get some water."
Gath hears some sounds in the common room. His bedroom door is open but he has no candles lit. He carefully peeks out into the common room and sees Aara. What is she doing? Should I do this now?
Gath remains in the same spot, head still bowed. "You did not. I am not what I was. I shouldn't have let that bother me to the point of hitting either of you."
"Get up," she pleads, vastly uncomfortable with the moment and the fact that he called her 'my lady' as if she were important. "That's so unnecessary."
Gath sighs. "I'd stay here until you accepted, but I may be here all night. Or longer. If he doesn't accept, then..." He gets to his feet. "Good night." Gath starts toward his room, wondering if is was worth making himself feel so lowly.
"Does that mean when she's around, Two is actually interesting?"
ReplyDelete"You shouldn't be so hard on him," she scolds as they enter. "He likes you so much."
ReplyDelete"He should make me breakfast one day then to show his appreciation," he chuckles.
ReplyDelete"He does order breakfast pretty often. That's sort of the same thing."
ReplyDelete"Aara! Sheik!" they hear, and Kryn runs up and hugs them both. "I can't believe you're here! You've never come here before! Aara, you're practically glowing! You need a souflé."
Aara laughs. "Do I?"
"Of course, I'm never wrong." She turns to Goddard and studies him. "Pudding? No. No. Mousse. Decadent and rich. With cinnamon for spice."
"That sounds delicious," Goddard smiles. "Oh, you wouldn't happen to have any cookies that look like dead people around would you? It's a...strange story. Don't worry about they why."
ReplyDeleteKryn cocks her head to one side. "Those are for you?" she laughs. "I'd thought I was losing it this morning when I made them! Find a place to sit, anywhere you like, while I get your dessert. Coffee? Wine? Milk?"
ReplyDelete"You've already made them?" Goddard asked surprised. "Interesting...I'll have wine."
ReplyDelete"Of course, silly," she laughs. "I'm going to get your orders in a s have your wine brought out."
ReplyDeleteAara chuckles as she goes. "Always full speed ahead."
Goddard takes a seat and looks around the bakery. He suddenly ducks his head low on the table. "Sit down and don't say anything," he whispers at Aara.
ReplyDeleteShe complies, sneaking a look around. "What is it?" she whispers.
ReplyDeleteGoddard carefully points behind him at Gath. He has his back to them and is sitting on the other side of the room. "Why? Why is he here?"
ReplyDeleteA waitress drops off their wine and let's them know their desserts will be a bit, and Aara sees Kryn go to sit across from Gath and take his hands in hers.
ReplyDelete"Well...they seemed to hit it off...somehow..." she offers quietly.
"Until he traumatizes her too," Goddard mutters.
ReplyDeleteThey hear Kryn laugh and Aara shakes her head. "Somehow I don't think that'll be the case. They seem to genuinely like one another."
ReplyDelete"Yes...until...trauma." Goddard sighs as quietly as he can. "But even after all that, I guess I don't...hate him. I understand. But I'm still scared."
ReplyDelete"That was no excuse." She takes both his hands up and kisses the knuckles. "I'm not going to let anything else happen to you, Goddard."
ReplyDelete"I can take him. I don't want to...but I can...I just need to stay at range is all."
ReplyDelete"I know." She gives him a bright smile. "Don't think about it. Or him. Shall we get our treats to go?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard nods. "He probably wouldn't want to see me either anyway."
ReplyDeleteKryn watches Aara wave down a waitress and speak quickly, frowning at the sudden discomfort radiating off Goddard. "Your friends are here, Duckling," she tells Gath. "You don't have to sit over here and keep me company."
ReplyDelete"Friends?" Gath turns slightly, only needing to catch a glimpse of them. "I know she doesn't like me and he probably doesn't want to have anything to do with me now. I'll just have to deal with that later though. Maybe. I suppose I should. For their weak little minds anyway."
ReplyDelete"You're wrong about her," she tells him. "It's not clear, but it isn't dislike. As for him..." She studies Goddard and his discomfort a moment. "Well, for now you're right."
ReplyDelete"For now? Well, he'd eventually get over it. Maybe years later, which would be too late, but he would still sort it out. And I'm missing something when it comes to her. I've been told multiple times she doesn't hate me and I still don't belive that."
ReplyDelete"Too late? For what? And she's extremely guarded where you're concerned. I knew the moment she saw you. Whoosh, walls," she adds, throwing her hands up to demonstrate.
ReplyDelete"Too late for uh...I don't know...I'll be gone or something...how is that not dislike? You build walls to keep things you don't want around or dislike out." Gath picks at his piece of cake. "Like chaos beasts or attacking elves..." he mutters.
ReplyDeleteShe tilts her head, curious. "This is a little rude, but your own feelings about her are muddled. What do you think about her?"
ReplyDelete"Muddled? No. I think...I think she's an annoying human. Soft and weak. You have to be delicate and yet, even in her weakness, she gets whatever she wants. Probably because she is a soft weak human woman."
ReplyDeleteKryn laughs at him. "So muddled! You can't lie to me, Duckling. That woman is anything but soft and weak. People like that don't have scars like hers. Take another bite of cake and try again."
ReplyDelete"Well if you're so smart, miss know it all, then what do you think I'm thinking?" Gath grumbles and stuffs a piece of cake into his mouth.
ReplyDelete"It doesn't work that way, I told you. But if I look harder..." She squints a little, looking around him as well as at him. "Admiration? A little? I can't tell if it's that or something else. You begrudge her anything positive you might feel towards her, like she's taking it from you against your will. Is that jealousy? Why?" She punches the bridge of her nose. "It's muddy and riddled. Just like how you talk."
ReplyDelete"I'm not jealous," Gath huffs. "Of her? No. What for? Nothing...that's what..."
ReplyDelete"Liar," she chuckles, sipping her coffee. "You've been walking around with all this mud in your mind and your spirit, Duckling. Rafi, bless him, loves her and can't help you nearly as much as he'd like because of vows and such. Start talking and let me help you." She puts her cup down and snatches a piece of icing off his cake and licks it off her finger. "And tell the truth this time," she adds with a giggle.
ReplyDeleteGath narrows his eyes. "How can you help me? You know who needs help? He does."
ReplyDelete"You do, too. You know you don't always have to be in total control."
ReplyDelete"I'm not trying to be. She is."
ReplyDelete"I mean if yourself, Duckling. Tell me what you don't like about her."
ReplyDelete"You always have to be in control of yourself. If you're not, you do stupid things. Like rip someone's jaw off...or let yourself get stabbed in the back..."
ReplyDelete"That's not what I asked. And I know about his jaw- Rafi told me- and that's between him and her not you and her."
ReplyDelete"I'm just trying to point out how important it is to control oneself and its a reminder...everytime I look at his face, of...nevermind..." Gath stifles himself with another bite of cake.
ReplyDelete"I know what you're pointing out. But why don't you like her? And lack of self control is no longer a topic," she adds hastily. "Niether here nor there."
ReplyDeleteGath closes his eyes and tenses up his jaw. "We're the same. Him and I, and like every other human, she sees what we'll do as wrong. Except, he's an idiot and tries to change for her. He's better than that."
ReplyDelete"How do you know? Have you asked?"
ReplyDelete"It's obvious, if she wasn't around, he'd jump in my be...how are you doing this to me?" Gath covers his face with a hand and rubs his forehead.
ReplyDeleteHer expression softens and she moves to sit beside him. "Duckling, are you jealous because of their relationship?" she asks softly, hugging him.
ReplyDelete"No, I'm not jealous. I don't need nor want what they have. I want my own...thing? I don't even know what you'd call it."
ReplyDelete"And you think she's standing in the way. Have you and he been together already?"
ReplyDelete"If you mean what I think, once. But he was in a weird place mentally. He regrets it. I regret it, only because it's made him unhappy." Gath looks down at the cake and frowns. "You must have put something in this cake. I'd never normally say any of this to anyone..."
ReplyDelete"Has she said or done anything about it? Did she tell him or you that she was upset about it?"
ReplyDelete"We both know she'd be upset about it. It's always I can't or I shouldn't or something. It's always her."
ReplyDelete"Duckling, get your head out of your ass," she giggles, combing his hair with her fingers. "That's him using her as a excuse. You can't blame her for that, only for what she's done. It sounds like she isn't the problem at all."
ReplyDelete"So what is it then? Me? He could just tell me."
ReplyDelete"Could he? What if it's him, and he's just using her as a smoke screen? That's not fair to either of you and it's clearly driving a wedge between you and her." Kryn sits back and watches them leave. "I hope they remembered those cookies. Morbid little cuties."
ReplyDelete"Then why pursue me? This just makes less and less sense."
ReplyDelete"I'll bet if you talked to each of them, just like you're talking to me now, you could find out. And that little remark about something in the cake was rude," she scolds comically. "That's delicious and you needed it."
ReplyDelete"I do plan on apologizing. Even if the end result is me going my own way. And I shall apologize to you too. The cake was delicious. I'm just not used to this."
ReplyDelete"I don't mean apologizing. I mean talking. Ask her how she feels about it. Tell her you're not a threat to what she has with him. And then tell him to quit using her to mollify his own guilt." She grins and kisses his cheek. "And you don't have to apologize to me. I'll let it slide because the cake is especially good tonight."
ReplyDelete"If anything more will be said, it will be said when I apologize. I should anyway. I hit both of them..."
ReplyDelete"Really? They didn't look worse for wear. Although that might explain some of what I noticed."
ReplyDelete"I didn't hit his face and I only slapped her. I suppose you wouldn't really be able to tell unless he took his shirt off or something," Gath shrugs.
ReplyDelete"Why did you hit them? That doesn't seem like you, Duckling."
ReplyDelete"He bit me and things got a little crazy," he mumbles. "And she said I was his...slave. It all seems stupid now, but my past and my pride...it was all a mess."
ReplyDelete"A talk is definitely in order," she decides. "Separately, of course. Just...put your pride aside for a few moments. She's not what she was before, but neither are you. You don't have to be what you think you were."
ReplyDelete"Yes, separately, and I will think like my lord for once. For at least five minutes. Tap into the part that made us all the same to him. Not the druchii part."
ReplyDeleteShe nods. "That sounds like a plan. And remember- she's an elf now, too. Don't treat her like some dumb weak human. Treat her as an equal."
ReplyDelete"She's still a dumb weak child," he mumbles. "Both of them are..."
ReplyDelete"I didn't say she was or wasn't. I said don't treat her like that."
ReplyDelete"I'd never talk to a child the same way I'd talk to an adult," he snickers.
ReplyDeleteShe scowls. "She can't help her age, so stop holding things like that against her. You're an adult, act like one."
ReplyDeleteGath makes a low rumbling sound in his throat, almost like a growl, and goes back to his cake.
ReplyDeleteShe does the same, the sound deeper and stranger than he's expect.
ReplyDeleteGath raises a brow. "Are you part demon too?"
ReplyDeleteShe grins mischievously. "Part," she laughs. "Sure. Part."
ReplyDelete"All? I wouldn't be surprised."
ReplyDeleteShe shrugs. "Mother is half. Daddy is whole. So...mostly? A little high elf thrown in for good measure."
ReplyDelete"Like him...maybe."
ReplyDelete"Does my being a demon bother you?"
ReplyDeleteGath shakes his head. "Not at all. I just know another little kuyash." He points at her. "Las kuyash." He motions behind him. "Hag kuyash."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs. "What?"
ReplyDeleteGath chuckles. "Bright demon and dark demon."
ReplyDelete"You're funny," she laughs. "Daddy would be a little offended to hear me called bright. He can't stand that I'm more flour than flame," she explains. "He's rather I fix the oven instead of bake in it."
ReplyDelete"He'll get over it. One day."
ReplyDelete"Maybe. Either way he'll keep the fixing the oven for me." She twitches an ear toward the door. "Oh dear, there's a tall order. I've got to leave you, Duckling. Someone's coming with a desperate need for sugared roses in a white chocolate shell." She hops up and kisses the top of his head. "Go talk to them, and be a grown up about it. And tell Rafi I'm angry with him," she says as she runs off for her apron.
ReplyDelete"If you ever need help with anything, let me know," he adds before she leaves.
ReplyDeleteShe pauses tying her apron behind her. "Do you bake? You can come by anytime you like, I'll just tell everyone to shove over and make room for you."
ReplyDelete"I can do a lot of things. I had to fill in all that free time I had when we weren't off raiding."
ReplyDeleteShe gives him a wink and starts pulling her tools out. "Anytime you get bored, Duckling."
ReplyDelete"Probably tomorrow," Gath mumbles to himself.
ReplyDeleteAara swings the little box holding the dead man cookies in one hand as they walk. "They really are bizarre," she laughs. "Kryn even have them stab wounds."
ReplyDelete"Aren't you glad you got dead things and dessert?"
ReplyDeleteShe bites one of their arms off viciously. "Yes," she mumbles around her cookie.
ReplyDeleteGoddard laughs. "Ferocious, so what's next?"
ReplyDelete"Um....home?"
ReplyDelete"And then?"
ReplyDelete"Then you can do whatever you want," she says with a shrug. "I told you I'd release you from my care when we got home."
ReplyDelete"Aw. You can keep me if you want? I have things I need to do...but not anything I necessarily want to do."
ReplyDelete"Then I'll keep you," she decides, wrapping an arm around his waist. "We can read your boring book."
ReplyDelete"I don't want to bore you," he leans over and nibbles her ear.
ReplyDeleteShe makes a little cough to cover a giggle but doesn't move away. "You're not boring."
ReplyDelete"The book is. That's the whole point of it."
ReplyDelete"Then you'll enjoy it. You can read that and I can sit in your lap and read mine."
ReplyDelete"Hmm that does sound nice and relaxing."
ReplyDelete"All right then."
ReplyDelete"All right then."
ReplyDelete"We can make tea, have the cookies, and read, snuggled up together. This sounds much better than doing any of that wizard stuff."
ReplyDelete"Oh I like that very much!"
ReplyDeleteAs they get closer to the inn, Goddard takes Aara's hand. "Want to have anything sent up? Maybe we can have something special sent up."
ReplyDelete"Like what? What's more special than dead man cookies?"
ReplyDelete"Maybe some kind of wine? Maybe ask specifically for something we can recreate our dinner with? I'm sure Tallyn and Gill would know exactly what to make if you tell them what it's for."
ReplyDeleteShe blushes and ducks her head. "Oh."
ReplyDelete"It can be my turn. I'll ask, if you're too embarrassed."
ReplyDelete"I- Tallyn- You-" she stammers. "I can't tell them I took you to Decadence!"
ReplyDelete"You won't. I'll be telling them," he grins. "But I understand. I won't say anything on the way up."
ReplyDelete"No...it's all right," she says, squeezing his hand. "It's not like he's my fiancé," she chuckles. "And I think I'd like to see his face..."
ReplyDelete"And if he hates anyone, it would be me. You'll laugh no matter what and you get to torment me later. You can't lose."
ReplyDeleteShe snickers. "I can already tell I'm going to have to be very gentle with you again. Don't order anything that needs a knife or fork."
ReplyDeleteShe snickers. "I can already tell I'm going to have to be very gentle with you again. Don't order anything that needs a knife or fork."
ReplyDelete"Of course not." They walk into the inn and Goddard heads toward the bar.
ReplyDelete"Well hello Nuur'Ninny," Tallyn says cheerfully, nodding to them. "Sweetheart. I hope you're better?"
ReplyDeleteAara gives him a small shake of her head. "Hello, Tallyn."
"What can I do for you this fine evening?" Tallyn asks, polishing a row of glasses before him.
"Oh Tallyn. Just the elf I wanted to see. I am positive you'll be able to help us. I'd like to order something special. I'll leave exactly what it is up to you. It just needs to work for a specific purpose."
ReplyDelete"If you're needing lessons on how to please Aara in bed, I'm more than willing to show you- provided she doesn't mind you watching."
ReplyDelete"Oh no no no. We had dinner earlier at a lovely place you might know of. Decadence I believe? I'd like to give Aara a turn, so I thought maybe you could send up appropriate foods and we could just recreate the experience."
ReplyDeleteTallyn's grin falls off his face and he looks at Aara, who's practically hiding behind Goddard. "Sweetheart, is this true?"
ReplyDeleteAara peeks out from under Goddard's arm, blushing and grinning a little. "You made it sound so fun..."
Tallyn wearily sets the glass down and grips his chest as if in pain. "Gill!" he calls. "Quick! I need you!"
Gill comes running out of the kitchen, his apron and cap flapping around him. "What is it?"
"Help them," he says dramatically and wanders off. "Aara has broken my heart."
Gill rolls his eyes and chuckles. "Another broken heart... What is it you needed?"
Goddard tries not to laugh. "Do you know of Decadence? We needs food sent up so that we can recreate the experience. Tallyn couldn't handle this apparently."
ReplyDeleteGill raises his eyebrows. "Aara you took him there? Rather bold of you. Did you have the steak? It's really delicious," he tells Goddard. "But you have to be very careful with the knife."
ReplyDelete"No knives. Simple foods."
ReplyDeleteGill chuckles. "I hear you. Wait here, I'll send something out."
ReplyDelete"Thank you. I knew I could count on you two," he grins.
ReplyDeleteAara buries her face in his robes and giggles. "You're so mean to Tallyn," she laughs.
ReplyDelete"I'm sure it adds just a little something special to his day."
ReplyDeleteIn a few moments a girl comes out with a tray full of small finger foods. "Gill said you wanted these," she says, "and wine to go with it."
ReplyDeleteAara takes the wine, glancing at the corner where Gill is busy nuzzling and kissing Tallyn. "Thank you."
Goddard takes the tray and leads the way. "This'll be fun. Should I set everything up and then call you in?"
ReplyDelete"Um...I guess?"
ReplyDelete"Or...would you rather do something else?"
ReplyDelete"Oh no, I like this idea," she says hastily, pulling him toward the stairs. "Let's go upstairs and I'll let you set yourself up."
ReplyDelete"Do you not like that I upset Tallyn?"
ReplyDelete"I think it was funny. Especially how he just fell apart. But he's fine now, Gill has him."
ReplyDelete"Is something else bothering you?"
ReplyDelete"No. I'm just not used to being so bold as I was," she tells him. "At least in public. I mean, some a stranger put your dinner on me!" she laughs.
ReplyDelete"We didn't have to go there. I appreciate it, but you don't have to put yourself into an uncomfortable situation."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs and pokes his ribs. "Hush. We both enjoyed it. Just like we'll enjoy this," she adds, "because I'm going to do this blindfolded."
ReplyDelete"Blindfolded you say? That'll be interesting."
ReplyDelete"Maybe even with my hands tied around my back."
ReplyDelete"Hmm maybe I should be blindfolded. You should be able to see and do whatever you want."
ReplyDelete"Hmmm that does sound better..."
ReplyDeleteWhen they get to their apartment, Goddard motions for Aara to sit down. "You wait here, maybe have some wine, and I'll get everything ready."
ReplyDeleteShe giggles and opens the wine. "All right, Nuur'eni. Call me when you're ready," she tells him, sitting down.
ReplyDeleteGoddard hurries into her room and shuts it behind him.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like he's been in there for a very long time, and suddenly Aara hears a loud chattering sound. "Ready!" Goddard calls.
Raising an eyebrow, Aara takes up her wine and goes into the bedroom. "Well isn't this impressive," she muses, leaning against the door once she's closed it
ReplyDelete"I accidentally knocked the tray onto the floor," he chuckles. "But you can leave it. And now you have to find something to use as a blindfold. Then I'm at your mercy."
ReplyDeleteGrinning, she sets her wine aside and licks up her abandoned scarf from earlier. "That was easy." She approaches slowly, admiring the layout before blindfolding him.
ReplyDelete"Hmmm, where to start?" she wonders, tapping her lip with a fingernail.
Goddard rolls over and pulls the blindfold down around his neck. "Would you say that was better than earlier? We might have to do this more often."
ReplyDelete"I don't think they can really compare," she says. "Table, bed. Blindfold. Room, restaurant. They're too different. What do you think?" she asks, leaning over and licking a bit of sauce off his chest. "Missed some."
ReplyDelete"You seem a bit more comfortable here, so that's a plus. I also liked Tallyn's reaction. I'd say it was much better here."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs. "He is incredibly dramatic. I wonder what he'll do if he ever believes I won't sleep with him."
ReplyDelete"I'm sure he knows you won't ever sleep with him. He's just strangely optimistic."
ReplyDeleteAara looks down, shielding her eyes, and traces a scar on his stomach. "Well...I've rejected him in a lot of ways, but I've never actually said no..."
ReplyDelete"You shouldn't have to say no. He's smart enough. He sees it."
ReplyDelete"Maybe I encourage it? A little bit? I'm still figuring this all out," she adds hastily.
ReplyDelete"You aren't encouraging anything. He's pushy and delusional. Want me to make him stop? I promise I'll be polite."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs. "I don't believe that for a minute. But...maybe in few years, when I'm comfortable...I might?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard chuckles. "If he waited that long for such such a possibility, he's more optimistic and determined than I thought."
ReplyDelete"I'm worth waiting for! You said so yourself!" she huffs, sitting up and crossing her arms.
ReplyDelete"I never said you weren't. I just think he's silly, and you said it yourself, we met in the middle. He's going all the way, and you're backing up."
ReplyDelete"Maybe I won't anymore!"
ReplyDelete"Lecai," he chuckles softly, sitting up and putting his arms around her before kissing her neck. "Tallyn doesn't matter. It's just us here."
ReplyDeleteShe relaxes a little. "You enjoy vexing me, don't you? Is it because of all those months I teased you?"
ReplyDelete"What months of teasing?" he whispers. "I don't remember anything like that. I was too busy being blinded by your beauty."
ReplyDeleteShe snickers. "It's a good thing I'm younger than you. Because I remember months and months of torture and stolen kisses and hiding from my lord."
ReplyDelete"Oh...that," he nips her ear. "I vaguely remember that."
ReplyDeleteTry as she might, Aara can't help the shiver that runs through her. "Oh good. I'd hate to only be memorable after we slept together," she says sarcastically.
ReplyDelete"There is one thing I will never forget. Your eyes when I gave you that first rose."
ReplyDelete"Oh?" She turns her head to look at him, her frown softening slightly. "And what is so memorable about that?"
ReplyDelete"You looked at me the way no one else has. You did the same that day you slapped me," he snickers. "No one had ever looked at me that way either."
ReplyDeleteStruggling not to smile, she bumps her shoulder against him gently. "No one had ever looked at me the way you did. Like I was a child to save, or a weapon to wield."
ReplyDelete"And a present to unwrap?" he grins.
ReplyDeleteShe chuckles. "I suppose so." She glances up at him and grins. "Is the present everything you dreamed it would be?"
ReplyDelete"That and more."
ReplyDelete"Well that's good," she chuckles.
ReplyDelete"So, what shall we do now?"
ReplyDelete"Books?"
ReplyDelete"Books it is! Let me go find my boring book and I'll be right back." Goddard gets to his feet and drapes his robes over himself before he goes into his room to find his book. "Where did I put the?" he mumbles, scanning the piles of books and papers.
ReplyDeleteAara wraps the sheet around herself and unwraps her books from the shop, sipping her wine.
ReplyDeleteOnce he finds the book, he goes back to Aara and sits close beside her.
ReplyDeleteA few hours later, Aara jerks awake, clamping down on her panic before she wakes Goddard. Taking deep breaths, she reminds herself of where she is, and that it's just Goddard wrapped around her.
ReplyDeleteHeart pounding too hard to relax, she slips out of bed, keeping the sheet wrapped around her and goes into the common room.
"Water," she whispers to herself. "Calm down and get some water."
Gath hears some sounds in the common room. His bedroom door is open but he has no candles lit. He carefully peeks out into the common room and sees Aara. What is she doing? Should I do this now?
ReplyDeleteCalm down. It's over. You aren't a child and no one is coming to whip you.
ReplyDeleteShe reaches a shaking hand back to touch the scars that snake over her shoulder before jerking her hand back and focusing on drinking some cool water.
Gath takes a breath and steps out into the common room. "Is he asleep?" he asks Aara, hoping to not startle her.
ReplyDeleteShe bites her tongue on a shriek, clutches the sheet tighter and drops her water as she turns. "Y-Yes."
ReplyDeleteSo much for that... Gath moves across the room and stands in front of her before taking a knee and lowering his head.
ReplyDeleteStartled, Aara takes a step back. "What are you doing?"
ReplyDelete"My lady, I'd like to apologize for what I've done to you, and what I've done to him."
ReplyDelete"What you...? My lady? Get up," she says, voice shaking. "I deserved that earlier."
ReplyDeleteGath remains in the same spot, head still bowed. "You did not. I am not what I was. I shouldn't have let that bother me to the point of hitting either of you."
ReplyDeleteAren't you? This is the first I've heard about it.
ReplyDeleteDamn it, Aara. If you can change, why can't he if he's willing to try?
"What I said was cruel," she says softly. "And I knew better. I'm the one who should apologize."
"Apology accepted." He shifts his weight a bit so he can remain where he is more comfortably.
ReplyDeleteI said I should, not that I did.
ReplyDelete"Get up," she pleads, vastly uncomfortable with the moment and the fact that he called her 'my lady' as if she were important. "That's so unnecessary."
Gath sighs. "I'd stay here until you accepted, but I may be here all night. Or longer. If he doesn't accept, then..." He gets to his feet. "Good night." Gath starts toward his room, wondering if is was worth making himself feel so lowly.
ReplyDelete"Gath..."
ReplyDeleteHe stops but doesn't turn. "Yes?"
ReplyDelete