Whispers In Woods

I

Blood splashed onto the white marble of the flooring, and Tessa looked askance at the wet stain. He was always quite good about mopping up afterwards, but it was definitively ruining the atmosphere she'd been hoping to create.

She sighed internally, but sat straight, striving to pay attention as she patiently waited through the demonstration. Complimenting him only stalled things long enough for a perfunctory, "Thank you, Highness," and then it was back to blood, business, and pointing out which parts had particular uses. No matter how she couched the request, he always took her completely seriously when she said she was interested in his work.

There was a soft throat clearing to her right, and her sentry became even more efficient in the dressing of the pheasant carcass. With a frown just shy of a pout, Tessa glanced over at Lord Kalinin. The man had lived through more than fifty revolutions of the earth and had the notoriety of having achieved success as both a knight, noble, and adviser. He was also the reason the younger man in front of them had been accepted into the court of Tuatha de Danaan. The two of them had dispatched a career highwayman who had been emblazoning, in a very gruesome way, how much of a difference one person could make.

Stronger Hands

The forest warden in front of her, Sousuke Sagara, had thus far been loyal, respectful, and competent. Tessa had been delighted to have someone in court so, arguably, close to her own age. It was likely that Sagara had seen fewer than twenty winters and almost definite that he had seen more than fifteen. However, no one, including Sagara himself, could confirm it.

The firm girth of his arms and chest revealed that both had been in appreciable use for more than a decade. He was by no means short, but he wouldn't be considered tall either. Tessa pushed her toes against the floor, imagining what would need to be gained to be at his eye level. He had grey eyes just as she did, but where hers were light and shifting, his were unyielding and veracious. They didn't elude, but they also didn't reveal anything.

His past was undiscussed by him and subtly guarded by Lord Kalinin. She was certain there was some significant heritage behind him. Perhaps not exactly noble, but something with undoubted weight. In short, he was worthy of consideration.

Wider Jaw

The only difficulty was that she still couldn't determine if Sagara was simply being politely distant or plainly uninterested. It was approaching the point where the most she could hope for was utter obtuseness on his part. She darted another glance toward Lord Kalinin. He knew exactly what she was getting tired of tiptoeing around. He also stayed wryly neutral whenever she tried to prod out his opinion or advice on the matter. At least he didn't look perpetually disapproving as Lord Mardukas did.

With a quick swipe of a cloth and a twist of his wrist, Sagara had cleaned and sheathed his rather monstrous knife. The whole process had taken a depressingly short amount of time. She occasionally requested a complete practical illustration, which necessitated bringing in a live animal and stretched the duration out. However, that even further damaged the mood she was maneuvering to create.

Longer Legs

Eyes unblinking behind his fringe of dark hair, Sagara was one sharp bow from gathering his various equipment, and dead animals, and taking his leave when there was another throat clearing. Sagara froze, and after a moment Tessa realized that she was the one on the end of Lord Kalinin's pointed stare. She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. He was always so obliquely insistent that she act like the monarch she was.

She twisted the end of her pearly braid round her fingers. Her hair color was nearly identical to Lord Kalinin's. His may have been from age, or as natural as her own. She'd never seen it any other shade. If he wasn't so tall, and so masculine, they could have been mistaken for one another.

Grecian Nose

Further tangling her hair, she reluctantly considered the situation. It wouldn't be dire for a few more days, but they certainly had less than a fortnight before chaos coalesced. It wasn't inevitable, but it would be difficult to avoid, unless she put her sentry to another use besides looking stoic and tempting.

Darker Skin

Tentatively approaching Lord Kalinin's prompt, she nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Sagara. However, there was another reason you were summoned today."

A/N: So as an intro chapter this is brief and perhaps doesn't convey everything I wanted to encourage further reading, but...deadlines. This is getting off the ground because of the Shibuya Operation Story Storm. If I comply with the guidelines, this will actually be finished in 10 weeks. Wouldn't that be a Christmas Miracle.