Chapter 4

Darius appeared in front of his mother's desk and he was pissed, "Muther! What the hell were you thinking to send Alexis after someone under Morgan's protection?"

Dani was also pissed and she glared at her son and then pointedly looked behind him to another person sitting in a chair and now he looked unhappy to say the least, "Really Dani? You would dare to do so in my own house? You are that intimated by the fair M'lar that you would send you head assassin after my intended?"

Hearing his voice Darius spun around and looked with a degree of embarrassment at the one man that could destroy them all. Darius held his emotions in check but was still very angry. However that anger was not so great that he would want to see his mother harmed least of all by Morgan Manshak.

"I would in the future before you risk everything Dani to wait before you react, that may have been the one thing that had tripped you up and caused your expulsion from the great tower."

Dani was doing a silent fume, though she was furious with Darius for interrupting a meeting between her and Morgan he had just exposed them to some very real danger. She would have deal with Alexis and her incompetence later. She was really annoyed that Alexis allowed herself to be caught. Now she had a lot of damage control to do. "Well now Morgan, it was nothing personal, just securing my family from the clutches of a barmaid."

Morgan stood up pinned Darius with his sharp and very irritated penetrating gaze, then moved past her son to her and leaned over, putting a hand on either side of her chair and leaning in so he was a bare quarter inch from her face and looked her in the eyes.

She stared back at him unflinching; she had already locked her mental blocks in place and waited to see how this would end. "Be glad you are a woman, I would call you out for such an atrocity and show of bad grace. I will not tolerate anyone under my protection to be accosted or harmed, do I make myself clear?"

His voice had dropped to a very low and near whispered tone as he locked his gaze to hers and accented his irritation with her total loss of control with a tightening of his lips and a narrowing of his eyes. Dani rarely showed any emotion when threatened but this time, her own eyes widen and her lips clamped shut making a simple tense line across her face.

"Understood Morgan, now kindly remove your hands from my chair and back away." Morgan smiled no humor in his eyes only a narrowed eye glint he ~ego whipped~ and then ~telepathy~ and made connection with her mind which shocked her,

"~I can easily mind blast you, you may think your power has grown but it will never equal mine.`"

Dani glared back and shouted out in her mind, "~Get out of my mind!~"

Morgan smiled and backed out of her mind. "Just remember Dani, don't jack with me or mine you will learn to regret it. Now that Darius is here sit down boy and listen up things are fixing to change and there is a new shark in town."

Morgan had been willing to turn over a portion of his business dealings to Dani but when she tried this he knew it was time to teach a lesson. Darius postured to defend his mother and found that he was locked in one place with his own thoughts, he wanted what was Morgan's and he would get what he wanted he always did.

But because his mother had screwed up, it was now his turn to play a waiting game and see how this played out and ultimately knew he was a very patient man he would get what he wanted. So, he moved to sit down next to his mother and he listened to what was being said and it was rather clear, Morgan wanted a larger share of their profit and if they tried to harm one of his guests again, he would take all of their shares and that would be the end of it, for them in Waterdeep.

Making his point with a cobra like grace as he moved about the room marking his points with a wave of his hand then to make his point and drive it home he ended his demand.

"I feel I am being generous this time around. You still get the master share of the holdings at sixty percent, obviously you enjoyed the previous seventy five percent and had you not done something so incredibly stupid, I would have given you ninety percent."

His words were soft and hard as steel. "Just be glad I let you live and only assumed forty percent. Now, I look forward to seeing you both on the upcoming weeks end. We will be more than happy to join you at your masquerade and do not make me regret my generosity and offerings and do not give me pause to worry about the safety of my guests while in your home."

Dani clinched her teeth together in a tight smile and spoke through those teeth. "Of course Morgan, perhaps once we have shown we are sorry for such an inappropriate and obviously misguided action you might wish to reconsider your share and we can negotiate it further?"

Morgan sighed dramatically and turned to the door and paused, "I will consider allowing you to live a little longer Dani, do not forget what a Mind Blast can do and it would not necessarily be directed at you more at someone that means as much to you as I feel M'lar means to me."

With those words said he ~teleported~ from Dani's office and into the fest hall area and began to look over the pickings and found a nice plump young lady that seemed to want to please whomever gave her attention. Smiling charmingly moved in for his kill.

Navigating with her on his arm to the room she designated, he smiled as she began to disrobe and stood near naked before him. Instructing her to lie down, he moved to spread her legs and placed feather light kisses up her thigh and then he looked into her eyes smiled and enthralled her with his vampiric charm.

She lay complacent as he bit into her plump thigh and began to feast, the feel was one of a sensual nature and the young lady of the evening began to writhe and moan with her pleasure. Morgan glanced up and smiled and ~ego whipped~ her simple mind and then he ~send pleasure~ the euphoric feeling of ecstasy filled her and she felt her climax was so intense she passed out.

Morgan chuckled and finished his meal and left her a large tip for her services. Feeling well fed he knew that for a few days M'lar would be safe from his needs, the only thing he would want from her was the one thing she was not ready to give him, and that was her body and her soul.

The next morning M'lar was awaken by a soft knock on the door, with a card on a tray and a cryptic message, 'Dress to ride.' M'lar did not recognized the handwriting and wondering if it was Morgan sending for her?

Not thrilled and really wanting to avoid any undue cajoling or unnecessary guilt; she slid from bed, moved to the closet and found her pair of leather riding breeches that accented her small waste and narrow hips, pulled on a tank top that molded to her form, and then pulled on her thigh high boots, tied up her hair and moved down the staircase and paused.

Standing waiting in a top hat, riding habit and looking very dashing was Darius D'Armond. "Why good morning Lady M'lar! I felt it was the right time to come by and see if you would like a early ride around the various plantation homes and maybe show you where I live? I brought two horses, I am not sure what level your riding abilities are so I brought you a rather sedate mare.

M'lar looked out at the two horses tied to the rear of his carriage and the D'Armond coat of arms. There was a spirited looking chestnut and a grey looking tired gelding. M'lar smiled, "I think I would like the chestnut, if that is all right with you?"

She moved out and mounted up on him, and as soon as her butt hit his saddle he reared up, M'lar let him rear up, held her seat, and then kicked his side and let him run to the edge of the drive and jumped him over the hedge, turned him and ran him back to jump the hedge again.

He settled and felt the firm hand of her control she used the pressure of her legs to navigate him at a nice cantor back to a smiling and somewhat amazed Darius. With a look of admiration he bowed to her and begged, "Forgive my assumption that you would prefer a more docile mount for your ride."

M'lar chuckled and halted her feisty mount. "It is all right Mr. D'Armond. I have been riding since a very early age, while in Temple I would be allowed out sometimes to ride and the Prelate of my temple would make sure that I had the worst and most ill tempered mount to teach me tolerance and expertise to stay in the saddle."

Darius mounted up and moved his mount to her side and smiled charmingly, "Please call me Darius, Mr. D'Armond would have been my father had I known him."

M'lar glanced at him sideways and frowned, "I am sorry, I too did not have the privilege of knowing who my father was or for that matter my mother. I was reared and trained in the temple of Gruumsh for most my life, and then when the Scro Navy and a person of nefarious means attacked that temple. I fled with my son and we crash-landed on the island that is now my home."

Darius listened fascinated and found she transfixed him. Not only was she one of the most beautiful women he had ever met, she was fascinating with the story she was relating to him as they rode in a leisurely fashion. "So you venerate Oghma?"

M'lar smiled and her smile only enhanced her beauty. "Yes, he called me to do his bidding personally."

Darius watched where he was leading her they moved into the main streets of the city's most elite and noble section of Waterdeep. "Have you been to Candlekeep? If not I could arrange a tour."

M'lar followed his lead along the streets and she looked at all the elegant estate houses and plantation homes, "That is most kind of you Mr. D'Armond, but Morgan arranged a tour for me earlier this week. It was an enjoyable time and I was able to procure knowledge and my robes so that I am a better representative of my god."

Darius found that he even enjoyed the sound of her voice, the fact she had a killer body and was beautiful and so exotic looking did help. He nodded, "I would imagine you would be able to bring a lot of followers to Oghma's table if they knew you were his priestess."

M'lar flushed and looked down noting he was now leading them along a shady lane that lead to several nice palatial homes on what was referred to as Plantation Row.

"You are much too kind Mr. um Darius." He laughed leading her down the streets of Plantation Row to a long wide drive way with a half circle turn at the front of the palatial house. "My what a huge and lovely house!" M'lar was duly impressed.

Darius laughed, "It is one of the smaller homes along this expanse of Plantations but we find it suits our needs come let me give you the grand tour of the D'Armond Estates holdings."

M'lar trotted the horse to the front of the home and jumped down to lead the horse around to a pathway that lead to one of the largest most impressive stables she had ever seen other than the ones on Morgan's Estate in New Damara.

"My goodness Mr. . . " He paused and turned and tapped her nose with his index finger.

"Darius, remember we agreed you would call me Darius."

She flushed and smiled, "I am sorry, yes of course Darius, this is one of the nicest stables I have ever seen other than the one owned by Morgan you have an impressive stable and the horses are magnificent."

She moved towards the various stalls and rubbed each horse's nose and turned to smile at her host. "They are so sweet and very lovely."

Darius watched her impressed and smiled, "Yes you are very lovely." M'lar had hard him but walked away and hid her embarrassment to the horses burying her face in their manes and hug then pet each one of them.

Darius followed her down the row of stalls and continued to admire her beauty, her body and her intelligence, the conversation with her had been enlightening and had given him a great deal of insight into who she was and he liked what he had seen so far.

He could not imagine her trapped with Morgan for the rest of her life. She was too nice and way too good for the likes of Morgan. She needed to be with someone who would truly appreciate her and her abilities. Walking with his riding crop dangling from his wrist. It swung back and forth hitting his leg with a soft thump.

When they got to the last stall the sound of the whip hitting his leathered leg, the horse there reared up with nostrils flaring and came down knocking the door open. M'lar jumped back caught the mane of the horse and mounted him, he began to charge the door. Holding onto the mane and locked onto his back she held on as he began to jump the door's half closure.

Bending over and laying down along his back they took the jump and he continued charging forward. Darius was in a panic watching horse and rider charged to the open field. M'lar brought him around and headed him to the round pin he watched horse and rider entered the door of the round pin Darius was ever ready to intervene if she could manage this stallion.

Entering the door, she took her foot and shoved the door shut and then she ran him in the circle of the round pin until he began to form a sweat on his body, he began to show his fatigue she slowed him and then put him in a circle right then left and finally she had him under control and dismounted.

He came to her side and laid his head on her shoulder and let out a long sigh. His massive chest heaving and then expelling his breath to blow warm air over her now sweating body.

"Yes, I know boy, it was a scary sound and you just reacted." Darius moved to her side with a lead rope and laid it around the massive horse's head.

"Come on Diablo boy. Time to go back to your stall. I am sorry M'lar I fear he is very high strung and was very reactionary to noises."

M'lar patted his neck and smiled, 'He is no more high-strung than I am. I have been told I am not that high strung just temperate. My suggestion would be to get him desensitized to certain objects and noises and he will make you a fine mount!"

The rest of the day was spent in relative calm with a nice lunch on the back patio of the estate and a tour of his home and the grounds. That is when Darius found where his mother had begun building her new home.

The ride back to Morgan's was very relaxed and calm they entered the drive to the front of the Estate Kaitlin was anxiously waiting for M'lar and smiled brightly seeing she was coming back to the home before Morgan got back and she was grateful to see her sister so happy and relaxed with such a handsome man too.

Not wishing to interrupt their good byes, she slipped back into the house. M'lar turned to peer up to Darius and placed a light kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for a most enjoyable day Darius. I hope your day was equally entertaining for you."

Darius flushed at the sweet kiss; reaching for her hand he placed a light kiss on her knuckles looking deeply into her eyes and smiled, "I hope muh dear you save one dance for me at the masquerade and if we run into each other again, please tell me you will allow me a dance at the other social balls that are being planned over the next two weeks?"

M'lar smiled, "I will be happy to save you a dance Darius as long as Miss Stone does not object to our dancing together."

She watched his smile tightened and his words were clipped if not filled with a slight bit of anger, "As long as Morgan will not object to our dancing, I am sure I can convince Lexie not to be too upset."

M'lar bowed her head and flushed when he spoke of Morgan. "You know Morgan does not own me, I am a free agent and may dance with whomever I choose."

Darius was as quick to point out to her, "The same for myself, I am not engaged nor obligated to Miss Stone, and though she imagines her self as a integral part of my life she is merely a distraction provided by my mother's innate sense of wanting to keep me happy."

M'lar nodded handing over the reins. "I did enjoy myself today Darius and thank you so much for a very good time." The carriage that had arrived earlier and was parked at the side of the house, pulled forward from a signal from Darius. Securing the horses to the rear of the carriage he turned to enter the conveyance and turned giving her a small salute.

M'lar waved in returned and watched as the carriage pulled down the drive and from sight. Turning she looked at Kait who was waiting for her just inside the door.

"He is soo dreamy! What did you two do? Where did you go? Did he try to kiss you? What happened when you left and where did you go and did you go to his home, oh have you eaten? What do you think Morgan will say when he finds out; oh do you know where Morgan went today? He said something about taking us to the theater tonight; oh I hope it is a musical. There is this one musical that is getting such wonderful reviews from all the critics and I am so excited and it means I can wear one of my new dresses and do you think I should wear my hair up or down if I wear my new dress?"

M'lar let her prattle as she want up the grand staircase and ran up them, "Come up and let me get a bath and change and I will tell you everything!"

She laughed and disappeared down the hallway heading to her room. Pealing off her clothing she dropped them in the clothing hamper and dashed to the bathing chambers. Taking a quick bath she got out patting her self-dry and moved to the bed room to find her a proper evening gown to wear for when Morgan decided to put in an appearance. She began to interrogate her. "So where did you go?"

M'lar turned to the closet and found a soft blue dress in silk with a short train and pulled it on, then laced up the bodice and turned to smile at Kait, "We rode to Plantation Row to his home."

"Was it nice?" Kait was now listening and waited for her answers.

"Well it was a very nice very elegant white three story home with large white pillars in front and balconies off the second floor with a large long front porch area with rocking chairs and swings on each end."

Kait's eyes shone with her excitement. "And?"

M'lar laughed, and moved to her vanity to sit and study Kait in the mirror. "Well, we went to his stables and I saw all his horses and they are very nice, one was a little high strung and broke loose and I caught him and got him under control. Then we had brunch on his back patio terrace and he brought me home. End of story."

Kait sighed and lay back on M'lar's bed and spoke softly, "I was hoping he might show an interest and maybe back Morgan off, he sounds dreamy and it was a romantic type of day for you?"

M'lar laughed, "Kait I have to agree to be anything for Morgan and I have not done so. As for Mr. D'Armond, he is a taken man, though he does not claim any rights to the same woman, that woman believes he belongs to her and I don't tread on another's territory."

Kait rolled her eyes and swung her feet off the edge of the bed. "Oh you mean that barracuda of a woman that pretends she is a lady?"

M'lar nodded as she began to pin up her hair with pearl and diamond pins. "Yes, the very lovely and I suspect deadly Lady Alexis Stone believes he belongs to her and I am not about to argue with a she bitch like that."

Kait frowned, "Well at least you had a good time right?"

M'lar turned and Kait had to admit with a few pins and a change of clothing and M'lar could fit into high society along with the rest of the nobles. "Well I suppose I should go get dressed, oh did you hear Morgan say he was taking us to the theater tonight?"

M'lar nodded, "That is why I went ahead and dressed, I thought I would go and sit in the rear garden and rest before it was time to dine and then go to the theater."

Kait frowned, " I thought we were dining later after the show." M'lar sighed, "it really does not matter, I am ready regardless."

Kait slipped from the bed and glanced at the mantle clock and eked, "Oh my goodness, I gotta rush, and did you see the time?"

M'lar glanced to the clock and noticed that it was going on close to five o'clock her and Darius had been out longer than she had thought. "My how time flies when you are having such a good time."

Kait laughed, "See you did like riding with him today." She turned and dashed to her room to prepare for the evening.

Morgan appeared in the gardens dressed in full evening attire, a white dress shirt, black evening coat, with dress black pants, and he wore a gray cravat around his neck, he had set his gloves and top hat on the entry way table. He walked gracefully into the gardens; he could smell her among the flowers and exotic foliage.

Following the sound of her heart beat which was slow and measured, he moved up on her resting form and studied her for a moment, and she looked as exotic as the flowers in his garden. Morgan admired the diamond and pearl accents that now adorned her hair. The style of her hair accent the fine line of her jaw, the contour of the dress accented her full breasts and narrow waist.

She looked lovely and he would be the envy of every male in the theater tonight, with Kait on one arm and this one on his other arm, he was bound to draw attention, he was glad he had reserved his favorite box seat for the night, it not only afforded a grand view of the stage and actors, it also gave those in the seats below a chance to view them for public display.

Leaning over to brace his hand on each arm of the chair he studied her face in repose and smiled, softly he called, "M'lar, M'lar my dear wake up."

He watched her lashes flutter then open. At first she was a little disoriented then realize that Morgan was close to her, she sat up and smiled tensely, "Hello Morgan."

He smiled in return and placed a light kiss on her lips. "You awaken my dear. Come it is time to leave for the theater, I was thinking for you tonight we shall see a musical, and perhaps you can tell me about your day."

Morgan stood back and offered her his hand, "Come along." She put her fingers around his hand and felt him pull her up. They were face to face and close together and it would have been easy for him to press against her and capture her lips for another kiss only for a longer and more passionate deep kiss.

Seeing the war in her gaze as she showed her dislike for him or was it uncertainty, he smiled, "Kaitlin is awaiting us in the foyer, do come along."

He stepped aside, took her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm and led her to the foyer, where they were met by Kait dressed so beautifully in a dress of pink elven silk, her hair up and in ringlets to dance crazily over her shoulder and about her head.

She wore a feather in the crown of her ringlets and looked lovely. Kait handed M'lar a white delicate shawl to drape over her shoulders. "In case you feel a chill."

Morgan led them out the door and to the carriage. Seating them on one of the bench seats he sat across from them and studied them together, where one was dark and had auburn hair the other was pale and blond, both were about the same size and build but for the fact M'lar was obviously larger breasted than Kait.

Where Kait had a petite delicate looking form and could easily look like an elf, M'lar was elven in more respects but her scro nature would give way to that auburn colored hair. Kait's china blue eyes fixed and she dissected those around her.

Where M'lar's deep green eyes assessed and evaluated. Kait was ready to smile, M'lar was tense and shared her smile only when she was feeling it was right to do so, and both were striking to look upon and he knew he would be the envy of all the men at the theater that night.

He relished the fact he had two of the most beautiful women in Waterdeep ready to adorn his arms this night. With that in mind he turned his attention to the passing scenery as they headed off to the theater.