knight 9
He knew it shouldn't matter to him how one outcast felt about her people. Let alone a known traitor.
He should have just walked away from her in disgust that first day. He should have given in to his instincts and ended her abysmal relationship with the humans.
so why was he sitting around wondering if she would like something. Why did he even give a damn what she thought.
She was a thrall little better than a slave right now but he wanted her to be more. He just didn't know why. Why had he felt on the verge of begging her to join them?
It wasn't as if Wink wasn't competent enough as an alie. In all honesty he didn't really need her so why did he want her?
He groaned and wink looked up from his work. He grinned at his liege and resumed his task.
"I'm going to go work out" he said
Wink nodded without lifting his eyes from his task. With a unexplainable glance at her sleeping chamber curtain he vanished to his work out area.
His work out was completely malicious, pushing himself above and beyond his normal routine. He tried to drive the images from his mind that her accusations had brought forth.
No matter how many katas he did or how many phantom enemies he slayed. There was one he couldn't vanquish.
It's presence laid across his eyes like a shroud and completely blotted out any relationship, he could ever hope for with her until it was burned away.
All he knew was he was frustrated. By both her and his own past demons. If regret had been his opponent right now it would have felled him.
The shuffling sound of his foot steps alerted him to his presence he didn't pause in his movements but did grunt in acknowledgment when Wink spoke
"You should rest tomorrow will be busy" he said.
He sighed completed the pass he was in the middle of when wink spoke and paused.
"Do you think she will ever stop hating me?" he said
Wink sighed shifted from foot to foot and looked down. He was a warrior and to him the ways of the heart were a mystery.
Yet even he could see the invisible ties of a mating between his liege and the woman.
"Eventually when she finds something to hate more" he said.
Nuada snorted and put up his weapon for the night. Wink wanted to reassure his liege and long time friend that everything would work out.
Unfortunately he couldn't see that it would be. The woman Jinn was a stubborn one as much so as Nuada. All he could see now was tragedy for his friend and it broke his heart.
The last thing the prince needed now was a broken heart. It was bad enough he was the only one willing to stand up for his people.
If he lost his heart in this it could be worse than tragic. He big guy frowned and slowly made his way back to his previous task.
He completed it and took his own advice. Jinn woke before everyone else and briefly thought about making a run for it.
That idea was scrapped when Wink wandered into the kitchen area she was standing in.
He set the tea pot on the banked coals for some morning tea and started stoking the fire. She shook her head and chuckled. Wink frowned at her.
"You should invest in a stove" said Jinn
He kept frowning at her so she shrugged and sat down. She watched while the huge man prepared breakfast for them all.
The teapot was ready as Nuada emerged from his chambers
"Good morning my lady" said Nuada
She glared at him but didn't respond. She had obviously gone back to ignoring him again. He sighed again this was going to be one long night.
They ate in companionable silence. When he was done eating wink reminded Nuada about the showing time and Nuada turned towards Jinn.
"I'm going to bathe you will do the same" he said
She frowned at him
"After you are done" she said
He started to open his mouth to retort and wink shook his head no, frantically. Nuada held his tongue at the last minute
" Very well you go first ,please hurry" he said
She glared at him but stood to go take a bath. In all honesty she needed one so it wasn't a horrible suggestion.
She took her sweet time despite his request that she hurry. She lowered herself back into the water and dunked under it.
The water rippled and she shot up in the water, when she caught a glimpse of white under the water.
Her mouth dropped open in shock when she saw him standing there. It was a communal bath so she really didn't have the right to ask him to leave.
She had at least expected him to wait for her to finish.
"What are you doing?" she said
No way was she going to acknowledge how long she had been staring at his naked back.
The water was waist level so everything else was hidden from view partially. She glanced away and found herself staring down at the v that was below his navel.
She heard him chuckle and felt the heat flood her face.
She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. He chuckled again and she turned to yell at him. She froze when she realized how close he was to her.
He was smirking at her and she wanted to smack that look from his face. He looked down at her chest and smiled. She fumed and opened her mouth to burn him a new one.
His lips crashed into hers and her mind went blank. He must have taken her lack of defense as consent because he used her shock to wrap his arms around her.
Part of her mind registered she was kissing Nuada while the other part wanted to keep going. When he wrapped his arms around her she gave out a small moan.
He was pressed up against her completely and she could feel every inch of his frame.
Even a few inches she was surprised he was sporting. She pushed on his chest and he reluctantly pulled back from the kiss.
"What the hell are you doing?" she said
He smiled at her frustration.
"You weren't complaining a second ago" he said with a smirk
"Why .. you.. ahhh!" she said
He chuckled as she pulled away from him but he didn't let go of her completely.
"Let go of my arm" she said
She was trying to ascend the small tiled stairs that led into the pool. He was however making that impossible by still holding her arm.
He smirked again and pulled her towards him. She balled her fist and tried to hit him in the jaw. He saw it coming, he twisted her am sideways and wrapped her in his arms again.
"Damn it let go of me" she hissed
He responded by resting his head on her hair.
"No" he said simply
"Excuse me, what did you say?" said Jinn
He smiled at her sarcasm
"I said no we need to discus this" he said
"There is nothing to discus your twisted and sick like your father now back off" she said He smiled at her again. He had to admire her courage.
She was literally at his mercy in her current position yet she still picked a fight with him.
"Stop fighting me Jinn I will not hurt you nor take anything without your consent" said Nuada
She harrumphed and glared at him.
"Oh really then what was that?" she said
He smiled again and for a second she thought she had gone delusional because she actually thought he was cute when he smiled.
"Acting on a mutual attraction" he said, with a smirk
"Say what.. you.. ahh.. asshole I don't like you get it through your head" she said.
She was twisting around trying to get free of his grip. Something hard brushed against her leg and she froze.
He smiled at her and she knew her face had to be ten shades of red. Holy shit was that? Oh gawd I can't even think it. Her mind blabbered.
"When are you going to admit that you find me at least attractive?" he said
She snorted but remained frozen.
"I do not!" she returned, but it didn't sound very believable because her face was still very red.
His soft chuckle was his only response. He closed his mouth on hers again to stifle her further protests.
"Liar!" he said.
He released her arm and she practically ran out of the pool.
"Am not"she said
She challenged and immediately cringed because she sounded completely childish. He chuckled and laid down in the water.
Her eyes went to his midsection of their own accord. They snapped back to his face when he laughed again.
She flushed again when she knew he had caught her looking. Then deeper when she realized she was standing on the edge of the pool in nothing but her birthday suit.
He ducked his head under the water.
"Would you mind handing me the soap?" he said
She growled and threw it at his head. He caught it and watched as she stormed over to her towel and covered herself.
"Such a pity" he murmured.
She glared at him and then stormed out of the room. He poured some soap into his hand and rubbed it through his hair.
"You will be paying for that later" said Wink
Nuada chuckled and rinsed his hair.
"I know but it was worth it" he said
His skin still tingled where it had made contact with hers. She had been so soft and warm. Her lips tasted like cherries and mint. He moaned.
"Lay the suit out for me, I'll be a few minutes" he said
Wink chuckled and walked out. Nuada groaned and took himself in hand. With images of a wet and very naked Jinn in his mind he came with a snarling roar.
After rinsing himself off he climbed out. The water flow was already clearing the dirt out of the water and leaving it clear.
He pulled his towel off the bench and wrapped it around his waist. He walked back into the hall and into his room.
He pulled on the human made clothes he had procured. He hated having to do this but such deception was necessary to ascertain their level of security.
There was no way he would just go into this blind. So despite the discomfort of wearing the enemies clothes he would do so to insure the survival of his people.
He could hear Jinn slamming stuff around in her room and her grumbling about him.
Perhaps he had overstepped somewhat but he didn't like being rejected. He had been all but begging for the woman's attention.
When by all rights he could just take what he wanted. That didn't set completely right with him however. His father had tried that tact with her and she despised him to this day.
No he wanted more from her than her enmity. he wanted her heart. He froze mid shrug. He had been dressing while he thought about the kiss.
She had responded a little so perhaps all wasn't hopeless. He finished pulling on his jacket. Then put his shoes and socks on.
He was still fixing his tie when he emerged. Jinn was sitting on the couch glaring at the floor. She was uncharacteristically silent and it unnerved him.
He looked at Wink and he shook his head. Nuada sighed and moved towards her.
"Jinn?" he said
She raised her eyes and he saw the sadness in her eyes. He sat down next to her.
"Will you speak to me?" he said
she glared at him.
"Do I have a choice?" she retorted
"Yes of course you do I would never force you to speak with me" he said
"Didn't stop you from kissing me" she said
Wink groaned and left the room. Nuada rolled his eyes in appreciation of the gesture.
He sighed and leaned back. He was watching her closely and could tell he unnerved her.
"I'm sorry if i scared you" he said
she glanced up at him. She looked shocked at that statement.
"Why?" she said.
He bit his lip for a brief second.
"Is it so much to expect some sort of reasonable treatment from me?" he said
"Yes when your father never showed the same courtesy" she said
He frowned and leaned towards her.
"I am not my father" he said
He stood and walked towards the door.
"Come we have to meet our driver, it wouldn't do to arrive on foot" Nuada said.
She sighed and followed him out the door. She still didn't trust him. His actions earlier unnerved her and confused her.
Was he planning to treat her like his father had or was he trying for something else.
