Another Telling of Mias and Elle

by Suiren Shinju

Version II. Originally written in 2013-2015. The darker version where Mias is more rapey. No ending.

11. Chapter 11

Elle went down to the beach considering it was a warm day. Despite the uneven ratio of pebbles to sand, she removed her shoes to occasionally let her feet get wet from the incoming tide. She grumbled a bit at first when she first began their walk, no doubt muttering about her irritation caused by Iedra, but after throwing a few rocks into the surf and shouting with the wind, she calmed down.

Mias wasn't all too thrilled about walking along the coast with just his padded feet. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable; he just wasn't talented at traversing the area as a stoat. He settled for perching himself on a rock sized just perfectly enough for him to curl up on and absorb some sun while watching Elle.

Though she now appeared calm, Elle's mind was far from it. She could handle being called a peasant, but she didn't like being looked down upon. It was true she was uncultured according to Alteria, but she was by no means some rude and distasteful person. She just didn't fit in with this world; with these people, and it frustrated her.

Mias lifted his head when Elle approached him to pat his head. It always felt so wonderful to be touched by her.

"Do you think Mias has sent that awful woman home yet?" Elle asked.

"I suppose I should take care of that…" Mias sighed to himself.

"Iedra…" Elle thought out loud as she took a seat on a rock close to Mias'. "That's the mistress Merevere and Corrine didn't like either – I can see why. She's also the one who claimed Mias raped her…"

"I had sex with her once and offended her when I didn't want to continue seeing her, so she started that nasty rumor…" Mias groaned internally.

"Complete bollocks, wasn't it? If she was, I doubt she'd want to visit him."

"She still wants revenge for the night we spent together… Not that she'll ever achieve it for I am unconquerable."

"Still… she's so beautiful… Corrine and Merevere are too… why do I feel like I'm the odd one out? Okay, granted I'm the only one he took from another world, but still… I'm not… that pretty, so why does Mias want me? My fairer features maybe? I'm lighter than everyone except for Malcolm, but he's a vampire…"

Appearances had very little to do with Mias' selection process. In all honesty it was genuinely random on his part. He didn't have a particular type of woman, so long as she had breasts and a heartbeat. He liked to consider himself an equal opportunity lover.

"'Why me?' I've been asking myself that ever since Mias grabbed me… I've come to the conclusion there isn't one answer for it other than just being my dumb luck..." She sighed. "It feels like it's been years since I've been home but I know it hasn't even been two months… I miss London so much, especially when I'm reminded I'm a foreigner in this land… You would have thought Mias would try to impose some sort of etiquette training or something for me since he intends to keep me here… maybe I should ask him about it…"

"Oh of course! How did I not think of that sooner? We can't have you feeling like a stranger in these lands any longer. I know just the books for you to read and I can teach you the rest."

"…But I can't bring myself to do that!" Elle confessed, suddenly tearing up. "His poor little uncultured peasant girl… he can sexually harass me all he wants, but pitying my intelligence would just be cruel…! I know he's smarter than I am… but if I concede that to him too… he'll never let me hear the end of it… I don't want him to look down on me like that… not him… I don't want be beneath him in any way…!"

"Elle…" Mias crawled up onto her lap, lifted himself upright, and licked her cheek. "True, my superiority will never be met, but you're the closest anyone has ever come to besting me, and I do so love a challenge. There's very little fun in being the best without the fear I may one day be usurped, and oh, if ever there is such a day, I hope you throw me down and make me yours."

"Why am I even worrying about such stupid, childish things…?" Elle whimpered. "What do I care about his opinion of me? He's…! …Ugh… He's even had the guts to apologize to me… and I made fun of him for it… I'm no better than him. I may even be worse since I can't even bring myself to go to him…"

"Then I'll make you come to me," he thought with stubborn determination before hopping off her lap to run up the beach.

"H-Hey! Where are you off to now?" Elle called after him, wiping her eyes and grabbing her shoes before chasing after him.

Speed was a gift in this form and it didn't take Mias very long to get to the top of the hill and race across the fields back to the manor. He snuck in through an open window on the first floor and took special care to avoid being seen as he crept up to his room. He didn't know where Iedra would be lurking, though it didn't surprise him when he heard movement in his study. He should have known better. She was here to snoop no doubt. For what, he wasn't quite sure of, but he was quite through with visitors causing trouble in his household.

By the grace of lady luck, he was able to transform back into his human form and enter his room without making any noise. He only grabbed a pair of trousers from his wardrobe, deciding it was best to forego dressing entirely in the interest of ridding unwanted guests from his home as soon as possible.

Iedra was indeed snooping in Mias' study, looking for any bit of information she could use against him. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't keen on decoding Mias' notes in his ledger and found herself reading well written nonsense. She paused when she felt his eyes on her and took the care to close the small book and place it back upon the desk. "I've been looking for you."

"What a coincidence; I've been avoiding you," Mias smirked and crossed his arms over his bare chest. "But I'm curious to know if you're here once again at Elias' request or did your little brain make the decision all by itself to visit me?"

Iedra glared at him coldly, before her expression softened. "My, you don't insult a woman unless you're truly upset with one."

"And avoiding the question means I'm right," he ceased leaning against the door frame and proceeded to approach her. "Not that it matters; you're here regardless. My only concern is why. I doubt it's to reprimand me for stranding you in the countryside."

"Heh, what good would it do? You're not the sort of man who'd apologize."

"Apologies are only fitting when I believe I've done something wrong," he countered. "Now, why are you here?"

"I saw an opportunity to have a little more fun," Iedra smiled, sinking down into his desk chair. "All this fuss for one plain little peasant. In concerns me as a fellow noble to see the mighty Dormaeus men quarreling over such a meaningless thing."

"It's none of your business, Iedra. Fellow noble or not, no matter of the Dormaeus men concerns an Ivaric, unless of course one is getting dangerously close to one's personal secrets."

"Oh my, are you threatening my life? Ha! You can't scare me Mias. Besides, my curiosity lies more with the girl than it does you silly brothers so don't flatter yourself."

Mias' nostrils flared as he breathed out heavily. Very few people in this world could call his bluff, and unfortunately he'd known Iedra long enough for her to know when he was all bark with no bite.

"Pity. You used to be a lot more interesting," Iedra sighed and stepped past him.

"I couldn't give a damn what you think of me, Iedra," Mias turned and followed her, wanting to make sure she was on her way out.

"What's this?" Iedra asked on the stairs, noticing Elle was rifling through every closet, drawer, and room in search for something.

"Oh… where did he go…? He must have slipped inside…" Elle worried out loud as she got to her knees to look under the sofa in the parlor.

"She's so unsightly," Iedra announced loud enough for Elle to here her. "I hope you don't plan on taking her anywhere. You certainly won't need me to get the rumors going about this one."

Elle got back to her feet and glared up at Iedra, ready to fling a well prepared insult back, but a scolding look from Mias told her to bear with it. For some reason, Elle had wisdom enough to obey and kept her mouth shut.

"I however look forward to seeing more of you, Elle," Iedra smiled coldly. "Do come by my manor for a visit. Elias would just adore seeing you."

The mere mention of his name sent a chill down Elle's spine, and she found it increasing difficult to save face in front of this woman.

"That's enough, Iedra," Mias commanded, stepping down to put himself between the two women. "Go."

"I'm only teasing, Mias," Iedra chuckled as she sauntered to the door.

Mias glared her down until her teasing smile vanished. "I will no longer tolerate your presence on these premises. Now, get out."

Iedra knew when Mias was bluffing, and this wasn't one of them. He was quite serious. Just how did this ordinary girl drawn out such a protective nature? In all the years she'd known Mias, she'd never seen him quite so fierce when it came to the defense of one of his women. It was strange. Completely unlike the Mias she knew.

And by chance she saw it. She'd just taken hold of the door handle and opened it, preparing to step out when a quick glance back caught his expression changing as he turned to Elle. That even more uncharacteristic gentleness in his eyes that she knew was a sign of something different from lust. She left the manor, slamming the door in disbelief of what she'd just seen. It took her mind a moment to process it, but when it solidified as an undeniable truth, she grinned. She had managed to find something very useful to use against him.

"So she really is a cohort of Elias'?" Elle asked Mias the moment she was sure Iedra was gone.

Mias could see she was still shaken from the mere mention of his brother's name and his mind raced to give her the least upsetting answer. "Yes..."

"And you just let her into your house?! After all they put me through?!" Elle clenched her fists in anger and frowned up at him. "And you expect me to let her insult me on top of everything else?!"

"Yes, I do," Mias said firmly. "Unpleasant as it is, trying to best Iedra in the game of name calling is futile, and foolish. She's the most powerful woman in Sussex and you'd be wise to let her think you're a toy rather than an enemy."

"So I'm supposed to let her bully me too?! What's wrong with you?! I don't enjoy this continual antagonizing by you and your friends, you know!" She hollered before slamming her clenched hands into his chest and letting her eyes well up with tears again. "I'm not that thick skinned, Mias…"

Mias silently placed his hands on her shoulders. It was never his intention to make her bear so much torment, even though some would be unavoidable. Perhaps he assumed her will was stronger than what it was. She said so herself that she didn't think herself as brave as him, or even as mature, and here she was admitting her own weakness in front of him. Yes, it had been brought on by stress, but it still counted towards confiding her feelings with him. Surely that meant something.

Now if only he could convey that he truly cared about her situation and wanted to rectify it. He knew there wasn't much he could say that she would believe or anything he could do that she would tolerate. He'd have to be a bit daring he figured, deciding to move one hand to the arch of her back and the other behind her head, allowing him to pull her to his chest to hold her properly.

Elle blushed as her right cheek pressed up against the bare flesh of his pectorals and she froze in her surprise for his actions. She wondered when he'd grope her butt or begin rubbing his crotch up against her, but he didn't. He just… held her for a few awkward moments before he eased the constriction of his arms and released her. She couldn't help but stare up at him in disbelief.

Just what was going on? He didn't even have that typical arrogant and perverted smirk of his, just a calm, but somewhat concerned expression. What exactly he was worried about Elle wasn't sure of, but she felt as if he too was confused by his own actions and searching for the answer.

He must have found it because next thing Elle felt were his hands tightening around her waist and his head dipping down toward hers.

"Huh?!" It'd been a while since Mias forcibly took a kiss from her lips, Elle was genuinely surprised that he had. What was more surprising was the fact he wasn't trying to deepen it into anything more, it was just soft and warm. It even made her stomach flutter a bit, but she thought it was just because he caught her off guard. Still, she couldn't deny it was a lovely feeling and definitely one that took her mind off Iedra's words.

Mias knew he'd be risking vital progress by kissing her, but he knew he was a better source of frustration that Elle would be willing to deal with. It seemed a sound enough logic: kiss her to rile her up against him and reaffirm her stubbornness. He was convinced there was nothing his Elle couldn't handle, so long as her spirit was in the right place. Plus, he got to enjoy the sweet taste of her lips if only for a brief moment. It seemed foolish to part them, but he did, albeit reluctantly.

She still just stared at him, wide eyed and flustered.

He at least expected her to frown or look away from him, but she didn't. Maybe he had to kiss her again.

But as he leaned his head down again, he felt resistance as she placed her hands against his biceps and turned her head slightly to the side. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He smirked, mentally satisfied with this more suitable reaction. "How better to comfort you?"

"I don't need kisses," Elle blushed. "Or anything else!"

"I disagree," he teased, holding her waist even tighter as he dipped her down like they were dancing. "You could greatly benefit from my kisses, and everything else."

"C-Cut it out," Elle groaned as he swept her back up onto her feet. "Hey!"

"You should learn the dances of this country," he suggested.

"Why?" Elle asked with no enthusiasm to being spun around against her will.

"There's inevitably a dance at any sort of social gathering I'd attend," Mias explained. "I plan to take you with me to the next one my presence is required at."

"What?! Whether I like it or not, Iedra did have a point! I'll make a fool out of myself if I appear in public!"

"Not if I teach you everything you need to know," he smiled, pulling her back up against him once more. "Besides, I'll not have Iedra getting away with insulting you. You're already a thousand times the lady she is."

Elle's cheeks turned red again. "I don't see how you could think that. I don't have anything that could out class her."

"You have me," he said smoothly, pulling her close again. "About time you use me, don't you think?"

"Um…" She kept blushing, but didn't push him away. "Well, you'll be dragging me out of this house whether I like it or not, so I suppose I should be prepared, but… what do you get out of this…?"

"I intend to have a happier mistress," Mias replied honestly as he ran his fingers up through her hair. "And one who will come to me when she's upset instead of going off to cry by herself."

"How'd you…?" It didn't really matter how Mias knew. Mias knew everything that went on in his house. It was useless to deny it. "…I don't believe that's all you could want from me."

"You're right, it isn't, but I will not take what you haven't given," he told her as he brought a hand up to touch her cheek. "Though I will ask that you return to my bed chamber to sleep with me at night."

"I strangely sleep better when you aren't stabbing into my lower back," Elle dryly commented and pushed his hand away.

Mias laughed. "That wasn't a 'no'."

"It's a 'no'."

"Ah, but now you're just saying so to argue with me," he grinned, only to have Elle give him that fierce and annoyed glare. He'd take it. For now, this was what worked best, and oddly, it seemed he was able to get away with kissing her for once.

Elle may have let him get away with it, but she certainly didn't forget Mias had kissed her… though she wished she could. She hadn't disliked it, the thought of which haunted her mind for the rest of the day as she spent it in his presence gathering necessary reading material from the library. The idea of studying would be a welcomed distraction, if it were successful.

"Stag, have you by chance seen The Taxonomy of Sussex's Flora, Fauna, and Magical Beings, Volume I?" Mias asked after his searching the shelves hadn't yielded the book.

Abernos glanced up from the stack of books he was sorting and shook his head. "Uh-uh."

"Well see to it that you locate it along with the rest of the series," Mias ordered as he collected a stack of books he'd personally selected for Elle to read and brought them over to the chairs in front of the library's fireplace. "These will be essential reads too, my dear."

Elle looked up from her current selection in an Alteria history tome with an overwhelmed expression. "More? How many do I have to read?"

"I thought you liked reading," he said, setting the books on a nearby table along with the hundreds he'd already picked out for her.

"I do, but these aren't exactly easy reads," Elle in formed him. "Not all of these are the English I understand…"

"I can teach you the variant forms. It's not that complicated."

"Right…" Elle doubted it would be that simple, but tried her best to go back to reading about recent historical events.

"I'll be right back to help tutor you, but I need to fetch more books," Mias said, marching back into the rows of bookcases.

"More?!"

Mias turned his head back. "What? I've yet to bring you anything from the fictional section. Learning factual information is one thing, but applying what you know to the literature of this world will truly show your sophistication. I insist you read two works of fiction for every non fictional book you read."

"I feel like I've been assigned homework…" Elle grumbled to herself and again tried to go back to reading.

Mias could have sworn this was what Elle herself wanted, but in the interest of not overwhelming her, he decided the fiction could wait. What if Elle had questions? He had to be there to answer them.

The only question Elle had on her mind was why she hadn't disliked that kiss. Had Mias gone to gather more books like he said, perhaps Elle could have gotten lost in the pages of a book, but as soon as she felt Mias step near her chair, her mind lost its concentration. His presence alone was all it took to make her relive the kiss in her head and make her wonder if he was about to do it again. It's when Mias didn't try to touch her that Elle truly got nervous. At least do something, her mind screamed. She didn't like when he watched her and nothing more. And then she had to wonder why she wanted something more.

No progress was made, at least in Elle's mind. She spent her afternoon pretending to read, her evening trying to not look at Mias at dinner despite his repeated attempts to get her to. He'd made the steamed vegetable medley with a lemon herb chicken breast for the entre, and it was almost on par with Mr. Percy's cooking, but Elle knew better than to give Mias any sort of praise, even if she felt it was due. She couldn't trust he'd keep his ego in check and simply take a compliment.

"Are you tired?" Mias asked in concern over her sudden peculiar behavior.

Elle nodded her head. She was tired, at least mentally. This had been a long day. She just wanted to sleep it off and begin fresh tomorrow. Tomorrow everything would be back to normal, she theorized. Whatever she was feeling was clearly a result of stress.

"Then you should retire," he said calmly. "I'll take care of the dishes."

"No, I can do it," she said as she rose from the table and gathered up her used flatware and utensils. Dishes in hand, she turned to make her escape when Mias' voice haltered her.

"Good night, Elle," he said calmly, trying to mask his concern for why she'd been quieter than usual. He knew better than to inquire as to why, and he needn't pry for he knew she'd tell his stoat form anything.

"Good night…" Elle replied to be polite and hurried out of the dining hall.

After quickly washing her dishes in the kitchen, she finally shut herself up in her room. She let out a long sigh of relief once she felt safe behind closed doors. As she decompressed, she looked to her bed and saw a familiar black form curled up on her pillow. "So that's where you went."

Mias perked his head up from his feigned slumber. The moment Elle left the dining hall, he stripped down and raced to her room to wait for her.

"I've had a loooong day…" she said as she padded over to the bed and flopped down upon it.

"Do tell," he chirped, crawling over to her face to nuzzle up against her.

"Mm, silly thing. Trying to make up for ditching me earlier?" She smirked as she rolled onto her side to better play with him. She stroked her fingers down his back before lightly scratching under his chin.

As lovely as her touch was, Mias found himself more concerned with what was going on in her mind, but she wasn't talking. It was honestly a bit disappointed, but he had to be patient. She'd tell him when she was ready.

Of course his thoughts of concern vanished for a time when Elle stripped down to the nude to take her bath in the adjoined bathroom. A pity she had to enter a sudsy tub that censored her radiant form from his view.

He jumped up onto the rim and walked along the perimeter, debating the best place to jump in.

"You want a bath too, huh?" Elle extended her hand to him. "C'mon."

He didn't hesitate to crawl down her arm and let her hold him so he didn't need to swim to keep afloat.

"You're strangely calm in the water," Elle commented as she scooped up a handful of water to pour over his head.

"Why isn't she saying anything about what's troubling her?" Mias wondered as he felt Elle's fingers scrubbing into his fur. "How am I supposed to help her if she doesn't tell me anything?"

Elle didn't say a word about any troubles or concerns, much to Mias' frustration. They bathed, they dried off, and Elle changed into her nightgown before they returned to bed and crawled under the covers.

"Maybe it's just my imagination…" Mias thought as he watched Elle settle in. She didn't seem like she was truly upset. Maybe it was just fatigue.

"Good night," she said sweetly as she extinguished her lamp, letting darkness consume the room as they curled up on their sides.

"Good night," he yawned, assuming there was no longer a need to stave off his own tiredness. He licked Elle's cheek to bid her a proper good night, only to notice she felt a bit warm. Despite the dim light, he could still make out a color difference in her skin. She was blushing brightly and looking a bit stressed over it.

"Damn it…" she cursed under her breath and shifted her thighs back and forth under the covers.

"Don't tell me…" Mias snuck under the covers to investigate his suspicions. Sure enough, he found her legs writhing and her hand pulling at her nightgown in hopes some applying of pressure would calm the disturbance in her loins. "She's aroused?"

"H-Hey, you get back up here," Elle grabbed his tail, causing him to squeak as he was forcibly dragged out.

"Ouch! That hurts you know!" he chirped angrily at her until he saw just how 'troubled' she was by this.

"Sorry…!" She apologized, releasing his tail and quickly shoving her hands under the sheets. "Stupid hormones… you think about one kiss a little too long and this happens…!"

"Kiss? My kiss? That's what this has been about?" Mias smiled as his ego received this huge boost of confidence. "I knew it. I knew you couldn't resist me. You may be stubborn, but your body knows what it wants. And you want me, pretty badly I'd say."

"That bastard… is this because I didn't agree to share a bed with him…?" Elle wondered out loud. "He must have drugged my food… no wonder he didn't fight me on going to bed… he knew this'd happen to me!"

Mias' inner celebration quickly ended. "What?! Elle, I swear I did no such thing!"

"Agh…! Why won't it go away…?" Elle groaned, burying her head into her pillow to muffle her cries.

Mias touched his paw to her head, casting a sleep spell like he had done before to settle her urges. With a flash of green light, Elle was asleep and hopefully not plagued by unwanted desires in her dreams. He heaved a sigh and transformed back to his human form to adjust Elle's sleeping position so she wouldn't suffocate.

He turned her onto her back as gently as he could only to find himself confronted with his own temptations. He wanted to kiss her again. The longer he stared at her lips, the closer they seemed to come to him. Of course he realized this was due to his leaning his head down, but it didn't feel like he was putting much effort into it. It felt more like he was being drawn to them by some unseen force that wanted them to be together and would not be appeased until he had kissed her.

He did feel a little guilty for stealing a kiss as she slept, but the warm sensation of her lips against his was well worth it. Hopefully they'd both sleep a little better now.

---

Despite the fact Elle's current sleeping quarter was part of the inner rooms and thus without a window, she still found it rather cold in the morning. She'd have to ask Mias about the boiler because she was beginning to dislike the shiver that woke her up and compelled her to burrow deep under the blankets where there was warmth, and oddly more than usual.

The strangest thing was the firmness of this heat source. As nice as it was to cuddle up to, its presence invoked enough curiosity for Elle to open her eyes to investigate. Not able to see, she pushed the covers back to discover Mias asleep by her side. She frowned, but wasn't entirely surprised to find him there. What broke her calm, however, was the fact he was completely nude and her body felt tingly.

"YOU BLOODY RAPIST!" She screamed at the top of lungs, kicking him out of bed with all the strength she could muster.

"OW!" Mias shouted as his head hit the floor and the cold texture of it shocked him awake. He quickly stood up and stared at Elle, wondering why she was making such a fuss and then he realized he was human. He didn't know if he had fall asleep due to exhaustion from his spell or if simply forgot to change back before he fell asleep, but the reason clearly didn't matter at this point. "Elle…! I can explain!"

"EXPLAIN WHAT?! HOW YOU'RE A FUCKING PERVERT?!"

"Elle, I swear I didn't do anything!" He tried to reason with her, but realized that was very hard to do with his genitals showing. "Give me the sheet and let's talk about this."

Elle glared, bunching up all her sheets and holding them tightly. "What? Feeling shame? I doubt that!"

"I'm trying to have a little decorum given the fact we're arguing!"

"What's there to argue?! You did something to me! Don't even try to deny it, Mias! I know my body and you must have drugged me or used magic or something on me!"

"I… I did cast a sleep spell on you…" he admitted.

"YOU RAPED ME IN MY SLEEP?!"

"I DIDN'T!" He yelled back. "I… I checked on you before I went to sleep and you were tossing and turning, so I thought a spell would help. Though I confess it was hard to do given the fact you have that furball guarding you."

Elle gasped, frantically looking on and around the bed for the critter but there was none to be found. "What did you do to him?!"

"Nothing! I just shoed him outside! Look, what happened was I underestimated how much magic I'm able to cast given my recovery and I exhausted myself at your bedside. Nothing happened between us!"

"Then WHY are you naked?" Elle demanded.

"It's my house," Mias said, figuring that was the best believable reason he could come up with. "I can be naked when I want. You were asleep so it's not like you'd notice."

"That's… that's no excuse to just walk around with your dick out!" She threw the sheets at him, blushing furiously. If Mias wasn't to blame for last night's affliction, what was?

"Forgive me," he apologized with relative ease this time as he wrapped his torso in one sheet and folded the rest over his arm. "I want to avoid displeasing you and yet somehow that's always the outcome."

"Because you always go too far!" Elle said, smoothing out the wrinkles of her nightgown to start preening her appearance for the day.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" He asked, startling Elle with the faint trace of pleading in his voice.

"…Wh-What do you mean by that?"

Mias heaved a long sigh and sat himself down beside her on the bed. "I don't know… which only adds to my frustration."

"Um… well, you haven't been yourself since Elias left. Is it possible that he put a spell on you?"

"No, he's not the sort, and even if he did, I'd know."

"A potion maybe? Like he dipped his blades in something?"

"I don't think it's anything like that, though I suppose it is possible," he smiled a bit as he looked down at her. "Are you worried for me?"

"Well if a person isn't their normal self, I think that would be cause for anyone to have concerns. I don't know what you're planning to do to me when you look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like that. All… softly…"

"I can't really help what my expression is. I express how I feel quite honestly."

"So just what are you expressing? It better not be something perverted."

He laughed. "I'm happy. Despite your rude awakening we're talking like civilized adults for once and working out a disagreement. You're letting me sit beside you and you're not screaming or flailing… And it makes me happy."

"Happy, huh? More like horny, right?"

"Oh, I won't deny that. I'd be very happy then, but I'm contented enough to wait until celibacy becomes a burden for you."

Elle tried to save face, but the way he put it this time made her blush.

"Though controlling myself when presented with such temptation is quite challenging," he said smoothly, taking a lock of her hair into his hand to touch.

"Really? With my bed head and morning breath?" Elle tried to laugh it off as she gently removed her hair from between his fingers. "Are you just that output for sex or do you really just go after any female?"

"Not any female," he corrected her, taking a hold of her hand in place of her hair. "You."

"W-Well I'm the only girl around right now so you're kind of limited, but I'm sure you could get someone here—"

"No! It's not that I don't have options, you are the one I want. Not Merevere, not Corrine; you!"

Elle stared at him, wide eyed and heart beating into her ear. Something was definitely amiss here.

"…I don't suppose you know the reason?" He asked her, showing some desperation in his eyes for the answer.

"H-How would I know?" Elle said, trying to refrain from blushing.

"That's alright… I don't know either…" He forced a smile and turned his head to kiss her cheek. "Everything's strange when it comes to you."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"It's the truth," he said, tilting his head for a kiss.

"H-Hey," Elle pressed her fingers up against his lips and chin to stop him. "Then if we're both confused, maybe we shouldn't be doing this, don't you think?"

Mias lifted his head up above her hand and pouted. "Not doing anything hasn't given us any answers."

"M-Maybe, but this is the first I'm hearing your side of the story so… um… maybe if we can talk it out and reach an understanding, there won't be a problem anymore," Elle said hopefully.

"So you'll be willing to talk to me then?" Mias' expression lifted a little.

"Er, I guess… and by talk, I mean talk. No funny business."

"Of course. I'm quite serious about this," he declared, kissing the back of her palm to pledge his dedication.

"…Any excuse to kiss me, huh?" Elle sighed as she finally freed her hand from his grasp.

"You didn't stop me," he grinned.

"That doesn't mean I'm okay with it!" She flustered up, but didn't escalate their fight due to the sound of the main hall doors opening. "Was that…?"

"Stay here," he told her, quickly leaving her side to investigate.

He wasn't even out the door before Elle stood up and followed after him. She didn't see much point in anxiously waiting around.

"Would it hurt you to listen?" Mias asked as they rounded the corridor towards the main hall.

"I'm safest when I'm right by your side, aren't I?" She argued.

"Fair point," Mias conceded as they reached the main hall's entrance and saw four familiar figures already bustling about.

"That door still makes way too much noise. Gale, can't you fix it?" Malcolm asked the groundskeeper as he brought in everyone's luggage.

"Aye, I'll see what I can do," Gale handed of a smaller bag to Retti. "Here're yer things Retti."

"Thank you," Retti smiled before noticing the cook was on his way towards the kitchen. "Mr. Percy, we only just returned! You should rest!"

Percy shook his head, but halted his steps when he saw Mias and Elle approaching them. He brought his feet together and bowed his torso.

The others followed his lead, Malcolm included, though he was the first to erect himself again. "My word, I'm surprised the place isn't on fire! I'm happy you managed to function without me, my lord! Though I will say the garment you're wearing is a bit…"

"Why are you all… here?" Mias asked, surprised to see his servants.

"Well, after having to gulp down goblets of the most unsophisticated blood, I regained consciousness and had Sebastian fill me in on the details. Nasty business, all of it, but I'm not the sort to run out on my master. Besides, I reckon a storm is coming and a captain without his crew is bound to have his ship sunk," Malcolm grinned. "I could find you new employees, but these three you chose for a reason. I figured you'd be needing them."

"But you all may be killed!" Mias shouted. "You know that, don't you?!"

Gale nodded. "Of course we do, but plenty a' people want us dead now fer information on ya. While my employment does come at a price, my loyalty doesn't. Yer life is yer own and I ain't fixin' to profit off it. 'Sides, weren't fer ya my kids would still be on the street. You sent 'em to school… can't thank ya enough for that, sir."

Retti stepped forward to speak. "A-And I… Uh… know I do a piss poor job, but I think I'm getting better. The innkeeper I tried working for had absolutely no tolerance for me, but you do…! And I know that's because of my grandma who looked after you all these years. No other employer would put up with me otherwise… I'm grateful you gave me a chance and you kept me around as long as you did… If you don't want me back, I'll understand, but I want to repay your kindness to me and my family, Master Mias!"

Mias turned his eyes to Percy. "Well? Do you have any dramatic speech?"

"…You have the best facility for me to utilize my skills to their full potential," he said stoically.

Mias smirked and turned to the others. "See, this is why I like Percy. No emotional bollocks."

Gale and Retti looked a bit nervous.

"If there are jobs you want to do here, do them. I will see your salaries are increased for your trouble and make sure more proper arrangements are put in place should we have another incident," Mias folded his arms across his chest. "Welcome back, now get to work!"

"Yes sir!" All of them smiled and quickly rushed back to their tasks.

"Good to see you too Miss Elle!" Retti waved to Elle.

Elle waved back, before her attention turned to Mias. He was gripping his arms a bit tightly and looking conflicted by his servants' presence. "Mias…? Is everything okay?"

"I don't doubt that I'll make sure my whole household is protected next time… but these people are willing to risk their lives to serve me…"

"Looks to me like they're just doing what they want to do," Elle assured him, watching Percy hurry to the kitchen, Gale take the two coaches to the carriage house, Retti rush to her room and them come back with a cloth to clean their footprints from the hall at once. "You're a bad influence."

Mias laughed and relaxed his arms. "I suppose I am. Still, I didn't think I had this sort of loyalty…"

"Then why don't you welcome them back properly with a little celebration or something?" Elle suggested.

"If it'd please you," Mias said.

"It'd be nice to see you treating these people with the respect they deserve," she said as she turned to head back to her room. "I'll go get dressed and help them unpack."

Mias stared down at his sheet-wrapped torso and decided he'd best do the same. Elle's word was all the motivation he needed for fulfilling such a strange request. It would of course be awkward for both Master and Servant to act as equals, but for the sake of pleasing Elle, it had to be done.

While she toiled in the library with her studies with Abernos as her tutor this time, Mias went about putting together a small, but classier dinner party for all seven of them. The only bit of trouble he had was when he came to Malcolm.

"We're still going to need to get a contractor in here…" Malcolm said as he paged through his assessment of damage to the manor caused not only by Elle, but by Elias and Duncan. "The cold seasons will be here before we know it and I'd rather not have men coming and going through this house and letting all the heat out."

"Yes, make arrangements for repairs immediately," Mias said as he approached Malcolm's desk, freshly dressed and groomed. "How are your wounds?"

"They ache, but my problem was my loss of blood. Ugh. Sebastian couldn't find me any willing human meals, so I had to choke down animal blood…" he grimaced. "I'm not my cousin! I have a very delicate constitution! It was horrible!"

"But you recovered no worse for wear it seems," Mias smiled.

"As have you," Malcolm smiled back. "And you're in a good mood too. Could it be your lady comforted you in your hour of need?"

"If you're asking if anything happened between us, alas I must disappoint you," he admitted.

"Oh?" Malcolm raised a curious eyebrow.

"Something is wrong with me, Malcolm," he said, taking a seat a nearby chair. "I'll do anything to please a woman, but Elle has the oddest requests… speaking of which, you're joining us for dinner tonight so dress appropriately."

"Interesting," Malcolm smiled and went back to calculating figures. "She is a peculiar girl."

"Very peculiar, and I may lose my mind trying to figure her out."

"It's because you're impatient," Malcolm chuckled. "Time is what is needed for growth, not information. She will open up to you so long as you give her time."

"And so I am to suffer in the meantime?"

"I can summon another mistress for you."

"I don't want another mistress, I want Elle!" Mias groaned in frustration like a spoiled boy. "When I think I could have had her and didn't take the opportunity, I want to kick myself…"

Malcolm set his quill down. "So something did happen."

"…She tried to kill herself…" Mias said solemnly, retelling his account of the goings on during Malcolm's absence. "I do not regret my decision, let me make that clear. It wasn't the right time for either of us, but if I had… Do you think she would finally agree to be mine?"

"I cannot speak to the uncertainties of the future, Master Mias, nor can I speculate a woman's mind, but my guess is you'd still have a broken doll on your hands if you had lain with her."

"Yes, I feared the same which is why I couldn't bring myself to, and as a result she recovered quicker than I expected," he smiled a little. "She's amazingly resilient. What better quality could I ask for in a suitable partner?"

"That's no excuse to drag her into trouble," Malcolm warned. "You know this isn't the last we'll be hearing from Elias."

"I know."

"You really would be saving yourself a great deal of trouble if you returned her."

"That is out of the question. How many times must I say it? She's mine, and I'll never let another man touch her ever again."

Malcolm raised a curious eyebrow. "Such a bold declaration rouses a fair bit of curiosity on my part: Why does it have to be her?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be bloody asking you," he growled, getting up from the chair to pace the room, before approaching the window behind Malcolm. He could see into the yard where Elle excited greeted Gale's three dogs, being tackled by the collie into the tall grass and further assaulted with sloppy licks and wagging tails while an amused Gale led the horses into the nearby stable.

Malcolm kept his calm, delicately folding his fingers together before his face as he thought over the best course of action. His eyes shifted to the side toward Mias and the contented expression on his master's face further aroused his suspicions. He'd have to pay extra close attention to their behavior come dinner.

"Alright you three, spoilin' the missus is the master's job," Gale smirked as he whistled for his pack.

Elle giggled as she got back to her feet. "Aw, I don't mind, Gale. They're very sweet."

"'Course they are, but they ain't got no restraint at times," he chuckled, rubbing his hand down against the collie's head. "This one in particular."

"Huh. You always say 'this one' or 'you three'," Elle commented. "Don't they have names?"

"Ah, dog don't have need of a name really," Gale explained. "Never saw need to give 'em any."

"Aw, but I can't whistle like you can to call them," Elle pouted as she patted the hound's head. "Could I name them?"

"Can't guarantee they'll respond to it."

"It'll be alright if they don't," Elle knelt down to look the hound in the face. "Hm, a little cliché maybe, but you look like a 'Duke'."

The hound licked Elle's cheek.

"Alright, you're Duke," she giggled and looked over at the sheepdog. "How about 'Earl'?"

The sheepdog just sat there panting like he was unaware of the goings on.

"And you can be 'Baron'," Elle told the collie, earning a bark from the eager dog.

"Why ya givin' 'em all titles?" Gale asked, scratching the back of his head.

"I don't know. They just seem to fit. Duke, Earl, and Baron," she repeated.

Gale chuckled. "I ain't arguin', just thinkin' yer a funny lass."

"I am?" Elle tilted her head. "How so?"

"Ah, I didn't mean it in any bad way," he grinned, ruffling up her hair with his bear like hands. "Yer a good lass."

"Thanks, I guess," Elle tried to pat her hair back into place, but it appeared she'd need a proper brush to do the job.

Gale laughed again. "Sorry about that."

"Ah, it's alright. Knowing Mias I'll need a frickin' makeover before I can eat dinner tonight."

"You an' me both," he smiled.

The same could be said for everyone in the manor, except Mias who was always dressed quite elegantly for dinner without much hassle. With everyone settled back into their rooms by noon and their chores done by 4, it took everyone three hours to bathe, dress, and style themselves for a meal no one but Elle honestly looked forward too, but she was naïve to just how large the gap between Mias and his servants were. Even Malcolm, his apparent right hand man, looked slightly uncomfortable to be seated at the same table as his Master.

Percy still served the trays, but instead of returning to the table took a seat next to Malcolm on the left side of the table. He didn't seem especially bothered by the uncomfortable atmosphere and simply waited for Mias to take the first bite as his etiquette dictated he couldn't eat before the lord of the house did.

Elle glanced down her side of the table at Retti and Gale, who looked uncomfortable in their clothes alone not to mention the atmosphere. The only one not seemingly bothered by this whole event was Abernos whose attention had been captured by the shine of the silverware.

"Why do you need so many?" The ignorant Stag asked Percy.

Percy didn't answer, not because he'd fallen back on being a man of few words, but because he didn't like the state his kitchen was in when he returned to it.

"Well," Mias finally spoke up. "Bit of an odd gathering, but I'm pleased to see everyone cleans up nicely. Gale, you could almost pass for a gentleman."

"Ha, that'll be the day," Gale chuckled, his low grumbling laugh settling everyone's nerves a bit.

"We should eat before it gets cold," Malcolm said, noticing the anxious look on Percy's face.

"Right," Mias said, realizing no one else would eat before he did.

With mouths full, there wasn't much reason to converse, but in a way that only made it more awkward, knowing that there would only be silence at the end of this meal. It made Elle regret suggesting this in the first place. She made a mental note to read over proper dining customs as soon as possible to avoid further catastrophes.

"This was a bad idea, wasn't it?" She asked out loud, unable to eat anymore given the tension in the room.

Everyone stopped moving their silverware and swallowed the food in their mouths.

"I-It's not that this is 'bad', Miss Elle," Retti said. "It's just… um…"

"We don't do this sorta thing," Gale finished for her.

"It's a bit unorthodox I suppose, but I'd say they're all civil enough, wouldn't you Master Mias?" Malcolm asked.

"After the past few weeks, I'll take their company over my brothers'," Mias said before taking a huge gulp of wine. "Besides, this is to make Elle happy so don't mind me. Pretend I'm not even here."

"That's kind of hard to do when you're the head of the table," Abernos pointed out.

"Well, then I guess I'll take control of the conversation myself," Mias said, setting his goblet down. "Anaret."

"Y-Yes sir?!" Retti squeaked and made sure she was sitting straight in her chair.

"Cerigan… I mean, your grandmother… how is she fairing? I haven't heard from her in a while."

"She's fine, sir. She's been back on her feet and rebuilding her strength the past few weeks. I don't know when she plans on returning, but I'm sure she will."

"It'd be best if she just retired," Mias sighed.

"Oh, she'd rather die on her feet than in bed as you know, sir," Retti added.

"Isn't your father home yet to speak reason to her?"

"No, he's not supposed to return home for another month."

"What does your father do, Retti?" Elle asked.

"He's the navigator on a merchant ship. He sails all over the world to trade goods."

"That sounds exciting," Elle smiled.

"I suppose… but it means he's away a lot. I sometimes go a whole year without seeing him. I understand if he didn't want to see me, but I wish he'd come back to relieve my grandmother from my mother's care. She's very critical you see and never approved of my father marrying her, and after she miscarried my baby brother and became unable to bear more children, my grandmother's criticism got worse."

"Cerigan's always wanted to make sure her family had the best," Mias said in the old woman's defense.

"And I think we've done very well. My father couldn't help who he fell in love with… but of course he's never home to defend my mother so I don't know what to think anymore… I know if I do what I'm told, there's less trouble. It's about the only thing I'm good at too."

"Nonsense, Retti. I've seen your embroidery work. You may have clumsy fingers, but you can create beautiful imagery," Malcolm said. "You should try painting too."

"But Grandmother always said that wouldn't earn a woman any decent living—"

"Bring me some of your work tomorrow, Anaret," Mias insisted. "I may not know needle point, but I know art. If you have any talent, I'll be sure to see it."

"Sir, you don't— "

"I insist. Cerigan can't object if I approve of it, can she?" Mias grinned, loving when he could work his title over someone else's rules.

"I… suppose not," Retti said, finding enough confidence in Mias' encouragement to not stutter.

"Since we're speaking of non-present family," Mias looked down the table to Gale. "How are those little hellions I'm serving as benefactor for?"

"They're not so little anymore. Tarrant's 15 this summer. Was wonderin' if you'd send him to the university or if he should try for a trade."

"After all this time it'd be a shame for him not to go. He's a bright lad. What's he planning on studying?"

"Everything," Gale laughed. "Ya turned him from a street rat to a book worm. Even when he's home fer the summer my sister says he's hidin' in the trees to avoid his chores so he can read. Says he wants to be a professor to an' go teach the kids in the village when he can. Who'da thought that, eh?"

"I told you all he needed was a suitable output for his energy," Mias boasted.

"How many children do you have Gale?" Elle asked.

"Five," Gale smiled. "Two boys and three girls. Lost their mum 'bout six years ago now. I had to work t' feed 'em, but that meant couldn't watch 'em. My sister tried, but with her own brood, couldn't keep an eye on Tarrant, my eldest, and Trys, the middle one. Brats had nerve enough to run up here to see if the 'wicked man' looked as much a monster as the townsfolk said."

"So imagine our surprise when we saw a fearless boy and girl sneaking around the property," Malcolm said. "But trespassing is trespassing. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to use a child to snoop, so I had to bring them to Mias' attention."

"What happened?" Elle asked, leaning in to listen intently.

"I scared the piss out of them, literally," Mias said. "It hadn't been my intention, but I've never really had a way with children…"

"Next thing I know the Dormaeus carriage is pulling up at the blacksmith shop I run and my two fearless brats come out with wet britches lookin' like they've seen a ghost. An' I musta just about looked the same when I met ya, Master Mias."

"I wasn't pleased with your lack of discipline and it showed. What can I say?" Mias took another sip of wine. "But, one look around his shop and I knew I'd found a decent smith and livestock caretaker. Only problem was the brats. I offered to send them to school if he'd work for me. Not only does the world gain five more enlightened individuals, but they stay off my property and out of trouble."

"Kinda an offer I couldn't refuse. Even I can't read that well, let alone write. Figurin' my kids could have better lives if they had some learnin'. I still hafta work anyway, so it was done. Been workin' here fer five years now. I do miss my kids… but I see 'em once a month at least. They're all healthy an' happy an' really that's all I need."

"Aw," Elle smiled. "I'd like to meet your children, Gale."

"Yer welcome on my next visit."

Elle kept smiling and looked to Percy. "What about your family, Mr. Percy?"

Percy didn't respond, simply smiled a little and shook his head.

"He's the only son of this region's famous apothecary," Malcolm informed her. "Both his parents are deceased and he's not married either. He just showed up one day and asked if he could be the cook."

"One taste from one of Percy's dishes was all it took before I fired the old drunken slob my brothers insisted made the best meals," Mias chuckled. "He's a man of few words to preserve his taste buds, or something to that effect. Says words can taint the pallet. I don't know if that's true, but I'm not going to argue with him when the results are this delicious."

Percy smiled, confirming this was the case.

"I myself have humble beginnings in the Dormaeus household," Malcolm continued. "Being a vampire, I age rather slowly so I'm actually older than Mias despite my youthful appearance, though I didn't specifically tend to him until his adolescence. As for family, there's just my cousin Duncan, and we don't get along very well nowadays."

"It's sad when families don't get along," Abernos spoke up. "All I have is my brother Berenos since my exile from the tribe."

"You were exiled?" Even Elle didn't know that.

"I didn't tell you?" Abernos tilted his head curiously. "Huh, well not that it matters anymore but I'm one of Stag Lord Maglagnos' sons."

The entire table jumped, clanking silverware against dishware and nearly toppling over goblets.

"A Stag Prince?!" Mias exclaimed.

"Well, ex-prince," Abernos clarified. "I was banished. Berenos too. We broke our horns in battle and the only way to preserve our tribe's honor was if we were exiled."

"Broke your horns and lived to tell about it? That doesn't happen too often," Malcolm commented.

"I know. We were very lucky to survive it. They've grown back now so you can't really see how bad it was, but it wasn't fun."

"You can die from having your horns cut off?" Elle asked.

"Mhm, if you cut it near the base," Abernos said, pointing to the area where his antler grew out of his cranium. "It's difficult to stop the bleeding."

"Jeez… that's horrible, and then to be banished from your home on top of being injured. What a horrible father."

Abernos shrugged indifferently. "He was just upholding our laws. Even a prince isn't immune from the judgment of the Stag Lord. I don't hold it against him. I just can't believe Berenos lost his too… unlike me, he's a competent warrior."

"Well, at least you were together," Retti said.

"Yep, brothers in failure and banishment," Abernos beamed. "Uh, speaking of Berenos, I wonder if he's looking for me… It's been a while. I should probably let him know I'm okay."

"Sending him a letter would be difficult," Mias pointed out. "But I know a few competent messengers who might be able to locate him."

"Really?! You'd let me send word to my brother?!" Abernos' ears perked up and his tailed swished back and forth excitedly.

"I have no reason to keep you here. You could leave if you want. I'm not even paying you, so I really don't care what you do."

"I want to stay," Abernos said, much to Mias' chagrin.

Elle giggled, at last feeling the cloud of awkwardness lifting as everyone finally began sharing stories and conversing like normal people at a dinner party, even interacting with Mias for his commentary. It was the sort of warm and open atmosphere Elle missed when hanging out with her own friends back home, though she honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd been with any of them.

The evening winded down as plates became empty and the candles burned down to the holders and extinguished themselves, signaling to everyone it was time to consider sleep.

"I'll help with the dishes," Retti told Percy as she helped stack plates onto the trolley.

"Ya need any more help?" Gale asked.

"We can handle it. You need to change before you walk out to barn, right?" Retti asked.

"Aye," Gale yawned and stretched his arms out above his head. "Get back to my usual scruffy self."

"Good night, Gale!" Elle called as she watched the groundskeeper leave the dining hall.

"G'night!" He waved.

"You can head to bed too, Miss Elle. We can handle the clean up," Retti smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"Go on you two," Malcolm smirked, taking to repositioning the chairs in their proper distance from the table.

"Um—"

"Thank you, Malcolm," Mias smiled, slipping his hand around Elle's waist. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Good night Master Mias, Miss Elle," Retti smiled while Malcolm waved just his fingers as Mias ushered Elle out of the dining hall at his side. "Mm, that was sort of fun, wasn't it?"

"Indeed," he smiled, before turning to Abernos. "Oh, Abernos, tell me, since you've been here the entire time, have you noticed a difference in those two? Particularly in Mias?"

"Huh, Elle asked me that the other day."

"What did you tell her?"

"I said I thought he seemed nicer, she said he was more tolerant," Abernos informed him.

"Hm, so it's not my imagination," Malcolm thought to himself for a moment. "I have my suspicions, but I don't want to jump to a conclusion yet. Will all of you promise to tell me if notice anything odd?"

"Sure, but I don't really know what I'm looking for exactly," Abernos said.

"Something tells me you'll know if you see it…" Malcolm said, looking at the three with a pleasant smile on his face. "Now then, let's fix this room up and head to bed."

"Oh like you're doing to do any real cleaning," Retti retorted while Percy chuckled silently.

It'd been a good night for everyone, especially Elle. Even with Mias' hand resting atop her hip, her good mood wasn't shaken. She pried his hand off in the corridor, only to have his palm press up against hers and his fingers lace through hers as she attempted to break physical contact. "Must you? We had such a nice dinner."

"I can't even hold your hand?" He pouted, watching her attempt to pry his hand away with her free one. He quickly snatched it into the grasp of his other free hand and smiled slyly at her.

Elle raised a curious eyebrow and deciding to play back pushed all her weight into her hands, effectively pushing Mias up against the wall.

The lack of resistance on his end made it obvious he hadn't intended to stop her and he continued grinning at her. "Do be gentle with me."

"Oh piss off," she blushed, trying to take her hands away yet again only to bring him with as she tried to lower them. "W-Would you cut that out?!"

"As you wish," Mias released her hands only to ensnare her waist.

Elle heaved a defeated sigh with a hint of annoyance. "What are your demands this time, Master?"

"Retire with me to my room. We can have a little more wine and talk, just the two of us."

"Talk?" Elle doubted that.

"Talk," he repeated.

"You didn't share much at dinner, why the sudden urge to 'talk'?"

"Maybe you're the only one I want to share things with," he smiled. "So, will you join me?"

"Will you be groping me the entire time?"

Mias removed his hands and raised them up to the level of his eyes. "I won't touch you."

"Well, I am a little wound up still… I suppose I could decompress with some light chitchat, but if you force me into bed with you, I won't be happy."

"And we can't have that," he grinned, lowered his arms. "Come then."

"Yeah, I'm comin'," Elle responded with limited enthusiasm as they continued down the corridor to the main hall, up the grand stair case, and to the east wing of the manor where Mias' bedchamber awaited them with faintly glowing light from the oil lamps and the fire place.

Mias snapped his fingers, feeding more fuel to the light sources with the help of his magic. The room brightened up to a low light, making everything visible thought hungry shadows danced up from the edges of darkness. "Please make yourself comfortable."

"Alright," she responded quietly as she walked towards the couch. Even if they were just going the talk, the lighting of the room suggested they should be doing something more. She took a seat wondering if comfort was something attainable when alone with Mias. It probably wouldn't help that her current attire helped showcase her figure, not to mention the shoes were pinching her toes. She kicked them off to the side without a second thought and next removed the bodice of the dress to relax her cleavage and let the natural roominess of her cream colored gown put more mystery to her figure. Of course without the supportive garments, the dress's already wide neckline freed her shoulders to the room's air, but she hoped Mias wouldn't find it seductive enough to cause trouble.

Mias opened up his private assortment of wine from the liquor cabinet off in the far corner of the room. He uncorked a fresh bottle of the drink and grabbed two goblets before joining Elle on the couch where he handed off her goblet and filled it half full for her. He filled his own and set the bottle on the sofa table behind them. "See? Nothing wrong with this at all, right?"

"Um, yeah, maybe," Elle said nervously, turning the goblet back and forth in her hand before finally taking a sip. "So… what did you want to talk about?"

"…Dinner made you happy?" He asked.

"It got off to a rocky start, but we all had fun in the end," she smiled. "And finding out Abernos is a prince. Wow. Does that mean his social standing is higher than yours?"

"Even if he wasn't in exile, you can't compare a forest steward to an actual lord. Would you really call him a 'prince'?"

"I guess he's not the typical image of one, but you aren't exactly how I'd picture a lord either."

"Oh?"

"But you do look like an evil sorcerer, so I'll give you that," she laughed.

Mias smiled at her, enjoying the sound of her laugh.

"Heh, this is all so weird…" Elle commented after her giggles ceased. "Being here… with you… talking…"

"We can do more than talk if you wish," Mias smirked.

"Fat chance," she blushed, taking another healthy sip of wine.

"Hehe, worth a shot," he said, grabbing the wine bottle to refresh her goblet along with his own.

"Mm, I probably shouldn't have too much… I'm already feeling tipsy," she giggled again and despite her words downed the entire content of her goblet in one gulp before holding it out for more.

"Take it easy, Elle," Mias lightly warned as he refilled it.

"But it's sooo good!" She giggled, a drunken blush overtaking her cheeks. "You really know how t' live!"

Mias smiled and hid the bottle back on the table. He hadn't intended to get her drunk, simply help her relax. Apparently it did the trick even though she wasn't in a clear state of mind.

"You had it right… I give up…! I admitit it! I could be posh! I could let ya spoil me rotten!" She laughed some more, her upper half falling onto his lap as he drank down the last bits of wine from his cup. "Yer not bad to lookit either… hic…"

"Really? Do tell me more," he smirked, turning himself to bring his legs up onto the couch.

"Shush!" Elle scolded as she sat upright, pushing her index finger against his lips. "I don't know what you're shmirking about, Mr. Dormaeush, because you sir, are a vherry bad man! And I have a good mind to kick yer butt. Because I totally could~!"

Mias kept smiling as her finger slipped from his lips and her eyes grew too heavy to stay open.

She collapsed against his chest, her goblet dropping to the floor and spilling what was left of her drink as she passed out against him.

"My goodness, you sure put me in my place…" He found it all rather amusing. A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts, or so the saying goes. Perhaps Elle didn't hate him as much as she claimed, and looking at the smile brimming from ear to ear it certainly seemed like she was contented. "G'night, kitten."

---

Though Mias would have slept soundly on the sofa with Elle sprawled on top of him, he reasoned her awakening to the scene would not go over well. He thought about moving both of them to the bed, but also remembered her threat that he better not. He reluctantly left her on the couch, giving her a throw pillow to curl up against in place of his chest. He fetched a blanket for her as well and tucked it over her with care not to wake her.

He picked up her goblet from the floor and extracted the still moistened wine stain from the carpet with a spell. It was a waste of fine wine, but such a matter seemed trivial when he glanced back at Elle's contently sleeping figure. She still had a slight smile on her face.

That sort of gentle expression stirred up an odd sensation in him once again. Its mystery annoyed him, but he didn't dislike it. He only wished he could figure out what it was.

With his room in order and Elle sound asleep, he stripped down and went to bed. Only he couldn't stop his mind from posing questions. Why was he being so nice? What was this strange sensation he felt in Elle's presence? Why did it arise whenever he thought about her even? He thought he was conducting himself in a manner that would please her, but really all it did was keep him on a short leash when it came to physical affection, as if he were under her control.

He suddenly bolted upright in realization that this could very well be a spell. Perhaps Elias had done it. It didn't seem very powerful, but it was enough to mess with his mind and question his judgment, the perfect sort of spell for Elias. Or worse, what if Elle was the perpetrator? She might not be able to cast magic herself, but there were certainly enough books with detailed accounts of potion making. Perhaps all that time Abernos spent in the kitchen was spent helping her concoct such a potion.

But perhaps he was just being paranoid and over thinking things. This feeling was probably the result of longing for what he couldn't have. He'd never been denied for so long, perhaps there were side effects to waiting he was unaware of. He knew he couldn't relieve himself with another woman or by his own hand. He felt no satisfaction in it. Even when Merevere and Corrine were with him, they simply took care of his physical frustration, not the mental. It could only be Elle.

His gaze burned into the back of the sofa where she laid, his mind heavily debating the pros and cons of seducing her when she was drunk and exhausted. He could easily free her from her inhibitions and finally settle every thought and desire that plagued him, but… but if she didn't want to, what was the point? She wouldn't call his name between gasps and moans, she'd only cry and curse him. That wasn't what he wanted.

He let his body fall back against the mattress, deciding it was best to stay put and try to sleep it off. He at least had his dreams where Elle was willing, and that would have to suffice.

When Elle awoke the next morning, she was surprised how mild her hangover felt. She held a hand over the right side of her face as she sat up, groaning as all her senses awakened and felt the after effects of the indulgence of alcohol. She looked down to the floor to grab her shoes and found their gown's accessories folded nicely on top of them, and on of them was a small vial and a note reading 'for your head'.

Her head turned towards Mias' bed on the other side of the room. It was already made and there wasn't any sign of him, but judging by how high the sun already was in the sky, there was no reason for him to still be there.

She faced the extinguished fireplace and picked up the vial to examine it. She was hesitant to accept anything Mias gave her, but the promise of relief for her hangover was too good to pass up. She uncorked it and the mixture mushroomed up from the container before dispersing around her head. Its reaction startled Elle, but the effects were felt with one inhale. The pain in her head instantly vanished, which she found just as surprising.

"I suppose I'll have to thank him…" Elle said to herself as she got up to use the bathroom and freshen up a bit.

She assumed all she'd be able to do was relieve her bladder and splash a bit of water on her face, but again to her surprise found a woven basket with all her toiletries: hairbrush, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, the soaps and shampoos she favored, etc. There was even a fresh change of clothes: her preferred trousers, shirt, and plain undergarments. She wondered if Retti had brought them up for her, but another note placed a top the stack of clothes indicated it was Mias.

"'I'd prefer you wear a dress instead…'," Elle read. "Heh, if I wore a dress all the time, you'd flip my skirt up, pervert."

Still, she couldn't help but smile over it. This was nice. This was how a decent man should act. The only problem was Mias wasn't a decent man, so why was he trying to be something he wasn't?

Elle brewed it over as she took a quick bath to help wake herself up. She could remember the events of last night, except the last few minutes before she fell asleep. Waking up untouched on the couch was another surprise now that she thought about it. It didn't make sense. If he had her drunk, she'd be nearly helpless against him and yet he didn't take advantage of that. Why? What did he stand to gain from having her consent aside from the satisfaction of victory?

"While I do think he'd go to extremes to earn my consent, it honestly don't feel like it's some sort of ploy…" She thought as she placed her arms on the rim of the tub and laid her head down upon them. "It's like he wants me to care about him…"

"I'll make you fall in love with me," she remembered him saying, and despite such a bold declaration, his actions to do so never reflected a genuine desire for such a thing to happen. It was all just a game to get her to have sex with him.

His recent behavior was the contrary. He wasn't being forceful other than a few gropes with his wandering hands, but he played them off humorously and playful, like it was more of an attempt to rile her up than anything else, or an easy way to cop a feel and not get in as much trouble for it. Still, he was being 'nice'; the sort of man she could fall for and coupled with his already charming looks resistance to it became more difficult, but all rational thoughts told Elle this nice guy persona would vanish right after he finished being intimate with her.

And it was becoming easier for her to think about him sexually. Those various 'what if' scenarios where'd she give in to him and yes, it probably would feel incredible, but she couldn't bare the thought of him turning back into what he was: Elias' twin. She couldn't afford to be stupid and reckless just because of a few butterflies stirring up her womb with their fluttering wings. Damn hormones.

Mias was still a perverted jerk with a huge ego who was somehow managing to make her think about him when he wasn't even around. If this was all an act, it was better she call him on it sooner rather than later. She had an idea of how to make him slip up, but it was dangerous, for her anyway, but she knew words weren't effective when it came to Mias, not when she had a clear point to get across.

She got out of the tub with a plan, quickly dressed, and left the room in search of him. The longer she had to think about it, the more anxious and hesitant she knew she'd become.

Thankfully her search took her just across the hall where she noticed the door to his study was ajar and saw him shuffling about inside, still cleaning up and reorganizing no doubt.

She approached the door and knocked on the framework before poking her head inside. "Mias?"

He stopped moving and quickly set the ledgers in his hand onto the desk. "Good morning, Elle."

"May I come in?" She asked.

"Uh…" he looked around his notes, making sure everything visible wasn't for his eyes only. "Yes."

Elle opened the door wider and stepped in, her nerves already making her heart beat faster.

"You're in good form. My elixir was of use I take it?" He asked as he took a seat at his desk and began flipping through a few loose sheets of parchment.

"Yes. I was surprised how quickly it took effect," she said on approach to his side.

"I was surprised you drank so much. Frankly, I'm curious if it was because I made you too nervous."

"Um… yeah… I guess I keep thinking you're going to… do something."

"I won't," he said firmly.

"But you want to, don't you?"

"Of course I want to," he pouted. "More than anything… but I won't."

"Let's see how much control you have then…" Elle thought as she placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned down to press her lips softly against his cheek. "Thank you, Mias."

Mias' eyes widened and his cheeks turned red. He pressed his palm up to his cheek, as if he were in doubt she just kissed him. He looked at her, still surprised and confused, and a little bit delighted.

Elle hadn't expected such a tame reaction, and one that almost made her feel guilty for using the affection as a test rather than a genuine thank you for his good efforts. Perhaps that was why she didn't lean away when he lifted his head toward hers, his eyes narrowing in on her lips. She simply closed her eyes for once and let him kiss her. It'd been too long since he kissed her properly, and the stirring in her abdomen compelled her to not only accept it, but to relish in it. The sensation of his lips and the taste of him, all of it was suddenly appealing and welcomed.

Mias seized her waist, bringing her over his lap to straddle him. He didn't know why she was suddenly so receptive to a kiss, or even why she thought it was a good idea to kiss him in the first place. Didn't she understand how badly he wanted her to do this? If not for her trousers, he'd be unbuckling his own and pulling the crotch of her panties aside to take her right there. Curse Elle's like for boyish fashion, or maybe he should bless it. It made him have to think about his actions rather than simply act on impulse.

Elle placed her hands against his shoulders and pulled her head away from his, only to have his follow as far as it could before she was out of reach. She looked down at him, panting, and recognized that hungry look in his eyes. But it was different somehow. Was it because he wasn't feeding into it? Aside from holding her waist, all he was doing was sitting there and looking up at her with a delighted, and yet bewildered gaze.

"What's going on?" He asked, his hands gripping her waist a bit tighter.

"I… I don't know…" She replied honestly. She knew he'd take the bait, but what she didn't predict was her reaction. She should be furious with him right now. There should be screaming and name calling and maybe even a few hits to be thrown, but there wasn't. There was just confusion and both of them looking at one another like they wanted more but neither would attempt for it.

"Please tell me I've lost my mind and I'm hallucinating…" Mias said as he looked at her. "That's the only way this will make sense…"

Elle didn't know how to respond. She was scared. Hormones or not, there was a non physical part of her that liked that kiss. It was a mistake to test Mias. She only ended up seeing a part of herself she didn't think could ever exist. She pulled herself off his lap in a hurry, knowing she couldn't save face much longer. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she bolted from the room, simply yelling 'I'm sorry' as an explanation.

Mias remained seated and baffled. "What just happened…?"

"What have I done?!" Elle panicked as soon as she got behind the doors of Mias' room. Her heart was beating out of her chest and her cheeks were glowing red with both arousal and embarrassment. "What have I done?! What have I done?!"

She knew what she had done. She'd kissed him, and liked it, but why? Physical pleasure, yes, but that had never existed before either. The comfort kiss he gave her after Iedra's visit felt nice too, but she at least got worked up about that one, but this time she hadn't, and it'd been a significantly deeper kiss too.

Mias at least remained clear headed enough to know it didn't make sense, maybe that was why he didn't engage her further. What if he had though? Would they be naked in that bed right now having sex? A part of her declared 'yes', while a more wanton part told her he'd have fucked her right there in the chair.

"What is wrong with me…?!" Elle whimpered as he panic settled into pure confusion. She wanted to cry again, but crying never solved anything.

What was worse, she had to think about how she'd act next time she saw Mias. Certainly she couldn't play it like nothing had happened and she doubted he'd do the same. She felt so embarrassed, and again, she wasn't sure why. When did everything become so confusing? She was supposed to hate Mias, but now he was making that difficult. Why did he have to make everything so complicated and troublesome? Why couldn't he just do what he said for once and make her life easier?

The more questions she asked, the more she realized how few she could answer. Under the weight of them all, she suddenly felt quite small and helpless. She didn't know what to do. All she wanted was curl up into a ball and make herself as small as possible. Perhaps if she tried hard enough she'd disappear.

However that was not the case. Everything seemed to grow bigger in fact: the room, her clothes, and even her ears. Wait, her ears? She stopped panicked over the kiss long enough to realize she'd become smaller, only she wasn't human. She found her body had returned to the form of a dormouse and she squeaked in horror.

Hadn't that spell been broken? Why was she a mouse again? Great, more questions she didn't have the answers to and she doubted she'd be able to ask Mias if she could get to him. Would he even recognize her? What if mistook her for an actual mouse? Would he unknowingly kill her? No, she couldn't risk going to Mias, but who else could break the spell?

More panic, more frustration; just what she needed. The realization of her transformation was the final blow to her nerves. Everything faded to black as she passed out into her clothing pile.

Mias sat at his desk, half his thoughts replaying the kiss over in his mind for his enjoyment while the other half questioned its meaning. A reward for his good behavior? Unlikely. Elle needing a bit of affection? Possible. Coming to him for it? No chance in hell. He couldn't ask Elle for the answer either. She looked just as confused as he did. Then why had it happened in the first place? A momentary lapse of judgment? Maybe.

He could have sworn in that moment she desired him, but if she did, why did she run away? He hadn't done anything so he couldn't have offended her… or perhaps that was the problem. He couldn't expect a virgin to know exactly how to proceed. She'd be nervous and looking for him to guide her. Had he just ruined another opportunity to have sex with her? If that was the case, maybe it wasn't too late to rekindle the moment.

He rose from his chair and hurried across the hallway to his room. He heard her go in and it stood to reason she may be trying to lure him to a proper place for their coitus. She'd better not already be naked in his bed. He liked to disrobe his women. It was like unwrapping a present. As un-Elle-like as the scenario seemed, it was all his mind could put together and when he entered his bedchamber, he expected to find her there waiting for him.

When he didn't see her however, his heart (and his manhood) fell. Apparently he'd let his imagination get the better of him. He sighed in disappointment, his eyes falling to the floor where he saw her clothes piled in the middle of the room. Perhaps his imagination hadn't been too far off. He was vexed she was already naked, but he'd make do. It wasn't the end of the world if she was a step ahead of him. That possibility held its own excitement.

Then where was she? The bed was still made and empty, the couch was bare, and no one was in the bathroom. A game of Hide n' Seek then? A playful idea, but one that didn't quite suit the mood Elle presented.

"Elle?" He called for her as he checked what hiding spots he could think of: in the wardrobe, under the bed, behind the curtains, none of which yielded her to him. He knew she hadn't left the room, he would have heard the door, and he doubted she'd want to streak the halls with all the servants home to witness.

He knew now that something was amiss, but wasn't sure how to proceed. He'd start by picking up her clothes at least. He didn't want to trip over them as he continued his search, and it was in his meticulous nature to keep a tidy room.

When he knelt down to reach for her shirt, his worries vanished, though his curiosity piqued. He knew there was no way an ordinary mouse just happened to nestle up in the material of Elle's shirt for a nap. He scooped her up into his hand and ran a single finger down her spine, hoping it'd stir her. "Elle? Wake up, little mouse."

She twitched as he touched her and slowly she came to.

"It would appear something interesting has happened," he smiled at her. This was the sort of mystery he was confident he could solve with a little research.

"GIANT MIAS!" Elle squeaked loudly, nearly tumbling out of his hand in shock.

"Whoa, careful," he said, placing his other hand over her to hold her still.

"What's going on, Mias?! I'm really freaking out you know!" She squeaked.

Mias could feel her little body trembling in his hands and returned to stroking her back. "It's alright. Calm down."

"Calm?! How can I be calm?! I really don't know myself anymore! First I'm kissing you and then I'm a mouse! My whole world isn't right!"

"Shush," he encouraged, moving his finger down under her chin. "I'll fix it, but first you need to tell me what happened."

"Huh?" Elle wondered how she was going to do that when squeaks didn't translate well into English.

A quick green flash from his fingertip against her throat meant to change that. "That should do it. Try speaking."

"…What happened…?" She asked, her voice softer than usual given her tiny form but still plenty audible.

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"I… I don't know! I was panicking and… and then I was a mouse and so I panicked more!"

"Did you try changing back like you did last time?"

"I'm not sure how I changed back last time either! I thought I just broke the spell!"

"As did I," Mias donned his thinking face as they went back to his study. He set her down at his desk while he began rifling through the small bookcase that held his always valuable tomes to have on hand. "Clearly you didn't."

"Thanks Captain Obvious," Elle responded sarcastically.

"Normal side effects for animal transformation spells would be a tail or an overly developed sense of smell or hearing, depending on the animal. Did you have any of these when you first changed back to being human?" Mias asked as he found his big book of transformation spells and returned to the desk to begin paging through it.

"I can't say I noticed anything… I felt as normal as before."

"What about habits? Any excessive chewing?"

"No," she shook her head.

"The need to nest or burrow?"

"Not really. When I'm human, I'm human."

"Interesting," Mias simply said as he found the passage he desired and read through it. "Hm, though very rare, sometimes this spell can leave an impression on an individual, resulting in continued transformations without the need of another spell."

"Great… so I'm impressionable to magic?"

"It would appear so, probably because you're from a world without it."

"So how do I change back?"

"According to this, your body should know the spell and you can use it whenever you wish. Hm, that actually could be useful if there's trouble and I'm not around."

"Yes, but how do I activate it or what ever?"

"Try willing it," he suggested. "Spell casting required focus and well established objective. You said you wanted to change back the first time, did you not? My guess is you must have thought something this time that triggered the transformation to a mouse."

"I… felt very small…" she admitted.

"Then your body will reflect that, in theory."

"Okay, I'll try," Elle closed her eyes and tried to picture herself human again. Thinking that was all it took, she peeked one eye open to check with him. "Anything?"

"Not yet. Just calm down and focus your mind," he encouraged. "It might take a while, but it'll happen."

"You're sure…?"

"Of course. You're stubborn, aren't you? You probably wouldn't stay a mouse very long even without my help," he smiled.

Elle smiled back, figuring if a hot shot magician like Mias believed she could master this spell, it was indeed possible. Who'd have thought he could be so encouraging and supportive? She probably overreacted earlier. Mias was slightly more reasonable nowadays it seemed. Even if she scared herself, she didn't need to be scared of him anymore. There was no need to feel small around him. She could deal with him as a human.

When she opened her eyes again, the room seemed proportional, as did Mias. She looked down at her hands and laughed in relief to find herself human again. "I did it!"

"I can see that…" Mias commented, his voice drifting off as his eyes traveled downward.

Elle blushed, quickly crossing her legs and wrapping her arms around her breasts.

"I-I won't do anything!" He assured her before she could go on the offensive, reluctantly turning his head away from the naked woman perched on his desk. "Just go get dressed…"

"Really…? I'm naked and you're not going to do anything?"

"Elle, please, this is torture for me… If you're not prepared to be mine, please put your clothes on…"

"…Okay," Elle said as she slipped off the desk and ran back to Mias' bedchamber yet again to redress herself.

"Fuck…" Mias groaned out loud, wondering what teasing force was responsible for such a frustrating morning. Exercising self control was quickly becoming harder than his unsatisfied loins.

With her clothes back on, Elle thought she ought to thank Mias for helping her, but standing in the corridor outside the study and listening to him swear through his frustrations made her reconsider. She knew she was the cause of it and didn't want to further upset him by being in his presence. It was best she just leave him to learn how to cope. Besides, her stomach was insisting she fetch something to eat as soon as possible.

After a late breakfast, Elle joined Abernos in the library for a quick review of yesterday's lessons regarding common flora and fauna in the area before she continued with another text. Talk of plant life had her thinking about the Foxgloves in her room and the little black stoat who'd been mysteriously absent for a while. Perhaps with everyone moving back into the house, the commotion compelled him to stay out of sight.

And related to the rodent was her own transformation, though the one from mouse to human was the one replaying in her mind as she recalled Mias trying not to stare at her when it was evident he wanted to stare, touch, and do way more to her than she was ready for. Even if he had kissed her again, maybe that wouldn't be so bad. He was a good kisser, there was no denying that, but why did she want him to do that? Her opinion of him hadn't really changed. She remained suspicious of this 'in control' Mias for fear it was just a mask to cover the true bastard that he was, and because it was working too well against her physically. Seeing him struggling to keep himself off her only made her want to throw her arms around him. What sort of sickness was that?

"Elle?" Abernos waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you there?"

"Hm?" Her attention shifted over to him. "What?"

"Are you not in the mood for studying?" He asked.

"I guess not…" she admitted.

"It's not cuz I can't explain things properly, is it?"

"Of course not," Elle smiled. "Who better to teach me about poisonous mushrooms and dangerous ghouls than you?"

"Then what's wrong?"

"I guess I have way too much on my mind…" she laughed weakly. "I'm sorry."

"Did something happen last night? You didn't get up until late this morning."

"No, nothing happened really. Mias said he wanted to talk with me more in private… though neither of us really said much. We just drank wine until I passed out and that was it."

"He didn't try to mount you or anything?"

"No, he hasn't done anything like that since before Elias."

"Hm, maybe he's out of his mating season?"

Elle laughed. "I don't think it's quite like that!"

Though it brought up a good point. The natural human reproductive cycle sometimes did spur one's need for sex. Her own libido didn't have regular fluctuations, but if she were at a higher peak hormonally, it'd make sense her thoughts would turn to sex, but why Mias of all the men in the household? Malcolm likely wasn't into women, Gale was a bit too old and smelled like a barn, and Percy didn't really have much personality. Abernos seemed a more likely match if she thought about it logically, but try as she may to put a sexual approach to their relationship, it just didn't fit. So that left Mias – may God help her.

"Abernos… do you think Mias is up to anything?" She asked.

"You mean with his self control?"

Elle nodded her head. "Do you have any sort of animal instinct that's setting off alarms?"

"Um, not really. He's always been very forward with how he feels. I don't think he'd suddenly change that."

"So he's not deceiving anyone?"

"I don't know, he could be. I'm not that smart after all and my 'animal instincts' aren't really that useful."

"I see…"

"Why don't you just ask him?"

"Like he'd tell me. Mias may not lie, but he doesn't tell the truth either."

"I suppose that's true, but why are you suddenly questioning it at all? You still hate him, don't you?"

"That's the thing, I don't… yeah, I'm still ticked he kidnapped me, kept me locked up, tried numerous times to rape me… but… there isn't any hatred there anymore… I don't know if it all went to Elias or if I somehow gained a small understanding of Mias, but… I don't… hate him anymore… I don't like him either mind you. He's very annoying and troublesome. Maybe I've just grown used to him, but if that's the case, why do I feel more confused about him than I ever did before?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know how I feel about him… It seems like he's genuinely trying to make himself likeable to me, and… I'm scared it may be working. I can't even say what I want from him… the moment I think freedom, I feel like getting closer to him… Did you know I haven't thought about going home in a while? Like I've all the sudden become okay with staying here… and no offense to you or the others who have been so kind to me, but I shouldn't want to stay here… not with him… but he makes it seem easy… I think he's made me lazy or something. Like I won't know how to function if I were to go back home because I know he will take care of me… I'm scared I'm thinking such things… and when I'm scared I know he'll make me feel safe somehow so it's my fear of him is actually drawing me to him. How twisted is that?"

"It does sound very confusing."

"Why can't I just hate him?" Elle whined, letting her head fall onto the table.

"Maybe because he's not as bad as he first seemed? It seems like he's done good things for the others and their families."

"Yeah, for his own benefit," Elle said, turning her head to the side as it rested on the table. "It doesn't sound like they had any other options, nor do I think they would have said 'no' to him. I don't want to speak ill of Retti and the others, but it seems like Mias 'bought' them… you know?"

"I suppose you could see it that way, but what if he really was trying to help them?"

"Well do you really think he'd be that selfless?"

"Er, no… Okay, I see your point."

"I'd like to believe he's not pure evil, but maybe that's just Stockholm Syndrome taking over," Elle sighed.

"Uh… huh?"

"Never mind, Abernos," Elle said as she lifted up her torso and rose from her chair. "I'm going to get some fresh air. Maybe it'll clear my head. I'll be back to have my afternoon tea with you."

"Alright," he smiled.

While Elle doubted a trip outdoors would solve her problems, she knew she could avoid them for a while, or so she thought. She didn't expect to nearly run into Mias as she left the library.

"Taking a break?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah. I was going to go outside for an hour or so."

"I was actually coming to get you for a more hand's on lesson."

"Oh, uh… what?"

"Do you know how to ride a horse?"

"No…" Elle replied slowly as she wondered exactly where this was leading.

"Then that's something I can teach you," he smiled and turned around. "Come."

Elle knew it wasn't a good time to argue with him. She wasn't opposed to learning such a skill, but she was concerned Mias would be her riding instructor. She could already predict the sexual innuendo. Still, he gave her no reason to object. He didn't seem effected by this morning events. If Mias wasn't acting any differently, there was no reason for her to be. It would be like nothing happened. She could breathe a bit easier and focus on something she'd always wanted to do since she was a little girl in her pony phase.

"Is it typical for every girl to want a horse before they're of age?" Mias asked after Elle shared that detail with him.

"I think so. Probably comes from all the fairytales children are read. There's always the princess, and the prince or gallant knight who rides a noble stead."

"Every knight I ever met was either a brutish slob or a posh twat," Mias commented.

Elle giggled. "Ever think maybe it had to do with the fact you boast you're evil magician?"

"Yes, and you'd think given the number of armored idiots I've sent flying over my wall, they'd actually listen and stop trying to vanquish me."

Elle's expression fell when she realized the severity of that statement. "You've… killed a lot of people to protect your magic, haven't you?"

Mias paused for a moment. "…It's not like I enjoy doing it. I'm not Elias."

"Just because you don't enjoy it doesn't mean it's okay!"

"Then what would you have me do if a hoard attacked this place? They wouldn't think twice to kill you or the servants to get what they want. I'm protecting what's mine."

"I… understand that, but…"

"If you understand, then don't ask me about it. It's not something I enjoy talking about either."

"…I'm sorry…" She said meekly as they stopped before the stable.

Mias racked his thoughts for a way to rephrase himself to sound less irritated with her. "…Listen, I know you're the curious sort and I'm brimming with intrigue, but it truly is for the best the less you know about my darker dealings."

Elle didn't reply. She didn't know what she could say without stirring up another fight.

"Right, let's see to the horses then," he said, shifting their conversation as they entered the stables.

"Master Mias, Missus," Gale bowed his head to the two before continuing to bale hay into the stales for the hungry beasts.

"Good afternoon, Gale. Do you think you could saddle Ares for me? I want to teach Elle how to ride."

"Aye," he nodded, setting his pitchfork aside to fetch the riding equipment.

The four horses stuck their heads out of their stalls to inspect their visitors.

"Ares, how are you?" Mias asked the black stallion, lifting his hand out to rub the beast's head.

Ares grunted and pushed his head against Mias' hand.

"He's affectionate with you?" Elle seemed surprised any manner of beast would want to cozy up to Mias.

"Because you're here. Ares becomes smitten around any female which is why it's best you learn on him rather than one of the mares."

"The other three are girls?" Elle said, looking at the cream, white, and red colored horses further down in the barn.

"Of course. Such a fine animal like Ares deserves a harem."

"Wow, your perversion extends to your horse too…" Elle commented dryly.

"I'll saddle 'im up and bring him out into the field," Gale said as he returned with a riding blanket, saddle, and reigns all carried over one shoulder.

"Thank you, Gale," Mias said, stepping away from Ares' stall to let the man through. He led Elle through the stable and exited through the other door that opened to the field of tall grass and wild flowers and where the three dogs were basking in the sun.

"Hi Duke! Hi Earl! Hi Baron!" Elle greeted each of them and knelt down to rub the hound's belly who proceeded to thump his tail into the ground. "What a good boy!"

"I thought Gale didn't name his dogs."

"He didn't. I did," Elle said as she made sure to pet Earl the sheepdog and Baron the collie too. "Um… do you like animals?"

"I don't dislike them," Mias said. "Clearly I'm not on the level you're at, but these beasts have rounded up a few intruders and thus proved their worth."

"So they're only good if they serve a purpose for you, huh? What about that weasel you let run all over your house?"

"First of all, he's a stoat, and yes, he does have a purpose," Mias said firmly.

Before Elle could ask what that purpose was, Gale pushed the stable door open further and led Ares out to them.

"He's ready to go," Gale said, handing Mias the reigns. "Er, yer sure the lil missus can get up on him?"

"She'll be fine, Gale. I can handle it."

"Don't doubt ya sir. Lemme know if you need assistance though," he said, patting Ares' hindquarters before returning inside to finish feeding the mares.

"Are you ready?" Mias asked her, pulling the reigns to bring Ares to her.

She nodded slowly, slightly intimidated by how big Ares was up close.

"Put one foot in the stirrup and lift yourself up into the saddle."

"Um…" Elle doubted she'd be able to lift herself given the height of the stirrup, but Mias wasn't that much taller than her. If he could mount this tall beast, so could she. However it became clear that a few inches made a huge difference when it came to getting the right leverage to lift one's body up into the saddle. Try as Elle did to do it without help, it didn't take long before Mias' patience gave out and he cast a levitation spell to set her on the stallion himself. "Hey, how can I learn if you cheat?"

"Getting on and off is easy enough if you're of proper height. Let's just focus on getting you used to being up there."

"Okay," Elle felt relieved Mias still had the reigns in his hands. She felt a bit too nervous to try anything herself.

They spent a good hour just walking Ares around the field letting Elle get used to the sensation of being on a moving animal and maintaining the correct posture. By the lesson's end, she felt confident being a top Ares, but was slightly hesitant to dismount.

"I can use a spell again," Mias told her.

"Gravity is with me this time, at least let me try," Elle said as she tried to swing her leg over to dismount. Gravity quickly proved itself to be against her rather than with her, though the fact Elle was wearing slippers instead of boots was her first error. She felt her balance slip from the stirrup as she brought her leg over, but she was quickly caught by Mias, averting what could have been an embarrassing fall.

"I was afraid of that…" he commented. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." She wasn't all that concerned Mias had caught her until she looked at his face and saw he seemed rather stunned to her in his arms. Frozen, like he didn't know if saving her had been appropriate, though he was clearly glad he had. "Are you gonna put me down?"

"Yeah…" He said as his senses returned and he carefully lowered her to the ground. "Um, next time, boots."

"Boots would be a good idea," Elle responded nervously when his arms didn't unwind from her waist. "Um… Mias…?"

"Why did you kiss me this morning?" He asked out of the blue.

"Er, I… I only kissed your cheek!" She blushed.

"Why?"

"I…" She kept blushing, feeling almost compelled to tell him the truth given the calmness of his voice and the concern in his eyes.

"I think I have the right to know why a woman who's refused me for so long would suddenly want to place kisses on me."

"…I wanted to test you," she admitted. "You've been scaring me with this 'self control, somewhat nice guy' act, if it is an act… I thought… if I did something like that, you'd… show your true colors…"

"And what was the kiss on the lips? More of this 'test'?"

"I…! Y-You kissed me!"

"Yes, and you kissed back, or if you insist you didn't, you certainly weren't fighting against it."

"So maybe a girl just wants a good kiss every now and then! I may be prudish, but I'm human with desires too!"

"And you desire me?" He asked, no hint of making a perverted turn of phrase just yet.

"I didn't say that!" She blushed brighter, regretting every word coming out of her mouth. "You're the one who presents himself as some grand sensual being! At least you used to! Now it feels like you're a stranger again or something and it's really scaring me! I didn't like it, but my feelings were at least comprehendible when you were trying to have sex with me all the time!"

"If that's what you want, I—"

"That's not what I want either! I feel like if I could understand you I could deal with you! And my own feelings! But you're just making things more confusing, more troublesome! Every time I think I've gotten you to open up to me a bit, you pull the whole 'I'm a bad man who does bad things' excuse and sure, maybe it is to protect me ultimately but what did you expect when you brought me to this world?! That I wouldn't be curious about the man who wants me to be with him?!"

"What more do you need to know about me than what you see before you?"

"I need to know if you're planning something! If this is all just another game to you! If you just want to fuck me, at least be honest about it!"

"Do you really think I'm trying to deceive you?"

"Aren't you?!"

"Do you think I'd ever pretend to be something I'm not?" He asked. "You know very well that what I want hasn't changed."

"But you have… and I honestly can't believe it'd be for the better…"

"Elle," Mias held her cheeks, sensing she was on the verge of tears.

"Don't!" She ordered, trying to pull his hands away, but he just kept touching her and trying to keep her from breaking down on him. "Don't… be so nice to me…! I can't take it!"

Mias ignored that request, continuing to cup her cheeks and lift her head up towards his. He placed kisses on her forehead continually until she calmed down somewhat. He felt her hands curling around the material of his shirt, letting him know her nerves wanted her to be closer and not further from him. He moved his arms around her waist again and lifted her up to his eye level, their lips also aligned with one another's.

Fearing he'd try and kiss her again, Elle bowed her head and placed her arms over his shoulders. "…Couldn't you just hold me for a while?"

"Is that what you want?" He asked quietly.

Elle slowly nodded her head and felt Mias' arms squeeze her firmly against him. If anything, it was just another test to see what felt wrong and what felt right. If Mias could promise to control himself take things slow and follow through, maybe he really had changed, and Elle was feeling just that desperate for answers to let herself be vulnerable again.

"Gale!" Mias called over her shoulder before bending down to get one arm under her legs and the other to brace her back as he intended to carry her.

"Aye?" Gale poked his head out of the stable door.

"We're done for the day. See that Ares gets his oats," Mias instructed as he secured his grip on Elle before turning to return to the manor.

"Aye," he smiled, stepping out of the stable to bring Ares in. He wanted to ask why Mias was carrying Elle, concerned if perhaps she'd hurt herself, but that couldn't be the case. He'd heard them arguing, well, heard Elle yelling, but whatever the dispute was it seemed to be settled and she was now laying bashful in Mias' arms.

"Do you have to carry me and cause a scene?" Elle asked.

"I want to keep you in my arms as long as possible since you're willing to allow it," he said simply.

"I meant just a quick hug," she blushed embarrassingly.

"I never just 'hug'," he grinned as the front doors to the manor opened for them with the use of a spell and Mias continued inward with no indication of putting her down.

"H-Hey, I didn't agree to have sex!" Elle told him before he could get a foot on the stairs.

"You didn't?"

"No! I… I mean to… experiment, I guess."

"Oh?" Mias raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"Not that kind of experimenting!" She blushed brighter. "You know, like, dating or something, so I can get to know you."

"Dating? Oh, courting. Well my dear, I don't know if you noticed, but I don't court women; I seduce them, and you already know me. I'd say you've had plenty of time to decide whether or not I'd be a good bed partner," he said as he made his way up the stairs.

"Look, I'm not saying I won't, I'm saying not yet."

"So you do want to?"

"I… I don't know yet. I'd prefer if we could take things slow… Surely even you can understand why I wouldn't want to rush into anything."

He paused again at the top of the stairs and bowed his head. "Right…"

"So will you put me down now?" She asked.

"Not a chance," he smiled and continued down the corridor to his room.

Elle groaned and slumped her head against his shoulder. She'd given him just a little leeway and he was abusing the privilege of holding her.

After entering the privacy of his room, he finally set her down on the couch instead of the bed as Elle expected. Maybe he just wanted to talk.

"…Um, what is it you intend to do?" She dared to ask.

He smiled at her while kicking off his boots. Rather than speak his intentions, it'd be easier to show her. Words only got in the way when kissing was involved after all. In all his years of seducing women, he found a lot more could be said with a simple gesture. He took Elle's hand and raised it to his lips, lightly kissing the back of her palm while his eyes slowly made contact with hers.

Elle knew she wasn't going to get an answer from him, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious about that look in his eyes. She stayed still, figuring a kiss to the hand wasn't anything to be too concerned about.

With her hand still held captive by his, he pulled her closer to him, encouraging her to sit on his lap as she'd done earlier. He placed both her hands behind her back and held them firmly at her wrists to prevent her from pushing away from him. If she wanted to stop, she'd have to tell him, and he intended to see what her limitations were regarding exchanges of physical affection. He'd waited a long time for any willingness on her part and now that he had an opportunity, he'd do well to take full advantage of it, continuing by kissing her slightly exposed collar bone.

"Mn!" Elle closed her eyes to endure the subsequent kisses along the bone and up her neck. It felt good of course, but the last man to give her such kisses was one she'd rather forget.

Mias sensed her mild unease and continued upward, kissing along her lower jaw line very slowly until he reached her chin where he decided to venture upward, kissing around her mouth, but not once taking her lips.

Elle wondered if he was teasing her. She didn't see what the point was in passing over her lips in favor of the less erogenous cheek. Perhaps he was still restraining himself, unsure of what he'd be able to get away with. They'd kissed before only that morning though, which was why Elle expected that'd be one of first things sex-crazed Mias would hunger for. Still, she did say she wanted to take things slowly and she had no opposition against these slow and gentle kisses, except for the fact they brought little relief to the growing heat in her body. He wasn't even touching her; one hand still held both of hers behind her back while the other held her side to help her keep her balance on his lap.

Of course Mias wanted to whisk her over to the bed, but even with out his new found self restraint, he knew this was a delicate situation that couldn't be rushed. Undoing Elias' damage meant taking a different approach. The last thing he wanted was for any of his actions to associate him with his brother, so much so that he genuinely feared offending Elle. He had to be kinder, slower, and gentler: something that not impossible for him, but required that newly exercised self control. He wouldn't even allow his mind to wander into sexual fantasy for fear it'd affect his performance. He kept his mind in the moment, savoring each kiss and her reaction to it.

Elle's mind on the other hand, only seemed to be asking more questions. She wondered if his purposely ignoring of her lips was meant to tell her she ought to kiss him, or if he was simply leaving them to not impair her speech should she want to object. Or maybe he did want to kiss them, but was making her want it more than he did. The last answer seemed the most likely, but she wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't even sure were her limit was at this point. With all she'd been through, all this was rather tame and easily endured, even though it did make her blush from head to toe.

Mias found himself running out of flesh he hadn't kissed yet and decided to test Elle's limits. He freed her hands and moved both off under the hemline of her shirt. He lifted it up and over her head with some hesitation on Elle's part before she allowed its removal. It was unexpected compliance, but one he welcomed with fresh kisses to her cleavage.

"Oh…!" Elle gasped quietly, a bit surprised he decided to be direct when it came to her breasts.

He wrapped his arms around her torso, pulling it closer to his mouth to further cover it with tender kisses. The feel of her bare flesh against his hands was one he desired for a long time. Even unfeminine Elle had soft, smooth skin that grew warmer under his touch as all other women had; only this time he was truly delighted to feel it, and sated himself by running his hands up and down her back, memorizing her curves in the process as well.

Elle wondered if she should say anything regarding his kisses or touches, or if it was best if she just went with the flow. She's was sure what was proper etiquette given the situation, but she reasoned if she was doing something amiss, Mias would have told her. Still, it seemed a bit odd that she just remained perched on his lap allowing kisses to be given. She felt like she should be doing something, lest her mind feed her anxiety with 'what if' scenarios.

Mias saw her eyes seeking guidance and paused his kisses to smile at her before he decided to strip off his own shirt.

The revelation of his naked chest made Elle blush brighter than when her own shirt had been removed. Granted, she still wore a brassiere to conceal her breasts, but she was as good as topless in her mind and now so was Mias.

He still smiled at her, wondering if she'd take an interest to explore his body. It might be a bit too much to hope for the first time, but try as she may to hide it, there was definite intrigue written across her face. And why shouldn't she be interested? He was a gorgeous specimen any woman would be thrilled to experience, and he prayed Elle was no exception as he parted his legs to encourage she stand up (and to make his lower half more comfortable).

Elle got to her feet and stood between his legs, watching his fingers intently as they unbuttoned her trousers and slid them down her thighs. The material reached her knees and gravity did the rest to take them to her ankles, where she stepped out of her shoes and trousers simultaneously. She thought she'd fear getting naked, and though it did make her worry what was yet to come, Mias had seen her nude enough times to make standing in her undergarments tolerable.

The magician's joy over this was written all over his face and rewarded to Elle with kisses to her navel that felt more ticklish than anything else.

"M-Mias…!" She giggled, feeling his lips pressing against her belly button. Her laughter eased her tension and Mias' kisses ventured upward as he pulled her back onto his lap.

He breathed in heavily as they brushed against each other, his arousal quite evident from the hard bulge between his legs.

Elle pulled her hips back and looked at Mias with uncertainty. Just how far was he going to push her? She thought the most they'd do was kiss, but they hadn't even done that, and yet here she was in her knickers seated on his lap with him half-naked and fully aroused. She should have known better than to expect anything less, but at least Mias seemed in control of himself for the time being. He wasn't forcing himself against her, nor was he trying to rush anything. This wasn't quite what she had in mind for taking things 'slow'. In her mind, things were moving too fast, though she suspected in Mias' head this was a snail's pace.

And still he smiled devilishly kindly at her, closing his eyes as he gave her cheek before Elle rested her forehead down against his. He opened his eyes part way, looking at her for some sort of indication of what he should do next to please her. One wrong move and she'd shy away from him, but he was running out of ideas that would keep him pleased as well. He wanted more, much more, but he wouldn't take it unless given. He knew better than to make that mistake with her.

Elle arrived at an answer before him, deciding the only urge she wanted satisfied was to be kissed properly on the lips. It was a bold decision she approached shyly, tilting her head slightly to the side to overlay her lips on his, pressing very lightly at first and then letting herself sink into him for a brief moment before pulling away.

Mias had been hoping she'd kiss him again, so when she finally did he felt like he'd done something right. He hadn't offended her, yet. He was left with the choice to push things further or stop this before he became too enamored with her to be denied. Ah, screw it. He'd never been the sort to hold back before, why start now? Elle hadn't said 'no' and that meant she was waiting for him to push her to her limit. He slipped a hand behind her head and pulled their lips back together, kissing her deeply as his arms wove around her to hold her close.

The thrill of it all was making Elle's heart pound out of her chest, for as much as she was fearful, she was twice excited. The kiss seemed better than the one they shared this morning, and she wasn't sure why, nor did she really care at that point. She brought her arms up over his shoulders, putting more of her weight against him for a firmer kiss. She didn't think her leaning against him would be problematic, that is until Mias tried to recline with her on top of him and miscalculated the angle, a move that ended with both of them thudding onto the floor.

"Oof!" Mias exclaimed, having received a double blow with his shoulder taking the brunt of the fall and Elle landing on top of him.

"I'm sorry!" Elle quickly got off his chest, blushing brightly in embarrassment. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," he grunted as he sat up and rubbed his shoulder.

"Sorry, I didn't think I was that heavy and I guess I got a little too excited—!"

Mias placed a finger over her lips and smiled at her. "That's because the sofa isn't entirely practical for such things."

"I-I guess…"

"And the floor is no place for a lady," he smirked, scooping her back up into his arms and carrying her over to the bed.

Elle squeaked nervously and threw her arms around his neck as he set her down on the duvet.

He kept smiling and hugged her close as he joined her. "My promise stands: I won't do anything you don't want me to."

"…I know…" She said quietly.

"So I'm going to continue," he made that clear by reaching around to unhook her bra.

Elle nodded and sat still as the garment was unhooked and slowly pulled away. Mias tossed it to the floor with no regard for his usual tendency to fold clothes. Elle's cheeks remained red and the longer she felt his eyes on her chest, the closer her arms came to wrapping around her chest.

"You don't want me to see?" He asked.

"I… I just don't like when you stare…"

"I prefer the term 'gaze'," he smiled, repeating himself from one of their first conversations as he eased her onto her back.

"Hehe," Elle smiled a little, though her arms stayed around her chest.

"I'll close my eyes then," he told her while doing just that. He leaned his head downward, his hands guiding her arms away so he could kiss the newly exposed flesh.

Elle gasped from the sensation of his breath near her right nipple and again when his mouth found it. Kisses suddenly turned to suckling and sent a whole new kind of shiver up her spine. This wasn't the first time he had at her breasts, but it was the first time Elle could honestly admit she enjoyed it. She could tell he kept his eyes closed to, given that when he finally released her right breast, he began kissing leftward in search of the other.

He found it without much difficultly and prodded his tongue against the erect nub before sucking on it.

"Ah!" Elle gasped again, clenching her hands against Mias' shoulders. "Mias…!"

If Mias were to be honest, the degree of Elle's receptiveness concerned him. Not that he was complaining, but he made note of it. Right now he was having too much fun seeing what noises she'd make under the musings of his tongue and hands to be bothered with any sort of deeper thinking.

Elle felt a confliction of relief and loss when Mias finally released her breast. While it felt good, constantly moaning and gasping for air didn't seem dignified. She wanted to stop this whole thing, but at the same time wanted to experience everything Mias was willing to do to her. So this was the curse of thinking with one's genitals, she thought, gaining just a little more sympathy for Mias and his daily struggles.

Speaking of such, she became aware of the rustling of clothing and looked over to see Mias in the process of removing his trousers.

Somehow she figured she'd have a difficult time getting him to put them back on once they came off. He was ready to have sex right then and there, but Elle still had enough of her wits about to not give into her own lower brain. "Mias… wait…"

"I don't like that sound of that…" He commented as he moved his hands away from his trousers.

"Sorry…" She said, forcing herself upright and covering her chest again. "I… I think this is all way too sudden… B-Besides, I promised Abernos I'd have tea with him this afternoon."

Mias sighed. "I should have known better than to get my hopes up… along with other parts of me."

"L-Look, I willingly fooled around with you a little to see if I liked it, so don't make me out to be the bad guy. That's your job, isn't it?"

"Did you like it?"

"Um…" she blushed and averted her eyes from him. "I-It was okay…"

Mias looked offended. "That's the first time I've heard such an abysmal critique."

"W-Well, physically, yeah, you know what you're doing. I'll give you that, but I… still don't know how I feel about all of it… I thought maybe if I approached it with an open mind, maybe I'd understand something… I guess not."

"What is it you're hoping to find?"

"I know you'll just make another sex joke, but I'm looking for a connection. I can't seem to make one with you just talking, so… thought I'd try it your way."

"While I could make a quip about that, there actually is some truth in it. This is just the foreplay, not sex itself."

"Yeah… but still... I'm not comfortable with it."

Mias forced a smile and touched her cheek. "I'm grateful you gave it a chance at least."

She blushed. "Well… thank you for controlling yourself and not forcing me."

"We'll just have to try tonight~" He grinned, leaning forward for a kiss.

"Er, um, maybe!" Elle scurried out off the bed before Mias could reach her and he subsequently fell onto the duvet, alone.

"Have you considered sleeping with me again as I requested?" He asked, turning onto his side to watch her.

Elle fetched her bra from the floor and quickly put it on. "Uh… well… I suppose… if you keep to one side of the bed."

"I thought we were settled on the holding matter?"

"When I say it's okay and I'm not okay with you rubbing up against me for hours on end. How can you even sleep that close to another person?"

"Years of practice," he grinned.

Elle grabbed her shirt and trousers and redressed for the third time that day. "But you sleep alone any other time so just leave me be. If I want to cuddle, I'll come to you, maybe, if you can prove to be a decent bed sharer."

Mias groaned, but consented. "Very well."

"I'll see you at dinner then," she said, striding toward the door like she was eager to escape.

"Elle," Mias called out to her, causing her to pause at the door. "You're beautiful."

She turned her head with a raised eyebrow. "Isn't it a little late for compliments?"

"I don't believe I ever told you that," he said simply. "I thought you ought to know."

She blushed and turned her head back around as she grabbed the doorknob. "Thanks…"

---

Version II. Chapters 31-33. Originally written in 2013.