Hello! Thanks to those who have reviewed the past couple of chapters! Obviously I can't keep up this pace, but for now, let's enjoy it!
I wanted to mention that in the next chapter or two, I'll be giving this an M rating (so if this disappears from the T listing, you know where to find it). I know it's going to be a little out of character, because Sagara isn't going to spoil us by writing anything explicit, but fanfiction is for fantasy, so off I go. (Also, Kaylin needs to heal, not just tell herself she will and set it aside.) One other thing: I know that Kaylin and Nightshade's relationship is progressing very quickly in this story, but since I don't intend to write hundreds (or thousands) of pages of fanfiction, I consider that inevitable. Regardless, i hope you're able to enjoy my offerings.
Kaylin was sitting at the dinner table in yet another dress with a spread of unidentifiable, but very appetizing smelling food in front of her. She poked at a couple of the dishes - she thought one might be eggs - but her stomach rumbled and she loaded her plate.
"You could have left you know," Kaylin told the fieflord, still embarrassed about changing in front of him. She'd been naked, dammit.
"I could have," he agreed, obviously amused, "but I find I am jealous of your time." Of course he was.
"You wouldn't say that if you'd been watching the damn Records with us today," she assured him after swallowing her first bite. Whatever she was eating was damn good. She took his raised brow as an invitation to continue. "The Aerie doesn't have coding for their Records."
"Ah," he murmured. "I can see that might make your job more time consuming." Kaylin nodded vigorously.
"I'm not Baranni, and even I was bored stupid." He smiled sharply at her.
"While I am certain that the Baranni of your acquaintance will acknowledge being bored, they would likely take issue with your use of the term 'stupid'." Kaylin cringed at the thought of Teela's reaction.
"Right."
"From your demeanour I take it you found nothing of interest?" Kaylin shook her head around a mouthful of food. "I have begun my own inquiries. When I have any pertinent information, I will be certain to apprise you of it." Kaylin nodded in acknowledgment, currently more interested in determining what she was eating.
"I take it the food is to your liking?" Nightshade questioned, earning a very flat look. He already knew the answer to that, why bother asking? "Manners," he answered, "which will be crucial where you are going." Kaylin grimaced at the reminder. If she wasn't allowed to talk with her mouthful and kept her mouthful, she would be able to avoid speaking entirely. Nightshade chuckled - at her expense, of course - but allowed the dinner to lapse into silence. When Kaylin was finished, she leaned back in her chair with a sigh.
"Alright," she said, meeting his eyes. "Let's get this over with."
"That is possibly the least graciously someone has ever accepted a dance with me," he informed her, making her flush. She could well imagine people of every race being eager to dance with him. He pushed his chair back, and stood. She didn't see him rush, but by the time she was on her feet, he was at her elbow, offering his arm. Kaylin took it. "Perhaps, you could also tell me what's wrong with your legs." Damn. She had been hoping he wouldn't notice.
"Um," she began, earning another perfectly raised brow.
"I am certain I would be aware had you been involved in a fight. I am, therefore, at a loss as to how you might have been injured." They made their way slowly down the corridor.
"It's not really an injury…" Kaylin explained haltingly, glancing down at her familiar; he bit her ear in retaliation. Nightshade was watching them with a frown. "You see, we needed to fly to the Aerie, so he-" she indicated the familiar sprawled over her shoulders with her chin, "shifted and carried us." Nightshade looked at her as if trying to work out this could possibly impact her walking before he smiled sharply in realization.
"Is it possible you're sore from that?" He asked, visibly amused. Kaylin considered in a rhetorical question at this point, but was distracted regardless when she felt hands slide up her thighs. She froze and met his eyes. He hadn't moved, but the invisible hands began massaging her sore thigh muscles. Kaylin's eyes fluttered shut. She couldn't help it; for the first time in hours, she wasn't aching. The massage was a revelation to her; she had never truly considered the fact that her body could provide her with pleasure. The fact that there was a state other than In Pain and Not In Pain was something she would address when hands weren't unknotting tense muscles. She wasn't sure how long they stood, arms linked as the invisible hands rubbed her thighs, but eventually she opened her eyes.
"Thank you," she murmured. He nodded, and turned to continue along the corridor as if nothing had happened. Kaylin, however, was watching him. After a moment he glanced down to meet her eyes.
"Is there a problem?"
"You're being very nice," she replied, but even her usual suspicion seemed out of reach.
"And that concerns you?"
"Yes," she answered. "You never do anything without a reason and I have no idea what you're up to this time."
"I am, I believe, courting you," he answered, clearly amused when she blushed brightly. There was a term she had never associated with the fieflord.
"But why?" Kaylin asked as they approached the throne room doors, unwilling to address the topic more directly. He led her into the room before turning to face her.
"I did not mark you idly, Kaylin. I intend for you to be Erenne to me." Kaylin swallowed hard as she met his eyes.
"I'm not sure… After Barren…" Even speaking the name was hard and Nightshade's eyes went from green to nearly black in record time.
"I regret not killing him," he told her, "and I am not fond of regrets." Kaylin started as invisible hands began rubbing her shoulders and back. "But I believe that you are more capable of healing than you realize." As if to demonstrate his point, he cupped her face and kissed her. This was no light brush of lips. When his tongue traced her lips she opened her mouth, allowing him to explore. Kaylin was panting slightly - and blushing heavily - when they drew apart. She noticed that again he had been careful to keep space between him, although the hands massaging her back had never faltered.
"Dancing," Kaylin croaked, her voice cracking slightly as she tried to distract herself from dangerous thoughts. Nightshade, looking too damn pleased with himself for Kaylin's liking, nodded and stepped back. He gestured and the memory crystal filled the room with music. Taking a deep breath, Kaylin took her place and began. It didn't take long for Kaylin to realize they weren't making any progress. Kaylin wanted to give up, but that wasn't in the cards unless she wanted to be a Dragon's snack. Feeling the weight of Nightshade's gaze, she turned to meet his now blue eyes.
"You understand that I mean you no harm?" Kaylin nodded. A year ago she would have found the concept unthinkable; now it was fact. "There is no guarantee those who ask you to dance will be equally well intentioned." Well intentioned seemed like a bit of a stretch for the fieflord, but Kaylin nodded anyways. "You will be a new face and while Lord Bellusdeo," Kaylin cringed, knowing how much her friend hated to be addressed that way, "will be the focus of people's attention, anyone canny in politics will make an effort to learn who you are. If you want to, as you put it, continue living quietly," his tone made it clear how possible he thought that was, "you will need to avoid giving yourself away. Do not tense. Use your body to draw people to you." Kaylin thought anyone drawn to her body was likely blind. "I am hardly blind, Kaylin," Nightshade told her cooly. Kaylin swallowed hard, not up for that discussion.
"I don't know how I can…" Kaylin trailed off uncertain of what she was trying to say. It her surprise, Nightshade took a step back from her. When she opened her mouth to ask him why, invisible hands slid gently along her arms. This time, they weren't unknotting muscles; they left fire in their wake. Kaylin had never been so aware of the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist until one of the hands brushed it lightly. She had never known simply being stroked could feel so good. When the hands slid back down her arms, they brushed the edges of her breasts creating a shockwave of sensation. Her breath caught as her nipples hardened. She had never felt like this. The hands receded, leaving her shaking slightly. Why, she couldn't say.
"Be aware of your body," Nightshade instructed, while she tried to gather her scattered wits. "You understand that you cannot show an enemy weakness," he continued. She nodded, trying to pretend that the last few minutes had never happened. "You equally understand that flinching away from your dance partner shows weakness." Kaylin forced herself to nod again. "Trust that I will never take you unwillingly, and let's try again." The strange thing was, as they took their places again, Kaylin realized that she did trust him never to force her.
This time it went better. Not well, but better. She was as self-conscious as she was before, but in a different way. She was aware of the way he brushed his fingers across her skin; of how his touch lingered a moment after the music had changed; the way he never took his eyes off her. To her surprise, nothing he did made her feel uncomfortable. She felt wanted in a way she had never considered potentially positive before. Eventually he stepped back.
"Unless you intend to stay here tonight, it is best for you to be going." Kaylin nodded. She wanted to get back and check on the Hawklord and in the end, Helen was her home. "I'll have Lord Andellen escort you back." He offered her his arm and led her to the doors. Lord Andellen was, of course, waiting for them when they exited. He immediately offered them each a deep bow. Kaylin was, as usual, left trying not to squirm.
"I will see you tomorrow for more lessons," Nightshade said.
"Umm, about that…" he raised a brow and waited for her to continue. "I've got etiquette lessons with Diarmat-"
"Lord Diarmat," he corrected.
"-so I'm not sure I can make it." He met her gaze.
"Kaylin, while I acknowledge you improved today, you are a long way from being a satisfactory dancer," he warned.
"I know that!" Kaylin exclaimed. "It's just he's picky and his classes can last forever-"
"Then I will have you escorted from the bridge," he finished, making it clear that she would be arriving regardless of the hour. Kaylin wasn't crazy about having an escort, but knew better than to argue. Nightshade turned to his liege. "Lord Andellen," Nightshade instructed, "escort my Erenne home."
"Lord." Andellen bowed again in acknowledgment. Considering the fact that he had been waiting outside the door, it was obvious he had been expecting the order. Nightshade turned towards Kaylin and once again kissed her. She'd gotten more kisses from the fieflord over the past few days than she had in her entire life and it left her unsettled and… wanting. When he drew back there was a ring of indigo in his eyes and Kaylin stepped away, trying to control her breathing. What was wrong with her? She turned and headed out, Andellen falling into step beside her.
"Why are you always so formal with him?" Kaylin asked as the exited the Castle. "You're friends, aren't you?" She needed something to focus on beside the feel of Nightshade's lips or the touch of those invisible hands.
"Given our circumstances, we are, indeed, friends," Andellen replied, not having any difficulty matching her pace as the sun disappeared blew the horizon.
"What does that even mean?"
"I have a responsibility to those who have sworn their loyalty to me," Andellen explained, earning a nod of understanding from Kaylin, "and when what is best for them does not coincide with what is best for Lord Nightshade, I am left to make a decision." Kaylin mulled over his words as they travelled the next few blocks.
"Like when you followed him into exile?" She asked hesitantly. Andellen nodded, but even in the dim light Kaylin could see the blue in his eyes. "Sorry, I just…"
"You defend the city," Andellen commented. "What would you do if one of your friends presented a serious threat to the safety of the city?" Kaylin thought of the Nomanir, then, and they continued in silence. Eventually Kaylin recalled her original question.
"What does any of this have to do with your relationship with Nightshade-"
"Lord Nightshade," he corrected predictably. "A great deal, Lord Kaylin. While I am personally fond of Lord Nightshade and have offered him my loyalty, I have other duties and responsibilities. There are lines that must be kept."
"But why?" Kaylin bit out. Andellen stopped on the bridge.
"Lord Kaylin, do you truly fail to understand?" He met her eyes, and, apparently realizing that she really meant her question, continued. "When I make a decision that benefits my people but inconveniences Lord Nigthshade, if there were no defined boundaries between us, do you not think he might feel slightly betrayed?" Setting aside the fact that betraying Nightshade was functionally suicidal as far as Kaylin was concerned, she kept walking while she considered the matter.
"I… think I see what you mean," she admitted as they drew up to her house. "Thank you," she added, certain he understood it wasn't for the escort.
"My pleasure," he assured her. He bowed and withdrew into the night. Kaylin walked up the steps to her home where Helen stood waiting with the door open.