Over the following week, Dante went around introducing Zoe to practically everyone he knew, proud to say that they were dating. Zoe smiled and was shy around all of them, not used to meeting so many friendly people. On Friday, he brought her to dinner at a nice sized house near the Snake's Lair, which turned out to be his family's house. A beautiful, older woman answered the door when they knocked.
"Mama, hello." Dante smiled and kissed her cheeks. Dante's mother hugged him and murmured softly to him in a language Zoe didn't know, but assumed it was whatever their native language was. Dante turned, and Zoe was face to face with his mother. She was a tall woman, slim-boned but slightly rounded from childbirth. Her hair and eyes were dark, and she held a strong aura of motherhood about her, being both kind and firm, holding the greater understand of the world mothers always did. She offered her hand, and Zoe shook it, noting it was callused, like Dante's.
"Hello, welcome to our home. My name is Karana Kedar." Zoe smiled warmly at the woman. She had a kind voice.
"Hello, Mrs.Kedar. Thank you for inviting me to your house." Mrs.Kedar laughed,
"Please, call me Karana. I will tell Ashlar and Esperanza you're here." Zoe smiled,
"Okay, Karana then." Karana nodded with approval, and then walked away quickly into another room. Zoe surveyed the house - it was made of a darkish wood, furnished in lighter browns and deep reds. It felt very warm and comfortable inside, and Zoe liked it immediately.
"You must be Iris?" A new voice inquired. It was higher than Zoe's herself, and when she turned, Zoe found the owner to be a girl about her age, possibly even slightly older. She was tall and looked surprisingly like Zoe herself, with dark hair and pale eyes. The only difference Zoe could see was that her hair fell to her waist, whereas Zoe's was much shorter. She was clad in a flowing dressed that was composed of purples, reds, and light browns. It was very flattering on the girl. Zoe nodded,
"Yes, I'm Iris." She offered her hand, wishing it were callused, and the girl took it with a hearty shake. Like the other members of her family, it was callused, although Zoe noticed not as much so.
"I'm Esperanza, Dante's sister." She said with a grin, "But I'll bet you've already assumed as much." Zoe laughed slightly, easing into her surroundings,
"Yes, I had. But it is lovely to meet you Esperanza." Just then, Karana's voice run out strong from another room,
"Esperanza! Peeling potatoes means *peel* them! Come and fix this!" Esperanza giggled and ducked her head, jogging off to the room Karana had called from. Dante and Zoe sat down on the living room couch, holding hands.
"Your family is really nice, Dante. How old is your sister?" Dante smiled,
"Thanks. I want to meet your family one day, Iris. My sister is 15, only slightly older than you." Zoe nodded slowly,
"Do they know about our age difference?"
"I haven't told them. They're welcome to inquire as they want, you don't have to lie. My parents are very accepting people. Alone, there is 15 years between my mothers and my father." Zoe laughed,
"Okay. That makes me feel better." Dante grinned and kissed her cheek, tweaking her nose,
"Now, about *your* family.."
"You can't meet my family." She told him, firmly, hoping he wouldn't ask any further. Of course he did.
"Why not?"
"My father left me when I was five, and my mother passed away when I was 10, in childbirth. I have no siblings. I have no family.." Dante's hand tightened on hers, and she smiled at him.
"Your father should never have just picked up and left you and your mother like that. It's not the noble thing to do." Zoe smirked,
"We're far from nobles, Dante." He scowled slightly,
"But the concept of being noble and chivalrous extends beyond nobles and knights, Iris. It's about taking responsibility for your life, and the people in it." He was surprisingly fierce in his explanation. "I would never leave you, Iris. Even if we end our relationship, I will be your friend. I will always be there for you." His hand had tightened so tightly around her own that it was beginning to hurt. She pulled her hand out of his grip, rubbing his back gently,
"Shh, Dante. I believe you. You needn't be so adamant about it." He took her hand and began to massage it gently, murmuring an apology.
"But I do, Iris, I truly do." She looked at him, her head tilted in curiosity.
"Did something happen in the past?" They locked eyes for a long time, before he finally looked down and nodded. She moved closer to him,
"What happened?" He look up at her,
"My mother, when she was a young girl-" He didn't get any further. Karana walked into the living room,
"It's time for dinner. Go grab yourselves some plates and dig in. I hope you'll enjoy a traditional Gallan feast, Iris." Zoe grinned, taking Dante's hand and standing up,
"I'm sure I will, Karana." With that, Zoe and Dante headed into the kitchen, and the beginnings of the earlier conversation were forgotten.
Although spending time with Dante was always wonderful, it also kept Zoe from her original plan. Days flew by like seconds, and the next thing she knew, she had been living in Cria for a month, and her money was practically nonexistent. She needed to get a job, like she had originally planned to.
"Dante, I'm broke. I need a job." She told him one night over dinner. He raised his eyebrows,
"You do not need a job, I will lend you the money.." She shook her head firmly.
"No, Dante, I really need a job. I'm planning to settle in Cria, I can't be taking loans from people my entire life." He sighed, slipping his hands over hers.
"You will have to start work in an inn or a tavern.. they're dangerous places for young women, Iris. I cannot stand the thought of something happening to you.." Zoe scowled. She wasn't sure what to do now. If she had been single, she wouldn't have particularly cared if her workplace wasn't the safest place, she could take care of herself. But, now that someone else was caring about her, it was different. She didn't want to work somewhere dangerous, risk hurting herself and the people she'd grown close with. Then, an idea struck her. She laughed at herself outloud, feeling stupid for not thinking of it before.
"Dante! We're being so stupid!" He looked at her, thoroughly confused.
"We are?"
"Yes! I could work for the Snake's Lair. I'd be around your father, and you could come visit without causing problems. I'd be safe, and it would be nice money." Dante laughed, and squeezed her hands,
"That's a perfect plan, Iris." He grinned and kissed her hands, "Everyday, you give me a new reason to be in love with you." Dante said softly, kissing her hands again. Zoe blushed,
"You're insane. I'm 14." He grinned,
"I know. I'm an awful, awful cradle robber, aren't I?" She grinned back.
"Yes, you are."
"But I'm still in love with you." Dante said softly, and Zoe blushed lightly again. He left money for the dinner check, and stood up, slipping his arm around her waist tightly as she did the same. "C'mon, let's go tell Papa about his newest employee." She smiled and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, and they walked out of the tavern, heading for the Snake's Lair.
