hey guys, it turns out i had time. so well, heres chapter three.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For hours, Briar and Sandry just stood forehead to forehead, gazing into each other's eyes. Walking back to the palace only when dawn broke over the horizon, they clasped hands until the gate.
"What is Uncle going to say?" Sandry whispered in Briar's ear, who just shrugged worriedly. Hopefully, the Duke's usually calm demeanor would prove to be constant.
They walked slowly through the gates, only parting at the Grand Staircase in the empty hall. Sandry walked partway up the steps, then turned back and threw her arms around his neck. Burying his fingers in her silky hair, he kissed her forehead, her eyes, then travelled down to her mouth. Responding exactly the way he hoped, she smiled and returned the affection. Only then did she continue on her way.
Turning with a grin, Briar slammed right into Niko. The older man was pulling furiously at his mustache, his eyebrows so furrowed that they were touching.
Oh no.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Briar yelped as he was dragged into his room by the ear. "Ow! Niko..."
The mage slammed him down on a chair. "Briar!" he roared. The boy meekly lowered his eyes. Some anger disipated from Niko's face, but his eyes were still stormy. "Briar, you cannot just go around doing things like that!" His ears flushed red. "Indecent handling! And-" he yelled-"where were you all night? Doing that to Sandry?"
Briar sat up, his green eyes flaming. "And why not? This-" he pounded the table in emphasis-" is not just a passing whim, someone to be played with. This is Sandry."
He slumped lower and muttered something. Sharply, Niko commanded him to sit up straight. "And speak clearly, too."
The boy looked away. "I think i love her."
Niko sighed, suddenly gentle. "Briar- you know as well as I that Sandry is a Ward of the Duke," he said carefully. "And you have to be careful now. Both you and Sandry are getting older, and not only are reputations at stake." Niko's cheeks were almost as red as an apple. "Do you understand what I mean?"
Briar felt his cheeks heating up also. "Yeah, Niko, i getcha."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That evening, Sandry showed up at his door. Luckily, Niko wasn't there, otherwise he would have gotten another embarassing lecture. She sniffed. "Briar? I have to leave tomorrow with Uncle. To Winding Circle!" she wailed.
Briar felt his heart crash to his feet. "That- thats in the opposite direction of where Niko is going..."
Sandry grabbed his hands. "Do you think Uncle will let me go with Niko? Or let you come with us?" Her blue eyes were wide and hopeful.
Briar shut his jaw, determined. "They will have to." He gritted his teeth. "I will not let us be parted again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For hours, Briar and Sandry just stood forehead to forehead, gazing into each other's eyes. Walking back to the palace only when dawn broke over the horizon, they clasped hands until the gate.
"What is Uncle going to say?" Sandry whispered in Briar's ear, who just shrugged worriedly. Hopefully, the Duke's usually calm demeanor would prove to be constant.
They walked slowly through the gates, only parting at the Grand Staircase in the empty hall. Sandry walked partway up the steps, then turned back and threw her arms around his neck. Burying his fingers in her silky hair, he kissed her forehead, her eyes, then travelled down to her mouth. Responding exactly the way he hoped, she smiled and returned the affection. Only then did she continue on her way.
Turning with a grin, Briar slammed right into Niko. The older man was pulling furiously at his mustache, his eyebrows so furrowed that they were touching.
Oh no.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Briar yelped as he was dragged into his room by the ear. "Ow! Niko..."
The mage slammed him down on a chair. "Briar!" he roared. The boy meekly lowered his eyes. Some anger disipated from Niko's face, but his eyes were still stormy. "Briar, you cannot just go around doing things like that!" His ears flushed red. "Indecent handling! And-" he yelled-"where were you all night? Doing that to Sandry?"
Briar sat up, his green eyes flaming. "And why not? This-" he pounded the table in emphasis-" is not just a passing whim, someone to be played with. This is Sandry."
He slumped lower and muttered something. Sharply, Niko commanded him to sit up straight. "And speak clearly, too."
The boy looked away. "I think i love her."
Niko sighed, suddenly gentle. "Briar- you know as well as I that Sandry is a Ward of the Duke," he said carefully. "And you have to be careful now. Both you and Sandry are getting older, and not only are reputations at stake." Niko's cheeks were almost as red as an apple. "Do you understand what I mean?"
Briar felt his cheeks heating up also. "Yeah, Niko, i getcha."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That evening, Sandry showed up at his door. Luckily, Niko wasn't there, otherwise he would have gotten another embarassing lecture. She sniffed. "Briar? I have to leave tomorrow with Uncle. To Winding Circle!" she wailed.
Briar felt his heart crash to his feet. "That- thats in the opposite direction of where Niko is going..."
Sandry grabbed his hands. "Do you think Uncle will let me go with Niko? Or let you come with us?" Her blue eyes were wide and hopeful.
Briar shut his jaw, determined. "They will have to." He gritted his teeth. "I will not let us be parted again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~