Chap. 7: A Night On The Town
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: You know what this is, you fill in the blanks)
Kel saddled up Peachblossom, while Cleon saddled his gelding, as quickly as possible. She wanted to get going and have some fun at the Dancing Dove- which would be a first in a while.
They rode in silence until they reached the quiet night streets of Corus. The air was a little bit chilled and Kel pulled her cloak tighter around her unconsciously.
"So what do you want to do, oh Sunshine of My Dreams?" Cleon asked.
"Anything that I won't regret in nine months." Kel teased
"Agreed." Cleon paused and scratched his head thoughtfully for a second. "Marriage isn't a topic for discussion yet, is it?" He asked uncomfortably.
Kel swung around to look at him, a little shocked. "No!"
"I just thought we might talk about—" he began.
"We aren't talking about anything, OK?" she snapped and walked ahead. The thought of being married scared her to death. It was a sensitive issue that Kel didn't want to talk about.
Cleon rode up next to her and grabbed her hand; stroking it softly. "I'm sorry Love. The subject won't leave my lips again 'till your ready."
She smiled and nodded without even looking at him. She thought she might cry and she didn't want him to see. She'd been moody like this recently which meant something was coming that she wasn't looking forward to and it made her all messed up. She couldn't do or say anything without getting all emotional. But then she thought of something. What did she do when she was afraid of something? She beat it; she never let it get the best of her, so why should she start now? "Cleon, I want to talk to you about something." She looked up at him. "The Dove isn't the best place."
Cleon got a little wrinkle between his eyebrows, obviously worried. "Okay."
She led them to a little clearing in the woods and she dismounted. "Stand," she told the horse who, like most of he animals in Corus, was intelligent enough to know what that meant.
She took Cleon's hand and set her down next to her. She pulled his arms around her and leaned against him. She stayed that way for a while think about the best way to talk to him.
"Love?" He asked, gently squeezing her shoulders. "What do you want to talk about?"
She cleared her throat and started weakly, "Well...us."
Cleon raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh."
"And...I think we should talk about marriage." She stated, looking away so he wouldn't see her red cheeks.
"You want to talk about that? Why the sudden change?" he asked.
"I'm all confused and scared and want to face it. I don't want it to be such an issue. Now, I don't plan to run off and marry you tonight or anything but if it comes up in the future I want to be able to talk about it," she said quietly.
"I still won't pressure you about it. You have to be totally ready," he said.
"And another thing is that well, you're already betrothed...and that scares me too. I mean, what if you decide you like her more or your mother won't let you break the engagement?"
"It would never happen." He kissed her gently and touched her cheek. "No fluffy heiress could ever, ever take your place in my heart."
"That's good to know." She knew he wasn't lying and she was glad for it. She knew they would always be together one way or another. "Do you just want to stay here? It's a lot quieter and way more relaxing."
"Anything you want to do is fine with me."
They stayed there as long as possible but they didn't let themselves fall asleep again. That would have been really ugly.
Cleon walked Kel back to her rooms and stopped her in the doorway. Every one was asleep so her wasn't worried about anyone seeing. He kissed her softly and deepened it. When he pulled away Kel heard footsteps and looked at Cleon. "Did you hear that?"
He nodded. They were caught. And their entire lives depended on who had seen them.
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: You know what this is, you fill in the blanks)
Kel saddled up Peachblossom, while Cleon saddled his gelding, as quickly as possible. She wanted to get going and have some fun at the Dancing Dove- which would be a first in a while.
They rode in silence until they reached the quiet night streets of Corus. The air was a little bit chilled and Kel pulled her cloak tighter around her unconsciously.
"So what do you want to do, oh Sunshine of My Dreams?" Cleon asked.
"Anything that I won't regret in nine months." Kel teased
"Agreed." Cleon paused and scratched his head thoughtfully for a second. "Marriage isn't a topic for discussion yet, is it?" He asked uncomfortably.
Kel swung around to look at him, a little shocked. "No!"
"I just thought we might talk about—" he began.
"We aren't talking about anything, OK?" she snapped and walked ahead. The thought of being married scared her to death. It was a sensitive issue that Kel didn't want to talk about.
Cleon rode up next to her and grabbed her hand; stroking it softly. "I'm sorry Love. The subject won't leave my lips again 'till your ready."
She smiled and nodded without even looking at him. She thought she might cry and she didn't want him to see. She'd been moody like this recently which meant something was coming that she wasn't looking forward to and it made her all messed up. She couldn't do or say anything without getting all emotional. But then she thought of something. What did she do when she was afraid of something? She beat it; she never let it get the best of her, so why should she start now? "Cleon, I want to talk to you about something." She looked up at him. "The Dove isn't the best place."
Cleon got a little wrinkle between his eyebrows, obviously worried. "Okay."
She led them to a little clearing in the woods and she dismounted. "Stand," she told the horse who, like most of he animals in Corus, was intelligent enough to know what that meant.
She took Cleon's hand and set her down next to her. She pulled his arms around her and leaned against him. She stayed that way for a while think about the best way to talk to him.
"Love?" He asked, gently squeezing her shoulders. "What do you want to talk about?"
She cleared her throat and started weakly, "Well...us."
Cleon raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh."
"And...I think we should talk about marriage." She stated, looking away so he wouldn't see her red cheeks.
"You want to talk about that? Why the sudden change?" he asked.
"I'm all confused and scared and want to face it. I don't want it to be such an issue. Now, I don't plan to run off and marry you tonight or anything but if it comes up in the future I want to be able to talk about it," she said quietly.
"I still won't pressure you about it. You have to be totally ready," he said.
"And another thing is that well, you're already betrothed...and that scares me too. I mean, what if you decide you like her more or your mother won't let you break the engagement?"
"It would never happen." He kissed her gently and touched her cheek. "No fluffy heiress could ever, ever take your place in my heart."
"That's good to know." She knew he wasn't lying and she was glad for it. She knew they would always be together one way or another. "Do you just want to stay here? It's a lot quieter and way more relaxing."
"Anything you want to do is fine with me."
They stayed there as long as possible but they didn't let themselves fall asleep again. That would have been really ugly.
Cleon walked Kel back to her rooms and stopped her in the doorway. Every one was asleep so her wasn't worried about anyone seeing. He kissed her softly and deepened it. When he pulled away Kel heard footsteps and looked at Cleon. "Did you hear that?"
He nodded. They were caught. And their entire lives depended on who had seen them.