Hehe. Sorry that it takes me a long time to upload. I like writing the next chapter before uploading the previous one. Hehe...oy.
I smiled at him, thinking eagerly about the proposition I had for him.
I knew that Yamato was a smart lad, seeing that his arguments always used to leave me in the dust. And if what he said earlier was any indication, he didn't want to marry me either. He would probably leap at the chance to get out of marriage to scam more people to steal their wives and their money. (A/N: She's partly correct, anyway. After all, you can't carry a wife in your purse.)
He broke away from my gaze and said hastily, "I'll need to place my horse somewhere. Riding through the market is fine, but shopping on horseback isn't too effective. Might you know where I could find a trusty stable?"
I nodded, the smile still on my face. Might as well tell him, I reasoned. After all, he'll be bending to my wishes in next to no time. "Follow me." He nodded and dismounted, intending to lead the horse by the reins.
Silently, we walked through the noisy marketplace. I led him to a building with a thatched roof and there we left his great big destrier. Yamato left some coins for the stableman while I gave him a smile, a much worthier prize than money, especially since it came from me. (A/N: AHEM.)
When we stepped out into the street, I played a timid role and asked, "Where to, your Grace?"
He shrugged slowly. "Well…I saw some bread in your basket, so why don't we start there?"
"Why not?"
He looked slightly relieved that we were having a semi-normal conversation (meaning none of us had tried to rip each other apart yet) but there was a ratifying look of suspicion on his face. I smiled inwardly. It was clear that he was unsure of my sudden display of timid docility. Probably assuming that I would be up to something. He'd be right on that score.
We were strolling down the marketplace when I decided that the time was right to drop the pregnant cow on him. (A/N: Cough, cough)
"Your Grace," I began. "You mentioned that you were coerced by higher authorities into this wedlock...?"
He looked at me rather sharply. I examined his face in the corner of my eye. I could see that he was expecting me to turn all weepy and make a scene in public about his not wanting to marry me.
Answer carefully, fool.
Slowly, he chose his words with precision. "My parents, who I assume are the higher authorities you speak of, signed the contract of marriage with your family without my knowledge and consent, yes. I knew nothing of the agreement until the morning of the day they chose to leave for your mountains."
I admit, I felt a little twinge of pride when he said "your mountains." Like they belonged to me. Each rock and pebble, each bird and beast, each filthy little cesspool of the city belonged to me. Ha!
"But you possess no desire to marry me," I pressed, staring intently at him, trying in vain to ignore the strange clarity of his icy blue eyes. Where those dancing sparks of light within his irises or merely reflections of light from the shady sun?
GAH!
He stopped and looked at me with a puzzled expression in his eyes. He seemed somewhat more vulnerable. Then, as if he noticed my noticing, he turned is face up to the sky in a futile effort to look more stately and responded slowly, "It makes no difference whether I desire to do so or not. Nothing would make your parents or mine relent on their combining of our houses, short of murder of one of us, of course."
He glanced down at me sharply. "Which I do not intend to happen any time soon." His eyes took upon a stern look that seared my soul. It was strange.
When I realized that he was looking at me and I was gaping back at him, I decided that when I would get home from this predictably horrible market trip, I would clad my feet in steel-toed boots and kick myself. Hard. I was gazing at him like some unschooled country girl with no noble relations whatsoever! All because of his damnable eyes!
I hurriedly rolled my own in an effort to gain back some of my composure. "I am not planning on anything like that, worry your yellow-haired head not. I fear that the emotion wouldn't be able to fit."
"Then you are plotting?" he inquired.
Curse him and his sharpness! Curse me and my (rare) inattentiveness to my words! Hang it all!
But before I could reply, he continued rather loftily, "Allow me to speculate and suppose that you are interested in getting out of this agreement imposed upon us by each of our parents."
He was smart, I'll give him that. I nodded firmly. "Very." Perhaps he would have ideas that would be the benefit of all worthy of a benefit. Meaning me.
He kept his face expressionless for a few seconds. Then he grinned enthusiastically. "Excellent! So what do you have in mind, Countess? Any marvelous schemes to disband the wedding congregation on their way to the mountains?"
Curses, I forgot about that congregation!
I realized that there would have to be a way to circumvent the relatives of both our families from reaching the mountains before we were married. Less hassle, you see. Then I became conscious of the fact that he was grinning.
My right eye twitched slightly and I glared at him. Yes, so he had agreed to help me break the engagement. He was willing to join forces with me to overcome the contract. But did he have to do it so eagerly?
I was more than pretty now, and was he saying that I wasn't pretty enough? Was that why he was so eager to break it off? He didn't want to marry me, granted, I didn't want to marry him either, but why did he have to be so fervent to get out of an entire lifetime with me? It was very insulting to my pride.
And nobles are very careful with their pride.
I silently fumed at him as I tartly replied, "I have no concrete plan as of yet, my Lord, but I believe that we can manage to come up with one in time."
"Not too much time, I hope," he mused. "The wedding will take place as soon as the congregations arrive so as not to give us any time to escape. Pity. We're going to have to work hard on breaking up this marriage. I have things to do."
I narrowed my eyes and turned my nose up and away. He noticed this and inquired, "What now?"
I looked back at him irritably. The jerk. I managed to get out through tightly gritted teeth, "Are you telling me that you would rather run away to live in the wilderness than go and get married to me?"
Tread carefully, my dear Duke.
He grinned at me. "Wouldn't you?" I made no reply. He sighed and said, "Look. You do remember that this feeling of abhorrence is mutual, don't you? Unless you've fallen for my charms then it's merely one-sided."
Seething, I turned to him and growled through my still-clenched teeth, "You. Are. An. Clandestine. Moron."
At that, I turned on my heel and stomped over to the bakery stall I had been heading for. Bread was next on the marketing list I carried around in my mind next to the mental scoreboard of the things I would repay Yamato for. The score was very uneven. But how to exact my revenge…?
I heard his footsteps behind me and sped up, reaching the market vendor. I inquired about the price of bread and found it quite to my dislike. Far too many zeroes for my taste. And with my amazing ability to break peoples' defenses down, I managed to get away with five loaves of now reasonably priced bread.
I left the stall rather cheerfully. Triumphing over a won discussion of controversy does that to me. I am naturally competitive, therefore I enjoy all sorts of disputes.
As long as I'm winning, of course.
"The fruits are next," I said shortly as I passed him to dump the loaves into the basket he carried. He looked as though he were about to say something, but I really wasn't in the mood to have my face thrust into a gale of hot air. I turned away and walked down the cobblestone paths to the fruit sellers.
He caught up with my, however, thus ruining my plans of leaving him behind and running a rented carriage over him. I had enough money left for that. The Duke commented casually, "You know, I usually that that as a compliment."
"What? Moron?" I asked scornfully. "I guess you would, honestly being one yourself."
He shook his head, laughing. "No, not moron, my lovely Countess. Clandestine." His eyes shone mockingly.
Okay, so when I heard the "lovely" part, I admit that I glowed but that was because I enjoyed getting all sorts of compliments from anybody, however foolish, vain and self-centered they may be. It had NOTHING to do with the fact that it was the Duke Yamato who complimented me. NOTHING.
Ah. Now that that's settled, time to devour the fool.
I gave him a fixed stare. "You mean you actually know what the word means? I suppose that's a sort of relief. I was afraid that your brain was unable to fit in words with more than two syllables. How could I plan my happiness with someone like that?"
Yamato seemed to roll his eyes, though I couldn't really see because I wasn't interested in looking at his golden hair and compelling blue eyes…GAH!!! What am I saying?
He replied, "Of course I do. Astute. In other words, crafty and cunning."
"Of course, you would," I retorted disdainfully. "You appreciate any word that seems to heighten your level of intelligence, however false the fact may be. So would you take flagitious as a compliment?"
He grinned. "I already am flagitious. With the ladies, at least."
I glared at him, and muttered, "Pernicious savage." With that said, I stalked away in a huff. So he had won the argument. And? I've won some others before! One little battle wouldn't amount to the cost of the war.
Ignore the fool, I told myself. I looked around for a suitable sap, ah, I mean butter vendor to harass—er, bargain with. He or she would need to be a weak-willed looking sort. With some satisfaction, I spotted my victim and stepped up to the stall.
"Good sir," I called his attention. He was rooting around the back of the stall. The young man turned around and gaped at me as I smiled at him. *That* was what was supposed to happen when I smile at members of the opposite gender.
I felt Yamato come up behind me. I glanced at him as indifferently as I could and saw that he was scowling. The young vendor finally regained his senses and scrambled back up. "Y-yes, my lady? What is it that you want to purchase, my lady?"
"So polite," I murmured then gave him another smile. "My dear vendor, I would like to know the prices of the dairy products there. They are fresh, aren't they?"
"They're—they're imported," he managed to make out. "But they're really good. Sweet. Like you."
I laughed and to my greatest pleasure, I saw the lad staring at me in admiration and heard Yamato growling irritably. Yes, I sometimes thrive on the uncomfortable circumstances which people feel the need to pass as quickly as possible. Yes, I am evil. But being evil is so much fun!
"You're such a nice boy," I said and turned to look at Yamato. His face quite resembled a thundercloud. "You could learn a thing or two from him, Duke. Comportment is one of the base factors of the upper society."
He glared at me. "I am very well aware of that fact, my dear Countess. Now will you buy your produce so that we may leave? I feel that the time flies too quickly and before long, it will be past time for us to arrive at your mansion. Your parents and mine would not take to our tardiness very kindly, I fear."
I sighed. "You are right, your Grace." I faced the vendor again. "Would you please tell me of the price of your sticks of butter? Oh, and I believe that hunk of cheese looks simply scrumptious! Would they cost much?"
"Not for you, my Lady," the young man said in an awed tone. "You may have the butter for simply ten pounds and the cheese costs five pounds each."
I beamed. No need to haggle here. Besides, I realized just then that I was actually aiding Yamato in lowering the price of the goods he was to pay for. He would pay less and have more money in his pocket to indulge in. That would not do.
"Thank you, kind sir. If only there were more of your gallant kind among the nobility. The Lord knows that we need more people like you," I praised him. I looked at Yamato. "If you would pay, please?"
He gave me another dirty look and silently paid for the products. As we were about to depart from the market stall, the young man called out, "Wouldn't you like some milk? They're fresh and very good."
I turned and grinned at him. "Your intent is well, my friend, but we have our own fields of cows full of the selfsame milk and products that you sell. We are unable to convert them into anything other than milk, though. I am glad. Perhaps next time, we may meet again."
He nodded, smiling dumbly. I curtsied to him and sauntered away, with Yamato trailing behind me.
As soon as we were out of earshot, he demanded, "What was that about?"
I glanced at him. He seemed mad. No…not mad. Perhaps merely irritated with me. But why should he be irritated with me? He himself was flaunting his nobility, so why couldn't I flaunt my ever-present beauty? (A/N: Ahem…)
"I needed to buy fruits," I said offhandedly, "So I went and bought some. Any problem with that? Isn't that what we're here for?" And before he could answer, I whirled on my foot and strolled off. "The fruits are next on the list."
I have never attempted to flirt before, and now I realized what fun it was. If flirting produced the same results over and over again, then I believe that I should do it more! Take that, Duke!
Ah...it's horrible, isn't it? So, how many typographical errors do I have it *this* chapter?
