But before Talia could utter another word, the door opened and Ingrid
came in. She stared at Wes, who stared back, startled. Talia held her
breath with wide eyes. Ingrid looked from Wes to Talia and back again. "Do
you need something?" she finally asked.
Wes answered without faltering. "Yes, I just came for some towels. This girl was about to get them for me."
Talia nodded quickly and grabbed some towels off a shelf. When she handed them to Wes, he gave her a small wink. "Thank you. I'll be back for more tomorrow." He smiled charmingly at Ingrid and was gone.
Ingrid grunted once the door shut behind him. "I've never seen him around. Well Talia, you're finished for the day."
Talia nodded and went into her little room, closing the door after her with a sigh. That had been a close one. She knew that when Wes said he'd be back for more tomorrow, he hadn't meant for towels. She needed an answer ready for when he came to take her from the palace. She needed to decide what she wanted, because she had no idea.
She sighed again, slipped into her nightclothes, and quickly fell asleep.
~~~~
It was the next day at lunch. Parvy had left early to work, so it was only Talia and Larkin. Wes hadn't come back yet, but she was expecting him that night.
Talia pushed her potatoes around with her fork. When she looked up, Larkin was watching her intently, but he quickly lowered his eyes. She raised her eyebrows in question, but didn't say anything.
"What do you want to do?" Larking asked as they finished eating.
"Well, what do you usually do? Like before I came," she said.
"Sometimes I'd go to a library and read some books," he said. "I love to read."
"Then let's do that." They got up and put away their plates. Larkin led her through the palace to a small library that he said he liked the best. No one was inside, so they each grabbed a book and made themselves comfortable.
Talia looked at the book she'd taken. It was titled "Immortals". But she didn't even open it. Instead she glanced over at Larkin, sitting in the chair next to her. He hadn't opened his book either, and didn't look very interested in doing so. He looked up and met Talia's eyes, making her breath catch. His brown eyes were so soft and kind.
"You like Immortals?" he asked, pointing to her book.
"Oh, not really. I just grabbed it."
"Me too, as you can tell by the title." He grinned and showed it to her. It was called "Ballroom Dancing".
Talia laughed. "I don't know how to dance."
"Me neither. I don't think I'd be very good at it. I'm pretty clumsy."
"Really? You don't seem like it to me."
Larkin eyed her. "You don't know me very well. We only met three days ago."
"True," she admitted. "But I can tell what you're like. You aren't clumsy. You're kind and funny. You're quieter than Parvy, but you seem to be great friends. You're.." She stopped when she realized Larkin was gazing into her eyes.
"You think I'm kind?" he asked quietly in surprise.
Talia swallowed hard and nodded. He was leaning awfully close to her, and she found it hard to breathe. She tried to look anywhere but at him, but her eyes were drawn to his face. Her eyes found his, and he suddenly leaned over and pressed his lips lightly against hers.
She pulled back in surprise, her face red. Her book had fallen to the floor, and she bent over to pick it up, shaking slightly. When she sat back up, Larkin had turned away in embarrassment. He clutched his own book so hard that his knuckles had turned white. Oh Mithros, she thought. He kissed me. It was her first kiss. Once almost a year ago Wes had come close to kissing her, but she turned away. She didn't like him that much. But she hadn't turned away from Larkin.
"Sorry," Larkin said quietly, still turned away.
Talia let her breath out slowly. "That's alright," she finally said. "I didn't mind."
Her turned to look at her. "You didn't?"
She shook her head. "No." She struggled with her next words, but finally got them out. "Do you really like me?"
Larkin nodded. "I know I've only known you three days, but you.. you're.." He swallowed.
Talia smiled. "I like you too," she said. Because she knew it was true.
Larkin suddenly leaned in and kissed her again, harder this time. She didn't pull away. Instead she met his lips with her own and enjoyed the sweetness. Her heart beat rapidly. She didn't want the moment to ever end.
But Larkin pulled away. His breath was ragged, and she realized hers was too. "That was," she gasped, "nice."
Larkin grinned. "Nice? I thought it was amazing."
She laughed and looked around. Thankfully, the library was still empty. "Should we be getting to work?"
"We still have time," he replied. So they spent the rest of their free hour talking quietly. When it was time to get to work, they put away their books, left the library, and went their separate ways.
As Talia headed back to Ingrid, she had a strange feeling go through her. She recognized it immediately, as she was a rogue: someone was watching her. She spun around quickly, but no one was there. As she walked through the corridors of the palace, suspiciously looking around to see if anyone was there, she realized what it was. The Lioness and Mage Numair had said that since the Goddess had a hand on her, they would have to keep on eye on her. They must have sent someone to watch her. Or maybe they were using magic to watch her! The thought sent a chill through Talia. Finally, she made it to the linens room and retreated inside.
The rest of the day was spent working, and after supper there was more work. Talia felt the anticipation grow in her as I neared the time for her to stop and go to bed. Ingrid left to run some errands. The door opened, and Wes slipped in, just as Talia had been expecting.
"Ready to go?" he asked quietly.
But Talia had her answer ready. She'd realized what it was as soon as Larkin kissed her. She didn't want to leave and go back to stealing. She wanted to stay at the palace with her new friends, especially now that she knew Larkin liked her, and she liked him back. She even had this strange feeling that she didn't really like being a rogue. So she said, "Wes, I can't go."
Wes just laughed. "Yes you can. I can easily get you out of here."
She shook her head. "That's not what I mean. I don't want to go. I like it here, and I think I should take my punishment. It's only for two weeks anyway. Tell my parents I'm fine and they don't have to worry." She finished and waited for Wes's reaction.
At first he only stared at her. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it. His face turned red, and she realized with astonishment that he was angry! "You are dishonoring your family," he said quietly, his voice hard. "You are disobeying their wishes. You are practically saying you don't want to be a rogue!"
Talia swallowed hard. "Maybe I don't," she said, her voice a whisper.
Wes gaped at her. "Then stay!" he bellowed. He turned and stomped out of the room. She followed him out into the corridor, but he was already gone.
She sighed and slipped back into the room. Oh Mithros, she thought. What have I gotten myself into?
Wes answered without faltering. "Yes, I just came for some towels. This girl was about to get them for me."
Talia nodded quickly and grabbed some towels off a shelf. When she handed them to Wes, he gave her a small wink. "Thank you. I'll be back for more tomorrow." He smiled charmingly at Ingrid and was gone.
Ingrid grunted once the door shut behind him. "I've never seen him around. Well Talia, you're finished for the day."
Talia nodded and went into her little room, closing the door after her with a sigh. That had been a close one. She knew that when Wes said he'd be back for more tomorrow, he hadn't meant for towels. She needed an answer ready for when he came to take her from the palace. She needed to decide what she wanted, because she had no idea.
She sighed again, slipped into her nightclothes, and quickly fell asleep.
~~~~
It was the next day at lunch. Parvy had left early to work, so it was only Talia and Larkin. Wes hadn't come back yet, but she was expecting him that night.
Talia pushed her potatoes around with her fork. When she looked up, Larkin was watching her intently, but he quickly lowered his eyes. She raised her eyebrows in question, but didn't say anything.
"What do you want to do?" Larking asked as they finished eating.
"Well, what do you usually do? Like before I came," she said.
"Sometimes I'd go to a library and read some books," he said. "I love to read."
"Then let's do that." They got up and put away their plates. Larkin led her through the palace to a small library that he said he liked the best. No one was inside, so they each grabbed a book and made themselves comfortable.
Talia looked at the book she'd taken. It was titled "Immortals". But she didn't even open it. Instead she glanced over at Larkin, sitting in the chair next to her. He hadn't opened his book either, and didn't look very interested in doing so. He looked up and met Talia's eyes, making her breath catch. His brown eyes were so soft and kind.
"You like Immortals?" he asked, pointing to her book.
"Oh, not really. I just grabbed it."
"Me too, as you can tell by the title." He grinned and showed it to her. It was called "Ballroom Dancing".
Talia laughed. "I don't know how to dance."
"Me neither. I don't think I'd be very good at it. I'm pretty clumsy."
"Really? You don't seem like it to me."
Larkin eyed her. "You don't know me very well. We only met three days ago."
"True," she admitted. "But I can tell what you're like. You aren't clumsy. You're kind and funny. You're quieter than Parvy, but you seem to be great friends. You're.." She stopped when she realized Larkin was gazing into her eyes.
"You think I'm kind?" he asked quietly in surprise.
Talia swallowed hard and nodded. He was leaning awfully close to her, and she found it hard to breathe. She tried to look anywhere but at him, but her eyes were drawn to his face. Her eyes found his, and he suddenly leaned over and pressed his lips lightly against hers.
She pulled back in surprise, her face red. Her book had fallen to the floor, and she bent over to pick it up, shaking slightly. When she sat back up, Larkin had turned away in embarrassment. He clutched his own book so hard that his knuckles had turned white. Oh Mithros, she thought. He kissed me. It was her first kiss. Once almost a year ago Wes had come close to kissing her, but she turned away. She didn't like him that much. But she hadn't turned away from Larkin.
"Sorry," Larkin said quietly, still turned away.
Talia let her breath out slowly. "That's alright," she finally said. "I didn't mind."
Her turned to look at her. "You didn't?"
She shook her head. "No." She struggled with her next words, but finally got them out. "Do you really like me?"
Larkin nodded. "I know I've only known you three days, but you.. you're.." He swallowed.
Talia smiled. "I like you too," she said. Because she knew it was true.
Larkin suddenly leaned in and kissed her again, harder this time. She didn't pull away. Instead she met his lips with her own and enjoyed the sweetness. Her heart beat rapidly. She didn't want the moment to ever end.
But Larkin pulled away. His breath was ragged, and she realized hers was too. "That was," she gasped, "nice."
Larkin grinned. "Nice? I thought it was amazing."
She laughed and looked around. Thankfully, the library was still empty. "Should we be getting to work?"
"We still have time," he replied. So they spent the rest of their free hour talking quietly. When it was time to get to work, they put away their books, left the library, and went their separate ways.
As Talia headed back to Ingrid, she had a strange feeling go through her. She recognized it immediately, as she was a rogue: someone was watching her. She spun around quickly, but no one was there. As she walked through the corridors of the palace, suspiciously looking around to see if anyone was there, she realized what it was. The Lioness and Mage Numair had said that since the Goddess had a hand on her, they would have to keep on eye on her. They must have sent someone to watch her. Or maybe they were using magic to watch her! The thought sent a chill through Talia. Finally, she made it to the linens room and retreated inside.
The rest of the day was spent working, and after supper there was more work. Talia felt the anticipation grow in her as I neared the time for her to stop and go to bed. Ingrid left to run some errands. The door opened, and Wes slipped in, just as Talia had been expecting.
"Ready to go?" he asked quietly.
But Talia had her answer ready. She'd realized what it was as soon as Larkin kissed her. She didn't want to leave and go back to stealing. She wanted to stay at the palace with her new friends, especially now that she knew Larkin liked her, and she liked him back. She even had this strange feeling that she didn't really like being a rogue. So she said, "Wes, I can't go."
Wes just laughed. "Yes you can. I can easily get you out of here."
She shook her head. "That's not what I mean. I don't want to go. I like it here, and I think I should take my punishment. It's only for two weeks anyway. Tell my parents I'm fine and they don't have to worry." She finished and waited for Wes's reaction.
At first he only stared at her. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it. His face turned red, and she realized with astonishment that he was angry! "You are dishonoring your family," he said quietly, his voice hard. "You are disobeying their wishes. You are practically saying you don't want to be a rogue!"
Talia swallowed hard. "Maybe I don't," she said, her voice a whisper.
Wes gaped at her. "Then stay!" he bellowed. He turned and stomped out of the room. She followed him out into the corridor, but he was already gone.
She sighed and slipped back into the room. Oh Mithros, she thought. What have I gotten myself into?