Dragon Knights: Sweet Revenge
Chapter 3: The proposal
Well, finally I get it going. This chapter is going to be good (I seem to say that a lot, don't I?) Anyway, in the last chapter I said that I was going to write the next chapter as soon as I get ten reviews. Well guess what? I didn't get ten but that not going to stop me. I wrote this anyway. So like it or not, here is chapter 3. READ ON!!!
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So now the stage was set. She had only to sit back and wait for Rath to dance attendance on her, and then pay him back for his presumption.
She dressed accordingly the next day, in simple white muslin trimmed at the bodice and hem with demure pleating, and a matching lace-trimmed cap. Virginal. Innocent. What everyone expected to see.
She made herself comfortable in the library until, as she knew he inevitably would, her father wandered in.
"This season is too wearing," he began, dropping into the wing chair opposite the sofa where she sat. " Last night..too crowded, too many undesirables. I don't know what they were thinking. That Kirukulus-there is a man who ought not be received at the docks let alone in polite society. What is the world coming to?"
"Oh, indeed? He seemed quite the thing to me."
"Well, he ain't. And you should have known better than to take his hand willy-nilly like that," Lykouleon grumbled.
"I did no such thing," Cesia said indignantly. "I just danced with him. A reel, for heaven's sake. We were barely face-to-face throughout the whole. But"-she lowered her voice-"he did cut a fine figure. And his manners were spotless.."
"Ce-si-a.." Lykouleon began, but Cernozura interrupted.
"Mr. Rath, my Lord."
"Thank God," Lykouleon muttered, rising from his chair and relieved that he didn't have to pursue the question of Kirukulus one moment further. "Send him in."
And there he was, framing the doorway, glowering.
"Rath, my boy---here's Cesia."
Rath cast a dark glance at her. "So I see."
Well, Cesia thought, that wasn't too promising. She had better reconcile with him right now, or Rath would never fall for her plan.
She uncoiled herself from the sofa and went to him, her hands outstretched. "Rath, it's been ages too long."
"So it seems," he said in that deep burnished voice of his.
Oh lord, he was tall, taller than he had seemed last night; she didn't remember him being that tall. Or those hands being so warm. Or those eyes so penetrating. Nor had his face been that handsome.
He wasn't going to help her either.
"Do sit down. Father, go see to something to eat. Or drink. Would you care for.?" She couldn't even think what this early in the morning.
"Tea and toast will do. I assume you've eaten."
"I could eat some more," Cesia said staunchly. She wasn't some faint- away female. And anyway, food in hand helped. She didn't know how, she just knew it would. "I'll take the same. Father!" She had to get him out of the room. "Do see to it."
"I'll ring"---Lykouleon looked from Rath to Cesia. Lord, she looked so sweet and innocent this morning. And yet she had danced with Kirukulus the night before and looked at him as if he were a god.
Rath eyed him meaningfully, and Lykouleon changed course. "Of course, my dear, I'll see to it." Anything to get out of the room and leave her with Rath. He could trust Rath. Thank the fates Rath had come and none too soon.
Cesia closed the door behind him and whirled around to face Rath.
"Oh, Rath. Did I not see you last night at the Spring Ball? Why didn't you come to me? No matter, you're here now. You cannot know how grateful I am that you came."
She came toward him and edged him farther into the room. This was the moment; she could not fiddle around with niceties or building the story up any further than what Rath had seen with his own eyes. She had to preempt him.
She had to take action now.
"You must help me." She looked up at him, her eyes wide and beseeching, the very essence of femininity and innocence. She hoped.
"Must I?" Rath said repressively. "Are we not to have a moment's civil conversation before you beg a favor of me? After all this time?"
Odious, odious man! Anyone else would have been at her feet, promising her the moon if she wanted it. "We could have done so last night," Cesia returned tartly, "but you chose not to. In any event, I will not ring a peal over your bad manners-today. This is serious. I need your help, Rath, and I haven't a moment to lose. You cannot refuse me."
"Oh no? Appearances are deceiving: here I thought to bask in the company of a childhood friend, and instead I find a spitting hellcat. If I hadn't walked in the door, who might you have dragged off the street to abet you-a sniffing tom?"
Blast it. It was as if she was twelve again. "Rath! Be serious. Sit down."
"I have a feeling I will want to be standing." This wasn't going quite the way he had planned either. He waited stoically for the ax to fall.
No choice now. She must dive into it and hope she didn't land half seas over. "There's a man."
He hadn't expected that-that she would immediately confess to her interest in Kirukulus. It undercut everything.
"Isn't there always?" he said dryly, warily.
The bounder! Of course he would make it as difficult as possible. Which made her all the more determined. And besides, hadn't he had enough time to ask her about Kirukulus? Any man with guts and gumption would have, immediately. Blast him. He deserved the torture she was about to inflict on him.
"Rath, be serious. Here's the thing. I want you to teach me."
"Teach you.?"
Yes, he was looking a little green around the gills. It was time to toss the bouncer.
"Well," she went on as artlessly as the child he thought she was, "he's an experienced man, much more so than any man of my acquaintance. Well, I mean-except you, of course. But I haven't seen you in years. Not that it matters. He is the man I would marry. So all I want you to do is teach me everything I need to know-everything a worldly woman would know-so I can fix his interest."
"That's all?" Rath said in a strangled voice.
She was immensely heartened by his anger. She had gotten to him, as she intended, and she felt a wash of triumph that she had scored on the first gambit.
It was a game, after all, even if he didn't know it yet.
She smiled at him brightly. "That's all."
He was thunderstruck. This was the last thing he expected her to say; but he couldn't let her see that, so he turned away from her to collect his thoughts.
This was Cesia, grown-up, God help him, beautiful, spirited Cesia, hanging herself to him on a silver salver, giving him the reason and wherewithal to carry out Lykouleon's plan, and she didn't even know it.
What man could resist that offer? Ah, but she didn't know what she was asking. And he was bound to go forward with Lykouleon's best interests in mind. His own didn't enter into it. He had made it plain to Lykouleon: he wanted no one, no entanglements, no being in love. In short, he was the perfect man for the job. No matter what it was, no matter what it took, he was the one who could remain detached, removed, and indifferent.
He turned to face her, his consent to her wild proposal quick and intended to shock her to the point of crying off now. "Very well, Cesia. Lock the door. We'll start your lessons now."
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So, how's that? Like it? If yes then review? I need some more review, at least fifteen before I started the next chapter. And this time, I must get fifteen, no less. I guess that put me off to work for a while to work on my new article at school. I haven't started on it yet. Better get going. I was so into my new game, Final Fantasy X-2, my mom got for me because of my excellent report card. By the way, not to brag anything but I got another 4.0 GPA this semester. Wooo..! *cough* Anyhow, I have to go before I started bragging again! Chao and happy Thanks Giving! xxx ^o
Chapter 3: The proposal
Well, finally I get it going. This chapter is going to be good (I seem to say that a lot, don't I?) Anyway, in the last chapter I said that I was going to write the next chapter as soon as I get ten reviews. Well guess what? I didn't get ten but that not going to stop me. I wrote this anyway. So like it or not, here is chapter 3. READ ON!!!
***********************************************************************
So now the stage was set. She had only to sit back and wait for Rath to dance attendance on her, and then pay him back for his presumption.
She dressed accordingly the next day, in simple white muslin trimmed at the bodice and hem with demure pleating, and a matching lace-trimmed cap. Virginal. Innocent. What everyone expected to see.
She made herself comfortable in the library until, as she knew he inevitably would, her father wandered in.
"This season is too wearing," he began, dropping into the wing chair opposite the sofa where she sat. " Last night..too crowded, too many undesirables. I don't know what they were thinking. That Kirukulus-there is a man who ought not be received at the docks let alone in polite society. What is the world coming to?"
"Oh, indeed? He seemed quite the thing to me."
"Well, he ain't. And you should have known better than to take his hand willy-nilly like that," Lykouleon grumbled.
"I did no such thing," Cesia said indignantly. "I just danced with him. A reel, for heaven's sake. We were barely face-to-face throughout the whole. But"-she lowered her voice-"he did cut a fine figure. And his manners were spotless.."
"Ce-si-a.." Lykouleon began, but Cernozura interrupted.
"Mr. Rath, my Lord."
"Thank God," Lykouleon muttered, rising from his chair and relieved that he didn't have to pursue the question of Kirukulus one moment further. "Send him in."
And there he was, framing the doorway, glowering.
"Rath, my boy---here's Cesia."
Rath cast a dark glance at her. "So I see."
Well, Cesia thought, that wasn't too promising. She had better reconcile with him right now, or Rath would never fall for her plan.
She uncoiled herself from the sofa and went to him, her hands outstretched. "Rath, it's been ages too long."
"So it seems," he said in that deep burnished voice of his.
Oh lord, he was tall, taller than he had seemed last night; she didn't remember him being that tall. Or those hands being so warm. Or those eyes so penetrating. Nor had his face been that handsome.
He wasn't going to help her either.
"Do sit down. Father, go see to something to eat. Or drink. Would you care for.?" She couldn't even think what this early in the morning.
"Tea and toast will do. I assume you've eaten."
"I could eat some more," Cesia said staunchly. She wasn't some faint- away female. And anyway, food in hand helped. She didn't know how, she just knew it would. "I'll take the same. Father!" She had to get him out of the room. "Do see to it."
"I'll ring"---Lykouleon looked from Rath to Cesia. Lord, she looked so sweet and innocent this morning. And yet she had danced with Kirukulus the night before and looked at him as if he were a god.
Rath eyed him meaningfully, and Lykouleon changed course. "Of course, my dear, I'll see to it." Anything to get out of the room and leave her with Rath. He could trust Rath. Thank the fates Rath had come and none too soon.
Cesia closed the door behind him and whirled around to face Rath.
"Oh, Rath. Did I not see you last night at the Spring Ball? Why didn't you come to me? No matter, you're here now. You cannot know how grateful I am that you came."
She came toward him and edged him farther into the room. This was the moment; she could not fiddle around with niceties or building the story up any further than what Rath had seen with his own eyes. She had to preempt him.
She had to take action now.
"You must help me." She looked up at him, her eyes wide and beseeching, the very essence of femininity and innocence. She hoped.
"Must I?" Rath said repressively. "Are we not to have a moment's civil conversation before you beg a favor of me? After all this time?"
Odious, odious man! Anyone else would have been at her feet, promising her the moon if she wanted it. "We could have done so last night," Cesia returned tartly, "but you chose not to. In any event, I will not ring a peal over your bad manners-today. This is serious. I need your help, Rath, and I haven't a moment to lose. You cannot refuse me."
"Oh no? Appearances are deceiving: here I thought to bask in the company of a childhood friend, and instead I find a spitting hellcat. If I hadn't walked in the door, who might you have dragged off the street to abet you-a sniffing tom?"
Blast it. It was as if she was twelve again. "Rath! Be serious. Sit down."
"I have a feeling I will want to be standing." This wasn't going quite the way he had planned either. He waited stoically for the ax to fall.
No choice now. She must dive into it and hope she didn't land half seas over. "There's a man."
He hadn't expected that-that she would immediately confess to her interest in Kirukulus. It undercut everything.
"Isn't there always?" he said dryly, warily.
The bounder! Of course he would make it as difficult as possible. Which made her all the more determined. And besides, hadn't he had enough time to ask her about Kirukulus? Any man with guts and gumption would have, immediately. Blast him. He deserved the torture she was about to inflict on him.
"Rath, be serious. Here's the thing. I want you to teach me."
"Teach you.?"
Yes, he was looking a little green around the gills. It was time to toss the bouncer.
"Well," she went on as artlessly as the child he thought she was, "he's an experienced man, much more so than any man of my acquaintance. Well, I mean-except you, of course. But I haven't seen you in years. Not that it matters. He is the man I would marry. So all I want you to do is teach me everything I need to know-everything a worldly woman would know-so I can fix his interest."
"That's all?" Rath said in a strangled voice.
She was immensely heartened by his anger. She had gotten to him, as she intended, and she felt a wash of triumph that she had scored on the first gambit.
It was a game, after all, even if he didn't know it yet.
She smiled at him brightly. "That's all."
He was thunderstruck. This was the last thing he expected her to say; but he couldn't let her see that, so he turned away from her to collect his thoughts.
This was Cesia, grown-up, God help him, beautiful, spirited Cesia, hanging herself to him on a silver salver, giving him the reason and wherewithal to carry out Lykouleon's plan, and she didn't even know it.
What man could resist that offer? Ah, but she didn't know what she was asking. And he was bound to go forward with Lykouleon's best interests in mind. His own didn't enter into it. He had made it plain to Lykouleon: he wanted no one, no entanglements, no being in love. In short, he was the perfect man for the job. No matter what it was, no matter what it took, he was the one who could remain detached, removed, and indifferent.
He turned to face her, his consent to her wild proposal quick and intended to shock her to the point of crying off now. "Very well, Cesia. Lock the door. We'll start your lessons now."
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So, how's that? Like it? If yes then review? I need some more review, at least fifteen before I started the next chapter. And this time, I must get fifteen, no less. I guess that put me off to work for a while to work on my new article at school. I haven't started on it yet. Better get going. I was so into my new game, Final Fantasy X-2, my mom got for me because of my excellent report card. By the way, not to brag anything but I got another 4.0 GPA this semester. Wooo..! *cough* Anyhow, I have to go before I started bragging again! Chao and happy Thanks Giving! xxx ^o