A/N - Okay peoples's here's the next chapter! I'm so so so so so so so so so sorry that it took like, what a month? for me to update? I'm terribly terribly sorry! But alas i got the flu and couldn't type and then finals...blah blah blah. The point is! Here's the next chapter i'm sorry for taking so long, and my birthday is this Tuesday (the 23) and enjoy!
Chapter 16
Leopold and Eron returned to the palace late at night, laughing and clinging onto each other as they stumbled up the steps. Leopold clutched a small bag that held a few trinkets she had bought, deciding to give them to her aunts for Midwinter Feast. She and Eron had spent hours wandering around the city as both of them were completely lost. They stopped at different stalls and explored the shops as she pounded him with questions as to his home and other information about him. It turns out he has three younger brothers and a sister that just turned eighteen. She was happily married to a man in the south with a son of her own. He came to Corus to see the city again after being away for a year. He had been knighted last year and was going to help participate in the knighting of one of his friends squire. Leopold in reply answered all the questions he had asked her as she shopped and finally they stopped at the restaurant Eron had been talking about and got something to eat before heading out again and becoming lost. Leopold was able to steer Eron away from the Dancing Dove when he suggested they stop and ask for directions. Having been home from there before Leopold made up an excuse that she could get them home and indeed she did while Eron worked his sense of humor on her the entire way.
"Well I have to say I've never had so much fun before," Leopold said wiping the small tear from her eye as she started leading the way back to her quarters. "Wherever do you come up with those stories?"
"Oh there not made up," Eron replied with a small chuckle while crossing his arms over his chest and walking beside her. "There all stories of my brother and I when we were younger. Oh how I remember stealing from the kitchen and pretending we were pirates that came to plunder the fief or thieves sent to steal all the food. Our cook edged us on as well. She would pretend to tie one of us up and hold us captive making the free person bargain for our souls. Then once we were both free we would hold her captive while we stole biscuits and other things to please our need, spoiling our appetite before supper or any other meal. Many of our servants edged us on making it more fun for us to play. Our butler would always pretend to have a secret and private message for us from our captain or the king of the rogue. Those were the good old days."
"I'm sure they were," Leopold muttered softly
"Then when we became pages things were better because we actually did steal from the kitchen and actually got in more trouble than ever because of it. The two of us were always getting in to trouble either at home or when we were here. We were almost made to repeat a year we were in so much trouble. Luckily we talked our way out of it. But we were trouble makers none the less. Have been since the day we were born!"
"Oh! How close were you and your younger brother born?" she inquired
"Actually I have a twin, but unfortunately I haven't heard from him in years."
"Really," Leopold said slowly becoming slightly uncomfortable and angry as she squared her jaw and clutched the bag that held her trinkets. ~The nerve of him~ she thought as everything came together. Realizing Eron was asking about her she snapped out of her thoughts and placed a smile on her face.
"He got the charm and swordplay ability whilst I got the great sense of humor and gift. We both got the good looks!" he joked grinning with a small chuckle.
"I can tell," Leopold laughed as well. "I already knew you were a healer and of course from tonight I know of your great sense of humor, but I'm not so sure you didn't get a bit of charm yourself."
"I was never one with the ladies as they put it. He was always the one with the ladies surrounding him at the parties. I was there as well but none of them talked to me, I just did whatever Aaron told me to do." Eron replied stopping as they reached Leopold's door.
"I highly doubt that was the case," she said stopping as well and placing her hands behind her back with her bag to stop herself from punching a hole through the wall. "I had a wonderful time Eron, thank you for taking me around."
"The pleasures all mine Leopold. Perhaps you'll fall on me for a third time." he smiled. Leopold then realized how much he looked like Aaron. She almost believed he was Aaron until he spoke. There personalities were so different she had to hear him speak in order to stop herself from doing something. "Good night Leopold." he said winking at her as he turned and strolled down the hall towards his own room.
"Good night Eron." she replied smiling and waving towards him as he left with a wave in return. She entered her room and softly shut the door behind her pressing her ear against the door and listening as he walked away. Once she was sure he was far from the hallway she swore loudly and beat her fist against the door, kicking it again and again before finally calming down, leaning her forehead against it and breathing deeply before realizing what she had to do. Cursing herself she grabbed her cloak and flung it around her shoulders before easing open her door again and disappearing down the hallway.
*~*~*~*~*
Aaron sat with his three closest friends around their table playing cards and drinking the night away. It was just like any other night in the Rogue and the four of them were wasting it away after doing a hard days work of thieving. Which didn't turn out to be so hard once they hit the jackpot after robbing several foreigners who hadn't the slightest idea about keeping their money hidden. As their were several of them two of the boys kept them occupied whilst the others silently grabbed their purses. To make a long story short they frittered away their evening and were not happy to relax with ease. That is until a very noisy and angry sounding girl burst into the inn demanding to see Aaron. The boys put down their cards and mugs they held and turned to see Leopold pushing past the other thieves and marched her way up to the table.
"You--"she hissed towards Aaron with her eyes a blazed and her tone ready to kill. "Who are you!" The rest of the thieves decided it was just a lovers quarrel and went back to their games of poker and other issues they were discussing while drinking through the inn's supply of rum.
"I beg your pardon?" Aaron said half drunk and loving the fact that she was there. Maybe that day would turn out to be better than he thought!
"I just spent the day with a very interesting man Aaron."
"I bet that was nice," Aaron grinned as did his friends around him.
"And do you want to know what I learned from this man?" Leopold replied ignoring the thoughts that she knew were racing through the four men's mind's at that moment.
"Not really but I'm betting your going to tell me either way!" Aaron grinned smugly.
"Of course I am" Leopold replied leaning forward and placing her hands on the table so she was a few inches from his face and could smell the rum on his breath. Not only that but she could see the small yellow specks that littered his eyes which gave him a very handsome look. One she found matched his brothers exactly. Lowering her voice so only he could hear she leaned forwards slightly to whisper in his ear, touching his cheek with hers. "Ever heard of a little place called Cliff's Creek?" she whispered smiling.
Pulling her face away she saw that his eyes had grown large and his mouth had clamped shut the smile that was once there now gone. He glanced at her quickly before suddenly standing with such force that he not only knocked his chair over but Leopold was forced to step back a step in order to not be trampled. Smiling to herself on the inside her smile vanished on the out, realizing she had struck a nerve in the cocky thief. Crossing her arms over her chest she stared at Aaron and lifted her eyebrows waiting for a reply. Instead Aaron crossed to her in one step and grabbed onto her upper arm forcing her to walk with him towards the stairs.
"Aye!" Gawayn said positively drunk as he watched them leave. "Where ar' you goin'?"
"Lady Leopold and I need to have a word alone. I shall be right down." was all Aaron replied before he thrust Leopold in front of him and marched her up the stairs.
"Crazy that one." Gawayn replied taking another large gulp of his ale and slamming it back down on the table before grabbing Aaron's cards and looking to see what they were.
"Crazy about that girl that's for sure." Tanner said staring off after the two and bursting into fits of laughter as he drank more ale, laughing the entire time.
"What's gotten into you?" Jeff asked pounding his friend on the back to help with the chocking while knowing it did no good. "Anyway I don't get how he can get to fired up over one lass. It's not like she returns the feelings. Who would want to marry a thief?"
"Eh! Watch w'at you say!" Tanner finally said weakly as he was still choking.
"Don't get your panties in a twist I'm finished." Jeff replied finishing off his ale and picking up his cards again. "A'right who's turn is it?"
Chapter 16
Leopold and Eron returned to the palace late at night, laughing and clinging onto each other as they stumbled up the steps. Leopold clutched a small bag that held a few trinkets she had bought, deciding to give them to her aunts for Midwinter Feast. She and Eron had spent hours wandering around the city as both of them were completely lost. They stopped at different stalls and explored the shops as she pounded him with questions as to his home and other information about him. It turns out he has three younger brothers and a sister that just turned eighteen. She was happily married to a man in the south with a son of her own. He came to Corus to see the city again after being away for a year. He had been knighted last year and was going to help participate in the knighting of one of his friends squire. Leopold in reply answered all the questions he had asked her as she shopped and finally they stopped at the restaurant Eron had been talking about and got something to eat before heading out again and becoming lost. Leopold was able to steer Eron away from the Dancing Dove when he suggested they stop and ask for directions. Having been home from there before Leopold made up an excuse that she could get them home and indeed she did while Eron worked his sense of humor on her the entire way.
"Well I have to say I've never had so much fun before," Leopold said wiping the small tear from her eye as she started leading the way back to her quarters. "Wherever do you come up with those stories?"
"Oh there not made up," Eron replied with a small chuckle while crossing his arms over his chest and walking beside her. "There all stories of my brother and I when we were younger. Oh how I remember stealing from the kitchen and pretending we were pirates that came to plunder the fief or thieves sent to steal all the food. Our cook edged us on as well. She would pretend to tie one of us up and hold us captive making the free person bargain for our souls. Then once we were both free we would hold her captive while we stole biscuits and other things to please our need, spoiling our appetite before supper or any other meal. Many of our servants edged us on making it more fun for us to play. Our butler would always pretend to have a secret and private message for us from our captain or the king of the rogue. Those were the good old days."
"I'm sure they were," Leopold muttered softly
"Then when we became pages things were better because we actually did steal from the kitchen and actually got in more trouble than ever because of it. The two of us were always getting in to trouble either at home or when we were here. We were almost made to repeat a year we were in so much trouble. Luckily we talked our way out of it. But we were trouble makers none the less. Have been since the day we were born!"
"Oh! How close were you and your younger brother born?" she inquired
"Actually I have a twin, but unfortunately I haven't heard from him in years."
"Really," Leopold said slowly becoming slightly uncomfortable and angry as she squared her jaw and clutched the bag that held her trinkets. ~The nerve of him~ she thought as everything came together. Realizing Eron was asking about her she snapped out of her thoughts and placed a smile on her face.
"He got the charm and swordplay ability whilst I got the great sense of humor and gift. We both got the good looks!" he joked grinning with a small chuckle.
"I can tell," Leopold laughed as well. "I already knew you were a healer and of course from tonight I know of your great sense of humor, but I'm not so sure you didn't get a bit of charm yourself."
"I was never one with the ladies as they put it. He was always the one with the ladies surrounding him at the parties. I was there as well but none of them talked to me, I just did whatever Aaron told me to do." Eron replied stopping as they reached Leopold's door.
"I highly doubt that was the case," she said stopping as well and placing her hands behind her back with her bag to stop herself from punching a hole through the wall. "I had a wonderful time Eron, thank you for taking me around."
"The pleasures all mine Leopold. Perhaps you'll fall on me for a third time." he smiled. Leopold then realized how much he looked like Aaron. She almost believed he was Aaron until he spoke. There personalities were so different she had to hear him speak in order to stop herself from doing something. "Good night Leopold." he said winking at her as he turned and strolled down the hall towards his own room.
"Good night Eron." she replied smiling and waving towards him as he left with a wave in return. She entered her room and softly shut the door behind her pressing her ear against the door and listening as he walked away. Once she was sure he was far from the hallway she swore loudly and beat her fist against the door, kicking it again and again before finally calming down, leaning her forehead against it and breathing deeply before realizing what she had to do. Cursing herself she grabbed her cloak and flung it around her shoulders before easing open her door again and disappearing down the hallway.
*~*~*~*~*
Aaron sat with his three closest friends around their table playing cards and drinking the night away. It was just like any other night in the Rogue and the four of them were wasting it away after doing a hard days work of thieving. Which didn't turn out to be so hard once they hit the jackpot after robbing several foreigners who hadn't the slightest idea about keeping their money hidden. As their were several of them two of the boys kept them occupied whilst the others silently grabbed their purses. To make a long story short they frittered away their evening and were not happy to relax with ease. That is until a very noisy and angry sounding girl burst into the inn demanding to see Aaron. The boys put down their cards and mugs they held and turned to see Leopold pushing past the other thieves and marched her way up to the table.
"You--"she hissed towards Aaron with her eyes a blazed and her tone ready to kill. "Who are you!" The rest of the thieves decided it was just a lovers quarrel and went back to their games of poker and other issues they were discussing while drinking through the inn's supply of rum.
"I beg your pardon?" Aaron said half drunk and loving the fact that she was there. Maybe that day would turn out to be better than he thought!
"I just spent the day with a very interesting man Aaron."
"I bet that was nice," Aaron grinned as did his friends around him.
"And do you want to know what I learned from this man?" Leopold replied ignoring the thoughts that she knew were racing through the four men's mind's at that moment.
"Not really but I'm betting your going to tell me either way!" Aaron grinned smugly.
"Of course I am" Leopold replied leaning forward and placing her hands on the table so she was a few inches from his face and could smell the rum on his breath. Not only that but she could see the small yellow specks that littered his eyes which gave him a very handsome look. One she found matched his brothers exactly. Lowering her voice so only he could hear she leaned forwards slightly to whisper in his ear, touching his cheek with hers. "Ever heard of a little place called Cliff's Creek?" she whispered smiling.
Pulling her face away she saw that his eyes had grown large and his mouth had clamped shut the smile that was once there now gone. He glanced at her quickly before suddenly standing with such force that he not only knocked his chair over but Leopold was forced to step back a step in order to not be trampled. Smiling to herself on the inside her smile vanished on the out, realizing she had struck a nerve in the cocky thief. Crossing her arms over her chest she stared at Aaron and lifted her eyebrows waiting for a reply. Instead Aaron crossed to her in one step and grabbed onto her upper arm forcing her to walk with him towards the stairs.
"Aye!" Gawayn said positively drunk as he watched them leave. "Where ar' you goin'?"
"Lady Leopold and I need to have a word alone. I shall be right down." was all Aaron replied before he thrust Leopold in front of him and marched her up the stairs.
"Crazy that one." Gawayn replied taking another large gulp of his ale and slamming it back down on the table before grabbing Aaron's cards and looking to see what they were.
"Crazy about that girl that's for sure." Tanner said staring off after the two and bursting into fits of laughter as he drank more ale, laughing the entire time.
"What's gotten into you?" Jeff asked pounding his friend on the back to help with the chocking while knowing it did no good. "Anyway I don't get how he can get to fired up over one lass. It's not like she returns the feelings. Who would want to marry a thief?"
"Eh! Watch w'at you say!" Tanner finally said weakly as he was still choking.
"Don't get your panties in a twist I'm finished." Jeff replied finishing off his ale and picking up his cards again. "A'right who's turn is it?"