Fate's Poisonous Kiss Chapter Four, a neverwinter nights fanfic

m: in case you can't tell, I'm trying to make Seelamin somewhat like Anotalex/Tymocallan. 'How You Remind Me' belongs to Nickelback

Chapter Four

Nathyrra and Seelamin sat at a table. Seelamin was polishing his armor while Nathyrra was sharpening her daggers. "So, Seelamin," she began, "Has there ever been anyone special to you? A thief of your heart?"

Seelamin seemed caught off guard by her question, something she had been able to do to him as of late with ease. "Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity." she replied.

"Curiosity killed the cat." He told her, quoting an old expression.

"But satisfaction brought it back." she reminded him.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I suppose I owe you an explanation…"

"Indeed you do, spit it out."

"Many years ago, I met a woman. Her name was Arayna, and I fell for her…bad. My clan was most displeased when they learned I was in love with her."

"Why would they be angry?"

"Arayna was elven, a wood elf to be specific. It is forbidden to love someone of another race."

"I see."

"I had a choice. If I chose Arayna, then I would be cast from my family. If I stopped living Arayna then I would be welcome in my family."

"You chose Arayna?"

Seelamin actually smiled. "You know me well, Nathyrra. Yes I chose her. I was cast out by my family when I declared that I loved her more than my honor. We left them and married, damning any connections to themwith the words, 'I do'. Nine months later, Arayna and I were blessed with a child. We named her Tianna, after Arayna's mother."

"What happened next?"

"We lived in peace for six years until I received the news, my mother and father had died of old age. Grief-stricken, I got on my horse and rode away. I was several miles away before I broke down and decided to turn back." He grimaced. "I suppose it's good that I had left that night or else I might not be alive today."

"What do you mean?"

"When I returned home, my house was in ruins. The corpse of my wife lay on the floor. Tianna lay near her, clutching a spear in her hands. I believe she had tried to protect her mother despite her age, and had tried her best. I remember holding my wife, grieving over her dead body when something caught my eye. It was the symbol of my clan. My brother, Gargonis, was the new leader after my father. He had killed my family."

Nathyrra nodded. "I can see that, we drow have similar customs."

"It is not a custom to go on a manhunt and slay innocents!" yelled Seelamin. Nathyrra stared at him. Seelamin ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that. It's just hard to talk about is all."

Nathyrra reached across the table and laced her fingers with his. "Go on, please."

"I was enraged by my brother's actions. They were even more dishonorable my actions of leaving my clan."

"What did you do?"

"I raised an army of outcasts and attacked my own clan. I killed old friends and my brother. It was shameful, what I did."

"What did you do next?"

"I spent the next few years working. I was mercenary, soldier, warrior, anything that could help me regain my honor by fighting."

"How did you get captured then?"

"Nothing really interesting happened. I was with a group of mercenaries on my way to a job when a drow raiding party ambushed us. We were overwhelmed. I was the only survivor and they enslaved me. I spent the next few months in the Underdark, until your mother purchased me."

"I'm glad she did, or else we never would have met."

Seelamin gave her a rare smile. "I'm glad to, Nathyrra. You understand me. In some ways you remind me of…of my wife."

"How so?"

"Arayna was smart, and she was passionate. She would never let me be when something was wrong. She also had blue eyes, like you."

Nathyrra smiled. "You like my eyes? My sisters always teased me about them. Very few drow have blue eyes."

"Really? There's nothing to tease you about Nathyrra, you're a beautiful woman."

Nathyrra looked at him. For the first time she realized that he was rather handsome. If only he would smile more, that made his face light up it seemed. He was smiling at the moment. It would be so easy just to reach over and kiss his lips, find out if his beard tickled when it touched her face…

She blinked. "It's late, I should be going." she announced and slipped out of the room before he could say anything. Her thoughts troubled her as she walked down the hall. Why am I thinking of him in such a way!? WHY!?

Seelamin smiled as she left. A look of shock crossed his face.

She had made him smile.

He hadn't smiled genuinely since the death of his wife and daughter but for some reason, Nathyrra had made him smile. Now the image of the drow's smiling face was next to the grinning faces of Arayna and Tianna. He pushed back the tears that threatened to fall and focused on his armor, determined to make it shine.

Never made it as a wise man
I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealin'
Tired of livin' like a blind man
I'm sick inside without a sense of feelin
And this is how you remind me
This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
It's not like you to say sorry
I was waiting on a different story
This time I'm mistaken
For handing you a heart worth breakin'
I've been wrong, I've been down
To the bottom of every bottle
Despite words in my head
Scream "Are we having fun yet?"
Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no

It's not like you didn't know that
I said I love you and I swear I still do
It must have been so bad
Cause living with me must have damn near killed you

This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
It's not like you to say sorry
I was waiting on a different story
This time I'm mistaken
For handing you a heart worth breakin'
I've been wrong, I've been down
To the bottom of every bottle
Despite words in my head
Scream "Are we having fun yet?"
Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no

Never made is as a wise man
I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing
And this is how you remind me
This is how you remind me