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Hello once again dear readers! I must say that the Muse has been attacking me with regularity lately. I just wish she would stop
using the damn bat. Anyway it is now time for another installment for the wonderful Soap Opera I'd like to call . . . As the World
Throws Up. Opps sorry wrong story. Now on with the show!
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It had been three long grueling weeks since the ball. Fuu's name was now quite tangled in a gossip filled love triangle. Prince Ferio very nearly ripped my throat out for dancing with her twice in one evening. Hikaru and Lantis were out in a secret mission, and Fuu's sister, The Duchess or so I learned, had stopped all kidnapping attempts.
Which is the whole problem! Umi screamed into her mind. That stupid witch hasn't even uttered a bloody spell since all this started! A good point yet bad since the whole point of this retarded plan was for her to show her ugly face! She's suppose to make a mistake, but she can't do that if she doesn't do anything!!
Letting out an annoyed sigh Umi glared daggers into the desk in front of her.
"Something wrong?" Clef asked as he looked up from the papers he was reading. Umi just snorted and continued glaring at the desk.
"Did my desk do something wrong?" Rolling her eyes Umi considered a retort then just said.
"No." And turned her eyes to glare out the window. Without even looking at Clef Umi could feel him grin. Which just pissed her off even more. But she kept her anger inside; Clef had been kind enough to allow her to hide in his study. Ever since that cursed night; Umi has had every female from the lowliest scullery maid to a Baroness either flirt with her or suggest . . . other things. Umi shuddered as she remembered the last time she went to her room. Dinner had just ended and the Duke was walking back to her chambers. She had felt quite satisfied since Lady Fuu had sat to her right. And she had kept the Prince frowning for most of the dinner, as she made Fuu laugh with one outrageous story after another. Smiling the Duke had opened the door and found that her room was anything but empty. There lying on the bed was the Baroness that had been sitting to the Duke's left at dinner, she had also ran her foot . . . never mind. Now having a Baroness in your bed wouldn't have been that bad, had it not been for her . . . unusual state of dress. Panicking at finding a naked woman in her bed Umi smiled weakly, shut the door, and calmly walked away. She didn't know where she was going. The to part didn't matter it was the from and away part that was important. Thinking shed had gotten away Umi turned a corner and ran into a bunch of giggling maids. Who were all very pleased to meet the handsome Duke.
Lucky me. I still don't know how I got myself out of that situation. All I know is that I did some really fast talking. Some how I extracted myself out of that mob, and fled through the nearest unlocked door. Which to my perfect luck got me where I am now. In the middle of the Master Mage's damned study. As if I need this right now. The stupid plans not working, I'm five seconds away from getting called out by Ferio, and I've got nearly every woman in the damn castle trying to get into my pants! No wait I lied their trying to get into the Duke's pants.
"As if that makes it any better." Umi muttered softly to herself. Clef once again looked up from his work and tried not to grin. Sighing softly he pushed himself away from the desk. No matter what he did he knew he wasn't going to get any work done.
Not while she's in the room. He thought.
"Umi." Clef said softly in his baritone voice. Not getting a response he gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Startled Umi looked up into Clef's blue eyes. As their eyes locked Clef forgot how to breathe. The world disappeared; nothing existed except the blue eyed beauty in front of him. Who had been moments ago glaring at the window and muttering to herself. Their gazes stilled locked Clef couldn't help but get an urge to lean down and kiss her.
Kiss her?! Dear gods man what are you thinking?! Snap out of it!
But Clef's body wasn't listening to his brain. Slowly his hand came up to gently brush Umi's check. He was about to lean down and capture her tempting lips, when someone knocked on the door. Startled Clef straightened and turned towards the door.
"Who is it?" He asked, staling for time. He turned back to Umi to tell her to hide, but found nothing but an empty chair.
That was quick.
"Master are you alright?" Ascot Clef's pupil asked from the open door.
"I'm fine Ascot. What news do you have?" He asked moving around to sit behind his desk.
"I was hoping to find Umi to tell her too, but I can't find her." Ascot said a concerned look coming over his face. Ever since Umi had started helping them she had treated Ascot as a little brother. He had found in Umi the friendly acceptance that not ever his own family gave him. And ever since the Prince had expressed his . . . dislike for the 'Duke' Ascot worried for her safety.
"It's alright Ascot, you actually just missed her. She was just here hiding from her admirers. Now tell me, what did you find out?"
"Another one of the Duchess's flunkies is in town. He was at the Honored Boar with Karla they went to one of the back rooms. They came out an hour or two later, then left going separate ways. Karla went home, but the flunkie left towards the Street of Lights." He said the last sentence blushing scarlet. The Street of Lights was a place well know for its negotiable affections. Clef smiled at the thought of innocent blushing Ascot wondering around its perfumed streets.
"Thank you Ascot. I'll find Umi and tell her what her old roommate is up to. Now why don't you go and get some rest. We'll cancel your lessons for today, you look like you could use some sleep."
"Thank you Master." Ascot bowed and quickly left before Clef could change his mind. A few minutes passed before Clef learned back in his chair and said to the room in general.
"Did you get all of that?"
"Yeah." A muffled voice said from under his desk.
"Any ideas?"
"Go into the Street of Lights and see if we can't get some information." Clef nodded and a few more minutes passed by before he stated.
"You're not going alone." He smiled as muffled curses rose from beneath his desk.
Umi woke up and then suddenly wished she didn't. Her stomach had decided to curl up and died in protest. This caused whatever was in her stomach to crawl up and die in her mouth. Slowly ever so slowly Umi opened her bloodshot eyes and looked around the room. This wasn't her room . . . that is so not good. Carefully she rolled over and prayed that:
Her stomach wouldn't protest even further and decide to try to crawl out of her body.
That whoever was playing roulette with her head would stop.
That no one would be occupying this bed with her.
The gods must hate me.
There lying on the other side of the rather large bed was the shape of another sleeping human being. At least she hoped it was another human being. Squinting pass the spinning of her head she saw light lavender hair poking out from the top of the bed sheets.
Now I know that the gods hate me.
Clef it had to be Clef. Still trying to see past the spinning which had now becoming a headache. She saw a set of white robes had been thrown across the back of a chair.
Oh my gods! Please tell me nothing happened. Please tell me nothing happened.
Slowly . . . carefully Umi moved her hand under the covers and placed it onto her stomach. Her bare stomach.
Damn it!
Frowning Umi realized that she had two options.
Some how get over the hangover and get out of the nice warm bed.
Go back to sleep and pray that everything will look better in the morning, (hopefully with no spinning).
At that moment Clef rolled over onto his back. Umi decided to take option two, rolling over she snuggled up to Clef and placed her head on his chest.
Might as well get some enjoyment out of all this. She thought right before sleep came up to claim her.
Dawn had come and with it was the liquid gold, that falls through the windows and pierces through a sleeping man's mind. Clef groaned at the constant assault on his sleep confused head. Still groaning Clef began to stretch and suddenly stopped. He wasn't alone, looking down he saw blue hair and a bare shoulder.
"Umi?" He whispered. Still in the clutches of sleep the only answer she gave was to snuggle closer. Placing his arms around Umi, Clef gently sighed and rested his head against hers breathing in her intoxicating smell.
Lily of the valley that's what the smell is.
He thought just before sleep dragged him back into oblivion.
Hours passed by, the morning came and went and the two lovers ignored it all. Each one trapped in a world of comfort and safety. That is until the noon bell rang and startled them both back into the harsh world of reality. Umi woke up first and found herself wrapped in Clef's arms. She felt him stir, cringing at the fact that he would awake and remember everything she couldn't and possibly be very angry at her, Umi held her breath.
"Are you awake?" He whispered in her ear. Sending chills down her spine.
"Yes." She replied softly.
"Good." He said tightening his arms and pulling Umi closer to him. Umi let out the breath she had been holding. She had expected anger, shame, even confusion . . . but not this . . . not acceptance.
"Clef?"
"Yes?"
"What happened last night?"
"You don't remember?" Disappointment laced his words.
"Well I remember . . ." Umi racked her brain trying to remember details of the night before. "I remember Ascot and then arguing with you about going to the Street of Lights. I remember finally going to the damn place with you tagging along." She could feel him grin. "And I remember finding the lackey . . . what was his name . . . Fred? Anyway I remember talking to the bastard buying him drinks . . . a lot of drinks . . . a whole lot of drinks. And I'm afraid from there it all just gets . . . fuzzy. Did I really do what I think I did?" Clef chuckled lightly then kissed Umi's neck.
"Yeah you did. I've had women through themselves at me before but I don't think I've ever had someone . . ." He paused trying to search for the right words.
"Jump your bones?" Umi suggested her face burning scarlet.
"That works." He said with another light chuckle.
"Clef?"
"Yes?"
"Do you regret it?" Umi already knew the answer. Hadn't he wrapped his arms around her? Hadn't he lightly kissed her neck, sending delicious chills down her spine? But still . . . even after all that. The nagging worm of doubt was gnawing at her mind. What if he was just being polite? What if he just wanted a piece of ass? What if he doesn't even care or like me? And on and on the thoughts went dragging her down and making her dread every second that he didn't answer.
"No." He said softly. "No." He said more firmly. Umi rolled over and looked into his eyes. What she read there made all the doubts disappear; it sent a wave of joy through her and maybe just a little fear. His lips came down and claimed hers, killing any further thoughts on the subject, as he kissed her with all the passion she blurry remembered from last night. Then as she knew it would the other shoe dropped. Someone knocked on the door. The two lovers ignored it, focused as they were on the wonderful feelings forming between them. The knock came again along with a loud insistent voice.
"Clef! Clef open up we need to talk!" It was Prince Ferio.
"Damn it!" Umi growled, reluctantly breaking the kiss. Jumping out of the bed Umi grabbed some her clothes pulling them on. She then looked around trying to find a place to hide. Clef pointed towards the door to the dressing chamber. Nodding Umi hurried towards it her doublet, coat, stocking, and boots a tangled bungle in her arms. Entering the room Umi finished getting dress and tried to smooth down her hair.
Gods what I would give for a hot bath and a meal. She thought sourly as she cracked open the door. Clef was standing in the way so she couldn't see the Prince, but boy could she hear him.
"He is trying to take her Clef!"
"Calm down Ferio. Who is trying to take whom?"
"The Duke! He's trying to take Fuu! I bet he was sent here by the Duchess that would be to her taste."
"Now let's think this through Ferio, why would the Duchess send a Duke to steal Fuu away from you?"
"Because I refused her!" Ferio paused as he tried to get his thoughts in order. "Remember some years ago when Fuu and her sister first came to the court?"
"Yes."
"Well you know how I felt after I saw Fuu, but it would seem that her sister felt the same way about me."
"You're kidding me." Clef said his baritone voice going dangerously low. There was a pause and Umi assumed that Ferio had nodded his head. Since Clef hadn't moved, his body was still blocking her view. "So she vowed revenge."
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"Because . . . the same thing happened to me."
"What!!" Ferio and Umi yelled together. Umi quickly slapped her hand over her mouth, and prayed that the Prince didn't notice her out burst. He didn't, instead he just stood there in silence.
"She claimed that she was absolutely in love with me and that she couldn't live without me or something like that. When she realized that I could never return her feelings she got angry and vowed that she would get revenge."
"Which is when all this nonsense began to happen."
"Yes."
"So then it's both our faults."
"Actually I believe that she went after Lantis as well." Umi couldn't see but she could feel the grin the two men shared. She rolled her eyes, in exasperation.
This male bonding is all well and good but I need to get out of this place! Make him go away Clef!
Suddenly it hit her. She was doing all this . . . she was getting nearly killed . . . she had this hangover because . . . all of this was over the fact that three men turned this woman down?! A tsunami of anger crashed down onto Umi. She was being chased around by horny women because Ferio, Clef, and Lantis refused some stupid slut! She was daily avoiding being skewered by Ferio because some tart didn't get what she wanted! All of this! All of this stupidity was because some woman with magical powers was mad at being rejected!!!!
Oh my gods!! This is so stupid!! The best motive this woman can come up with sounds like it was taken from a really bad Bard's tale. Like the one you heard last night. Umi shuddered in the memory. Drunk as she was it was the one thing she remembered with disgusting clarity. It was about two sisters, one drowned and a Harper found her and made a harp out of her body. Not exactly the most pleasant of songs, but if the bard had had a nicer voice it may have been a lot less painful. But that wasn't the matter at hand, what mattered was that Umi had been stupid enough not to ask why the Duchess was trying to take over the Kingdom!
It's a simple enough question! Why? Why am I here? Why is the stupid tit trying to take over a Kingdom? Why after all this did I actually agree to help them?!
But Umi already knew the answer.
Because it felt right. Man! Why after all my years of indifference and theft did I suddenly decide to go all noble? Why now?