'This meeting has been going on for three hours. It can't go on for much longer.' There was a fake smile plastered to Kalli's lips as she flirted and chatted. 'I'm going to impress her tonight, maybe crack that dull shell of hers and see what's underneath.' Kalli had even arrived early, looking every bit the part of the Phoenix. Her hair had been curled and beaded, her dress fitted and flowing, like cloth wings. 'And I look amazing, if I may say so myself.' Long, white-gold earrings tumbled down from her ears to brush her bare shoulders. Thin, almost desert-style material hung loosely from her body, tightly belted by a black corset. Her look was perfect, both her hair and makeup still untouched.

Everything would be perfect tonight. And Mae would be proud of her.

The Delegate from Methron continued a slow story about his long travels here, both by boat and on land. He'd dragged the story out so long, Kalli was of a mind to haul off and hit the man or at least demand he finish up, when she was saved from doing either.

"Lord Braliin, Delegate of Methron," the Dragon announced formally, her voice cutting his horrible story short, "this evening has been a tremendous pleasure. I look forward to speaking with you again on the morrow about the business that has brought you here. However, it has been quite a day for both the Phoenix and myself."

"Of course, Dawn Dragon. We shall retire as well. Have a good evening, ladies." The greasy Methron bowed out with fake grace, making Kalli want to gag. But she'd made it this far; she couldn't ruin it now...

She left the dining room as Braliin did, in the opposite direction, pulling out her earrings and tearing the beads out of her hair as she went. 'Gods damn these things. Who the hell thought it would be a good idea to dangle things from their bodies like this?' She slammed the door to her bedroom closed, pulling off her clothes and kicking them into the corner.

"You could at least warn me before you do that, you know." A deep, rich voice called from the other side of her bed. Kalli spun to see Shuryntus seated in one of her chairs, his eyes closed.

Kalli chuckled at him. "Nothing you haven't seen before, you idiot. What are you doing here?"

"I am one of your guards, Phoenix. I am supposed to be here." He was silent for a moment as Kalli pulled on something a little more comfortable. After scrubbing her face violently with a towel, she turned to attack her hair, pulling beads out and combing the mess with ferocity. "You went out last night without me."

She stopped, mid motion, and set the brush down. Shuryntus was watching her as she turned toward him, his eyes empty of any kind of emotion. His legs were crossed, his arms relaxed at his sides. There was nothing to betray what he was thinking.

But Kalli knew him better.

He was furious.

"Yes, I did go out alone last night. And I plan to go out alone again tonight." The Phoenix turned away again, studying her own expression in the mirror. When had her blue eyes become so hollow?

"Damn you, Phoenix.! How can I protect you if you keep running away?"

"I can protect myself. I don't carry these around with me for show, Ry." Kalli held up one of her many hidden daggers, sheathing it again lighting fast.

"If you would at least tell us where you're going-"

Snorting, Kalli stood up, making her way around the bed to be closer to him. "No, you would follow me, no matter how far I ran."

Shuryntus sighed heavily, brushing his short, strawberry blonde hair out of his eyes. Ry had never looked much like a guard to Kalli, but he'd made a good one. The scar that ran down his right cheek like a tear was from protecting his Phoenix. She loved him like a brother, loved him more than anyone else in the world.

But he could be so damned stubborn sometimes. "Oh, come on, Ry. Don't you trust me at all? I can whistle, call for help, and I can protect myself. Hell, I can even run away. How about this; I won't stray more than... let's say... a five minute walk from the castle if you promise not to have anyone following me." When her guard looked a little weary of her deal, she quickly added: "You can even post guards on horseback right outside the castle, to be ready in case something happens." She gave one of her brilliant smiles, hoping she looked reliable enough to get him to cave.

"Fine, you foolish bird, but if something happens to you, I swear..."

Kalli kissed him on the forehead to silence him. "Nothing will happen to me; I promise. Now, go on. I can't sneak out if you're sitting here watching me."

He actually laughed at that, his broad, sun-darkened shoulders shaking under his black tunic. "As you say, Phoenix. Take care." She didn't miss the worry in his tired black eyes, but she tried to not think about it. For now, all she wanted was to leave.

She began to pull off the rest of her jewelry when there was a quiet knock on the door. Unable to keep herself from laughing, Kalli dropped her Phoenix feather necklace onto her dresser with a clink. "Great good Gods, Ry, you don't have to knock. I haven't left yet!"

"Where are you going?" Kalli jumped. That certainly wasn't Ry's voice... She spun, coming face to face with a wide pair of stormy, emerald eyes.

"Oh, Maellyn... you startled me. I..." In one single confused moment, green eyes met the Phoenix's shimmering azure, and there was a pregnant silence between them. Kalli was the first to look away. 'She... Mae, she's never been in my room before.' She silently thought Mae looked horribly out of place in her colorful room, dressed as she was in dull grays.

"I'm sorry, Kalli; should I not be here?"

Kalli looked up at her in shock; she was being nice? "You are my wife, Mae."

"Right." The silence between them lengthened, each straining for something to fill it.

"Why did you come here?"

The Dragon looked off balance. "Ah, yes, I forgot. I came to thank you. I know how hard it was for you, to sit through the meeting."

Kalli lifted her gaze back to Mae's, a quiet smile brushing her lips. "I did good?"

"You did fine."

"You know what that means, don't you?"

"W-wait, K-Kalli..." The Dragon stuttered violently as Kalli descended upon her, releasing an undignified squeak as she took a firm hold of her hand. "Wha-"

"Come on! I was more controlled, and now you have to be a little more fun."

"Fun? Kalli, please, wait... you can't..."

But she had. Kalli pulled her wife over to the window, throwing it open to the cool evening. She climbed out, and hung from the sill with practiced skill. "What in hell, you can't climb out like that!"

"Of course I can. There's dirt down there; if I fall, I shouldn't more than break something." Kalli let go of the sill with one hand and grabbed hold of the front of Mae's dress, dragging the unwilling Dawn down with her.

"We're going out without guards?" Mae whispered urgently, clinging to the sill as her legs swung over. She looked horrified at her position, trying not to look down.

The Phoenix laughed into the moonlit night. "I wouldn't be sneaking out of the window if I wanted Ry to follow me. That's the whole point."

"You do this often?" She was quaking, inching along the sill after her errant wife.

"All the time." Skillfully, she swung over to the trellis, grabbing hold of one of the diamond-shaped holes and beginning her slow descent. "Come on, Maellyn; if you're too slow, they'll catch us. That'll ruin the game!"

When Kalli's feet hit the ground, she looked up. Mae had managed to get onto the trellis, and was inching her way down. But the Phoenix quickly looked away, a blush painting her cheeks. 'Phoenix, I know she's my wife and, but I really shouldn't be looking up her skirts.'

"Damn it all..." The short curse was all the warning she got. Kalli glanced up, to see her wife falling down towards her. When she hit, both Dawns tumbled into the dirt. "Curse these damned skirts... Did I hurt you, Kalli?"

Kalli laughed in answer, picking herself up out of the dirt. "Of course not. You know, for a Dragon, you don't weight very much."

Grumbling in reply, Mae took her outstretched hand and pulled herself up. "Whatever you say. Let's go before they catch us." Kalli kept hold of the Dragon's hand, and dragged her forward, sneaking through the bushes and shadows, making quick progress towards the beach. Mae kept up and kept silent, a look of soft worry in her pretty features.

The running became a little harder as they hit the sands, but Kalli continued in her ground-eating pace. Mae's breath came in shuttering gasps now, but it wasn't very much further...

With a loud laugh, finally feeling free of the cage of a castle, the Phoenix spread her arms to the ocean breeze, flopping into the sand. Here she was free. Gods, really and truly free...

Mae was looking down at her, a strange expression across her lips. Was she frowning? "You look ridiculous. Aren't you getting sand down your dress, doing that?"

Scowling at her Dragon, Kalli sat up. "Maybe, but it is fun. It's freeing. You should try it sometime; just forget everything you know a take a little risk, you know?"

"Risk?"

"Yeah." Kalli pulled her down into the sand beside her; Mae fell with a yelp. "There's no one out here to guard us, not one single person to keep us from doing whatever we like. Our lives are very structured, very proper. Don't you ever want to get away from it all?"

The Dragon looked thoughtful, her emerald eyes black in the moonlight. "Well, yes, I suppose."

"Good." Pulling herself to her feet, the Phoenix winked at her partner, offering one sand-covered hand to her. "Let's go for a swim."

:giggles: Mae is so cute. I have a feeling she's going to become my favorite character real quick. She's a little bit of a hard ass, but she's still great fun to write about.

Mmm, let's see. I have final exams this week for school, and I have to work too, so updates will come when they come. I can't promise anything.

Anyway, loves to everyone!

Mina