Dear readers, thank you again for your warm words and all comments. Especially big thanks to Nimloth and Nikuro, You are the best!

This time I was able to throw in the next chapter a little faster than last time. Enjoy reading!

· Warning – strong language, alcohol, abuse, my sense of humor.

It was late afternoon, and the streets of Trademeet were surprisingly quiet and peaceful. Most of the streets were empty and some shops and stalls were closed, leaving only short notes saying: "temporarily closed", "I'll be back in half an hour" etc. Most of the people gathered in the main square of the city where they now clapped loudly and cheered as the statues around the fountain were finally revealed.

"Bravo! Long live the heroes of Trademeet!" they shouted happily as they turned towards the small group of six standing in the center of the gathering. High Merchant Logan Coprith, who was standing there too, was clapping just as fiercely, a broad smile on his face.

"These are for you, my dear!" he shouted so that everyone would hear him "From today you are known as The Heroes of Trademeet! Thank you again for your help and rescue!"

Esme felt a bit uncomfortable with the eyes of so many people on her and waved towards the crowd, Jaheira and Edwin were not waving at all just watching the crowd with a slight disdain and weariness. Yoshimo was smiling broadly and blowing kisses to the prettier girls in the crowd who giggled and whispered excitedly to each other while Minsc and Anomen stood erect, trying to look as dignified as possible and radiant with pride.

"Look Boo," said the giant, delighted with the ovation, "We kicked butts for justice! Good triumphed again! We are heroes!" Boo squealed on Minsc's shoulder and moved furiously. Small children, held in their parents' arms, pointed the hamster with their fingers and squealed as loud as little furry animal.

"The greatest warrior of all of us," thought Esme and shook her head smiling slightly at the sight of her little companion. Then she turned her attention to the sculptures that now stood proudly around the fountain and gave Edwin a little nudge with an elbow who was standing next to her.

"They're not that bad, are they?" she whispered in his ear as the red wizard tilted his head slightly towards her.

"My likeness definitely does not reflect all my glory and appearance, but this is my first statue so I will exceptionally allow the fools who created it to live. (These monkeys could have give more attention to my handsome face).

Esme hugged Edwin tightly to tease him a little.

"Oohh, my dear scary Edwin. You are always handsome to me. Whole 10 out of 10."

Edwin snorted loudly and released her grip and pretended to smooth his robe.

"I'm no doubt an 11 but thank you. This time you will avoid my anger. Your company is rather useful (And you are the least irritating of all this gang).

"Ah great wizard, thank You for your grace and mercy!" Esme laughed, and she was sure Edwin was trying to hold back from smiling as well. Kensai wanted to pretend that she was bowing to him when he cleared his throat slightly and the girl noticed High Merchant Logan Cophrit approaching them. Esme straightened up quickly, trying to look a little more dignified, and smiled broadly as she pointed at the sculptures.

"Lord Cophrit, let me express my admiration. I was simply speechless when I saw your form of gratitude. Both my companions and I are truly impressed. I don't think we deserve such a great honor."

Lord Cophrit beamed at her words and took her hands.

"This is really nothing compared to our gratitude! Just a substitute! We all want to entertain you as much as possible and hear about your other accomplishments! We invite you and your companions to the next celebration in Vyatri's Pub, where we have prepared a feast."

"Thank you on behalf of myself and the rest. We will be there immediately," Esme replied, and began to look for her companions. Jaheira, who was standing next to her listening to the conversation, spoke first.

"I am not entertained by such celebrations. I will go to the druid grove to spend some time with Mother Nature. I will be back tomorrow."

"Alright Jay. Take care of yourself," Esme replied and waved her goodbye. Jaheira nodded slightly

"You too," she said and walked away with a quick pace, maneuvering efficiently between the gathered people.

"Are we going?" Edwin, apparently tired of waiting, asked.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, of course," Esme replied quickly, "I just wanted to get the rest of ours together."

"Don't bother, they'll be fine." The wizard replied, "Yoshimo and Minsc have gone a while ago. One in the company of a pretty girl and the other surrounded by squeaking brats. (Even they, surprisingly, don't need nannies).

"Oh, good. So we just have to wait for Anomen," Esme replied, trying to pick out the silhouette of the cleric from the slowly spreading crowd.

"No, we don't have to. He's definitely busy (He's lucky there's a crowd around him and I can't set him on fire)," Edwin hissed as he tried to drag the kensai with him.

"What are you talking about …" Esme wondered, but stopped in mid-sentence to see Anomen busy talking to a pretty girl. Helmite was explaining something with enthusiasm and the girl looked at him with almost adoration on her face and did not take her eyes off him. Esme felt a pang of jealousy. The woman was undoubtedly pretty, well-groomed, and wore expensive gown and jewelry. Her long blonde hair was braided and pulled up in a fancy bun, and the ornate comb tucked into her hairstyle probably cost more than the entire outfit Esme was wearing. Before leaving her room, Esme took a long time to improve her appearance and stared at herself in the mirror, wanting to look as beautiful as possible. She told herself that she had to look her best for the importance of today's celebration, but most of all she wanted to impress Anomen. Usually, she focused on the comfort and usefulness of the outfit, and today she had the opportunity to show herself from a slightly different side. She wore a new white blouse which looked lovely on her tanned skin and new pants that showed her shapely legs nicely. She also took a lot more time than usual to brush her hair, usually braided tightly so that it wouldn't interfere during potential fight. Straight and dark strands did not want to work with her, but when she finally managed to tame them, she was very pleased with her reflection in the mirror. Dark brown hair slightly pinned up on one side revealed her long neck and on the other it fell freely on her shoulder. Now, however, looking at the outfit of the young woman with whom Anomen spoke, all her good humor was ruined and she did not feel so attractive anymore. She tried to make it clear to herself that Anomen could talk to whomever he wished. There was nothing between them and she shouldn't be angry or jealous, but she felt that with each second her emotions were taking over her more and more, and she no longer wanted to look at either Anomen or this woman.

"You're right, Edwin. Let's go," she said and walked towards the inn without looking back once. Edwin caught up with her after a while and unexpectedly grabbed her elbow urging her on.

"Hurry up," he said, and Esme was surprised to hear screams, a cough and some commotion behind her.

"Edwin, what happened?" she asked in surprise, trying to turn and look back to check, but the wizard grabbed her even tighter and pulled her forward.

"Nothing. Someone apparently had the nerve to cast a Smelly Cloud spell among all these people," Edwin said as if nothing had happened.

Esme looked at him and smiled amused.

"Oh Edwin … You didn't have to"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the wizard replied, but Esme was sure her companion had a slight smile on his face.

The feast had been going on for some time, when Anomen finally managed to free himself from another nobleman asking for details about one of the adventures and began looking for Esme. He had seen her before with some merchant debating something enthusiastically, but he later lost sight of her, and since then he has tried in vain to find her among the people in the common room. He hoped they could talk, or maybe even ask her to dance, but he couldn't find her anywhere. At one of the tables, he saw Minsc talking to a young man and decided to join them.

"Ah, young Anomen! Have a drink with us!" The giant thundered, overjoyed at the sight of him, and raised his cup. The man sitting next to Minsc, apparently a young local nobleman, was already slightly drunk and also waved his goblet enthusiastically, almost spilling its contents.

"Look young Hector" exclaimed Minsc, pointing to the cleric "This is one of my comrades, Sir Anomen Delryn!"

Helmite nodded in greeting and settled into an empty seat.

The young nobleman, slightly red in the face, raised his cup up again.

"My name is Hector Lurraxol. We met before when you spoke to my aunt, but we didn't have a chance to talk. Cheers!" Hector called, and took a long sip. Anomen also drank a little beer and turned to his companion.

"Have you seen Esme somewhere, Minsc?" He asked.

"Little Esme? No, neither Minsc nor Boo saw her," the ranger replied shaking his head. The young nobleman was visibly animated upon hearing their conversation.

"Esme? That's your leader's name, right? I've seen her before and she's fine. I'd love to get to know her better or that elven druid. If you know what I mean, hehe," he stammered, grinning widely and nudging Minsc with his elbow.

Anomen did not like the way the young Lurraxol spoke very much. For some time now, the cleric had tried to gather the courage to tell Esme about his growing feelings for her, and decided to defend her honor. He realized that setting up a public scene was not advisable, but he was not going to let some noble boy talk about a woman he cared about as some cheap whore to hire. Delryn felt his blood boil and rose from his seat to express his anger when someone grabbed his arm. He turned to look to see who it was when suddenly the person lost balance and fell to the floor. Anomen saw horrified that the person lying on the floor was Esme, now laughing out loud.

"My lady!" he shouted. He quickly helped her up and began brushing off her clothes. "Forgive me, I didn't notice you! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Esme adjusted her clothes and hair slightly and looked at him with mock seriousness.

"Of all the betrayals I have experienced, this has hurt the most"

Anomen felt his heart stop somewhere in his throat and tried to find the right words to explain himself again, but Esme just laughed.

"I was kidding! Don't worry. We'd better sit down and have a drink," she said and turned to sit on the vacant seat next to Anomen. Suddenly she staggered and if it had not been for Helmite's quick reflexes she would have fallen again.

"Wooooah, this floor really wants to finish what it started and its trying to kill me." She said.

"My lady … Esme …" Anomen began, watching her carefully once he helped her take her seat. "Are you drunk?"

Esme narrowed her eyes slightly at him and shook her head.

"No dear, I'm not drunk," she replied and held up her index finger to signify the seriousness of her statement, "I'm VERY drunk. That's a big difference."

Esme giggled slightly and so did Minsc and the young Hector Lurraxol.

"Perfect joke!" cried the nobleman and drank from his goblet again. Anomen didn't know what to say. He had seen his father drunk more than once, but the sight of Esme drunk was something new.

"My lady …" he began, but Esme cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Don't say anything, alright? I didn't do it on purpose. Everyone wanted to talk to me and toast … And then they wanted me to choose the wine that I like best to name it in my honor …" Esme said and grabbed her head. She turned to Anomen and whispered in his ear, " They all tasted the same, you know? They were all red … I can't even remember which one I chose in the end … There were too many …"

Kensai grabbed her head again.

"Don't worry, little Esme. Wise Boo says you did what you could. Even for him it would be a difficult task," the ranger said and patted her shoulder. Esme nodded slightly in response, and Anomen knew he had to act. He couldn't let anyone else see her like this. He was going to sober her up a bit, and if that didn't help, lead her into the room in the most discreet way possible.

"My lady … Esme … Stay here. I'll bring you strong coffee. This will get you back on your feet" Kensai raised her thumb up to let him know that she had heard everything and only mumbled a short "Mmhhmm". Anomen looked at her and then at the young nobleman who was watching the drunk girl in a way Anomen didn't like at all. He whispered softly to Minsc:

"Minsc, watch Esme. Don't let her go anywhere. Especially with this whole Hector."

"Don't worry, young Anomen!" he replied and hit the table with his fist, "Minsc and Boo will take care of little Esme."

Anomen nodded and, wasting no time, moved immediately to the bar. A few minutes later, which seemed to be taking way too long, he was walking back holding a cup of hot coffee in one hand and a cup of water in the other. The amused crowd made it difficult for him to return to the table, but he finally managed to get through it. Fortunately, Esme hadn't moved a centimeter and was in the same position he had left her in, but Minsc was standing and looking down at the young Hector Lurraxol, who was clearly very displeased and voiced his indignation loudly.

"Let her decide for herself! You're not her father," the nobleman shouted, pointing his finger at Esme. Then he leaned towards her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"This little girl is not feeling well. I'll just take her to her room and take care of her."

Minsc shook his head and slammed his fist on the table.

"Little Esme is not going anywhere with you."

Anomen sped up and set the drinks on the table, standing between Esme and the young Lurraxol.

"What is going on?" he asked looking at both men, although he knew perfectly well how Hector wanted to "take care" of the drunk girl. The very thought that someone might use a drunk woman like that made his blood boil.

"Nothing." Replied Hector, who, judging by his expression, was clearly unhappy about knight's quick return. He probably hoped he could outsmart Minsc and get away with Esme before Anomen returns.

"The girl is just not feeling well and I wanted to take her to the room," he explained.

Anomen nodded doubtfully. Still standing, he bent slightly and offered Esme a mug of coffee.

"My lady, drink this," he said. Kensai opened her eyes slowly and took the cup in her hands.

"Thank you," she whispered and took a small sip of her coffee.

Anomen turned to Lurraxol, straightened, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I think it's time for you," he said slowly and bluntly.

The nobleman snorted and was not about to let go.

"Back off, knight! It's none of your fucking business!"

Anomen regretted a little bit of not having his mace but among all the people gathered, it was best to settle the dispute quickly and quietly and without drawing too much attention.

"I said it was time for you. You drank too much," he said and put his foot behind boy's leg so that he lost his balance and fell to the floor, splashing himself with his drink. Anomen bent down and added, "See, you're so drunk you fall over. You'd better go home on your own while you're still able to."

Hector snorted and gave Anomen a venomous glare. Then he reluctantly stood up and spat at the cleric's feet.

"Fuck you" he said and walked toward the exit. Anomen breathed a sigh of relief and patted Minsc on the shoulder.

"It's good he left. Boo says he wasn't a good man," said the ranger and Anomen nodded.

"Boo is indeed very wise" agreed Anomen for the first time in his life with the opinion that the rodent had. The two men returned to their seats and the knight immediately turned his full attention to Esme, who was still sipping her coffee slowly.

"How are you my lady?" he asked, looking at her carefully. The girl, hearing her name, raised her head from the cup.

"Not so well," she whispered and shook her head. Suddenly she straightened up and looked around, "Hey, where's that weird guy? Where did he go? He fell?" she asked and looked under the table.

Anomen gripped her waist, fearing that without support, Esme would end up on the floor again, and gently helped her to her feet.

"He went home and I think it's time for us too, my lady. I will take you to your room."

Esme frowned and looked disappointed at him.

"He's not under the table?"

"No, my lady." Anomen replied.

"Oh," Esme replied, thinking again intensely, "Who was that even? Did I take him to the team?"

"No, my lady."

"Phew, that's good. He was weird." Esme breathed aloud and staggered off, led by Anomen.

"Where are we going? Dance?" she asked, realizing that they were walking away from the table "

"No, my lady, we are not going to dance. We are going to your room," Anomen replied patiently.

"You say "no" very often," kensai pointed out.

"It looks like it, my lady," agreed the cleric.

Esme stopped and looked at his face with an expression of sudden revelation.

"I know why you say "no" so often! Because you are A-No-Men! " she laughed out loud and if not for the support from the cleric she would have fallen to the floor again.

Anomen shook his head slightly amused. He gripped Esme tighter around the waist and began to lead her again towards the stairs that led to the second floor where the rooms were. Somehow, they finally got there without any trouble.

"We are here, my lady. This is your room," said Anomen, and Esme nodded her head with understanding. The man sighed, seeing that pointing to the door itself was not enough for Esme to put the facts together.

"Do you have your key somewhere, my lady?" He asked. The girl spread her hands and shrugged. Anomen felt himself getting a little hot. He knew he would have to search her.

"Okay, let me look for it. I just mean the key and nothing else." Esme leaned back against the wall and nodded. Anomen took a deep breath and began searching her pockets. Finally, after a long moment, he found the key at the bottom of her back pocket, but putting his hand there made his heart beat faster. Esme's body in that place was exceptionally nicely rounded, and more than once during their travels together, his eyes wondered to those areas. Helmite scolded himself in his mind then, knowing that such behavior was not appropriate but now his whole hand was in the back pocket of her pants and only a little material separated him from her body. He felt himself getting warmer and warmer, and when he finally pulled out the key he had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down.

"I have it," he said triumphantly, showing his prey. "I'll open the door now," he added quickly and Esme muttered something softly in response. The lock was slightly jamming and it took Anomen a few moments to open the door.

"Finally," he said pleased, but when he looked to his side he was surprised to find that no one was there. He looked around frantically and saw Esme leaning out of the open window at the end of the corridor, vomiting judging from the sounds she made. Suddenly, screams could be heard from below. Esme held up her hand and muttered:

"Sorry for the hat … It was very pretty … I'm really sorry …" Anomen didn't wait a moment. He knew the nervous people would be upstairs in a moment. He ran quickly to the girl, lifted her in his arms, ran into her room and slammed the door just in case, locking it. There were muffled voices in the corridor, and Anomen held his breath so as not to reveal his presence. Normally, he would never have acted in such a dishonorable manner, but he couldn't let the rumor of a heroine of Trademeet who vomits on people hats spread around the city. The voices in the corridor died down after few long moments, and Anomen finally dared to move.

"They're gone," he said, more to himself than to Esme, who was now resting her head on his shoulder. The room was lit only by the soft moonlight streaming through the window, and Anomen cautiously walked over to the bed. He laid Esme gently on top of it, adjusted the pillow, took off her boots and covered her with a blanket.

"Try to get some sleep, my lady. You'll feel better tomorrow," he said softly, "Do you need anything else?"

Esme nestled lightly against the pillow and frowned.

"You can't… You can't be so nice to me … I can't be mad at you when …when you're nice …"

Anomen was surprised to hear these words. Even if it was just pointless drunk gibberish, he preferred to know why Esme would be mad at him. It was the last thing he wanted. He crouched down by the bed and asked:

"Are you mad at me, my lady? Why?"

"She … was very pretty … I guess … I'm … jealous …" she whispered and Anomen felt a wide smile appear on his face. He couldn't bring himself to speak openly about his feelings, fearing rejection. He was not sure if, being a rookie knight disinherited by his own father, he could offer anything. However, if Esme was, as it turns out, even a little jealous, maybe he had a chance with her. He stroked her face lightly, brushing her hair back, and kissed her temple.

"We'll talk tomorrow. Good night," he whispered. Esme only grunted gently in response and Anomen silently walked over to the door. He looked at the already sleeping girl for the last time and smiling left the room.

Esme woke up sore and the bright sun dazzled her eyes. She wanted to throw a blanket over her head to shield herself from the light, but the sudden movement made her gasp in pain. It felt like there was a second heart beating inside her head. The tongue was painfully dry and the sore throat craved for something to drink. The prospect of cold water, probably standing in the jug on the table as usual, was very tempting, but Esme didn't have the strength to move. Every muscle in her body screamed in pain, and the persistent pounding in her head made her sick and felt as it was getting stronger every moment. It was as if the dwarf Cromwell had opened his forge beneath her skull, and now he was hammering the anvil fiercely. It took a moment to realize that the knocking was not coming from inside her head, but from behind the door.

"Who's there?" she said as loud as she could without taking her head from the pillow and frowned in pain.

"It's me, Anomen, my lady. I came to see how you feel," she heard the knight's voice. Esme remembered yesterday night like a blur. The image of Anomen who escorted her to her room yesterday dawned in her head, and deep down she knew that she should run and die of shame. The problem, however, was that it would require her to make a move. So she lay still, cursing at everything in her mind.

"My lady? Are you all right?" she heard Anomen's voice again, "Can I come in?"

"Yes," she finally replied in a hoarse voice and covered her head with the blanket. She felt too embarrassed to meet the cleric's eyes. She heard the creak of a door opening and then closing, and heavy footsteps on the floor.

"Good morning, my lady" she heard Anomen's voice.

"If you say so," she snapped, not feeling at all that the day was any good in any way.

"I brought you some fresh water and hot soup. You slept through your breakfast and I thought you might be hungry."

"Thank you," she said hoarsely, "I'm glad you came. You're a cleric so you can give me last blessing because I think I'm dying."

Anomen laughed lightly.

"My lady, I'm sure it's not that bad. You just have a hangover. Besides, the team would not be the same without you." He said.

"I will never drink this much again in my life …" Esme muttered, although to be honest she did not even remember how much or what she had drunk the night before.

"Please have a drink," she heard and she lifted blanket a little. Anomen was holding a cup of water, and the kensai reached for it with the greatest effort. The water was wonderfully cool and refreshing and soothed that sore throat. Esme breathed a sigh of relief and handed Anomen back the empty cup.

"Thank you," she said, closing her eyes again. She still felt terrible and wanted to sleep. Unexpectedly, she heard Anomen reciting the well-known words. A soft white light flashed in the room and a pleasant feeling of warmth enveloped her whole body. She felt like newborn. Esme opened her eyes and sat up slowly on the bed. Anomen stood next to the bed and smugly asked:

"Better?"

"You just wasted a very strong spell just to let my hangover pass … You shouldn't." She replied seriously. "I deserved it."

Anomen shook his head.

"You feel better, my lady, so it was not a waste. I cannot watch you suffer and I am glad that I could help you. Besides, I have the opportunity to redeem myself in your eyes."

Esme looked at him closely.

"I think you've done enough. I should be in your debt, not the other way around."

"Does this mean that you are no longer angry with me, my lady?" he asked, raising one eyebrow and never taking his eyes off her.

"Angry? Why would I be angry?"

"Yesterday you said you were mad at me because I was talking to a woman, my lady."

Esme sat up in bed, starting to remember the facts of the previous evening. "Why won't the earth part beneath me and swallow me?! Why !?" she pleaded to the gods for mercy.

"I said so, really?" she asked, pretending to be surprised. Anomen nodded and spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words.

"My lady, I must confess that our good relationship is very important to me and I do not want you to ever feel angry or resentful towards me … Or be jealous. Although I admit that it flatters me a little."

"Oh gods," Esme whispered, feeling terribly ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Anomen. I was terribly drunk. Damn, I'm really sorry. I made a fool of myself. It's really none of my concern who you are talking to. I shouldn't have spoken." Kensai tried to explain herself somehow, but Anomen sat down in the chair by the bed and gently took her hand. Esme looked at him and listened intently, though with every scrap of her body she contemplated jumping out of the window.

"You don't need to apologize, my lady. My conversation yesterday was not of an intimate nature. The woman you saw me with yesterday only wanted to arrange a visit to the Order headquarters on her next visit to Athkatla. For her sons who would like to join its ranks. I promised to help on this point and nothing else. But I am glad that the whole situation took place. Thanks to her you have expressed your opinion out loud and I have gained the courage to speak more openly. "

Esme sat still waiting for the rest of the speech. Anomen took a deep breath and said:

"My lady … Esme, would you please give me a chance and agree to have dinner with me tonight? We would have the opportunity to talk face to face."

Esme nodded as she felt herself blushing.

"Very gladly, Anomen. I would love to have dinner with you."

Anomen beamed with happines at her reply.

"Thank you, my lady. You don't even know how happy I am." He kissed her hand and stood up to leave.

"I'll come for you at 6 pm," he said. He bowed slightly, looked at her once more and left the room. Esme threw herself back on the bed. She couldn't believe what had happened and was smiling broadly to herself. The day suddenly got much better.

Esme had spent most of the afternoon bathing properly. She later had a quick chat with Jaheira, who told her about her stay and about what was going on in the druid grove now. Elf later wished her a good night before they separated, and Esme went to her room to prepare for her meeting with Anomen. Excited and a bit nervous, she kept adjusting her appearance to look her best and she did not even notice how the clock on the main square of the city announced 6. At the same moment there was a soft knock on the door. Esme took one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath and opened the door. In the corridor, as she had expected, Anomen stood smiling broadly, dressed in a navy blue shirt and black pants, looking extremely handsome.

"Good evening, my lady," He bowed slightly, grabbed her hand and gently kissed it "Are you ready?"

"Good evening. Yes, you are on time, I'm ready" she replied.

Anomen laughed lightly:

"To be honest, I was so impatient that I had been pacing the corridor for last half an hour."

"So let's not wait any longer then and let's go," Esme said amused. She relaxed a little knowing that Anomen was as nervous as she was. Helmite offered her his hand, which she embraced willingly, and they walked slowly down the corridor.

"Why don't you tell me where we're going?" she asked and Anomen sighed. "Unfortunately, my lady I found out that the place we are currently staying in is the best place in Trademeet and it's hard to find something better here in the city. So we'll stay here."

"Oh, I understand," Esme said, somewhat surprised. The prospect of spending the evening in the common room, where they ate all their meals together, did not seem to give the feeling of privacy she had hoped for. But what mattered was the company in which she was to spend this time and so she did not care too much. But when, instead of going down the stairs, Anomen directed her left towards the other wing of the building, surprised, she asked:

"The main hall is the other way. Where we're going? You said we were eating here in a Pub."

"Patience, my Lady," replied the helmite with a smile on his lips as he led her to the large double doors at the end of the corridor. Anomen opened it and Esme was the first to pass. The girl narrowed her eyes a little to get them used to a slightly different light and opened her mouth speechless. They were on a large terrace in the middle of which stood a small table set for two, and although it was still quite light outside, a few candles were already lit around it, creating a romantic atmosphere. Esme turned to Anomen who was standing slightly back, watching her closely. He slowly walked over to her and took her hand again, leading her to the table.

"I hope you like it, my lady. I managed to arrange this place for the two of us today. You didn't think I would let us spend this evening downstairs?"

"It's beautiful. I don't know what to say," she replied. Anomen pulled back a chair for her and she took a seat at the table and then he sat down too smiling broadly. "I am delighted that you are satisfied. I was worried that I would not be able to organize anything suitable in such a short time."

"It's perfect, really. Nobody's ever done anything like this for me before," Esme said, looking around.

"Would you like a drink of water, my lady or would you like a little wine?" Asked Anomen with a faint amusement in his voice. Esme looked at him, blushing slightly at the memory of the previous day. "I'll stay with water, thank you," she replied, "I think I've had enough of the stronger drinks for a while." Anomen poured water into the goblets, and they both focused their full attention on the delicious meal and, above all, on each other.

The moon was already high and the stars flickered in the sky and Esme and Anomen were still enjoying each other's company and talking happily leaning against the terrace railing.

"Indeed, I find it hard to believe, Esme," Anomen laughed.

The girl wiped the tears flowing into her eyes with laughter.

"I swear I was! I was the mastermind behind the operation! Imoen was 11 at the time and swore she was in love. I wanted to help her escape with her beloved with caravan of merchants leaving Candlekeep. I wanted her to be with her lover! If you saw her disguise, you'd die. I even painted her mustache. No wonder they caught her. Gorion was furious and we had to peel onions in the kitchen every day for two months. Funnily enough, Immi fell out of love after a week. But I wasn't even angry. Now it's your turn, Anomen. Share your youth's mistakes! " Esme demanded, looking at him amused. The knight still laughed at the story she told, and only after a long moment did he calm his breathing and start to wonder.

"I dare to doubt that any of my stories will be able to beat yours, my lady. But there was one occasion when, while still a youngster, I thought I was in love too."

"Tell me Sir Delryn! Give me the details!" Esme said. Anomen nodded and continued.

"As you wish. It was then that I entered the Order and left for the first time with other members from Athkatla. I was thrilled at the prospect of breaking out of the house to stay away from my father for a while. There was a small village near the place where we were stationed, and in the evenings we often went to the local Inn. One of the owner's daughters was there and luckily we started talking one time. We both felt that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. "

"And what happened next? Did nothing come of it?" curious Kensai asked.

"I returned with the knights of the Order to Athkatla and she stayed there in a village. We wrote letters to each other with declarations of love to the grave, but after some time the letters stopped coming and I didn't feel the same as at the beginning. The feeling just burned out. In the year we went to that area again. I met her again, but I don't think she even recognized me. She already had a husband and was expecting a child, "Anomen finished.

"Seriously? I'm so sorry!" Esme said as she heard the end of his story. Anomen looked at her and shook his head.

"Needlessly, my lady. Apparently we weren't meant to be together. It all ended in the best way for both of us, and she looked happy the last time I saw her. Besides, if my life had taken a different turn, your path and mine might never have crossed. And I am very greatftul for that. "

Anomen looked at her and Esme felt herself blush a little. She could never find the right words as he looked at her with his deep blue eyes like that. She turned slightly to face him and her back was now against the wall.

"I think you are right. I am also glad that we met each other in the Copper Coronet back then. Your presence in our team is most welcome, Anomen."

The man took a step forward in her direction when something unexpectedly caught his attention above her head. He held out his hand and Esme turned to see what he was reaching for. A little higher above them, in the wall of the building, there was a large crack in which, surprisingly, somehow, a convenient place for them was found by beautiful red flowers. Anomen reached for one of them and broke off with a smooth movement of his hand. Esme watched how Anomen carefully twist the flower in his hand and watched it closely. Delryn looked up at her and said:

"Lady, please look at the flower I picked"

"It's exceptionally beautiful. I never would have thought you were the type of flower-picking person, Anomen," she replied, wanting to tease him a little.

"It's true that I've been catching myself doing weird things like picking that flower lately." He admitted as he moved a little closer and watched her carefully. "It's the Crimson Rhodelia, if I'm not mistaken, and it's very rare. It's a wonder it grew in such an unusual place. It's a flower of revenge and of warriors, but also of lovers. It is beautiful and attracts attention with its fiery appearance and sweet aroma. It reminds me of you my lady. "

"You undoubtedly know flattery, Anomen," Esme said, trying to sound calm, feeling her heart pounding so hard it was about to tear out of her chest. Delryn shook his head.

"No, my lady. It is not flattery, but the most sincere truth. I wish to confess to you that I am enchanted with you from the first moment I saw you, Esme. My feelings for you have long been much stronger than ordinary friendship and I am unable to suppress them any longer. "

Anomen stepped even closer and handed her the rhodelia. Esme looked up at a much taller man whose blue eyes were watching her now.

"One word of yours is enough and I will withdraw. Are my words too direct for you, Esme? Have I crossed the line and you don't feel anything more than friendship? "He asked. Esme shook her head and stroked his cheek.

"No, Anomen, I don't want you to go away. I feel the same way." She whispered. Anomen smiled, lifted her chin slightly, and brought his mouth to hers. She felt his breath on her and closed her eyes. Anomen kissed her at first lightly touching her lips, but with each passing moment his kiss grew bolder and more passionate. He gripped her waist and pressed her closer to him, his tongue parting her lips, deepening the kiss even more. When they finally broke up, Esme had could barely feel her legs and she was sure that if it weren't for the cleric's strong hands, she would have fallen.

"You don't even know how happy you made me, Esme," Anomen whispered. "I've been dreaming about this moment longer than you can imagine."

"So do I. Although I feel like I'm dreaming."

"It's all true, my dear."

"So kiss me again then because I still can't believe this is all happening." She said. "With the greatest pleasure," replied Anomen, and kissed her again.

For the first time in a long time, Esme felt happy. She believed that maybe in her dark life, there was also a place for love.