Ke'ri paced back and forth in the hallway, trying to figure out what to tell him. "Do I really want to tell him the whole truth?" she murmured to herself, not even realizing that she was speaking aloud. Tempting though it was to hide the truth once more, she shook her head resolutely.
"I told him that I would tell him the whole truth," she told herself while sternly looking at the mirror beside her bed. "It's time I kept that promise."
And besides, she thought, the only reason why she wanted to hide her identity in the first place was so that he wouldn't be too intimidated by the gap between their social standings. At this point, it would be better to tell him the truth and earn his trust, even if she had to risk awkwardness due to their difference in class. Growing tired of waiting, she stepped towards the window and watched the sun on its gradual ascent in the sky, fingers idly playing with a thin strand of her dark hair.
"Maybe I'll head outside and wait," she murmured to herself. A devilish smirk played on the edges of her lips. Perhaps she would be able to catch the grim general's son unawares. Heading outside, she quickly clambered up a tree and sat stock-still on a branch, waiting eagerly to surprise her target.
It was almost mid-day now, and Ke'ri was beginning to get tired. She should have given him a specific time, she realized with a twinge of regret. Perhaps it was time she went back in. Her legs were starting to fall asleep and she found herself dozing off from time to time.
"I'll just stay here a little longer," she yawned to herself. After all, knowing her luck, Lon'qu would probably show up the moment she returned to the mansion. But a few minutes later, her heavy eyelids drifted shut once more, and this time, they stayed shut for a while.
Tired of pacing back and forth and looking suspicious in front of the consulate member's mansion, Lon'qu leaned against the large oak tree, hoping it would make him look less conspicuous. He knew he must look very shifty, lingering outside the mansion with nothing to do. Looking upwards, he wearily examined the pastel blue sky. Judging by the movement of the sun across the sky, he had been waiting for almost half an hour, and the girl still hadn't showed up.
Holding back from sighing with annoyance, he started to head towards the marketplace. "What a waste of time," he muttered to himself beneath his breath. He should have realized that the fickle girl would probably have forgotten. Perhaps she had found herself another pity project to work on.
Then, with a start, he realized that the night before he had been too exhausted and apathetic to walk her back to Shuo'li's mansion. After all, he justified to himself, it was a long way, and it was her own foolish fault that she was in the slums to begin with. Still, his mind raced through all the possibilities, likely and unlikely. What if she had never made it back to the mansion? It was a long way, and she could have been beset by bandits. Or the boys from the slums again. Or a wild animal, unlikely though it may be. What if she had been injured? Kidnapped? Or worse….his mind turned to darker possibilities.
He suddenly pushed himself off of the tree, intending to pound on the door and ask about the girl's well-being. Never mind the fact that he didn't know her real name, or if she even belonged in Shuo'li's mansion, or how to describe her – he was certain he would figure out a way.
But, as he pushed off of the tree, he heard a startled shout from above. Glancing upwards, Lon'qu spotted a familiar figure that was partially obscured by foliage and precariously perched on the lowest branch of the tree. Watching in trepidation, he wondered if she'd be able to keep her balance.
She swayed from side to side dangerously, trying to regain her balance, and he knew that she was about to fall. Luckily, he thought, he was there to catch her this time. Though he was tempted to let her fall as punishment for making him worry, he brushed aside the unworthy feeling and extended his arms to break her descent.
It was a perfect catch.
She looked up at him, breathless from adrenaline and excitement. "Hello."
Masking his relief over finding her safe and unharmed, he stared at her disapprovingly, raising one eyebrow. "You seem to do a lot of falling out of trees."
"It's a very serious problem," she shot back, sticking out her tongue at him. "Don't make fun of me."
He rolled his eyes. "Just be glad that I was around to catch you this time. And I didn't hear you say thank you," he trailed off, prompting her.
"For what?" she asked innocently, though he knew that she knew exactly what he was talking about.
Two could play this game, Lon'qu thought. "Oh, nothing," he said as he lowered his arms quickly towards the ground, pretending as though he was about to drop her. The girl laughed wildly and threw her arms around him, clinging onto him so that she would not fall if he decided to toss her towards the ground.
Suddenly, Ke'ri became very aware of his arms cradling her body. Unexpectedly struck by a vicious spell of shyness, she felt heat rushing to her cheeks. "Erm…yeah…thank you."
Somehow, a tense and awkward air had infiltrated the carefree relaxed atmosphere of a few minutes earlier. He set her down gently and she quickly stepped away from him, brushing off her clothes.
"No problem," he mumbled back, staring fixedly at the ground.
"Well…would you like to come in?" she asked, gesturing towards the front door. He wasn't meeting her eyes, and she wasn't sure whether it was from shyness or from apathy. Hoping it was the former, she opened the door and the two of them entered her father's mansion together.
A/N: I wanna thank whoever Guest and PlegianAlterCake are for your wonderful reviews! :3 I wish I could reply to them, haha. I've been pretty good about updating weekly, but since I'm going to go on vacation soon, there might be a dry spell. Just letting y'all know c: