I sat on the steel ground and smiled as Torn stood before me, he was still in his Krimson Guard uniform and he looked up at me, "Tess, do you really like this uniform so much that you don't like me changing out of it until an hour and a half after I get home?" he asked. I giggled and nodded.
"Yes I do, I like the idea that you're wearing the uniform of the people that protect us," I replied as I stood up and walked over to him, I kissed his lips longingly, and he smiled beneath them.
"Yeah well, being a Guard isn't all it's cracked up to be," he murmured almost bitterly, I smiled.
"Well, in this uniform you look more like my protector than you do when you're out of it," I explained.
He shook his head and shrugged, "Ah what the hell, I might as well humor you," he muttered.
"That's the spirit!" I said happily. He chuckled and hugged me in the bulky armor and the metallic feel rubbed against my flesh. "I must say though it's rather uncomfortable when you hug me in it."
He smiled, "Very well I'll go take it off," he said and ran out of the room, I almost ran after him as he left but the metallic thuds of his feet as he ran made me double over in laughter.
"It's not very subtle," I called after him.
"That's part of the reason I hate this armor," he called back.
I giggled and sat down on the comfortable couch in the large suite we lived in. My Fiancée, the words ran through my head eagerly. It had it's perks, being engaged to a Krimson Guard, they had great salaries and access to all parts of the city, even were granted an audience almost daily with the great Baron Praxis. It made me shiver to realize how lucky I was with the man of my dreams.
The downsides to this lifestyle were how sudden it could be taken away. What if something happened to my Torn? What if he got hurt, or worse, killed? I whimpered softly at the thought of losing him forever to the cold, unforgiving hands of Death. That cloaked figure was lurking around any corner, waiting quietly to take away the loved ones I clung to.
I shook my head and bit my lip, I couldn't think about this, if I did then he would know I feared for his life more than I let on, and I couldn't let my fears interrupt his career. He was well on his way to being the commander of his squadron. If that happened then he'd get even better pay and we would be one of the wealthiest couples in this world.
I needed a great career of my own though, that way it didn't seem like all I wanted from my man was his money.
I began to contemplate career options as he walked back in.
"Hey there, pretty blonde," he said as he kissed my neck, I shuddered heavily and slowly turned to look at him with a perky smile on my lips.
"Well don't you look handsome," I stated as I stood up to see him in a suit.
"Did I forget to tell you? We're having dinner with Baron Praxis this evening," he said, I gasped softly and his quirky smile fell slightly, "I guess I really did forget to tell you."
"Tonight?" I said as I looked at my watch, "What time?" I asked almost panicky.
"At 8," he said simply.
"Then oh my goodness, I need to get ready," I said quickly as I ran back to the bedroom. I had a half an hour. This would be the first time I would be able to meet my fiancée's employer, and I needed to look presentable.
"Relax, Tess," he said with a quirky grin, "You have plenty of time."
"But dear, this is you boss, I can't go to have dinner with him without looking presentable, I don't want to go there in jeans and a ratty t-shirt and make you look bad," I said borderline hysterical.
He walked over and kissed my lips soothing and rubbed my lower back relaxingly, I shivered and melted silently into his kiss as I slowly wrapped my arms around his neck. "Relax, you won't make me look bad, my boss doesn't have to love you, only I do."
I smiled at his words because I knew it was true, but I still wanted to make my lover happy. "I know," I whispered, "And that's all the love in the world I need."
We were a rather sappy couple. Despite the fact that Torn was a Krimson Guard and was almost a commander, he still was very romantic. He didn't really like to dance in front of other people, but with me, he would. He had danced before in front of the other members of his squadron; they joked and jeered as we had danced in a slow circle immersed in our own little world. In that single moment, we were sucked into each other, lost away from the cruelty of the world that was at war with creatures beyond our very own understanding.
"Come on," he whispered as he touched my chin, "Get ready and we'll head over," he said.
"Is it going to be just us?" I asked.
"No, he informed me that his daughter Ashelin was going to be sitting in at the dinner as well," he replied as he walked out of the room.
I bit my lip and nodded to myself and turned to the closet behind me. in it was a whole wardrobe of clothes that could either repel or attract any man, but I only wanted the eyes of one.
I smiled as I chose my favorite, the one dress that attracted the man that loved me, and that I loved in return, this would be the same dress I would use to keep his attention away from any other woman.
15 minutes later we were stepping out of the Krimson Cruiser and walking into Baron Praxis' palace. I was in a sleek, black, low-cut, backless dress with a slit up the thigh, exposing my long pale legs and midnight blue stilettos. In my hair was the brown headband that he'd given me on my birthday a few years back. I smiled as I looked over at him. I had a single, simple necklace that hung from a delicate silver chain around my neck. The pendant was a cat eye with my birth stone (garnet) in the center like a beacon of dark love.
We walked up the palace staircase as citizens around us stared as we walked past them. I smiled, I felt like I was the luckiest girl in the world, I was hanging on the arm of a glorious man with the world at his fingertips, now either he would take hold of the world, or let it slip into oblivion, knowing him, he would take hold of the world and nurture it like a lost pet.
As we entered the main room we found the Baron standing in the center of the room, his right eye was concealed by a metallic eye patch and he had a large deep mahogany mustache.
"Baron Praxis," Torn said as he bowed deeply, "This is my fiancée, Tess," he said gesturing to me once he straightened up.
"It's a pleasure to meet you sir," I said curtseying politely and I saw a sleek grin slip across his lips like grease.
"The pleasure is all mine, Madame," he said with a smirk. I smiled politely as he took my hand and kissed it. "Torn, Tess, if you'll follow me, I shall lead you into the dining room where our meal will take place," he said as he bowed courteously.
Torn nodded and we followed Baron Praxis into the other room, once we entered the room we saw a large table that stretched across the entire room, there were multiple chairs seated along each side of the table and one placed at the head of each side. A girl was standing beside the table, she had deep red hair that was pulled back in dreadlocks, she had a tattoo on her face like Torn did; this girl was a Krimson Guard. She had golden eyes and lightly tanned skin, she had on a crimson corset dress that was laced up the front, her stomach was exposed along with part of her breasts which were pressed together in the tight dress, I felt a small streak of jealousy rape my mind as I watched her with bloodlust in my veins. I kept my jealousy at bay though as the girl curtseyed to us with some difficulty. Her boots were steep and were a deep black.
"Torn, Tess, I would like to present my daughter Ashelin to you," Baron Praxis said briskly.
I curtsey politely and smiled coolly, "It's nice to meet you," I said sweetly.
Torn approached her and took her hand, bowing as he kissed it politely, "A pleasure ma'am," he said with a smile like honey.
"Likewise," she replied, her eyes were mesmerizing as she stared intently at Torn with a silky smile on her lips. I could hear it in her voice, she was captured by his good looks and charming personality, just as I had been. But he was mine!
"Shall we begin dinner?" Baron Praxis suggested.
"Of course, my lord," Torn said, tearing his gaze away from his boss's daughter and we sat around the table.
Torn sat beside Ashelin, and Baron Praxis insisted I sat next to him. Something about the whole ordeal made my spine shiver and my body tense. Something wasn't right.