-Chapter Twelve-

They had arrived early enough to the training grounds to be alone Casavir noted with satisfaction. He set his leather satchel under a tree and strode over to Lana.

"Shall we spar just a little my lady? I would not want to tire you out so early," he said teasingly.

"Oh, you are a true gentleman. I thank you for your concern kind sir, but I wonder if you truly are in fear for yourself?" she lightly chided.

They sparred for awhile, but at a slow and easy pace. It felt good to be near her like this, just the two of them with no agenda. Neither made any serious attempts at a hard practice, not trying to land blows or out do each other competitively.

Lana smiled at him, grinning as she stood poised in anticipation of his next advance. "You have improved greatly since our last time together," she said. "You might almost be as good as me… with my hand tied behind my back," she teased.

"That sounds like a challenge my lady," Casavir grinned. He stepped toward her, advancing to attack.

Lana parried his blow, crossing her blade against his and stepping in close. He smirked at her teasingly. With a lopsided grin, she quickly leaned across their blades to land a quick kiss on his mouth. A teasing smile played across her lips as she looked up at him.

He looked at her in surprise. "I do not recall that move in battle my lady. It is most unfair and distracting," he teased.

Lana chuckled, "Whatever it takes to keep the enemy guessing right?"

Casavir smiled, "I will have to remember that next time we fighting succubae, I am sure that tactic would work quite well."

Lana stood up from her fighting stance, a silly grin on her face. "I believe you have been in the sun too long. If I didn't know better, I would think you just cracked a joke. Maybe there is hope for you yet!"

"It will be our secret, but I agree that mayhap we have been in the sun long enough," he chuckled. "Shall we?" he said, indicating a shady spot under the tree where Casavir had left the leather satchel.

He sat under the tree, stretching his legs and leaning with his hands stretched out behind him. She stopped to collect the satchel and dropped it beside her as she sat next to him. She leaned against his arm and sighed in contentment. He sat up straight, placing his hand on the ground behind Lana. She shifted closer, tucking herself into his side. Casavir inclined his head so he could nuzzle her hair. He inhaled deeply, loving the sweet scent of lavender and chamomile that was hers.

They sat that way for a short time, content to be near each other as they watched the town folk walk past the training grounds. It was peaceful to be with her like this. It felt like home and he never wanted to lose this feeling. He smiled to himself, savoring this moment.

After awhile, Lana shifted to sit cross- legged. She grabbed the leather satchel, placing it in front of her. She opened it and began pulling out the cloth rapped food. As she unwrapped the bundle, she looked over her shoulder, "This was a wonderful idea. You truly are my knight in shining armor."

He leaned over her to grab a piece of cheese, "Thank you my lady, but you are wrong."

She jerked her head to pierce him with an irritated gaze; they were almost nose to nose. She stared at him in confusion, "Excuse me?"

Casavir grinned at the confused look on her face, "You said I was your knight in shining armor. I am not a knight, I am a paladin. I thought you should know there is a difference. Just trying to be of service my lady," he said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Hmm, I didn't really know there was a difference. Thank you for correcting me. You might not be a knight, but you certainly are a pain. Fine, you are my big shining pain in the…" she teased, one corner of her mouth tilting upwards.

"That's it!" he growled playfully, as he quickly turned. In one swift motion, he grabbed her around the waist and pushed her backside against the ground.

She looked up from her new prone position and laughed, "Did I say something wrong? This is very unbecoming behavior for a paladin."

Casavir smiled down at her and ran his finger over her face as if trying to memorize every minute detail, etching it into his mind. He grazed her cheek with the backside of his hand, loving the silkiness of her skin. He slowly traced down her jaw and ran his finger across her lips then down her neck. She lay with her eyes closed, surrendering to his gentle touch. A little grin of pleasure played across her mouth as he caressed her.

He reached his hand behind her head, drawing her back up to a sitting position. Casavir pulled her close as he leaned in and kissed her. Their kiss was languid and explorative. He reveled in the softness of her lips, wanting to slowly feel her mouth with his own. This was a moment he intended to savor, he had waited too long to rush now. His fingers wove themselves through her hair, clutching behind her head, holding her to him.

He released her mouth and moved to kiss her neck. He nuzzled and gently nibbled his way up to her ear. She sighed in satisfaction and inclined her head toward him.

Casavir again reclaimed her lips, this time with more passion. She answered his kiss, pressing her lips harder against his. Their mouths clashed against each other. He again bent to taste her neck and she threw her head back, moaning with pleasure.

Casavir felt his passion growing, but noted if he continued to kiss her he would have to take her back to his room. It took all of his self control to not throw her to the ground and continue tasting every inch of her. Instead, he sighed and kissed her softly on the mouth. "My lady, if we continue in this manner, we will be arrested for indecency," he said softly.

She kissed him gently and slowly again. "You say that like it's a bad thing," she said raising her eyebrows with a wicked grin. "Shall we go then before we get ourselves into trouble?"

"Yes, we should. You are a temptation and I fear for our decency when I'm alone with you, my lady," he teased, running her long streak of dark blue hair through his fingers.