A/N: By popular demand…here's the next chapter :D Enjoy!
Chapter Ten: The Rogue and the Gambler
"What are you doing here?" Rosto ground out, fists clenched at his side.
"Kora let me in here hours ago," said Dale Rowan, getting up from the seat he occupied.
Rosto was about to yell down the hall for Kora and demand an explanation when Dale said, "I came to talk to you about what happened this morning."
"There's nothing to talk about," he replied coldly, looking at the man in front of him. He was younger than Rosto, mayhap by a couple of years. That fact didn't help in the cove's favor, since Beka always said Rosto was too old for her. This man was older than she, but closer in age to her than Rosto was. He bit back a scowl.
"Beka told me why you punched me," Dale went on as Rosto stomped over to his side table to pour himself a drink. He didn't want to listen to what the boy-man had to say. "And what she told you was right," he continued. "Nothing happened between us."
Rosto was silent, his back to Dale, as Dale told him exactly what had happened, from his arrival at Beka's door that morning, until Rosto appeared not fifteen minutes later. Rosto drank, hardly listening. He had already heard as much from Beka already and he had believed her when she said they had not lain together, but of this man's intentions he was still quite sure, even if nothing had happened- yet. Rosto had no intention of ever giving the man another chance to hurt Beka through his games.
"So why did you visit her?" Rosto asked harshly.
"I was on my way through to Port Caynn and I thought I'd stop by. I only wanted to talk," Dale replied truthfully.
"Talk," Rosto spat, "I'm sure your talkin' always gets you what you want, doesn't it?"
"Just like your foul temper?" he asked innocently. "It's no wonder my Beka prefers charming, good-humored sorts."
Before he could so much as blink, Rosto had Dale pinned against the wall, his arm at his throat. "Beka belongs to no man, especially not the likes of you, with your games to charm mots into your beds," Rosto said, shaking with fury. "And if you hurt her, I'll give you a personal tour of the river's bottom. Play your games elsewhere, bank courier."
The combined effects of the Rogue's cold dark eyes and fierce words were enough to confirm Dale's assumptions. Despite the unyielding arm at his throat, Dale managed to rasp out, "I knew it."
"Knew what?" asked an angry Rosto.
"That you care for her. I had guessed as much when you came to the door with the basket and flowers, and even more so after I roused from your punch. Which, by the way, is the hardest punch I think I've ever received and the healer that tended me would agree."
Unknowingly, Rosto's hold loosened on Rowan. With a measuring gaze fastened on the man's face, Rosto asked, voice still hard, "Even if what you think was true, that still doesn't explain why you're here. If you've come to boast, you can soon join the other arrogant fools in the Black God's Realm that have crossed me afore."
Dale shook his head. "I haven't come to boast or fight. Instead I've come to set things right among the three of us."
Rosto narrowed his gaze as he slowly slackened his hold on Rowan. "If you're wantin' my blessing for the two of you, you waste your time, Rowan."
Again, Dale shook his head. No longer pinned against the wall, the two men stood apart from each other, their eyes locked. Dale could speak easily again. "No. Beka and I have gone our separate ways. I thought enough time had passed since our parting in Port Caynn, but apparently I made a mistake in showing up here."
"Port Caynn?" asked Rosto, his brows furrowed. "You parted in Port Caynn?"
Dale nodded. "And we agreed to end our relationship completely, with no visits or even letters. When I came to Corus however, I looked Beka up." Sensing the change in Rosto's mood, he touched his healing jaw and joked, "I now realize the mistake I made."
Not paying attention to the man's jest, Rosto's mind was still stuck on the previous thought. Port Caynn? Why had Beka made them believe she and Dale were still together when they weren't?
"I made a mess of things by coming back here," Dale went on. He grinned ironically, "It's just what I had feared when we agreed to no longer see each other, and despite what you may think, I did not come here to lure her back into my arms for a night. I like Beka and I respect her."
Then he grinned. "In fact, I bet if she hadn't been on her hunt with Goodwin, and playing the part of the pretty Puppy, she probably wouldn't have given me the time of day if I asked. I knew Beka deserved someone much better than me from the start."
Through this, Rosto listened silently. He was beginning to think that he had misjudged Dale Rowan entirely. He was no spineless bank courier, nor was he the mot-lovin' spintry Rosto had thought him to be. In fact, with Rowan's easy-going nature, Rosto thought they might even have been friends…
Rosto bit back a wicked smile. The thought of him actually becoming friends with the man who had loved Beka was perhaps taking things a little too far…
After Rowan had left to catch his boat to Port Caynn, Rosto remained in his rooms, thinking.
He had jumped to conclusions that morning as quickly as the city's gossips hurried to spread news of the latest scandals throughout the Lower City. After Rowan's visit, Rosto had also learned that he was, as Beka had said, a far more decent cove than Rosto had given him credit for.
Good man or no, however, it still had felt good to punch him, Rosto thought. He couldn't help but grin at that.
As he thought over the day's events, Rosto pondered what to do next. He admitted to himself that he had acted the fool, going off as he had. It was no wonder why Beka had been so angry with him. Now Dale Rowan was out of the picture- had been, in fact, for over a month. He found his thoughts often returning to that, still wondering why she had made him think otherwise. After some contemplation, Rosto figured it would be best to ask Beka that question…and apologize.
Suddenly getting an idea, Rosto walked to his window. Night had fallen but there were still a few hours left to Beka's watch. Then heading for his door, he figured it best to see to his Court for those few hours. They'd be happy with his better mood.
With a bunch of red gillyflowers in hand, Rosto made his way quietly to the rear entrance of Mistress Trout's lodgings. The night was quiet and the streets deserted except for the mumpers and rushers that roamed at this hour. With the end of Evening Watch passed, cityfolk knew better than to walk the streets at this time with only Night Watch on duty.
Not wanting Beka to beat him to her rooms, Rosto moved quickly. Slipping inside the building noiselessly- he'd had a lot of practice- he made his way quietly up the stairs. When he reached her door, he took the picks from his breeches pocket and made quick work of the lock- he'd had plenty of practice at this as well.
Rosto stepped into her room. Immediately he felt uneasy. His sharp eyes took in the room, trying to locate the cause of his uneasiness. The room was quiet and dark. Feeling the sudden need to free his hands, Rosto moved to place the flowers down on Beka's table. It was as he did so that he caught sight of the dark form emerge from its hiding place. He immediately knew that the figure was too large and masculine to be Beka.
In the split second it took for the intruder to come out of hiding and for Rosto to realize it was not Beka, both men reacted quickly. As Rosto turned and a knife appeared in his hand as quickly as if by magic, the other cove lunged at him from the shadows. Rosto moved to avoid the sweeping arc of his assailant's long, deadly blade.
The blade was being wielded to kill…
A/N: Well there it is. The cliffhanger . I'll be back to post the next chapter on Tuesday night! I hope you liked it (cliffhanger excluded :D).