* 90 * 3/9/13, 3/10/13, 11/12/15

The two of them made their way to the courtyard by themselves, but were soon joined by Bishop.

"Bishop?" Lily questioned. Maybe he just wanted to say goodbye, but even that seemed out of character for the moody ranger.

Bishop ignored Lily. "It was nice to meet you," he declared with a haughty, overly conceited air to Daeghun.

Lily was shocked. At the very least, he gets points for being thorough, but he could knock his attitude down a few notches, she mused.

"You as well," returned Daeghun simply, silently considering what he witnessed between the two at the dinner table. Bishop nodded.

Watching this spectacle was too unusual for the elf. "Bishop...I didn't know you had manners!" Lily commented, clutching her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing. She was quickly losing in that battle, however.

Bishop almost scowled. Instead, he looked at her and said in a low, warning voice, "Lily..." to which the silly elf only doubled over in laughter.

Daeghun watched, contemplative. They at the very least bickered as if there was something more going on between them, but Lily had said nothing of this ranger.

Bishop refocused on Daeghun. "We should have a match sometime, see who can aim best at the farthest distance," he offered.

Daeghun actually almost smiled at this suggestion. Oh, how he missed his early days. He barely ever went out hunting anymore. "Perhaps we shall," he answered. Only time would tell. "For now, I'll take my leave. Take care, Lily," he said, nodding at his daughter.

Lily said "Bye!" but wasn't concentrating on Daeghun. She was still staring flabbergasted at Bishop. As soon as her father had left, she turned fully to face the ranger.

"That was rather...different of you."

Bishop shrugged. "Does 'different' bother you?"

Lily replied "No," and as soon as she did, Bishop reached up and pinched her cheek softly. Lily, surprised, pushed him lightly on the chest, but as soon as she looked into his eyes, she regretted it. He had the most daring, Go-ahead-and-try-me look staining his striking features, complete with a cocky smirk. Sensing a challenge, though, and feeling playful, she pushed him again.

Bad idea.

Bishop quickly caught her wrist in his hand and slid behind her in one smooth motion, grabbing hold of her other arm with his free one. He repositioned himself to lock her arms tightly in his, then used his free hands to lift her shirt slightly and start tickling her exposed sides.

"Wha – No! No, no, please, Bishop!" she wailed, desperately struggling to get away. Not able to take his assault in lip-trembling silence for more than a few seconds, she burst out in tearful laughter. "Bishopp! I'm sorry!" she cried, trying to wrench herself from his grip again.

"What was that, ladyship? I couldn't hear you over your hysterical laughter." He was clearly enjoying himself, relishing his excitement at her expense.

This only made the elf struggle harder. Lily growled weakly at his teasing tone, her muscles spasming like crazy. "Bishop!" she demanded forcibly, trying to put all her strength into her voice since it was obviously doing her limbs no good.

"Is that a commanding tone, ladyship? Would hate to think what would happen to me if I didn't listen."

"Everyone can see us," Lily pleaded quietly between uncontrollable giggles, incredibly embarrassed and blushing several shades of red as she noticed more faces turn their way.

"You should have thought about that more before testing me."

She tried pulling herself in every direction, but the ranger's powerful grasp on her didn't give for even a second. "All right, all right! I give in, you win," she said, her breath heavy with laughter by now. "You're too strong for me," her voice croaked out hopelessly. As if trying to confirm whether this was still true, she tried to tug herself free one last time before giving up.

For some reason, her last words intensely piqued Bishop's interest, and while he stopped tickling her, he held his arms still fastened around hers, almost as if to make a point. Lily's body was fully riled up, with a slight tint of red distributed evenly throughout the skin which was fully visible through her dishevelment. "Let me go," she pleaded. Bishop instead had the inclination to look over her shoulder and down at her breasts, admiring the view from his convenient angle. He grinned victoriously and pushed her arms closer together, deepening the valley of her cleavage in the process.

Lily began struggling again. "Bishop, you're such a pervert," she accused, but she knew she was just a lamb at the slaughterhouse in that moment.

The ranger smirked. "If you just showed me, I wouldn't have to do this to you," he replied slyly.

"H-here?" she muttered in a rush. "Didn't you already see by the stream?" she reminded him, bashful at the memory.

"Not enough, no," he said simply.

"Don't you think you're just a little too picky?" she inquired, now frantic. If people hadn't been looking their way before, they were now.

"No, I think your skin is just a little too sensitive for your own good," he said with his same, cocky smirk. He bit his lip as his own words gave him delectable thoughts, thoughts of exploring the sensations he could arouse in her further. He imagined the look on her face if he were to leave a wet trail of exploratory licks from her angelically soft waist to down below.

Lily, as if to encourage his lewd fantasies further, only looked defeated and fully at his mercy in response.

He let his mind conjure up images of how she looked between her legs for several more seconds. Then, feeling many pairs of eyes on him, he finally, reluctantly continued, "Think you can be a good girl now?"

"Yes," she whispered, humiliated. She didn't even bark back at his derogatory title for her.

"Good," he said as he finally let her go. The sun elf immediately began fixing her clothes; they had gotten lopsided from all the movement.

"Now everyone out here knows what to do to you if you misbehave," Bishop said in mock threat, a glint in his eye.

"Tickle me?" Lily asked incredulously, but without looking him in the eye.

"No. Get me to come do it." He grinned. When she didn't respond, he continued provocatively, "Are you mad?"

"No... Just a little...well, really embarrassed..." she explained, still not looking at him.

Her head felt like it was going to explode if she endured this whole situation any longer. She mumbled an "Excuse me" and ran back off to the Keep.