Chapter 4: Manservice

"Marci!"

I looked for my mum, but all I could see was darkness rimmed by red.

"Marci, love, where are you?"

"Mum?" I made myself rasp, "I—" My next words were smothered by smoke. I began to cough. The effort of it shook my entire body. It hurt, but I couldn't stop.

"MARCI!"

I'm here! Mum, I'm here! Please!

But my voice failed me. There wasn't enough air and I couldn't—

CRACK!

My eyes popped open. I tried to control my rapid breathing and reassure myself that I wasn't in danger. It had just been a nightmare, my third nightmare today. At the temple, these episodes were rare, but ever since I left the Nightsilver Woods, they'd become a daily occurrence. It probably had to do with sleeping on the hard ground and being baked inside our stuffy tent every day.

I reached over to grab my water canteen, but it was empty. I had drained it the second time I'd woken up. The only other source of water in here was inside Mirana's sleeping bowl. The Moon Fae was resting on the water's surface in her lotus form. Normally, she'd be shining with pink light, but due to circumstances, her glow was softer than a candle's.

I licked my crusty lips. I really wanted to take a sip and be done with it, but disturbing the water would probably wake Mirana up. Both she and Davion had talked about how exhausted they were yesterday. That's why we opted to make camp only a few hours away from the city.

So, with a silent groan, I forced myself to get up. Then I slipped on my boots, grabbed my canteen, and headed outside to fetch some water. The river wasn't far.

I emerged from the tent, expecting to see Sagan and Davion asleep by the fire pit, but only Sagan was there.

I frowned. Where…

Oh.

Yesterday, we set up camp nearby the river, so I now had a perfect view of the water. It glistened in the afternoon light and it wasn't the only thing.

Davion was out there.

In the water.

On display.

Naked.

Of course, I'd seen Davion naked before and he'd practically been naked this whole time, but something about watching him bathe in the river with the water cascading down his back and him shaking out the droplets from his hair to create little stars around him was beyond tantalizing.

I licked my very dry lips again. My whole mouth felt drier than a cold winter night and I had the goosebumps to match.

The perfect drink was in front of me. Hot, cold, I knew it would warm me up in no time. If only…

As if sensing my thoughts, the Dragon Knight stilled and turned.

My lips parted in surprise.

Davion's eyes were dark and hooded as sunlight, air, and water licked his skin.

"Rosemary," his voice was gruffer than usual, "you're up early." Then he started to move towards me with that sultry expression on his face and all my motor functions shut down. Bearing witness to Davion wading naked through the water, with purpose, towards me, took up all the space in my brain.

Even when Davion paused at the edge of the river and broke eye contact, I remained frozen in place. I couldn't stop staring at him and the way his muscles flexed or the curve of his fine ass as he bent over to grab something off of the bank.

His robe.

He slipped it on and then jogged over to me. Some of the heat had left his expression, only to be replaced with a knowing smirk.

"Hey," he said, once he was close enough for his large body to tower over mine.

Hey.

I finally managed movement, an awkward wave.

Davion's smirk widened into a cocky grin. "You liked the show, huh?"

I nodded, even though like didn't begin to describe it. I liked beer. This was the feeling of trying Nickle Mead for the first time after years of questionable booze.

I might never be the same.

Davion must have caught some of my meaning because he laughed.

I felt the warmth of that hearty sound radiate through my entire body.

I take it back. Mead wasn't strong enough. Davion was a full pint of hard forget-your-worries-and-your-name liquor.

"Well," he managed to say after a while, "it's nice to know I haven't lost all my appeal."

Never.

His expression grew thoughtful. "Are you alright?"

I nodded again. With him standing a foot away from me, his hair and skin shining with water droplets, and clothed in that kobold robe that was at least two sizes too small for him, I was utterly fabulous.

He said, "I wasn't expecting you to wake up so soon. I haven't found us anything for breakfast like yesterday. Though, at least this time, the campfire is still in one piece."

The memory of yesterday's debacle managed to permeate through my lustful daze. I gave the mighty Dragon Knight a teasing look.

He rubbed the back of his strong sinuous neck, displacing some of the water there. "Yeah, I know. Next time I see Bram I'll let him know what a wizard he is. I honestly never thought cooking could be so…complicated."

Mirana had given him a rather informative lecture on the culinary arts yesterday which was pretty impressive considering she'd never cooked a thing in her life. Flower-based creatures and fire didn't really go together, but as she would say just because she didn't cook, didn't mean she couldn't be an expert.

Davion interrupted my surprisingly coherent non-erotic thoughts by saying, "Rosemary, I think you must still be half-asleep. Or maybe…" He leaned down towards my mouth.

Suddenly the remaining inches between us seemed charged with energy. I thrummed with it as it heated my cheeks, my toes, and everything in-between. I knew this feeling well. If I wanted to, if I dared, my deprived lips could be on his. I could be kissing him, tasting him.

Right.

Now.

Davion, once again, seemed to read my thoughts because his sensual smirk returned. Then he said in a low conspiratorial voice, "Maybe seeing me naked again has left you…dumbstruck."

Oh.

Of course.

He was baiting me. I knew that.

It was something he'd done a few times yesterday. The Dragon Knight's eyes were already lit up with anticipation for a sharp retort that would never come.

"Hey," he said, seeing my expression. "What's wrong?"

Nothing.

Everything.

It was time to wake up Mirana.

"Rosemary," he took my hand as I tried to turn away. Davion's grip was firm and I knew a normal girl would have difficulty escaping it, so I made myself look back at him. Davion's big brown eyes were filled with concern and he said, "Talk to me."

The words tore open a wound I thought I had healed long ago.

Fuck it. I jerked my hand out of Davion's grasp and went back inside the tent.

"Rosemary?" he called from the other side. Even now, Davion was doing his best to be kind, too much of a gentleman to just barge in.

That just made it hurt more.

I went over to Mirana and gave her a sharp poke.

"Ow!" she cried.

"Is everything alright?" Davion asked.

"Everything was fine until you started pestering me!" Mirana snapped. Her petals curled into a bud and then unfurled to reveal her wings. The Moon Fae was on her back in her humanoid form. She looked ready to maim someone, but the moment her angry eyes fell on me, all her fire disappeared.

She flew up out of the water and whispered, "Marci, why are you crying?"

I shook my head.

Meanwhile Davion was trying to apologize. "Look, I'm sorry for teasing you," he said, "I wasn't going to do anything, if you didn't want it. I promise. Please, come back outside. We can talk about it. Alright?" His hand grabbed the edge of the tent flap.

Mirana's response was sharper than usual, almost a scream. "Go away, Dragon Knight! Can't you see I need a minute!"

"But," he began.

"Leave!"

There was a tense silence. Davion held onto the tent flap, but it was more than that. I could feel his presence. He wanted to stay.

To talk.

But then, thank Selemene, the Dragon Knight let the tent flap fall back into place and he moved away from us.

Once we couldn't hear the sounds of his footsteps anymore, Mirana said darkly, "What. Did. He. Do?"

Nothing.

He didn't do anything except try to treat me like a normal person. I was the one who had done something wrong. I shouldn't have lingered out there and opened myself to the possibility of having a conversation, not after yesterday. Now, I'd managed to unearth an old insecurity.

Mirana scowled at me. Her wings were a furious blur of motion. "I swear if he tried to rape you, I'll…"

My eyes went wide and I shook my head vigorously.

"Then what happened?" she demanded.

I put my hands together, rested my head on them, and closed my eyes to indicate I was upset about my nightmares.

"I don't believe you," she declared.

I opened my eyes and glared at her.

"You're too nice," she said, "He obviously did something horrible. I'm going to get rid of him before—"

No!

I stomped my foot. The tent shook and the water in Mirana's sleep bowl jumped up a few inches into the air.

This wasn't Davion's fault. I wasn't mad at him. I was just…

Just…

Mirana's small face broke into worry again. "Marci," she moved forward and gave my neck a hug. "You really are too nice."

Three long hours later, we reached Hauptstadt. I did my best to look impressed by the walled city. I had been doing my best all evening. It had worked, sort of. My face formed the correct expressions, but inside I was a mess. For the first time since Davion joined me and Mirana, I was fixating on losing the lotuses again, only now I had the added guilt of nearly blowing my cover this afternoon.

I still couldn't believe that I had broken down over a simple misunderstanding. I wasn't a child anymore. I had accepted my muteness and limited ability to make conversation. Most everyone I cared about understood me well enough and those who didn't knew that my voice belonged to the goddess now, so it really wasn't a problem. I must just be feeling weak and emotional because of the nightmares and the fact that I missed Selemene so much.

My real problem was this whole situation. Mirana was right. Sometimes I truly was a soft-hearted fool. First the Lotus thief and now Davion, why did I keep drooling over such unsuitable prospects?

As High Priestess, I was technically allowed to have other lovers. Our coupling could be used as a sacrament to the goddess. But they had to be of my faith and my love for my partner could never eclipse my love of Selemene. My goddess, in all her heavenly kindness and grace, wasn't concerned about that possibility happening. In fact, she encouraged me to display my compassion and stronger feelings towards others. She believed that my open heart and carnal nature made my loyalty to her even more valuable.

However, after losing the lotuses, even I was beginning to wonder if Lina, Mirana, and my other critics were right to compare me to High Priestess Phoebe. Like her, I had coveted each and every one of my partners before my ascension to High Priestesshood. And now, I had experienced two ill-fated encounters.

There was no ignoring the signs no matter how much I wanted to. I needed to remember how incredibly blessed and lucky I was to be Selemene's High Priestess. She accepted all that I was and understood me in a way no mortal could. Her love was more precious than I could comprehend.

To be worthy of it, I had to be stronger in my devotion to her. No more getting distracted by pretty faces or impressive physiques during this mission. I simply couldn't risk betraying Selemene for a bit of physical intimacy with a sinful temptress or well-meaning pagan.

I was better than that, or at least, I should be.

While I was giving myself a stern talking to in my head, Mirana had grilled Davion for an explanation of this afternoon. Thankfully, the Dragon Knight left out some key details. This furthered the idea that I had just been upset over my nightmares and that Davion had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mirana, thus convinced that Davion wasn't a closet rapist, forgave him. This improved the overall mood of our last evening of travel. However, things were still awkward and this time, it wasn't Mirana who was making things difficult.

It was Davion. He was eager to talk with Mirana, but there was something about his tone and demeanor that seemed forced.

After leaving Sagan behind in the forest to fend for himself, we entered the city and Davion spoke to us in the same falsely jovial voice he'd been using for the last two and a half hours. "Well, Rosemary, it's at last time for me to be of service to you," he said, "Follow me to the best free lodging you'll find in Hauptstadt."

"Actually…" Mirana began. She and I exchanged glances.

As my answer, I stopped walking.

The three of us were still by the city gates. We'd barely made it in on time. The stalls had their lanterns burning, blotting out the actual stars, so the twilight sky was dull and empty. It understood me. And so did Mirana because she said, "There's something that I need to do, so I think we should split up here."

Thank Selemene. I could kiss her.

Davion's expression, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, gave way to something that was carefully neutral. "I see," he said, "In that case, I hope your errand goes well. If you still want a room afterwards, you can head to Slayer's Keep. The tavern is off of the west market square. Just turn right at the Kartoffelpuffer stall. Once you get there, mention my name and you'll be able to stay free of charge."

I nodded.

Davion gave me a look that I knew too well.

Before he could make another pointless attempt at reconciliation, I stuck out my hand.

He stared at it blankly.

"Thank you for your company, Dragon Knight," Mirana translated perfectly without any of her usual cheek.

Davion finally got the message. He clasped my hand. His was still warm and rough. It still sent a trickle of heat up my arm, but instead of getting excited, I once again reminded myself that I was Selemene's beloved High Priestess. As such, lusting after some oversized sun person who made me want to hide my true nature wasn't just sad and self-destructive, it was an insult to my goddess.

My voice, my body, my loyalty, my everything belonged to Selemene. She was all I needed and so much more than I could ever deserve.

I loved her.

Truly, I did.

Davion gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I couldn't stop my heart from squeezing too as he said, "Take care of yourself, Rosemary."

I needed a moment to compose myself, but Mirana's reply was as swift as always.

"You should follow your own advice, Dragon Knight," she snapped.

A shadow of a smile appeared on Davion's face at her words and he said, "I'll keep that in mind."

That's when I finally remembered how to move. I released Davion's hand and stepped back while he and Mirana said their goodbyes.

Then, at last, the Dragon Knight and I went our separate ways.

A/N: Well...well...well...I have been looking forward to posting this chapter. I consider this the end of an arc which is always satisfying. I also hoped you enjoyed Marci's thirst this chapter.

;)

But as you saw, that was only half of the chapter. Then things got a little serious and probably not the type of serious you were expecting. For those who are wondering, I do not plan on magically healing Marci's mutism(specifically Aphonia according to Wikipedia) (I know I mentioned Marci could speak to Selemene in Chapter 1, and trust me, we will get to that). I think Marci's expressive mannerisms that come in part from her being nonverbal are a big part of Marci's charm. It was rare as an audience where we didn't know what she was thinking. However, I personally couldn't write a nonverbal character who exists in a land where literacy is not common without considering some of the issues that might crop up. And though I think Marci is self-assured by the time we see her in Dragon's Blood, it's hard for me to imagine that she didn't have some frustrations and missed opportunities due to her losing her voice at a young age. It's my belief that entering a new relationship frequently forces a person to take a look at themselves and their life and re-evaluate things. As Davion learns about Marci, her wants, and her needs, so will Marci, me, and you guys, or at least, that's the plan.

:P

Keep in mind, I'm not nonverbal and I am writing this fanfic for fun, so I'm sorry if I'm not getting this right. I'll do my best.

With that PSA out of the way, I will proceed to future plans. The next arc which is under construction is going to kick us off the rails. Thus, it will take a while for me to write it. I hope this was enough to wet your interest.

See you all later!