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       #Post#: 1309--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: Kimcora Date: July 14, 2020, 11:11 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Dimitri was beginning to consider heading back, that this idea
       truly was stupid and that he needed to go home before he got
       caught. But it seemed fate’s humor only seemed to get worse with
       time. For as soon as he turned to head back to the home he
       almost ran straight into a bewildered Nesryn. Dimitri instantly
       felt his stomach drop, despite the blush that crawled through
       his cheeks and the way his tongue immediately tied. What could
       he honestly say to a woman who shouldn’t have known he was there
       in the first place?
       Before he could even conjure up an excuse, Nesryn was glaring at
       him and hauling him by his shirt into her space. His eyes
       widened at the fury in her expression, knowing d*mn well he was
       in big trouble. Even if his heart fluttered a bit at how pretty
       she looked with her eyes narrowed and her face inches from his,
       he felt a certain level of guilt and shame at being caught
       there. Her demand to know why he was there earned her a wince
       and a sheepish look from the man. “I wanted to follow you to
       make sure you were okay. You seemed strangely off when I was
       talking to you in your room and I got this strange feeling that
       you were nervous. I was worried.” He said quickly, the response
       leaving him in a flood of nerves and fear. She didn’t seem to
       care for his reasoning, but instead let him tag along.
       After the shove, Dimitri righted himself against the cart and
       blinked, looking very confused. He had anticipated a different
       reaction. Honestly, he expected to get socked in the face or for
       her to draw a knife at him again. However, Nesryn was letting
       him go with her into the meeting. Well, under threat of losing
       his tongue if he spoke. Perhaps to be an ass or to heed her
       warning, he gave only a nod and followed her into the tavern.
       Honestly, Dimitri was expected to be faced with some all
       powerful assassin or some evil looking man with a mustache and a
       goatee combo. Instead, there was just this person, at a table,
       with a book in his lap. He rose a brow, not seeing what was to
       be feared of when it came to this man. He knew better than to
       judge a book by its cover, so Dimitri stuck close to Nesryn and
       followed her lead.
       When she sat across from the man, Dimitri pulled a chair by her,
       wanting to be near if there were reason to leave this place
       quickly. He found it odd how unassuming this man looked and it
       was setting off a strange sensation of unease in him. This man
       addressed him first, seemingly picking Dimitri apart verbally
       just by looks alone. He got some of it right...well quite a bit
       right. It didn't make Dimitri any less irritated by the blunt
       man. He couldn't help that his eyes narrowed some when he called
       him out on his affections for Nesryn. Or perhaps he did--In all
       honesty, he didn't know what arduous meant as his education
       never went past reading, writing, and basic arithmetic. Enough
       to help run a household and manage affairs of its upkeep.
       Nothing more, nothing less.
       However, it must have meant something akin to affection, as one
       glance at Nesryn showed she was thinking about something. Well,
       he thought by now that would have been obvious that he liked the
       woman and perhaps wished he could get to know her more
       intimately. However, he knew his place and knew it wasn't to be
       with her duties and apparent only tolerance of him...He wouldn't
       deny what the man was saying, but his trivialization of it all
       made him feel a bit more annoyed.
       'And you must be Nesryn's mysterious friend. A cocky, know it
       all pr*ck that has a pension for scaring and harming defenseless
       young women.' The retort sat on his tongue, there and ready to
       be volleyed at him. But Nesryn asked him not to speak for a
       reason and Dimitri wasn't about to upset her further by feeding
       into what this man was pushing on him. But it was rude to not
       answer the man, so he simply offered him a tense polite smile,
       clearly not liking the man or his smile. "Dimitri Valcrow. I am
       Luna's butler and a coworker of Miss Zoya's. But don't mind me.
       Your meeting is with Miss Zoya." He said with a glance at Nesryn
       and admittedly some pink in his face from being outed by this
       man that quickly and unexpectedly.
       #Post#: 1312--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: DolittleMax Date: July 14, 2020, 8:52 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Nesryn shot Dimitri a glare when he just openly stated his name
       and confirmed Farren's prying. If the man didn't know who you
       were, it was best to keep it that way. Nesryn gave an annoyed
       gesture to a barmaid who put a tankard in front of her; which
       Nesryn pointedly sat in front of Dimitri.
       Farren turned his conniving stare toward Nesryn, "So, long time
       no see. What prompted you to call this meeting?"
       "Don'tact as though you don't know what you did. You're
       interfering with my contract and I'd like you to explain why"
       "Explain? Oh dear Nesryn~" Farren leant forward "I don't have to
       explain anything to you. I'm doing my job"
       Nesryn held back her anger and calmly recited the arguments
       she'd already prepared, "Under the Guild code in regards to
       cross-contracts, you aren't allowed to carry out a contract if
       it interferes with a previously existing contract. So unless
       your contract was pre-existing you have no right to interfere"
       Farren leant back in his chair and simply regarded her silently
       for a moment, "Your control of emotion has grown much better
       Nesryn. Colour me impressed"
       "That's not what we're here about. Answer the question"
       "You've also grown very bold. It wasn't long ago that me being
       in the same room as you made you shake like a leaf"
       "I'm not child anymore and your insults mean nothing"
       "I see..."
       The silence hung a moment and Farren sighed, "Truth be told I
       was testing you. I needed to see if you had changed since I last
       saw you-"
       Here Nesryn's anger flared and she slammed a fist on the table,
       her breath growing heavier as her eyes flashed with rage,"You
       mean if I had healed since our last encounter? I passed the
       training. That was my test and you have no right to question any
       of my contracts. I've completed all of them with zero hesitation
       and zero failures. I've earned my right to not be beneath your
       'watchful gaze' I'm no apprentice any more"
       Farren gave a small chuckle of amusement, "You think your role
       will remain a simple lackey? You think you're just going to be
       carrying out contracts for the rest of your life? You severely
       misjudge my intentions..."
       Nesryn withdrew her clenched fist and hid it under the table in
       her lap. Her mind flickered with confusion. What did he want
       from her? It sounded as though he was preparing her for
       something,but for what?
       "All I have to say is that I don't think your contract will
       continue much further after Luna's wedding. When your contract
       ends I expect to see you again so I may give you your next one"
       Farren stood and gave a small tip of the chin,"Till then"
       With that he left and Nesryn remained in her chair, staring at
       the dirty wooden table.
       #Post#: 1313--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: Kimcora Date: July 14, 2020, 11:09 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Dimitri caught the pissy look from Nesryn and knew he had messed
       up. He didn’t argue with the man—but he did speak. Was that
       still bad? He flinched when she slammed the drink in front of
       him, like she was pacifying an infant. It annoyed him slightly,
       but he wasn’t about to turn down a free drink. Even if he was
       using it to keep his mouth shut while the two spoke. That was
       easy enough without the alcohol as the two volleyed information
       at each other.
       So Nesryn was an assassin contracted to protect Luna. That
       explained all the knives on her person and her skill level. She
       was a Quill. He had heard of them in legend and stories, but
       never met one himself. Honestly, they were the rumored assassins
       in the dark that haunted the dreams of the elite and powerful,
       unlucky souls in Liphilius. And yet here he sat with two of
       them...
       Two that had the connection of master and pupil. Dimitri
       observed his demeanor as this man all but tainted Nesryn with
       her past. He seemed to be picking her apart and looking for a
       weakness. Why else would he bring up an obviously painful past?
       The idea of Nearyn being emotional and angry was a strange
       thought to him, but it was made clear when he revealed she was
       once scared of him. He looked to Nesryn from the corner of his
       eye, his lips pulling into a concerned frown.What had this man
       done to her that made her, this strong Elviyene assassin he knew
       today, so afraid? Surely he could do a lot of damage if he
       thought trying to murder Luna was a good test of Nesryn’s skill.
       He jumped when she slammed a fist on the table, eyes flicking
       between the two as she growled out her reasons he shouldn’t have
       been interfering. It was clear there was still some pain and
       fear there under all that anger. Dimitri could feel the way it
       ebbed at her rage. Clearly her former master sensed it to, as he
       gave this chuckle that made Dimitri glare at him. This wasn’t
       funny. What was funny about scaring or hurting someone?
       His expression fell back to reserved uncertainty when the man
       went on to tell Nesryn he had bigger plans for her, sounding
       like a promotion to Dimitri. Why was this man willing to help
       someone rise in the ranks if he tormented them so? Did Nesryn
       even want some new title? He was about to look to her and ask
       her, until news that she might be fired after the wedding
       reached him. He froze unable to help that his hands tightened on
       the tankard and his attention fully turned to Nesryn. Was that
       true? Would she really be leaving Luna’s service after the
       wedding? Surely Luna would still need a guard...but perhaps
       Hythian’s had their own guards?
       He didn’t want to think about that. They still had plenty of
       time before Luna’s wedding and surely Lady Freida would keep her
       employed...Besides, it wasn’t much of Dimitri’s business if she
       ended up leaving...That thought hurt him a little, but he knew
       he couldn’t show that. It wasn’t right for him to think he had
       any sway in keeping her there when he clearly held no say in the
       matter or no reason for her to stay.
       When Farren left them alone, Dimitri caught Nearyn staring at
       the table strangely. He touched her shoulder lightly, just to
       get her attention. “Nesryn, you handled that well. Your former
       teacher is kind of d*ck.” He told her before clearing his throat
       some. “Are you okay? We could talk about it...if you want.” He
       asked, realizing he wasn’t sure what else to say to her at the
       moment that wouldn’t upset things. She was clearly in an
       emotional state before and he didn’t want to do anything to hurt
       her. He wanted to help, but he truly couldn’t understand the
       depths of whatever was in her past. But he was trying as best he
       could to at least listen to her.
       #Post#: 1316--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: DolittleMax Date: July 15, 2020, 9:35 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       The touch to her shoulder sent alarms ringing through her being
       and within a split moment her hand snapped up to grab his wrist,
       eyes meeting his; full of wild emotions and thoughts. Though,
       realising it wasn’t a threat, she shakily let go. Only now
       registering his questions, she swiped the rest of his ale from
       him and quickly threw it back, wiping her mouth on the back of
       her hand. As a barmaid walked past again, Nesryn held out the
       tankard with a short, “Another” before the maid scurried of to
       quickly oblige her. Silence hung heavy until the drink was
       brought to her and she once more finished it quickly. Now she
       seemed less shaky and she looked to Dimitri.
       “Y-you shouldn’t have followed me here. He knows you now- You
       could have been hurt! And for what? Wanting to hold my hand and
       baby me? You should be so reckless with your loyalty. I’ve
       hardly done anything to deserve it and all it could bring you is
       danger...”
       She let out a calming breath and tried to bring herself back
       under command. She couldn’t let her emotions for Dimitri-
       whatever they may be -rule her. Like Farren had assessed, she’d
       grown more calm with time and training but her emotions still
       bubbled there.
       “But yes... Farren is a big Wyvern d*ck who should be drowned in
       ale and set alight...” her memories of him flashed before her in
       rapid succession. Staring into the empty tankard, Nesryn finally
       let Dimitri in a little.
       “I was rescued out of the space trade... we were about to be
       loaded onto a ship to be taken to Phonax when a group of
       vigilantes attacked. They distracted the guards for a few
       moments and well... I escaped-“ she wasn’t ready to share that
       part of herself so she skipped ahead “I was living on the
       streets and was unfortunate enough to pick the pocket of none
       other than Farren Waymaker, Head Instructor of the assassins
       sector of the Guild. At that point, stable income seemed much
       better than living on the street. I had no idea what I was in
       for... but apparently I was a natural”
       She shook the thoughts from her head and ordered another drink,
       throwing it back as well before folding her arms and resting her
       chin on them; fire reflected in her eyes as she let herself
       reminisce. She realised this must have been awkward for Dimitri
       to listen to and she gave a grimace, “I’m sorry. That was too
       much. Look on the bright side; you might not have to put up with
       me for very long...”
       #Post#: 1318--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: Kimcora Date: July 15, 2020, 11:32 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Dimitri hadn’t expected her to seize his hand nor look so
       alarmed by the touch. It only further solidified in his mind
       that she was not okay, that whatever had happened in her past
       was still affecting her at this moment. He hated that he
       startled her, but he figured she didn’t take much offense to it
       since she soon released him and turned to drinking instead.
       Whatever was plaguing her mind, it seemed she wanted more
       alcohol to calm it. Dimitri resolves himself to staying with her
       while she drank, especially if she was planning on drinking
       more. He didn’t think it was right to leave her when she seemed
       upset.
       Her scolding earned her a frown from him, not an angry one or
       even a judgmental one. Just one that seemed slightly confused
       since he wasn’t sure where she got that assessment of his
       actions and motivations from. Most of it wasn’t true and the
       rest he didn’t quite care. That man could turn on him and harm
       him if it would really solve anything. He doubted it since his
       life wasn’t worth much, not beyond the value he held as a
       servant...He lost that dignity of freedom the moment he let
       those Phonaxian jackasses train him and his sister like
       dogs...So at the end of the day, he doubted the man would use
       his harm for anything...As long as he left Luna and Nearyn
       alone, Dimitri felt he could put up with a lot...
       He didn’t speak initially and instead let her get it out. It
       seemed like she wanted someone to listen, not judge her words.
       So he ordered a drink for himself and sat back in his chair,
       watching her with a calm expression as she spoke. He didn’t
       expect Nesryn to share her past with him and the news she was
       once a slave brought a pain to his chest for her. The Elviyenne
       in Ilydia Bay has often been former slaves or those that escaped
       the oppression. Nesryn must have had to do hard things to make
       it to where she was now, if an assassins guild and the torments
       she obviously faced there were better than the streets. He
       admired the strength he saw in her and that resolve she had to
       survive. Many in her shoes would have given up or let themselves
       wither or become bitter. Instead, Here was this woman with power
       and grace, that may have been a bit rough around the edges, but
       was beautiful none the less with her few her flaws. He felt a
       bit touched she would share that with him...Even if it caused
       him to hold empathy for her and more anger towards that
       mysterious man he just met.
       Dimitri let that anger fade with a swallow of ale, but almost
       choked on that drink when she apologized and made such an off
       color remark about him being happy when she left. He felt his
       mouth get the better of him, his own thoughts rebelling against
       the idea that she really thought he wanted her gone.
       “Nesryn, don’t apologize for saying anything. I want to listen
       to you and you needed someone to hear you and what you had to
       say. You should never apologize for that. Or think that I ever
       want you gone. I should be the one apologizing you have to put
       up with me. With you...I would never want you to leave.” He
       admitted before his expression hardened some. “So what I
       gathered was your former teacher was testing you because he has
       something bigger planned for you. After all your fighting and
       hard work that must be bitter sweet or at least of interest to
       you? Perhaps something better? You have a right to despise the
       man and to be skeptical. But I would have to agree you are a
       natural at this... brave, intelligent, lethal, powerful..I’m
       sure whatever is in store you’ll meet it head on. Unless you
       truly don’t care for being an assassin?”
       He then played with the side of his cup, trying to think how to
       word the next bit. He had to tell her and quit beating around
       the bush with her. It was only fair when Farren already kind of
       outted him...Besides, he couldn’t let her go around harboring
       some negative self talk about his motivations that she made up
       in her own mind.
       “As for what you said earlier...I followed because clearly there
       was something bothering you and I didn’t feel right he making
       you face that alone. I hadn’t wanted you to know I followed you,
       but it just kind of worked out that way. I’m glad I did though.
       That man was a wyvern dick.” He said with a gentle grin. “If I
       was going to hold your hand it wouldn’t be to baby you, Nesryn.
       Believe me, not even a fool would make the mistake of seeing you
       as anything less than who you are... I know d*mn well you can
       take care of yourself. That much is very clear from the moment
       you walked into the home.” He shook his head some, his
       expression faltering a bit as he thought about his loyalty. Yes,
       it had been betrayed recently and it was clear he certainly
       didn’t know how to pick people to ally himself with...but things
       were different with Nesryn...she was...he didn’t know quite how
       to word it, but he would try. “The point of being loyal is to
       support someone, to take their side and to be there for them.
       You have protected the people closest to me, you have been civil
       with me when I’ve deserved worse, and you’re genuinely someone I
       care about. I think that sounds like enough of a reason to
       support you too? Right?” He said before giving an almost
       uncertain look at the table. “Unless that loyalty makes you
       uncomfortable, then I could...endeavor to give you more space.
       As you said...you won’t exactly be with us long...” He felt the
       news still burned lightly in his gut but he was trying to be
       understanding for her.
       #Post#: 1320--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: DolittleMax Date: July 16, 2020, 7:07 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Nesryn let his words linger a little, feeling an odd ache in her
       chest, wanting desperately to look at him and see his face as he
       expressed how he felt. However, just his voice sent ripples
       through her; his words ricocheting within her rib cage and
       thudding against her heart.
       'I would never want you to leave'
       'you’re genuinely someone I care about'
       The words rattled her and made a different sort of fear arise
       within her. She realised she may perhaps enjoy his company;
       though he talked to often, was much to liberal with compliments
       and on the whole cheesy- She frowned a little in thought as she
       addressed his question of her 'promotion' and looked into her
       tankard.
       "You see... I had no choice but to join the Guild. I had to make
       do and I thought just doing what I was told was enough... that
       perhaps this chance to be something more important would serve
       me well..." she sighed "But the higher up you go in the Guild
       the more entangled you are. I've witness many a desertion and
       have know them only to end with their lives..." she looked at
       Dimitri "If I accepted Farren's proposal, I can't guarantee I'll
       ever leave the Quills..."
       At the notion that she would be leaving soon she jutted out her
       chin in that familiar gesture of apathy and determination, "My
       contract isn't fulfilled and until it is, I have no intention of
       leaving. After all, I've grown fond of our lady and... other
       things within the Witheres household"
       Freida was not the best at establishing contracts and when she'd
       hired Nesryn she was quite shaken by her husbands death. So when
       she wrote the final clause in regard to the termination of it
       she simply wrote "Miss Zoya will be employed for the rate of 75
       gold pieces a fortnight until my daughter, Miss Luna DeWitheres,
       can be guaranteed safety" As far as Nesryn was concerned, no one
       was ever guaranteed safety. Especially someone in her position
       and with her fiance. With a small yawn, she reached for her once
       again filled tankard and let the liquid pass her lips and settle
       with a fire in her stomach. She blinked a little to clear the
       fog from her mind; perhaps she'd had a little too much- Ah, but
       with the immediate threat to Luna set aside and the origin
       confirmed, she supposed she could allow herself a lapse in her
       decorum and put on act of 'lady-in-waiting'
       With another tankard finished, she rested back in her chair,
       resting her heels up on the seat of another chair and pulling a
       knife from her coat. She held the blade, tip to the wood, with a
       single finger as she made it spin around absently.
       "You know Mitri... I think I know why your voice irritates me-"
       she said bluntly, tilting her head in an almost contemplative
       manner "It irritates me because it sends these odd feelings
       through me... from here" she pointed to a spot on her chest
       between her breasts and tracing down to about where her belly
       button would be before giving a vague downward gesture. She took
       another sip from her tankard "You seem smarter with your mouth
       shut, maybe the other servants might take you seriously if you
       did it more often" she said before falling silent once more.
       #Post#: 1322--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: Kimcora Date: July 16, 2020, 4:15 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Nesryn fell silent after his words, making him wonder if he said
       too much or maybe not enough? Was he being annoying? Or maybe he
       pissed her off with being too blunt? The last thing he wanted
       was to make her uncomfortable, but Dimitri had never been one
       for fussing with dishonesty or hiding his intentions and
       thoughts. She could always tell him off and he would quit, as
       was his intentions and expectation after her pause.
       However, she launched into explaining her reasoning for joining
       the guild instead. He wasn't surprised to hear she had to join
       out of circumstance or that she treated it as her way out of the
       poverty and life she once faced. But the news she may one day
       want out of the assassins guild made him mull that thought over.
       He felt similarly about the life as a servant, but again that
       life wasn't nearly as dangerous as her's. Servants could
       leave...Apparently assassins were meant to be in for life. He
       tried to consider what they might do to a deserter. Most likely
       it wasn't pretty...
       "What would you want to do then? If you weren't with the guild
       and had the freedom to choose?" He asked her, since that was a
       curious thought and perhaps a better view on how she thought and
       what she valued. He knew what he would do, but of course he was
       a bit stuck on what he could achieve after his training and
       skill set. He shook that thought off and instead turned his
       attention to her comments on staying.
       He admittedly had difficulty keeping the elation from his
       features at the news she wanted to stay. If not for Luna's sake
       for the sake of valuing her job. And perhaps something more in
       the home. "I'm glad to hear that. As I'm sure Luna will be as
       well." He told her, even if he was sure she knew that on his
       end.
       She was drinking heavily, already finishing her third drink by
       the time she pulled out a blade. He found his eyes drawn to the
       dangerous edge of the knife, a bit fascinated by her ease with
       toying with something that dangerous. It drew attention to her
       slender fingers and up the line of her arm to her face and those
       bright eyes that watched the blade spin with passive attention.
       She really was lovely and only seemed to become more so the more
       he got to know her. It was certainly a pipe dream to think he
       ever had a chance with her...But he did hope he would one day
       catch her eye or at least not make her not see him as just some
       stupid man that got on her nerves.
       He was brought back to attention when she spoke up, stating that
       he irritated her and that she was going to share why. That
       brought on a sinking feeling that she was going to tell him
       something that confirmed his worries. He could think of a few
       things himself that he could cite that would piss a woman off
       about him. However, he bit back from daring to state them with a
       drink of his ale. He would have choked on his drink if he didn't
       pause when she admitted to his voice giving her a feeling. One
       that traveled from her chest to her--Immediately red rose in his
       pale cheeks, especially as he was unable to keep from following
       the line of her fingers as they traced a line down the planes of
       her body. Was she trying to embarrass the hell out of him here?
       She must have been toying with him? Some assassin mind trick?
       Surely she must have been drunk to be that blunt and think his
       mind and body wouldn't react. What did she mean by all that? If
       he read the situation right, she just admitted she was attracted
       to his voice. Not really his words, but that was something. He
       wasn't sure quite how to handle that and his mind felt as though
       it fizzled out. He was going to sound like a moron the moment he
       felt a nervous, self-conscious laugh coming to him.
       "Uh--I--I see. That's--Um--good?" He swallowed hard, eyes
       flicking back up to her face. His tongue was thoroughly tied, to
       the point he almost couldn't make a sound as she went on to her
       advice for him. Don't speak and maybe people might respect him.
       As a stroke of dumb luck, he nodded to her, eyes averting as he
       worked on getting ahold of himself. But, of course, he couldn't
       keep his mouth shut long. Not after all that and a bit of liquid
       courage in his veins. He might get smacked, but it was better to
       take that shot and be shot down than to wonder and regret.
       "I don't quite care what the other servants think, as long as
       I'm not despised or considered a bigot or a lazy lout. And the
       Witheres don't pay me for my--wit." He almost said 'tongue' but
       that would bring back thoughts he shouldn't have been having.
       "But, I do mind that I irritate you. Well hopefully in time we
       could come up with a better word. You certainly have the same
       effect on me." He leaned a little, a casual smile pulling at his
       lips despite himself and the fact his heart thudded in his
       chest. "If I talked less, I'd irritate you less. That would be a
       shame, wouldn't it?" He asked with a flirtatious edge to his
       voice.
       #Post#: 1324--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: DolittleMax Date: July 17, 2020, 8:09 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       “The freedom to choose...?” her words turned quiet and she let
       that thought simmer. Was there a choice? Which choice would she
       make if she could? How was she to determine which choice was the
       right one? Would any of them lead to this friendship she had
       with Dimitri? So many questions swam through her mind and she
       stopped spinning the blade, sheathing it again. All this
       thinking was draining her already weary mind... but they were
       interrupted by Dimitri’s voice again and at his words that he
       was glad to have her staying, that little thrill ran through her
       body just as she had demonstrated for him. She let it simmer as
       she felt the tips of her ears go red, though she kept her body
       language unchanged. She may be drunk but she still had pride-
       As he stammered, she looked at him curiously. Why was his face
       red? He wasn’t the one who made a fool out of them self. Though,
       it was an oddity for Valcrow to be at a loss for words. Perhaps
       it was her jab at his loose tongue.
       “I’m sor-“ her apology was interrupted when he finally seemed to
       find something to say. His turn of phrase brought back that
       shock of tingles through her body and for a moment she felt a
       little breathless as he smiled and her cheeks began to stain
       pink.
       All she had implied was that her irritated her with his talking
       and he went and turned it as if she- like she wanted to- like
       they would-
       She drew in her lost breath, reprimanding her heart for still
       being aflutter as she stood, a little wobbly at first until she
       compensated for her tipsy mind.
       “What would really be a shame is for me to have to cut out your
       tongue for such- such- such attempts a wooing me. Now, we should
       head back” she quickly hurried to the door, only half waiting
       for Dimitri as she tried to hide her flushed face in her cowl.
       What had gotten into her. Utter foolishness.
       She moved as quickly as her alcohol influenced brain allowed
       her. Only stumbling once on the way back to the mansion.
       Nesryn had trouble getting to sleep that night, her mind
       drifting to a particularly smart and quick pair of lips...
       #Post#: 1330--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: Kimcora Date: July 17, 2020, 7:55 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       ‘Wow, I got Nesryn to blush.’ A victorious and almost awed smile
       slipped his composure as Dimitri observed the pink spreading on
       the woman’s face. Pink was a beautiful color on her, one that
       made his own heart race and his attraction for the woman rose
       another notch. Maybe his hopes of being an object of her
       affection weren’t too far off...or perhaps she was blushing
       because of him being too bold? Either way, he let himself enjoy
       the one sign that she wasn’t completely cold or uncaring to his
       words.
       Dimitri’s expression fell when she rose and seemed to loose
       balance momentarily. He would have risen to help her, if her
       obvious threat hadn’t nailed him to his seat. So she caught on
       to his ‘attempts at wooing her’ and didn’t seem to appreciate
       them if cutting out his tongue was the only thing she wanted
       from it. That was a shame, but Dimitri understood she probably
       didn’t have time for flirtation or interest of another. She only
       seemed to care about her work, which was very important and
       could be inhibited by him. At least he tried...
       “Yes, Miss Zoya.” He said as he rose, paying the bar tab and
       following Nesryn back home. He kept a careful watch over her on
       the way back and was only able to partially wish her goodnight
       before she was fleeing his sight. It drew a softer smile to him
       and a certain sense of nervous uncertainty to him that perhaps
       he had messed things up between them. Well, he assumed if she
       hadn’t slapped him or stabbed him yet then he was in the clear.
       It was clear he was in a better mood the moment he went to bed,
       humming a tune from Ilydia Bay that pissed his sister off by her
       pelting him with a pillow.
       The next morning the servants were summoned to attend lessons
       for the future wedding and what their stations and tasks would
       be. Even if the even was clearly a ploy to sell Luna off as a
       bride for political ties and to punish her, Freida still wanted
       this wedding to go off without a hitch. Of course, Dimitri and a
       couple of the other butlers would be tending to the drinks and
       horderves. Not that his mind was in the right place to be
       managing much of anything. His mind kept wandering to Nersyn and
       the events of the night before. Was she doing alright after her
       talks with her former teacher? Was she hung over? Was she going
       to be avoiding him today? He hadn’t seen her because of the
       training. Perhaps he wouldn’t have a chance to see her today at
       all...He was so caught up in his wonderings that he ran into
       another servant while carrying a stupid tray filled with a
       pitcher and flutes of drink, ones that broke and splashed the
       practice water all over him. He was cussed out by the caretaker
       of course and was told that would be coming from his pay. Either
       way, Dimitri grumbled out an apology and was sent off to go deal
       with the mess he created and the fact he looked like a drowned
       rat.
       #Post#: 1355--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Chapter 0.9: Duty and Disobedience
       By: DolittleMax Date: July 21, 2020, 9:52 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Nesryn had hurried back to her room that night, her mind in
       overdrive as she still felt the tingle from his teasing and the
       way his words seemed to cause her whole body to heat up. When
       she managed to shut the door and stumble over to her wash basin,
       she had calmed slightly- maybe it was the cold water she
       splashed her face with. Needless to say her thoughts and dreams
       were filled with a certain smarta*s and how much she really
       wanted him to 'irritate' her.
       Nesryn's Elviyenne physique meant that her processing of alcohol
       was pretty efficient. When she woke up, she was tired but not
       hung over. The memories of the night hit her in the morning and
       she gave a sigh. Perhaps letting herself drink so much was a bad
       idea, but for now she would pretend nothing had happened at all
       and go about her day. Nesryn grabbed a light blue dress and
       slipped it on, restrapping her weapons again before giving
       herself a once over in the mirror. She paused for a moment as
       she made to tie her hair back and instead let it hang about her
       shoulders. It had been a while since she'd cut her hair and it
       hung just below her shoulders, framing her face. She tilted her
       head slightly and tucked a strand behind her ear. She wondered
       for a moment if this were more flattering- With a sigh of
       annoyance for such thoughts, up went the hair again into its
       usual do.
       "Don't be silly..." she muttered to herself as she went
       downstairs for prep-day.
       Nesryn had only one role during the wedding; attend to Luna. She
       would assist with her wedding dress, her veil and the
       pre-wedding preparations. During every other part of the evening
       she would be her guard until the wedding night. She had been
       informed that Luna would be guarded by Hythian guards for the
       evening and she would 'have two days leave.' It made Nesryn
       uneasy but she knew that Elvi mating and marriage traditions
       would mean that she wouldn't want to be anywhere near the couple
       for at least 24-hours. Males could be unreasonably protective
       and with what she had seen of Malachi so far further enforced
       that it wouldn't be pleasant.
       Nesryn was now just assisting the other house staff with things
       and at the present moment she was carrying dirty tablecloths to
       the laundry.
       A shatter-
       The assassin was immediately alert and hurried around the corner
       to see what the matter was. However, the sight she was met with
       was hardly any cause for alarm. Poor Dimitri seemed to have had
       a collision and came off second best; glass everywhere, shirt
       and jacket soaked. She moved forward, chin out, toward him. With
       a glance toward the agitated servant, they hurried off.
       Wordlessly, she knelt down beside where Dimitri was now sweeping
       up glass and began to sop up the water with one of the
       tablecloths.
       "I see you weren't content with your evening bath Mr Valcrow.
       Was the shower more fitting?" her side-eye toward him showed a
       cheeky spark though her face remained passive. After wiping the
       floor, she grabbed a dry corner of a cloth and dabbed at his
       shirt and coat.
       *****************************************************
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