The words rung in her ears, nearly drowning out the sound of Malcolm who, by the sound of the ringing glass, had something important to say. She caught bits and pieces of her, her heart briefly sinking at the thoughts of the orphans and those made beggars by this war she had fought in. She had been fortunate enough to keep her own modest accommodations. While they were far from what Malcolm’s estate was, she imagined that an orphaned child or a homeless citizen of Rynmere would be grateful to be able to call such place their home.
After Malcolm said his piece and had sat himself back at the table, Violet made a small plate of vegetables, a piece of bread, and a slice of deer meat. Jabbing a few peas with the prongs of her fork, her gaze slithered across Vakhanor’s form as a smile crept on her face. “Prostitute?” She questioned with a sense of mirth, popping the well-seasoned vegetables in her mouth. “What is your name? I don’t believe we were every properly introduced.”
Reaching across the table, she extended her hand to him in greeting. Whether he wanted to kiss or shake it was up to him. “Violet Warrick- Victor’s daughter. I suppose that makes Lei’lira over there my… cousin?” A smooth knife began slicing its way through her veal, severing it into small pieces she could pop into her mouth with a sense of dignity. The meat was succulent and juicy and notably better since it was a fresh catch and not something that had been stored in a smokehouse or cellar.
“I’m a Knight myself,” she continued, careful not to have her mouth full when she was speaking. “Fough with Malcolm against the Qe’dreki. I’m more of a throwing knives and daggers girl, though.” Then a mischievous glint shone in her eyes and the friendly smile turned into a devil’s smirk. “How are you with a sword?”
Malcolm drew the attention of the table and Vakhanor immediately decided to agree with the cause. There was a lot that he had to offer as a smith to a cause for teaching the less fortunate. Vakhanor didn't have a home and he'd probably have to sort that out sooner or later, but for now he was happy staying with his Taskmaster's widow.
“Prostitute?”
Cool like daggers Vakhanor’s attention shifted back to the blonde noble “No. I’m the son of one,” he answered, raising a brow. She was a pretty rich chick, she probably didn't know any better so he decided to let it slide. Untrained in etiquette Vakhanor watched Violet with the cutlery and attempted mirroring the gesture of stabbing the small metal trident into the meat. Vakh eventually managed to stab a few of the vegetables on the fork, he wasn't used to having to use anything but his hands.
Defeated by the cutlery Vakh grew agitated with the exercise and dropped it in frustration. Embarrassed, the smith abandoned the idea of eating and paid his returned his attention to Violet. “Vakhanor Baelithar,” he grinned, enfolding her hand into his. Silk against stone he lingered, her skin was soft beneath his cracked fingers “I don’t try to brag… when I fight a person for real, I don't want them to know what I can do.”
Finally he released her and shifted around in his chair “Alright so. Let's see you are either here because you're bound by a sense of honour and friendship or you're bored,” he played a story through his head and narrowed his eyes “there's more to it than that isn't there?"
Last edited by Vakhanor on Sat Jun 03, 2017 4:24 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 291
An icy cool demeanor befell the man at the mention of the word prostitute, and Violet felt that perhaps she had struck and nerve that she didn’t know was there. If he had known her, he would have known that she meant no offense in the word. There was little shame in any profession, to her, as the world needed all kinds of services- including that one. It was one that men and women alike indulged in when their needs could not or were not being satisfied.
Her shoulders shrugged at the mention that he was the son of a prostitute. Ah, she thought. He must have thought I meant insult.“Nothing wrong with that,” she commented off-handedly.
As she picked at her vegetables, stabbing them here and there and popping them in her mouth, her stormy eyes roamed over the man. He was doing a poor job with his cutlery, and she thought perhaps he didn’t have much experience. Many of the soldiers in the barracks ate with their hands. Maybe he never had need of them. To ease the tension, she shifted in her seat and put down the silverware, pinching off meat with her fingers and eating it.
Vakhanor was not a name that she recognized, but Andaris was a rather large city with enough citizens that it was hard to recognize anyone you didn’t see often. “Pleased you were able to make it, Vakhanor. I thought this dinner might be boring, but here you are.” The corners of her lips upturned in a smirk, shamelessly flirting. His face was certainly pretty to look at it, and his body. She could tell by the rippling of muscle in his arm that it was likely to die for beneath his clothes.
“There might be more to it than that. Do I not strike you as a lady of honor?” Of course even if he were implying that, she wouldn’t have been offended. In fact, she had to try not to laugh at herself. “I can’t go divulging all my dirty secrets at the table, now can I?” A brow rose, inviting him to join in her playful banter. At least, unlike Malcolm, he responded to her with things that kept her more than entertained.
He noticed Violet’s kind attempt to save him the embarrassment of eating. Impressed by the gesture the smith was reticent to judge the woman to quickly about who she was, he could well have been wrong. “No,” he smiled, leaning forward. Boldly grabbing the petite knight by the waist, Vakh wasted no time attempting to hide his attraction. His fingers smoothed across the thin layer of elegant blue fabric, relishing in the sensation of it against his coarse skin “I take you as a woman,” he reflected, holding the gaze of her dazzling sapphire eyes “and women are barely what they make themselves out to be.”
Vakhs fingers found the slit in her dress and he steadied himself. There was something fragile about Violet he didn't want to hurt, a vulnerability almost that halted him from getting to curious. Whatever her reasons were, they were her own. Originally Vakh had thought the woman overdressed for the occasion, she was dressed to seduce and he'd taken note of the company she had tried to keep. He then wondered if maybe she was lonely.
A kind tenderness entered his eyes, she was a cute girl with a frame and demeanour that even he couldn't ignore. Dauntless in the face of the world that surrounded him, an audacious mischief glinted in his eye as he shifted and wrapped his arms further around Violet’s thin frame “I wanna know you,” he muttered just loud enough for her to hear.
Gently he lifted her, carefully easing her back down into his lap. He wanted to fight for attention, he wanted to keep it as his regardless of whatever strange looks it might garner.
“Will you grant me that?”
Last edited by Vakhanor on Mon May 15, 2017 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 288
A laugh bubbled in her throat at the simple word no. So she didn’t strike him as a woman of honor. Well, then he must have put together the pieces of what her intentions here had been, as her intentions were anything but honorable. She was stopped, though, by the feel of rough hands against her waist, a less than subtle groping of her body taking place in the middle of dinner. Where other women might have shied away, Violet was not so easy to put off. Instead she shifted in her seat so that she might angle herself closer to him.
“I agree most women are rarely what they present themselves to be,” she commented, her gaze darting towards Elyna and back as if suggesting someone. She knew it was a dangerous game to lay insult on a woman he obviously considered a friend, but Violet liked to see how people reacted to what they were presented with.
A chill ran up the ladder of her spine as rough hands moved from the fabric to the exposed skin of her sides. It saw her smirk return to her lips broader than ever. Their gazes were locked like a pair of predators circling each other to see who was going to make the first move. Violet noticed the subtle change in his eyes from fiery and wild to soft and kind. Perhaps there was something about the situation that made him pity her. After all, she was a dog chasing a bone that she was never going to get. It was a tease and it was torture.
He wanted to know her, he had said low enough for only her ears. The thought sent a little jolt of electricity through her back that made her toes curl in delight. Violet had dealt with the advances of men before, though this one was different. There was something about him that intrigued her and left her wanting more from him. She felt the gentle pressure of his grasp and did not fight him as he shifted her from her seat to his lap. An arm draped across his chest and shoulder, her hand curling around to press cool fingers against the back of his neck.
“What is it you want to know about me, then? I think you are bright enough to have put together why I am here.” She turned her head towards him, her lips nearly brushing against his ear. “What dirty secrets of mine do you want to know?”
Violet looked away from him and jealousy was a fickle mistress. Whatever attention she parted to the rest of the world, he did not follow. His eyes were set on her. He did not care about Elyna right now, she was the last thing he wanted to have on his mind.
"What dirty secrets of mine do you want to know?"
The soft trickle of her breath brushed against his neck sent a warm rush of desire running down through his body "All of them," he breathed, closing his eyes. He wanted to touch her, to taste the wine lingering on her lips and make her feel like she was the only thing he cared about in the world; if not for the children.
Vakhanor pulled back and opened his eyes again, his heart beating in his chest as he reminded himself they weren't alone. Both beautiful and dangerous, the smith was enamoured by the knight and was reluctant to relinquish her "I don't usually ask this but, will you come out with me tonight?" he asked, resting a hand against her thigh "my treat."
"Where are you going to take her?" a young voice piqued up from the other side of the table, clearly excited by the display. Vakhanor met the child with a large, sheepish grin "We're going to go and play a game of tag by the seafront," he lied.
Unfortunately for him the kid was quick to catch on and the fib only heightened its curiosity "No you're not," the child replied with cheeky smile "where are you really going?"
Warmhearted laughter escaped Vakhanor's chest and he pulled Violet closer to his chest "Wherever she likes," he grinned "you'll learn kid. Faldrun hath no fury like a woman's scorn."
Confused by the sentiment the child's bright, enthusiastic eyes turned to Violet in hope for a better answer than the one the smith gave "Where do you wanna go?"
Last edited by Vakhanor on Tue May 16, 2017 5:24 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 330
All of them hit her ears and coursed through her body like the buzz of alcohol or some drug. This dinner was proving to be far more interesting than she had expected it to be. Elyna throwing daggers at her all evening was pitiful amusement in comparison to the exchange they were having now. She wanted to look at Elyna as if to gloat over the fact that she had ensnared what the woman likely considered her little boy toy into her web. It was almost too sweet of a reward for her, but Elyna was spared the look as she was too interested to look away.
Vakhanor extended an alluring invitation for her to join him this evening doing something- anything. A genuine smile curled upon her lips at the offer, her eyes shining with delight at the prospect. When his rough hand touched the soft a supple skin of her thigh, she had to actively restrain herself from letting a visible shiver rack down her spine. “I would be delighted to join you once this bit of a disaster of a dinner party is over.” The tips of her fingers gently danced across the flesh of the back of his neck.
The voice of a child interrupted the moment. It was a rather curious child, asking questions about where he was planning on taking Violet. It must have been a nosey child, too, to be able to hear the quiet conversation over the hum of all the other conversations. “I think I might like him to take me for a walk in the woods. You know, the woods are so beautiful by the light of the moon. Besides, he is a strong man, he could protect me!” She did her best to appease the child and slipped Vakhanor a playful look.
“I think I actually would like a little walk through the woods. Perhaps we could pick up a bottle of wine to take with us,” she said, turning her attention away from the child to fully focus on Vakhanor. “Unless that’s too dull for you. Then maybe we could find a tavern, get in a bit of trouble.” With a sly wink, she let her hand slide from the back of his neck to his shoulder and down his arm, feeling the ripple and definition of the muscle there. It was almost too delightful.
Each delicate caress of her fingers pressed against his neck sent surge after surge of boiling and primal desire running through his veins. Not even a trial of knowing him had gone by, and already she had found his weakness "Shit," he exhaled quietly, battling the tension rising beneath his breeches. Not humbly endowed by any means Vakhanor saw himself embarrassed, they were getting to intense for dinner and he needed out.
"Woods and wine it is," he conceded, spellbound by the soft glow of her excited smile. There was nothing that he wouldn't have agreed too, he was growing increasingly more aroused by the minute and the light touch of her fingers exploring his skin wasn't helping.
Teased beyond the point he was comfortable sticking around Vakhanor wasn't about to let Violet get away with it as his arm reached beneath her legs and lifted as he raised himself away from the table. Turning as he did, adamant for any attention toward his excitement to be avoided. There was no way he was letting her make him wait that long.
"Alas! The story unfolds and the beast shalt kidnap the lioness and chase her through the woods" he exclaimed, unfolding his old dramatics as he turned his head back to the table with bright, boyish smile "I'll kiss you for the hospitality and amazing food later Mal." Alive for what felt the first time in an arc, the smith was laughing and he meant it.
"We're leaving now," he gently whispered into Violet's ear and mindfully weaved his way toward the door "Later all!"
Violet sensed a bit of discomfort with Vakhanor and it became apparent, as she could tell from resting in his lap, where such a discomfort was coming from. She felt some self-satisfaction that she could still arouse a man. With Malcolm constantly ignoring and swatting down her advances, she had begun to wonder what was wrong with her. This proved that in some measure, at least, she could still be considered desirable. She spared a few side glances towards the head of the table and wondered what Malcolm must be thinking about all of this. She would pay good nel to find out.
With little warning, she felt a muscled arm scoop beneath her legs and found her whole body moving as she was lifted up and cradled like a bride on her wedding night. A light laugh escaped her lips at the theatrics. Vakhanor was good at humorous dramatics, she could give him that. Suddenly her face felt hot at the thought that the whole of the party would probably be staring at them. Violet thought that her face must be as red as it was hot. She had not intended to cause such a scene.
Violet found herself being carried away from the party and towards the nearest exit. Over Vakhanor’s shoulder she waved at the table, sparing one last smug glance at Elyna for the fact that she had crashed whatever plans Elyna had made with Vakhanor. She gave Malcolm a helpless look and shrugged her shoulders. “Dinner was wonderful,” she called out as she was carried further away from the table. With little ceremony they disappeared into the house and, soon, would find themselves wandering through the woods with nothing but each other for company.
Comments: Come on you two, get a room already! There are children around! But still, a sweet and sexy little meeting, I'm looking forward to reading more about these two! There were a couple of spelling and grammatical errors here and there, but nothing that called for loss of points, maybe just something to keep in mind in future.
If you feel I've missed anything or if you have questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM. Thank you!
