"I will go fetch him," Desharin bowed, and left promptly afterwards, tittering a little.
A few moments later, Memoire entered the room, still without a shirt on. "You - er - you asked to see me, Lavina?" he asked, shyly, a little abashed and seemingly under the impression he had upset her somehow.

The smith pointed to a small rail, upon which a dagger shaped like the sea with a glittering tip and seeming to slip through the air lay, waiting to be picked up. "I call that one Tridael. Just because."

H walked over and lifted the dagger. It was lightweight and just what she was looking for
"I'll take this, its perfect"
she said while holding the blade to eye level checking its straightness and sharpness


Lavina looked up at Memoire and blushed slightly.
"I did..I um...I need to tell you something"
she looked down at her hands and she was nervously fiddling with the fabric of the blanket.
"I'm sorry about earlier, you didn't do anything wrong. It's me..I was feeling a bit strange and needed to speak to my father. I've never had this feeling before and wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with me."
She looked up at him through her lashes
"I don't really know how to put this..but I think I have feeling for you. Feelings that are more then just friends"
she looked back down at the blanket her face even more flushed
"I'm sorry..I'm messing everything up aren't I? I wasn't supposed to fall in...love. You are to be married to someone else and here I go and fall in love with you and Now because of this I've messed all your plans up."
she looked up at him
"Go ahead, yell at me. Tell me I messed up I'm a big girl I can handle it"
she knew this wasn't in his plans. He told her to do everything he said. falling in love wasn't one of them

The smith laughed.
"Glad to be of service." He turned to Xia, who was still browsing. "And how about you, m'lady?"

Memoire's face remained perfectly still, not seeming to react to the news. When she'd finished speaking, he looked up at the sky for a moment.
The next thing Lavina felt was his lips on her own, a soft yet fiery kiss, like the caress of sunlight on skin. He held her gently, his mouth moving from her lips to her neck, leaving a delicate parting touch there.
His eyes met hers again, and there was a sense of something far more sensitive and intimate peeking out from behind the cool logical barrier she'd been forced to confront with him for so long.
"Well, you haven't slapped me yet," he murmured.

Lavina was about to speak when he didn't respond to her. Thinking that he now hated her for her revealing her feelings about him. But just as she was about to open her mouth Memoire's lips were one hers. Her eyes widened with shock, but a second later she closed her eyes and accepted the kiss, the warm sweet touch of his lips pressed against hers, She practically melted in his arms. When he broke the kiss and moved to kiss her neck she found herself breathing heavy. Her eyes gazed into his as they met, her heart felt as if it was going to leap out of her chest.
"I...I don't understand....Your not mad at me?"
She was quivering and had a look of worry on her face
'why cant I breath? whats happening to me? I feel like my entire body is ...is warm.' her eyes met his again and then 'Oh no...what...what if he can see, what do I do?'
her eyes started looking around the room in a panic, she didn't know how to react with how she was feeling. All these feelings were new to her and no one had ever told her what to expect..
"I...I.."
she couldn't find any words to say

Memoire saw her distress and acted purely on instinct.
One hand behind her head, to calm her and make her feel stable.
Another hand behind her back to keep her still and to reassure her nothing drastic (relatively speaking) was about to happen.
And then, of course...
"Lavina," Memoire said softly in her ear, cutting through her panic and fear, "let me calm you down."
He kissed her again, softly, sweetly, holding the intimate contact until her body relaxed in his arms, making sure she wasn't going to panic. "One thing at a time," he said gently as their lips broke. "Now if you say more than one sentence, I'm going to kiss you again. Choose your words wisely."

Lavina's heart was still racing, her cheeks still flushed from not just one but now two kisses. But now she was slightly relaxed and not panicking as much. She looked at nothing in particular as she tried to gather her thoughts, it was then it hit her and she looked up at him
"I..we can't do this...it's..it's  wrong"
It pained her to say this since she remembered he was betrothed. But it was wrong. She was betrothed to his brother and Memoire to another. It took everything she had not to push him away but sitting there in his arms felt soo right

Xia paused, and turned back to the smith. "M'lady?!" She raised her brow slightly...it was obvious that she was not used to hearing someone call her this. "Oh.." she turned back to the rack and grabbed a dagger that looked similar to the one that her foster parents had given her. "I'll take this one." She turned back towards the smith and H. "If you don't mind, I would like to make something later on."

The smith smiled.
"Come on back when you're done, and the forge is all yours."
Riastrad had the bag of gold. "That all ladies, or you got other business 'fore we go? I ain't tolerating people saying they gotta relieve themselves when they had a good chance now!"

Memoire looked somewhat resigned by the fact Lavina had hit upon the same realization he himself had hit a long time ago.
"Lavina..." he said, before biting his lip.
"Lavina, I don't give a damn," he suddenly gave out in a rush. "My proposed wife is a hag and I'd let you die before marrying my brother. They can have each other. I will not let anyone have you..."
His chest rushed in and out. "...anyone but me." Their eyes met again.
"Our betrothals are just words, Lavina. That's all they are. Orders of a man who likes seeing the world spin his way. This is so much more real. Damn it, I'm trying to address this logically and rationally and keep my head screwed on straight but that's become so fantastically difficult when ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS YOU!" He breathed hard, his eyes almost ablaze with passion.
"I've asked you to do something from the beginning Lavina, and I will ask you to do it for me again."
He brushed her lips with his. "Trust me. Please. Just trust me."

H sheathed the dagger and strapped it to her belt
"I'm ready to go when you are"


Lavina's eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. Tears started to well up when she realized how much she meant to him. How much he loved her. 'how long has he loved me' she had wondered. But decided to leave that question for another time. She nodded when he asked her to trust him. She placed her hand gently on his face, a tear slid down her now rosy cheeks.
"I trust you"
she placed a gentle kiss on his lips
"I trust you more then I have ever trusted anyone...Memoire"
she looked up into his eyes
"What are we going to do now? I fear this might cause and uproar between our families"
she was slightly trembling at the thought of the repercussion their love might cause. Her family and her peoples lives were at stake and to protect them she was to be betrothed to his brother. But she has fallen in love with him.
"Do you think your father will allow it?"

Memoire's arms held her while his mind whirled.
"It depends, very strongly, on a lot of things," he said finally. "The Yammerians, the politics... it can be done. It WILL be done. But I will need time to think. Politics is a difficult game as it is. Especially if I must choose a path that benefits all parties, which is rarer than the tears of a unicorn in politics."
He looked back down at her, and kissed her deeply, and hard.
"Been wanting to do that for a while," he admitted when they broke. Then he kissed her again, pressing her down onto the bed, before rolling over and taking her onto his chest. "I was so worried I'd upset you. Would have made things...difficult, wouldn't you agree?"

Lavina relaxed in his arms. When he mentioned the Yammerians she looked up at him
"I know they don't like your family and all but why would my decision matter to them? They didn't seem to bothered that you are here"
When he pressed her down on the bed her hair fell around her, she looked up at him and smiled when he broke the kiss. Before she knew it he was rolled over and she was laying on his chest. She moved her arm laying it across his stomach embracing him in a half hug and nodded.
"I'm sorry.."
she spoke in a low tone
"I didn't mean to worry you. I panicked and didn't know what to do. I thought I was delusional over the loss of blood. My father pointed out that if i didn't care about you this way I wouldn't have given you my blood to save you"
she looked up at him
"Do you forgive me for worrying you? I wanted to be sure I was ok"

Memoire almost laughed.
"You do remember they're here to wage war on my kingdom, right? However, they don't have a clue how to siege, how to assault, how to plan - they know how to to charge, but that's about it. Your people are not very warlike, but you lot can fight - but you need someone who can understand the enemy. Someone who can predict their movements. In short, you need someone like me who can out-think the lot of them." He looked down at her. "I'll come up with a plan. I always do. I can just modify my current existing one for getting you away from my brother, only now I have to add in the extra factors of a war and getting you in my bedroom and not letting you out, ever." He said the last part only half-jokingly. His face fell, a little. "Which probably means I'm going to have to end up being a double-agent. I forgive you, by the way. Had the situation been reversed, I probably would have done the same. Do you forgive ME for needing your blood?" he said, cheekily, though his eyes were still heavy with worry and concern.

Xia turned and looked at Riastrad. "I'm good to go, as well." She said, as she slipped the dagger in a holster on her other thigh. She then folded her arms and tilted her head. "I'll keep that in mind." She said, then walked towards H and Riastrad.

Lavina smiled
"It was the least I could do for you saving my life and I would do it all again if I have to"
she looked up at him
"How does it feel? to have elven blood in you?"
she rested her head back on his chest
"I hope we don't have to go into a war, my people don't want to fight unless need be, we have had enough attacks on my people and there aren't many of us left TO fight. The yammerians are the only thing we have for protection. The only other option is...."
she didn't want to finish the sentence
"Lets just hope your father will allow us to be together and your brother to be with her. It really wouldn't make a difference at least its one of his sons and he will still gain heirs out of it"
she blushed a little at the last part

The smith pointed to a passage, leading out of the base. "Just follow that passage, nothing complex. Bit of a trek, but hopefully shouldn't be too eventful."
"Come on ladies," Riastrad humphed, lifting up the bag of gold. "We gots some walking to do."

The passage was long. They'd been walking for almost an hour, and the way was dark, winding and twisting, and with enough turns and bumps that it was impossible to keep track of their location. Suddenly Riastrad drew up short.
"Wait. You girls smell that?"
The faint but unmistakable scent of blood was in the air, coming from their destination.

Memoire's eyes lit up.
"Now that's an idea..." He looked at her. "It would sort out our problem, at least. To an extent. I mean, my father might not take it too kindly but he'd have no choice..."
He seemed to be caught up on this idea, biting his lip as he mulled it over. "Yes... yes it would work."
He looked at her, and his passion quelled. "It's... somewhat drastic, however, but... if I was to get you pregnant, my father would do anything to ensure that whatever resulted was legitimate. He'd call off our current betrothals, for sure."

Lavina sat up quickly at the word pregnant, she turned and looked at him
"Pregnant?!?"
Lavina shook her head
"I...I can't my father would be furious."
she pulled her knees to her chest
"It's elven tradition for one to be married before bearing children. Especially one of royalty, for me its more then just bearing a child, it's producing the next possible heir to the throne. It is frowned upon to be with child or to produce a child out of wedlock and because I am a princess I have to stick with the Elven tradition"
She rested her chin on her knees
"The only way my father would allow it is if he were to marry us. Then we would be married under our laws, but not yours. We would have to be married a second time to be married under your laws. Being married in the elven laws doesn't count in your laws. Our laws are ignored for some reason so in order for us to be married by both laws we would have to be married twice, one under your laws and once under my laws...If that makes sense "
She paused a moment as she moved her hand to her placing it over her belly looking down, she had a look of worry on her face
"Plus, I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother. I don't know the first thing about raising a child."
she looked up at him
"When your father mentioned me bearing children it terrified me, I fear what might happen.... What if......"
she paused a moment and looked down
"What if the same thing that happened to my, mother happens to me?"


H could smell the blood, a scent that was all to familiar to her
"Something isnt right, it reeks of blood"
she looked at Riastrad
"Do you think something happened?"

Xia paused, she could smell the blood, just as H and Riastrad could...though she was not used to the smell. She leaned against the wall. All this time, she knew she could provide the light needed in order to see in this dark, dank corridor; however, she felt that their presence needed to go unnoticed. "This feels wrong." She whispered. "I feel like we'll be walking into a trap of some kind."

"It's a little soon to get married, tis true... I was only thinking of possible plans, I wouldn't force you to get pregnant," Memoire assured her hurriedly. "Though I must admit, I would have fun trying."
He sat back on the bed. "Well, I can't really say I have any better ideas at present." He looked down at her. "You got anything?"

Riastrad unwound his morning-star. "Nah. The trap had the bad luck ta wander into us."

Up ahead, the outpost was a massacre. Blood was absolutely everywhere, bodies strewn like confetti, gutted shredded and downright disemboweled. Weapons lay just out of reach of dead fingers, eyes stared unseeingly as blood pooled onto their cheeks where they lay.
Riastrad looked around, wary. "Who or whatever did this... might still be here."

Lavina looked up at the ceiling
"Other then just telling your father and see how he takes it no. "
she sighed
"My father is already aware of my feelings towards you, he was the one that suggested I tell you."
She looked back at Memoire
"The only other thing I can suggest is asking my father. He might be able to help us"


H walked in cautiously keeping her hand gripped on her dagger. If whatever or who ever it was would attack she would have just enough time to slow down time to make her move.
"Who or what would do this?

Memoire looked sideways at her.
"You don't think... your people will have any problem with us being together, do you?"

Riastrad looked around.
"This place stinks of battle... they knew about this place. They knew about it, whoever the attackers were. But how could they have known about it if the resistance were adamant that its location was a stupidly heavily-guarded secret?"
His face cleared.
"Oh... when we get back we are in the shit, BIG time."

Lavina shook her head
"I don't think they would have an issue with you. In fact they all seem to like you. Word travels fast and they know what you are doing to help me."
She tilted her head
"Are you afraid of what my people will think?"
she sighed
"Let my father handle them if there is a problem. He knows how to speak to them better then anyone, but if we don't talk to him then we are left with nothing to go on other then flat out telling your father"


H looked over at Riastrad
"You think they will blame us for this?"
she looked around, walked over to a body and kneeled next to it
"Who would do this?"

Xia folded her arms as she looked around. "Someone is obviously sending a message...'we'll find you, wherever you lurk'." She quoted something that her foster father had said in a story he once told her. She turned towards H. "They're probably still here. I'm sure they intend for us to relay this message back...well...that or die."

"If that is the case... pretty bad timing for us," Riastrad groaned. "Think about it - they hire us, we go off to this top-secret location, we then report back that it's completely destroyed with no survivors? Anyone with half a brain and-cum-or a hefty dose of paranoia will have us strung up in minutes."
He looked around.
"I really hope they're still here... I'm pissed now. I don't like this at all."

Memoire smiled at Lavina's naivete.
"I'm worried that what your people think will lead to me getting a blade in my spine. Bearing in mind, not all elves seem to like me, and seeing as you nearly got assassinated a short while ago, you... er... consorting with a human might prove the last straw for some or another."
He sighed. "Still, we've gotten this far... might as well get your father's take on things, as you so cleverly suggested. Shall we go see him?"

"They know you saved me so I doubt that would be the case"
she slide the the side of her bed and stood up
"I think he might be in his study, we can check there first"
she smiled


H looked around as well
"It doesn't seem they are, we would have heard a noise or something by now. But its just quiet"

Memoire got up, took Lavina's hand.
"Lead the way."

Elves stared at them as they passed through the forested palace, and upon knocking Lavina's father bade them entry.
He looked at them with a raised eyebrow, and Memoire nudged Lavina. "Better coming from you," he whispered.

Riastrad examined one of the bodies. "Cut... to shreds, poor devil. But no blade I ever saw can cut this smooth..."
Something moved, a short way off to Xia's right - as something that sounded very large seemed to be moving towards them.