Revenge is Like Fine Wine....(Cheshire Smirk and I)

An middle aged man recently gained massive amounts of land and money after making a pact with a demon. Being human and concerned for his new found family he refused to complete the pact. When his only daughter of 16 was given a gorgous black panther cub. He smiled as his daughter wrapped the cub in her arms but tears rolling down her cheeks. The balding man back then admitted he was lucky to have an daughter who was unusual but she was his pride and joy. Since the girl's birthday she never went anywhere without that Panther. When boys got interested in her and began to pester her she turned to the panther for help. Now in the present time the young woman was without a suitor and enjoying the life her father provided for her.

The sun shined through the open windows of the young woman's room as the rays crept up to the white covered bed to reveal the sleeping brown haired creature. The sound of her father's shouts woke her up as she groaned. Her father shouted to wake her up since she was a heavy sleeper. Slowly she sat up as the blankets fell from her torso to reveal her unbound plump yet soft breasts. Locks of her hair fell around her neck as her sharp emerald green eyes tried to focus on anything in her modest room.

"Why does he have to yell?" She asked to no one special as she stretched her arms behind her before she stepped out of her bed onto the cold floor. The shock woke her up to the point she moved across the floor to her closet. It took her a few moments to get dressed in a light blue gown with her hair braided her hair from her face. Though she felt like something was missing. Looking about her room to see her friend, the panther, wasn't there.

"Wha..." Confused as she walked out of her room searching for her friend. "Where are you?" She whispered but noticed someone was with her father. She figured it was another Noblemen wanting her father to do something about some kind of problem they were having with their assets. Deciding not to interupt Aiko disappeared outside where she took off to the meadows in the back part of their property. Normally she would be running around or walking for hours but she went over to a smoothed out rock and sat on it with her knees to her chest. This was the first time she felt so alone seeing she couldn't find her Panther.

The man standing in the parlor of the large estate was dressed in a most outlandish manner. A black silk shirt clung tightly to his toned chst, open about 3 inches down from his throat. A pair of black leather leggings were held to his slender hips by a fine white leather belt, and a pair of masterfully crafted traveler's boots kept his feet protected from the chill. Finishing off the strange attire was a wide brimmed black hat adorned with a crimson feather, the hat tilted down nearly covering his right eye and casting a shadow over his face which accentuated the sharpness of his handsome features.

"I am honored to be here my lord. I hear you are searching for a pair of suitable hands to make your daughter a woman."

The words, so direct and yet polite would catch most offguard, especially when paired with the low accented purr of Vallios' voice. His garments announced him as a brigand, though his tone and manner of speech indicated much higher breeding. This man was certainly an enigma, an outsider from a different land.

(Block, sorry)

The fat old man nodded to the figure but there was something about him was familiar so he was going to trust him for now.

"I am. My daughter has no suitors but yet she's bit wild. She may have a woman's body but the spirit of a Knight." The old man chuckled but coughed hard as he suffered from a cold recently. After clearing his throat he continued on. "My daughter is coming of age to be married off but when you see her I think you'd agree she has potential."

While the two were talking Aiko had gotten tired and walked back home. Once she entered her home her father called out to her to join him. Curious as Aiko ventured foorward but stopped short when she saw the man there dressed in black. The gown she wore was adjustable as it showed off her tiny waist and the curve of her hips. Blushing as she ventured forward.

"My Aiko, where is your friend?" Her father asked when she reached his side. Though when she didn't answer he patted her hand then turned back to the man before him. "Well?" He waited for the man's opinion about his daughter and if she was able to be a proper woman. Even if Aiko stood in silence she felt her face turning red as she couldn't help but think the man was awfully handsome.

"She definitely has potential." Vallios agreed.

Vallios stepped forward, reaching out to take Aiko's hand. He placed a light kiss on it then looked up, catching her eyes in his almost hypnotic gaze. Two entrancing topaz orbs with slitted pupils, eyes that perfectly matched that of the panther looked straight into Aiko's eyes.

"Greetings my lady, I am Vallios. "

His voice was soft like velvet, a low purr that would invade the mind, it's tones tempting. He waited for Aiko to respond, wondering how she'd react to his approach. This would be the first time she'd seen him in his human form. Hopefully her mind would be too muddled to put 2 and 2 together and realize that the man standing in front of her was actually her beloved companion in a different body.

"Potential?" She repeated but looked at her father but it wasn't a loving gaze but a glare as she realized what was going on, so to speak. When Vallios took her hand she turned her sharp green eyes to hishypnotic gaze. Her anger towards her father disappeared as she was at a lose of words.

"Um..." She tried to think of something to say but her mind was blank. Shaking her head as she bowed to Vallios. "If you will excuse me I....I have some errands to run." She muttered quickly as she rushed past him with her free hand holding the hem of her gown up.

When she was out of ear shout her father chuckled. "That shy young girl is Aiko but when will you start with her? Money is no object when it comes to her future."

"I work at my own pace. After all, if you want her to be out of your hair and happy, we have to make it appear as if things have not been pre-decided. I'll be back later, expect to see me around more."

And with that Vallios took his leave, swaggering out of the parlor and down the drive. When he was out of line of sight he let out a quiet sigh and then allowed himself to shift, assuming his feline shape. With a low growl he closed his eyes and focused on Aiko. Slowly the great panther began to dissipate, it's body breaking down into strands of shadow. Suddenly the panther reappeared silently behind Aiko, wherever she'd ran off to. With a booming purr it nuzzled into the backs of her calves, announcing it's presence in a loving way.

Aiko had ran out into the garden as she was trembling. Wondering who that man actually was. Everytime she thought of him her cheeks grew red as her body trembled. Sighing as she tilted her head back to look to the clouds only to hear something purring behind her. Turning around to see it was her pet. Smiling as she fell to her knees with her arms wrapping around his neck.

"Oh Love...." She called him that because she showed him affection and it felt like he did the same. Her fingers laced within his soft fur as she held her body against his lean form. "Where did you go?" She muttered to him as she sat back on her heels and she ran her fingers over his ears then up under his chin.

"Mrow mrow mrow grr mrow."

The great panther even nodded it's head like it was explaining in great deal it's itinerary to the girl. Then with a yawn the cat settled back down, Allowing Aiko to cling to him like a drowning child. He silently waited, knowing she'd begin to spout her feelings about the handsome stranger, her anxieties about coming of age, and some other girlish thought she always saw fit to share with him. Of course Vallios could do without the last bit of her monologue, but he knew it was essential to let her finish so she didn't feel cut off.

This would be a delicate process, gaining her trust slowly enough so that she wouldn't mind the way he transitioned in her life. This entire setup felt something like rigging a bomb, Vallios fully aware that it could all blow up in his face at any given second. And so he was patient, like a hidden viper waiting to strike.

She smiled sweetly as she listened to him "explain" knowing full well they didn't understand eachother but she did speak to him about her secrets. One of her secrets of one boy she had a crush on but was crushed when he loved someone else. Leaning back in the grass where the hanging flowers drapped onto her hair. Strange thing was she never gave her friend a name nor was she told he had one so she called him "Love" for many reasons and she thought it suited him.

Sighing as the image of the man with her father came to mind. "While you were gone there was a strange man here. Yet very handsome like he was bred to be that yet." Aiko sat there with her looking at her friend. She just didn't know how to describe the man to the Panther. Sighing she reached out and rubbed his chest then moved up scratching his chin. For once she wasn't going to spill her heart out. Smiling as she looked at him. "I'm glad you had a good time on running or hunting out there. Just when you left me I felt alone for once." With a soft laugh as she pulled her knees to her chest. "Weird huh?"

In the past she had told "Love" what kind of man she would like to marry some day. She described the man to be proper, warm, protective of her yet romantic. His features would be strong and defined like some of the older men she seen. Though soon afterwards she dismissed that dream until today. "That strange man may hold some promise, Love. Though he just be here to teach me to be a proper lady in society."

She giggled softly when he forced the lick on her then run off. "Hey!" She yelled out after him. When he disappeared she got to her feet dusting her gown off not realizing Vallios was nearby. But she didn't disappear as her father came out to her with a father like smile.

"Father?" She said softly as she walked further out from the flower where Vallios didn't have to strain to hear her.

"You ran off rather quickly. I wanted to know your opinion of that young man who was with me..." He stated as he went to her side and forced her to sit on the wooden bench he had made for him and his wife, though she died durring child birth.

Aiko sat there blushing and seein gher friend ran off before could spill she sighed. "I find him rather attractive. Though why is he here I don't know." She looked down at her hands are she felt like she had trouble on getting a boy to like her. All she heard was her father chuckle with him wrapping his arms around her.

"I may not know exactly what you are going through which is why I wished your mother was still here. Either way a friend recommended me to him. I heard he is the best at turning young girls into proper ladys before they are married off.. Apparantly you met his unusually high standards."

Aiko looked up at her father as she curled up to him like she would do when she was tiny. "What?" She was speechless though she smiled at her father and rested her head on his shoulder. "I do find myself drawn to him but I hope he can help me get over the fear of getting close to a man."

"Hey now." Her father chimed in making her giggle but he kissed her forehead in a fatherly way before walking off. Aiko sat there with her mind racing.

"Why do I feel like a Princess in a fairy tale my nannies use to read to me." She said with a soft sigh as she looked to the brigh tblue sky. "I do hope this man comes around more often and perhaps he'd like me enough to consider a courtship." She admitted to herself what she's been wanting, a courtship. She had felt like an outsider when she went to other women's houses with Love and to find out many had suitors waiting for them. While she had none. She was grateful the women tried to make her feel better by saying she was gorgous and the men thought she was already taken so no one stepped forward.

Curious as she walked over to the pond that was in the center of the garden. There she sat on her knees at the edge looking at her reflection. Her face was soft with high cheek bones. Her lips were soft with a light rosey pink color. She didn't like the whole making yourself up for someone. Which was why she wore the simple gowns with her hair tied back. "Why am I so insecure on my appearance?" She said allowed as she removed the ribbon from her hair having her hair fall around her shoulders. With the wind picking up the ribbon was ripped from her finger tips. "My ribbon!" She cried out as the ribbon was her mother's and her father gave to her some time ago, it was the only thing she had of her mother and it was being carried away.

Enter Vallios, moving with that lazy but graceful swagger. He reached out easily and caught the ribbon between his fingers as it drifted towards him. A soft chuckle escaped Vallios' lips at the serendipity of the matter, it was quite obvious that the ribbon held deep sentimental value. As such, returning it to Aiko would help greatly in beginning to win her favor. When Vallios did come within arm's reach, he offered the lost ribbon to Aiko with a smirk.

"I believe you lost something."

The accent to Vallios' words made his speech feel more like a rolling purr, though it held the frigid touch of the icy north. His long raven hair framed his strong face, brim of his hat casting his features into shadow. Vallios was a fair bit taller than Aiko, he stood at an impressive 6'3, towering above most of the populace. He waited for her to speak, expecting a garbled string of embarrassed words.

She had leaped up to run after the ribbon but stopped when she noticed the hand snatching it out of the air. Stunned to see it was Vallios. There she felt her body growing hot as her face flushed a blood like rose color. Unable to think of anything to say but realized he may have heard her confessions to her father. With that her slender hand went to her lips in embarrassment.

Though he wasn't pushing the issue but just offered the ribbon. Slowly she stepped towards him with her grabbing the ribbon from him. After clearing her throat as she smiled weakly at him.

"Thank you, Vallios." She said softly as she wrapped then tied the ribbon around her right wrist. "How long were you in the bushes?" She asked with a stronger tone. It seemed like she was getting over the fact he was handsome and standing before her. Reaching up as she tucked her brown hair behind her ear with her looking up at him with her green eyes locking onto his own pair.