Failure of a Hero? (PastelCreme and SilverKnight)

Eric enjoyed the walk back as he thought about the future, he wasn't sure where this trip would end, but he knew that this would be a sad ending, having to say good bye to this beautiful woman was going to be a pain in the butt. He would have to go home, where his parents would have to pick out some woman he didn't know at some point that would in time be his wife. He thought about how unfair it was that one couldn't just pick who they wanted to be with. It was just sad, and something that seemed so damn unfair to him at that moment. He kept that thought to himself though as he walked, he didn't want to bug the thoughts of Arianna as they walked. He didn't think that such superficial things like his own birth would interest her, and he figured that to a country girl like he figured her it would sounds stupid to have his worries.

He walked in and figured she would take the second room when it was offered. He was surprised when she didn't ask for it. It was a hell of a surprise honestly as he looked at her he walked with her to the room and smiled thinking about how he was so glad to be sharing the room with her till the morning. He felt his heart beat faster even thinking about the fact that he was just sharing the room with her.

He walked into the room and looked around finding the map, he made notes on his trip, the map had a outline of his travels from the capital of a nearby country to their current location with notes of things he had done even when he had meet her and the location of that. He looked at the map which was rough in detail and made a marker on the goal he was setting for himself for the next day, making notes about the day, and the travels the couple days before, before looking over towards where he could find Arianna. "Now, tomorrow, we are headed towards the ghost house, we should get there tomorrow night of all things, not sure that is a good thing, but it is what it is. Then we can head from there to the next city and then I am sure we will have heroic tales to tell about and you will have a story to tell when you get home again."

Back in the room she placed her bag down on a chair as he looked over at his map. When he looked up at her and spoke, she walked over. "Only one day huh?" she commented coming up to his side. Arianna was actually a bit disappointed to hear that. If he was to complete his goal tomorrow, accomplish some heroic deed, how much longer would they travel together? Would they end up parting ways at the city right after? She had known from the beginning that their time together was going to be short, certainly nothing permanent, but so soon? She enjoyed his time and was thankful for that at least.

As she looked over the map she observed the path he took to get here, and the small notes he had as well. "What is your final destination?" she asked curiously. She wondered if the capitol of the nearby country was it. Was that his home? If so it made sense. He must have come from a family of knights. She was sure that he went on such a quest in order to prove his abilities. Obviously he would need some kind of reputation to serve the crown. At least that is what she figured his story was. Her own home was just off the map. Since almost all of it's inhabitants were demons she knew she could never tell him about her home country, much less the heir of it. Would he hate her for it? Her kingdom had managed to make enemies out of nearly all the others long ago.

Arianna smiled "We should get to bed soon so we can be ready to travel early tomorrow morning." She began undressing as she had the night before, stripping out of her outer dress and removing the garter belts and two daggers from her body.

"I am not sure honestly," he said weakly laughing as he looked at her and then paused for a moment as he looked at the table. "I need to be honest with you, I am sorry that I have not been honest with you so far. I am not some knight or even some adventurer either," he said looking at her with a smile on his lips, "Well, my position is higher then that of a knight, I am a prince, and as a prince. Well then, I am on a trip to earn my heroic deeds, as a prince I have to do so to prove the right of ruling my own kingdom. If I can't do so then, I will never be allowed to be the next in line of the kingdom I come from. A prince must prove himself worthy of being a king, and if a prince is not worthy of being a king otherwise. I am the only son, so I have to live up to the name of those who came before me," he admitted honestly.

He hoped that made sense to her as he was something different then he pretended to be. He trusted her with this information too, he knew that she wasn't going to be a person who would go around and share this information with others at random. He knew if that happened he would have to go home early, and use the little heroics he did as his reasoning to be good enough to be the next king. "Well now, I feel better about that," he said with a smile as he looked at her giving her a warm smile. "There is on other minor thing I wanted to tell you," he said as he looked at her as he smiled warmly now. "I think I might be falling in love with you Arianna," he said softly as he figured that she wouldn't take him seriously or pay attention to this quote of his after the first reveal to her.

Surprise didn't seem like a strong enough word for how she felt after receiving that first bit of information. Of all the people she had stumbled upon, a prince. What where the chances of a prince and a princess from different kingdoms bumping into each other on travels? Was this good or bad luck? Her kingdom was not on good terms with many others. Though currently at peace, war with anyone could erupt at any time. His kingdom was likely allied against hers. She couldn't tell him her true identity. What if he despised her? And when they first met he thought she was a succubus. He would have killed her if she admitted she was. If she admitted she was a succubus and demon princess he would have to kill her. That would be the ultimate heroic act after all.

She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear his second confession. He was falling for her. She looked at him with even more surprise. "What?" she asked, though she knew what he said. Her lips formed a small smile after a moment. "Well, that's one thing your not alone on." she said softly as she placed a hand on his upper arm. "I just might be falling for you too." Arianna was falling fast and hard, even she had to admit that. She was scared by this. They couldn't really be together. Not when she still feels the need to lie about her own identity. For now she tried to push her anxieties aside. She didn't want him to see her worries and ask questions about it. She would have to lie to him again and tell him it's nothing.

She gave him a warm smile as her other hand and reached up to touch the side of his face. "For the record, I was falling for you before you told me you were a prince." She added with a little playfulness. That was one thing she was truthful about and didn't want him to doubt it. Arianna then leaned in and placed her lips gently against his, closing her eyes in the process.

"Well good to know, I didn't want to surprise you and find out that you hated the idea of me being a prince or something," he said looking at her feeling this deep connection with her. He knew that he had to prove himself, but since he meet her the need to prove himself was both stronger and weaker. He felt she would approve of him no matter how brave he was, or how couragous he was. Yet, at the same time, maybe cause of this fact, he wanted to prove himself even more. He wanted to prove himself to her and he wanted to become a better person then he was, for her. He felt her lips against his own lips, such a kiss. Kisses with Ari were perfect, they were like bits of heaven, and he couldn't compare them to anything else in his whole entire life, nothing could compare to experiencing these kisses.

His hand pressed tighter around her body as he deepened the kiss that she had started with him, letting him enjoy that bit of heaven for a bit longer. He let the kiss last as long as it could, he only broke the kiss for need of air. He looked at her knowing that the day had been important. "Good then, we should take the longer trip to this house, make this trip last as long as possible," he mused to her as he thought about the maps he saw at the carnival. There were many people from various parts of the kingdom advertising places that people could visit, to earn money for them. He had seen one that had caught his attention. One that would be rather fun for the both of them and would let them hide away from the world even more then at this place.

"On the way, you see there is a small resort, it is on the foot of a large mountain, and is known for its hot springs. I think we should go there for a day, just you and I in the hot springs," he suggested as he figured she might like the idea. "We can get to this place in a day or two and then it is half way between here and the ghost house. So even if we part at that point for whatever reason we will have the memory of this day and that day to keep in our hearts."

When he deepened the kiss she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the passion of it. She melted into his kiss, and it eased her worries for the moment. When their lips finally broke she missed them against hers. Nodding her head she smiled at the idea "I'd love to take all the time you can spare" she said softly. Arianna would entertain the idea of just traveling forever with him like this till they tired of each other. However that might have been a selfish thought, especially when they both had responsibilities in far away places.

"That sounds heavenly." she said thinking about it. A comfortable place to sleep and relax, the beautiful views of the mountains and warm water of the springs. It all sounded perfect. Though she would have been just as happy sleeping on the ground under a tree if he was by her side. "No matter what happens I'll always remember you." she said kissing his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. She stayed like that for a bit, just feeling his warmth. If he decided to leave her after she eventually confesses, she wanted to take in this moment with him.

She rubbed his arm before picking up her head. "You should get undressed and come to bed with me." Looking up with a smile Arianna added "We should get plenty of rest before the trip." With that she stepped back letting her hands slip from him. She was already stripped down to her sink under dress when she turned and made her way to the bed. She climbed in, slipping between the sheets as she watched and waited for him to join her.

He also wanted this time to go on, he knew he couldn't marry a common woman, his parents would never approve of a common woman. Anything else then the daughter of a duke would be rejected. He knew it very well, even if he was to find the honor to prove himself, he didn't think that would be enough to get his parents to agree to let him marry a common female. He had to just enjoy these moments, and he had to find a way to make the time with her last as long as possible. He could of called the catching of the thief an act of honor and gone him. Yet, it wasn't his style, and he didn't want to go home either. He looked at her as she walked away, her natural beauty seemed inhuman. He wasn't sure, but there was much more to her then he could see. It was a odd thing, but he wasn't sure why, why did she seem almost magical.

He undressed to his own undershirt and worked his way over to the bed. Getting into bed, he slipped his arm around Ari's waist and pulled her right up against himself. He wanted to cuddle with her this night, and he wasn't going to hide this fact. He rested his head on the pillow his mind filled with thoughts about her, and his feelings for her. He wanted her to be near him as long as he could, past this adventure into the future. He wanted to have her with him by his side, but he wasn't sure how to make it work. Maybe if he though about it, he could think of some way before they got through and he would then have time to win her over on whatever idea it happened to be in his mind. He slowly fell asleep thinking, his mind tired from the long day and the chasing of the thief.

The morning did rise and he got up and got up early, making sure to pack up his things which didn't take long, he let Arianna sleep in as he had his horse gathered, for them and had it packed as well. He then spoke and got the excate direction to the mountains, so they could head out as soon as Arianna was up and ready. He could take a bath when he got there in the nice hot springs of the mountain. He walked back to check on Ari to see if she was awake as he took a small breakfast roll with him for her to enjoy for breakfast as she got ready.

Arianna drew close to him when he climbed into bed with her. She rested an arm across his body and placed her head on his shoulder. She felt safe and comfortable in his warmth. Most of all she felt loved. This was a feeling she didn't know if she would ever get to experience. Not when many of the eligible suitors at court tried to win her affections for their own self interest. Either people wanted her to give them gifts of tittle and land or they wanted to claim the throne. Perhaps it was the fact that Eric thinks of her as a commoner yet he treats her as something special that makes her feel this way. She quickly fell asleep with these thoughts in mind.

She continued to sleep after he woke and began to prepare for their trip. While he was out she woke up and rubbed her eyes looking over to the empty spot next to her. She was tired and would have loved to just lay back a little long and hold him. However she knew they should leave soon so that they can get to the hot springs and then they can relax together. When he same into the room she stretched before sitting up and slipping out of the blankets. "Good morning." she said to him before smoothing out her rebellious curls. That was one thing she didn't care for in this form. When she had her long straight raven hair it stayed in place and was easy to maintain. Of course she could always use a little magic to fix her disguise. "Did you sleep well?" she asked, standing and approaching him. Arianna gave him a quick good morning kiss.

"Yes, I slept, well thank you for asking," Eric commented as he smiled looking at her seeing how beautiful even just waking up that she was able to look. He walked up to her and gave her a kiss in return, kissing her felt great, having this moment was a great way to start the day. He could see the advantage of doing this every single day, and he couldn't hope but somehow find a way to share a kiss with her everyday. "Well then I guess we should get ready fast and then head out fast, I want to get to that hot springs even faster, I figure we can ride a horse together the whole way too."

He walked to the window and then outside and could see that it was going to be a very nice day. Eric then turned and then waited for Arianna to get ready for the trip, he knew it wasn't going to take her long. When she was ready he walked down stairs with her he had the horse prepared for them. He got on first and offered her a hand to help her on the horse. He knew that this ride would keep them close, another advantage that he could enjoy a great deal. Having Arianna so close to himself was so much fun, he couldn't wait for this in a way, since he was closer to her then when they got to the city.

The ride to the mountains was easy rather simple, without anything happening, he had packed light, and he was able to ride fast down the dirt paths, and rock roads, the trip wasn't that bad, he went at a faster then normal speed only to get to the spring before it was night time. The mountain was iconic looking they could notice from miles away, it was alone a solo peek. It stood out against the sky and mostly flat land around it like a great monolith to the heavens. He had never been here, but he couldn't but be taken back by the beauty of this place. He saw the beautiful large building where the hot springs and inn here were, it was ornate and beautiful, something almost royal in nature itself.

His kisses were something she feared she would grow overly fond of. They made her feel a little guilty. How could she enjoy something so much when she felt like everything about her was a lie? Yet the feelings growing inside her, the ones she expressed to him through her kisses were no lie. She liked him, a lot, and the more time she spent with him the more those feelings developed into something stronger. Could she handle the heartbreak of him walking away if he found out the truth? Could she handle abandoning her country and living a lie? Arianna feared there may not be a happy ending for them.

After parting from the kiss she quickly got dressed. She pushed her negative thoughts from her mind and focused on the day ahead. Together at the hot springs they will relax and have fun. Today she shouldn't worry about what the future holds. Once dressed she followed him downstairs to the horse which he mounted. Taking his hand she hopped onto the back of her horse. After making sure the walking stick was secure on her back she wrapped her arms around his waist and off they rode. She enjoyed holding onto him as they rode. Being close to him was comforting. The ride there was relaxing and beautiful since the weather was great.

After a while into their ride the mountains came into view. They reminded her of home. Her castle sat on a tall mountain, surrounded by several stunning mountains. Though she hadn't explored most of her kingdom yet, she knew it had several mountain ranges cutting through it and creating most of it's borders. What wasn't covered in mountains was rolling hills and valleys. Unlike many of the other places she explored, her home kingdom had little to no flat land. For a brief moment she missed home. That was until the building came into view. It was beautiful and well crafted. "It's really beautiful." she commented.

When they pulled up front, Arianna hopped off the back of the horse first and removed some of their baggage. A man came out of the building with a smile. "Welcome to our resort. May I take your horse to our stables?" he asked as he approached the two of them.

He helped her down as he saw the man take their things from them. He was sure that this was going to be fun. Looking up over the mountain he couldn't but think how amazing this place was. his homeland was rather flat in nature, some rolling hills but mostly flat plains and rivers cutting though the land. It was very different from this place. He had never seen a mountain as large as the one that was in front of him, nothing even close to it. He was a bit in awe of the size of the mountain as he blinked. He had to gather himself together as he took in the mountain for a moment standing there. He reached out and took Arianna's hand into his own hand as he then started up the path towards the resort. The path was nice, it was slopped upwards, with rocks on the outside of the trail that they walked up to shairs which led to a large patio which was around the whole of the resort on every level giving great views of the land around the mountain and resort. "yes, you can, thank you," he said as he figured he should be focused just on having fun and enjoying himself.

There were numerous chairs that were all over the patio. He looked over the lands around, and was thrown off once again not used to being so high even this high up the mountain. He blinked, "Well Ari, this is very different then my home, there is no place this big or thing this big in my own homeland," he commented looking over the mountain for a good moment or two. He let go of Arianna's hand and then walked over to the sliding doors to the inside of the resort and opened it for the both of them. He could see how this place seemed to run on magic which were used in lights and various other aspects of the inside of the resort. It was easy to tell that the owners of this place were some type of mages who lived alone out by themselves in this world, perhaps earning money with the resort. "Now, should we check out the hot springs or should we go in and check out our room first?" he asked curious as he looked at her giving her a warm smile.

As they walked hand and hand up to the resort he made a comment about his homeland. "Is that so?" she started curiously, adding "I've lived my whole life surrounded by mountains. I had never seen flat land until I started my travels." She wished he could see her kingdom one day, but that was likely to never happen. Humans didn't normally cross into her kingdom unless they were looking for trouble or are trouble. Entering the resort she noticed it all ran on magic. This too made her feel at home. "How nice..." she said with a smile as she looked around.

Arianna thought for a moment. "Hmm... Perhaps we should check into our room first. I'd like to make sure my bag is somewhere safe before we go to the springs." she suggested, heading towards the front desk where an older woman sat smiling cheerfully. "Welcome, looking for a room?" she asked standing. Arianna nodded with a smile. "I have a beautiful room that faces the mountains if the two of you would like to follow me." The woman then stepped out from behind the desk and began to head for the stairs. "So what brings the two of you out this way?"

Taking his hand, she followed the woman up the stairs to the second floor. "We are just traveling." The woman then talked a bit more before she stopped in front of a sliding door. "Please make yourself comfortable." she said before walking off. Arianna slid open the door before stepping inside. The room was simple yet cozy. It had a bed, table, a few chairs and another pair of sliding doors leading to the balcony. "This is nice." she said as she sat her items down on the table before going to the other sliding doors. Opening them she could see the beautiful mountains. "The view reminds me of home..." she said as she stepped out.

He followed as he listened to her tell him about her own homeland. He had a guess where she lived, the kingdom to his southwest, or his kingdoms, which was on the border of the demonic kingdom. He walked up to the counter and let her handle the talking, the woman seemed rather nice, the people all here seemed rather nice, he didn't sense anything odd about them in the least, which was rather nice. he smiled hearing that they would get to see the mountains from their room, that would be a nice view. He walked to the room which was as nice as he thought it would be, the view was something else as awe inspiring as any other he had seen that day. He took off his boots and his overshirt leaving him in his undershirt as he walked out and looked out at the mountains quietly still in awe of them.

"Now, your home, is the kingdom of Irksa right, the home of the Royal family who honestly are prudes and not much fun. They think they are great cause they defend us all from the demonic hordes on the other side of the mountains," he commented as he looked out at the mountains before himself. "I have never been to the mountains cause they are always said to be haunted, demons lerk ready to steal the souls of men, and kill," he commented as he paused, "Though that does seem rather strange, but I know nothing about this world, there is so much I don't know. I hope to learn more about it in my travels. How can a man be a good king if he doesn't know the world around himself. That is the other reason for my trip. I want to learn about the world, so that I can be a good king some day. One that doesn't make the same mistakes as those who come before him," he commented as he sat down putting his feet up on a small table. "Now, of course, I still have seen little, but I am working on that, and it has been fun with you. I wouldn't of gotten this far without you. I would of grown to bored of my travels but with you they have been worthwhile."

It was a good thing she was facing the mountains and not towards him. When she heard of Irska her face twisted a bit. Knights from that kingdom like to stir things up with the demons living in the mountains. Often her father would have to travel to Irska in order to settle things there. Thankfully, her kingdom had an abundance of mines and could pay them with precious metals and jems. Her kingdom could live in relative peace and the Irska royalty would feel victorious. The biggest problem was keeping her own people happy. Many wished to invade and take over the neighboring kingdom. Demons were very prideful and several wished to show the humans who was better. A few good jabs at her people and it they could return it with vengeance.

"No actually, I don't live in Irska... but your close." Arianna started softly. A part of her wanted to explain, but she didn't want him to judge. As he said, there were rumors that the mountains were haunted by blood thirsty demons. Worse rumors went around about her kingdom Gehanna. Everyday they invent new ways to torture, they enslave humans, and crime is rampant. These are all lies, but the outside world sees them all as dangerous animals. She did turn and smile when he spoke of his desire to become a better king. It was similar to her own reasons for travel. "That's wonderful. We need more kings willing to put in the effort to become better for their kingdom." She laughed a little bit when he said he wouldn't have gotten so far without her. "I don't think so. I bet you would have persevered without me, but I'm glad I could assist you. I've had so much fun."

Arianna couldn't handle the weight of her lies. He was going to eventually ask her specifics about her life, where she was from to start. Then that would lead to even more questions. Part of her wanted to wait till after they enjoy themselves at the resort to tell him the truth. However she could never enjoy herself without being honest. "Eric, there is something I should probably tell you..." She started as her face fell. Where did she begin? "Before I start, I don't want anything I say to change what you think of me. I understand that it probably will, and I won't be angry if it does. I'm not actually who you think I am." Taking a deep breath she paused before adding "I am Princess Arianna, of Gehenna."

She wondered what he would say or do about this information. It wasn't like a little secret. A bit of a concerning thought had crossed her mind. "I wouldn't be shocked if you wanted to kill me. What greater heroic deed is there then killing the princess of Gehenna?" She said a bit to herself. Any man seeking glory would just at the opportunity to kill her. It would be a blow to her kingdom and they would be ridding the world of one less evil demon. That is why she left her home in disguise, just in case someone recognized her.

Eric looked out as he heard her comments, he thought about what lands were close, he didn't know the world that well and he didn't know the lands around Irska, but he knew that the demonic kingdom was the only one on the otherside of the mountains. He turned and looked at her curious. Her words threw him off, he was glad that he had traveled with her as well. He was sure that he needed her to be at his side for such a trip as the one the two of them were taking together. He could not but see the good fortune that he had by having her by his side along the trail that they took. He figured maybe she lived in the mountains, had avoided the demons who he knew little of, and was some low class woman forced to live in the mountains cause of her class in the Irska kingdom thus living just outside of it.

A princess, he didn't know the royal names of the Kingdom of Gehenna or the Demon Kingdom. Yet, as he looked at her he was shocked, he couldn't help but show the surprise as it was on his face. He looked at her for a moment putting together what he had learned. She was a demon, she this beautiful and kind person was a demon. This was like saying three plus three was eight or something. He looked at her for a moment going over in his mind everything he knew, everything he could think of till he heard her comment as he heard her tell him that she thought he would want to kill her.

He walked over to her and flicked her forehead. "Your a idiot, killing and betraying a traveling partner, the person you spend your days with is not heroic. It is not protecting anyone, it is cold blooded murder. Maybe some would think it is heroic, but I would be scum if I were to kill you, actually worse then that. You see, I would know what I did and I would know that it wasn't heroic in the least. Now, I am not going to kill you, Arianna, that would be just stupid. Well unless you suddenly change and start trying to massacre whole villages or something."

He started to poke Arianna, his eyes looking closely at her for a moment. "Now I am confused, I heard that demons were well like snakes and had scales and female demons had snakes for hair, that would turn a person into stone when you look at them. Either your hiding them or I was lied to and that kind of angers me," he commented as he pressed his fingers to her cheek. "Arianna, is well um Arianna, as I said I want to learn about the world, and it seems I have a lot to learn about demons, now having you with me, will allow me to learn more about demons and it will teach me how to rule and work with different people better then anything else. If you don't mind, maybe I should travel to your kingdom, to meet with your family, and learn about it."

She understood his surprise. She told him she was just a common woman traveling. Plus she looked the part at the very moment. She stood there a bit stiff. She was prepared for whatever action he took. Well at least she thought she was. Arianna was shocked when he flicked her forehead, but even more so by the rest of his reaction. He was taking her confession surprisingly well. She smiled softly "As expected from my hero…" She paused before adding "But are you not even a little disgusted by me?" If it were any other human, she would have expected a number of hurtful actions. Typically people react with anger, distrust, or even fear around even the friendliest of demons. However Eric seemed to more curious then anything.

"Many of my people are furred or scaled but they come on all shapes and sizes. Only a small handful of women actually have snakes for hair. Most had been killed off long ago by humans." She paused having his finger pressed to her cheek. "Several physically resemble humans. I look more human then several others, but I still disguised myself when I left…" She said as she then let her disguise fall. Her transformation happened in a blink of an eye as a shadow fell across her body then listen to reveal her true form. Beneath her brown eyes was a vibrant shade of green, unseen in humans. Under her light brown curls was an unusual shade of black hair, and when it hit the light had almost a deep blue glow. Her hair silky hair fell down past her chest and halfway down her back. Her real skin was pale and milky, nothing a common human woman would possess. Her body was a bit taller now and a bit curvier then her previous form.

A sigh left her lips. "I feel far more comfortable in my own skin." Her hand reached up and began to play with her soft hair. "Is it weird? Looking at me like this I mean." She figured it would be. If Eric suddenly changed appearances in front of her she knew she would find it odd. Anyone would. "I think it's a good idea that you come see my home. My people can be a bit rough around the edges but they are not much different then humans. Plus it's land is incredibly beautiful." She paused for a moment before thinking about it from a political standpoint. "My kingdom needs someone with an open mind to come see that it's nothing like the stories told about it. If a human could testify for us, perhaps things could change for the better."

"No, I don't find you to be disgusting at all, I mean, you are a beautiful female," he said with a smile as he had a feeling there might be something more she was hiding as he looked at her. "As a youngster, and till recently, I helped out at the hospital, and then we would see the wounded warriors who had been scared in many different ways, I think they are still humans, and I got over the shock of that, so I don't think having you being a demon is much, you are still you as a human or a demon," he said kindly as he figured that he could handle whatever, he had seen the result of disfigured soldiers of war.

He listened to her words and then he saw her body change, he was shocked by this, he had a feeling this might be the case, but he was surprised to find her this new way. She was a beautiful brunette, but as a raven haired woman, this woman was well scary beautiful. He looked away, his face red as he looked away from her. He heard her question as he thought about it. "Yes, of course it is strange to see you like this, as you are different then before. You have a different vibe about yourself. You had a sweat homely look before, now you have a very much more sexual look to you now. I am guessing my guess about you being a succubus is correct," he asked as looked away still his face still rather red as he looked at the railing.

"I think that human politics is rather complex, and I think that it would be best to work out a deal and make peace, for everyone does well when there is peace," he reasoned as he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Now, I do have a question for you though," he said pausing as he then looked back at her. "Now, Ari, I have always heard that if a succubus sleeps with a human they steal their soul and kill them. Well is this a true thing?"

He knew as things were going they were going to have sex at some point, and it worried him, the thought that he would lose his soul to this woman. Yet, he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep himself from doing so even knowing that fact. He knew that he wanted to be near her and he wanted at some point to be with her in that cardinal sense. So this information while minor was rather important to him.

It seemed the more she learned about Eric, the more she grew to adore him. "You helped out at a hospital?" she said to herself with a smile. Again and again he showed himself to be kinder than anyone she had ever met before. He seemed to live to help others and he even accepted her, knowing what she really was. When she transformed he looked away. This made her nervous at first. Did he find her unappealing? Did he not actually accept her like he said? However those fears faded quickly when he spoke of her more sexual appearance. Was he hiding a blush? This made her smile just a tiny bit again. Was he nervous? Embarrassed? She found it endearing.

Arianna was almost a pure blooded succubus. The royal line did have a few other kinds of demons in the mix like the dark elves on her father's side. "Right, I am almost entirely succubus... but that story about us is only partially true..." She started a little nervously. She didn't want him to think she was a murderous creature. She also didn't want him to think they could never be intimate together. "Sexual release from those I bed provides me with a tremendous amount of energy and power. I can also substitute food and sleep for the energy I get. Likewise the longer I go without sex the more I need to eat and sleep." She had never explained this to anyone before so she had to pause and think several times to figure out how to word everything. "I do have the ability to kill my partner if I were to drain them of their life energy during sex. I would be temporarily more powerful by doing so, but I have never done that, nor do I EVER want to." She made sure to put emphasis on the fact she never wanted to drain someone of their life energy.

"Its and intimate act and I would only give myself to someone I cared for, I would never wish to hurt someone I cherished." She couldn't help but smile a bit, figuring he was curious for an obvious reason. "So if we were to make love, I can assure you, you will live. You may be a little tired, but not much more than if you were to do so with another human." she assured him. Arianna stepped closer and tenderly cupped his warm cheek, "Was that helpful for you?" she questioned.

"Yes, my mother you see, wanted to make sure that I would see the horrors of war, so that I would know the true cost of starting a war, and wouldn't then make war lightly should I have to become king at a early age," he explained. He knew why, those who knew the true cost of war would try their best to avoid it if possible, and make peace. It was only a situation where he would have to fight a war, that he would do so. He learned much from it and was more then a bit happy that he had to do that work. He worked longer then he was asked, cause he found the stories too from the soldiers to be most interesting. Perhaps it had helped him prepare for the situation that he happened to be at the moment now.

He listened to her as she explained how sex with one of her kind had worked, he was more then a bit worried about this, he had hoped he could be with her, and he was sure before this reveal. Now he was a bit more worried about that fact. Hearing her words helped calm down his worries. He looked at her as he knew that keeping his hands off her now was even harder then before. He was sure he wasn't going to be able to do so for a long period of time. Feeling her hand on his cheek he nodded his head looking at her for a moment. He then leaned in and kissed her lips passionately, his hands finding their way around her waist, holding her rather close as his lips pressed against her own for a long moment his body pressing against her own a bit as they kissed.

"Now, of course, I am not sure I won't be able to keep from making such a move on you. You were sexy before as a sexy brunette, Arianna. Now as a Raven haired bombshell, you are impossible for me not to well desire and think rather naughty thoughts about," he said honestly after he broke the kiss. His lips found her own lips again a moment later as he had an idea. "How about I undress you for the hot springs and then head down. I am sure it is empty right now," he said softly as he figured that they could have their fun in the hot springs as that would be the ideal place to intensify their relationship. He had wanted to come here partly for that reason before he knew her true form.