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Lost Dragons ((Myself and Serin))

Bridget saw Max going to the front of the ship as she worked on a few things with her crew. She also noticed how he began to do the dances with the swords, and how his form was eventually revealed. After catching herself staring a couple of times, her thoughts wandered back to the night before and couldn’t help but blush. She immediately smacked her cheeks, a reflex to combat her feminine urges, and left the bridge of the airship.

Going down a few floors, she entered her small room and shut the door behind her. Leaning against it, she let out a heavy sigh and stared up at the ceiling. What has gotten into me? she thought for a few moments before looking forward. Bridget didn’t have any special accommodations, regardless of being a captain. Her room was as big as the crew’s, a small rectangular room about ten feet long by six feet wide. Her bunk didn’t have one underneath it, instead there was a small dresser bolted to the wall that contained her possessions. Against the window was a small desk with a chair and a mirror upon it that she used as a makeshift vanity. She opened the small window and let the cool air of the countryside in.

Taking a deep breath, Bridget slowly climbed up the small ladder that lead to her bunk. Lying down on the pile of quilts she had up there, she stared up at the ceiling and pressed her palm to it. She hadn’t ever felt drawn to anyone like this before, and it honestly scared her a little. Bridget wasn’t used to such things, and it was something she’d never been taught about. Where she came from you married for money, not love and desire. It was simply how things were done. Closing her eyes, she held her face in her hands and groaned a little to herself. She had removed herself from the deck because she didn’t want to be seen gawking at Max. Bridget had never been in this situation before, and it was slightly discomforting. She stayed hidden within her room for a while longer before eventually forcing herself down from her bunk.

Leaving her room, she wandered back to the bridge and slowly glanced to the bow of the ship, seeing that Max was apparently done with his sword dances. She sighed a bit with relief and slowly walked out onto the bow, towel in hand, watching him gather his things up. After collecting herself, she forced herself to strike up a conversation to get whatever was going on through her out of the way. “You are very skilled. I can tell that you were indeed taught by Balgus, and that he’d be proud to see you there now.” She smiled at him gently as her emerald eyes made sure to never make direct contact. Tossing a towel at him, she turned and walked to the tip of the bow, glancing down at the city before them.
 
Max caught the towel and then casually began to dab at the sweat that still glistened on his powerfully muscled form. So she had figured it out in the end it seemed and now knew exactly whose grave he had visited. He did not bother to cover himself back up but instead bundled his clothes. He for some reason felt like showing off just a bit and did not really understand why. There was just something about Bridget that seemed to have that affect on him. He looked into her eyes and managed a rather dashing smile that was made even more so given his state of undress as he spoke, "So you found me out huh... yeah I was Balgus' student and he was the one who watched for me after my father died. What gave it away the shirtless training?"

He chuckled a bit as it was no secret his master was built like a brick wall just as Max himself was, and that he trained without any form of armor or protection to instill his believe that one had to fight with the intention to do harm. His eyes were drawn to her figure and he had to remind himself this was his employer at the moment and so he turned and looked out over the city to hide his blush as he spoke once more, "when we get to Asturia I can actually make things a little easier for you. Tell them you are bringing Lord Maximilian Draco of House Draco to see the King and Sir Allen Schezar on a matter of personal import... should get you right through any custom checks."

He did not go into details of his nobility distant though it may be. It was not something important to him in all honesty. He had little care for the politics of the course and little need for his families fortune given that he was happy to live in his home by the waterfall and the simple life of a knight errant. It is why he had not thought twice about paying for rooms and board at the inn. It is also why he never thought how it might affect how others thought of him... but he suddenly realized he had just told a merchant about it, one who admitted her family cared very much about those things even if she did not and suddenly he put his hand over his eyes and sighed.

"Of course now I realize this means what you said about your mother earlier could cause a whole other set of problems with it... I will figure something out just don't start going around calling me lord or sir or any of that drivel. It is just Max... and maybe keep it between you and me and maybe the big guy... not something I particularly care about or want broadcast for the most part."
 
“Yes I did find out about you,” she said with as smirk, watching him wipe the sweat off of his body. As he asked her how she had learned, she simply smirked and winked at him. “A girl as her ways.” She said playfully before turning around to glance at the scenery around them, then at her ship. It was slightly battered; suggesting that they’d encountered trouble, and Bridget thought to herself that they should probably get the left levistone replaced once they reached Asturia. Her eyes then flicked over his body and quickly went back to staring at the ship, her booted foot kicking at a ding in the hull. As Max mentioned going to Asturia and making things easier for her, she shook her head and smiled a bit hearing his title, her own echoing in the back of her mind.

“That’s not necessary, but thank you. But if you would like to see the King and Allen Schezar I’m sure that it could be arranged.” She gave him a sweet smile before holding her hands together behind her back. Her expression was thoughtful, as if there was something on her mind. When she heard Max mention her mother, Bridget quirked a brow at him before blinking confused. “My mother?” she asked puzzled before putting it together in her mind.

“A-Are you suggesting that my mother would throw me at you!?” she squeaked out. Max could see Bridget’s face fully flush at the idea of her mother trying to marry them if she knew of Max’s lineage, and quickly turned to hide her face. She had barely just met him and he was already suggesting something like that? Perhaps he was interested in her?... Shaking the thoughts from her head, Bridget patted her cheeks before speaking once more.

“I am perfectly fine with you not wanting to broadcast your title. I will be sure to have no one speak of it if they learn. As for Brawler, your secret will be safe with him if you so desire to inform him. However he may put two and two together if you keep wearing fancy clothes like that.” She motioned to his nicer garb. “One from Court would immediately be able to recognize you.” Bridget herself had but she wasn’t going to admit to such things now. “You are Max while on my ship, just like I am Bridget, or Captain if you so prefer it.” Winking at him once more, she waved her hand a little before walking backwards, toward the command post of the airship. “Now I think is time for me to return to my post. I hope that you’re thinking about my offer, Maximilion~ We will probably leave port tomorrow morning!” she said with a smirk as she vanished inside the airship. He could see her walking to Brawler and talking to him before vanishing off of the deck to go do more work.
 
Max had already made up his mind and wondered if she realized the reason he avoided the court here was because the court of King Van Fanel would recognize him for who and what he is... a lord of noble birth. He noticed the way she balked at his comment and also the slight flush to her cheeks which made him wonder if maybe she liked that idea more than she was letting on. He smirked and nodded a bit, "If she found out about me she well might, a few generations back you can find ties to one royal line... and further back than that another. I am no where near being in line for any formal position but from what you say the title and my family's wealth would be enough to wet her appetite."

He wrapped and shouldered his great sword once more and sheathed the long sword at his hip before he spoke once more, "I just do not care much for position or title myself is all, do not see that I have a need for them... I would rather be a wandering swordsman than a lord of the court... I prefer to be judged for who I am and what I do rather than who I can trace my lineage to... call me crazy." He watched her go and his eyes seemed to once more gravitate to the sway of her hips and the muscular tone of her long legs. He had to force himself to look away and remind himself that his stares were likely to earn him a talk with Brawler at this rate.

He gathered his things and then went down to Kaiser to grab a fresh shirt. He made his way back up to the cabin intended to talk to Bridget and Brawler there. He made his way inside and nodded to them both before he spoke once more, "So any chance of a private room, Don't mean to impose but I am not exactly used to be around people when I sleep and old habits die hard." he looked directly at Bridget for the next part but he trusted that Brawler would not speak of it, "And in confidence between us three.. I will have to break out real finery when we reach Asturia, they will not admit me unless I am properly garbed... and I apologize for any trouble it causes you with your mother Bridget."
 
Bridget’s mind was reeling a bit from what he told her. Max seemed so backward in terms of court that it was hard to believe that he had such noble lineage. But then again, his body said otherwise. His long dark hair and eyes told her that he was from noble blood, just like her eyes and hair gave hers away. The very thought that he had been hinting at her mother wanting them to wed made her think that he did like her more than just in a friendly manner. Perhaps it was true. She wasn’t bad looking, she knew that much, but she had never had this type of thing happen to her before in her life. It was definitely something to think about. When he came back onto the deck, she turned and noticed he was wearing a new shirt and fought a blush, focusing on brawler’s vest instead, starting to count the stray threads on it. When he addressed both of them, she turned and blinked a few times but Brawler beat her to the talking.

“That’s more than acceptable. However they won’t inspect us when we enter the country. However when we leave for shore leave you may get some stares. And if you desire to go to court to visit anyone or make a social call, you should dress accordingly. I know that I will be changing my garb as well.” Brawler then looked down at Bridget and raised a brow seeing her inspect his vest. She squeaked with surprise then smiled innocently, glancing up at him timidly.

“I’m sure that we all will look odd once dressed up in our formal attire. I’m sure that eventually I’m going to be put in a dress.” The captain of the airship made a sour face and then tugged at her cheeks. “I better get used to being pinched too. I can hear her now... Bridget you need to make your cheeks blush~.” Bridget’s tone got really nasally and artificial, clearly mimicking that of her mother. It brought a smile to Brawler’s face and she let out a soft giggle, covering her mouth so she wouldn’t snort. Turning to Max, she bowed her head slightly and then spoke normally once more. “I am sure that things will be fine Max, don’t stress yourself out about it. We’ll manage to get by as we always do.” She patted his shoulder firmly before lowering it, letting her fingers drag along his arm for a few extra moments. Bridget was secretly gauging his reaction, wondering what it was that he felt for her. Granted they had just met the day before, but she was a hopeless romantic and did believe in fairy tales of falling in love at first sight.
 
Max nodded as they spoke, then smirked a bit... if she thought he would look out of place in formal attire she was in for quite the surprise. Properly done up he looked every bit the dashing noble and he knew it would turn heads and garner quite a bit of attention. That was part of his concern as he knew the instant he stepped off the airship there would be murmurs and whisperings that would filter back to the courts and the various noble houses. Part of him actually had a hope that her mother might try something, after all he found his eyes always drawn to the strong and beautiful Bridget. His father had once told him when he met the right woman he would simply know and he began to wonder if just maybe his father might have been on to something there.

He then felt her hand lingering on his muscled arm through the thin fabric of his shirt. He turned his eyes to Bridgets and met her gaze with a warm smile. He actually shifted his arm so her hand pressed more firmly to it wanting to show her it was ok... he suddenly realized that just maybe the reason she blushed so fiercly earlier is she actually liked the idea of her mother forcing them together. He smiled a bit more brightly thinking that maybe there would not be that much force needed if it came to that. His mother and father had been true romantics and he grew up hearing their stories about the first time their eyes really met and how they just knew.

True love and love at first sight, many thought such things fantasy but there was a part of Max that wanted to believe. That part of him reminded him that since he had met Bridget his eyes always seemed to drift back to her no matter where they were. That same warm smile never left his face as he enjoyed the feel of her touch on his powerful arm and for the first time he began to wonder if just maybe this was exactly what he head heard about. The way they always watched each other, and now as he truly gazed into her eyes for the first time he could not help but feel a powerful connection and a spark there as he spoke softly, 'I am sure you will look lovely Bridget, and yes we will manage I am sure."
 
As his arm pressed to hers more, Bridget couldn’t help but snicker to herself and gently let her nails run across the fabric, letting the touch become a bit more intimate. Hearing the comment about her looking pretty, she immediately let go of his arm and waved her hands around. “Hey hey now! No need to get excited. After all I will be complaining the whole time about it.” She giggled a bit before smiling up at both of the men beside her.

Brawler had been watching the two and couldn’t help but smile to himself. His gut feeling to push the two together was clearly working, he could see it on Bridget, and was pretty confident that Max was falling for her as well. He had noticed how Max kept smiling around her, staring at her, and blushing softly whenever he glanced at her. The larger man crossed his arms and spoke softly in his burly voice. “Worst case scenario, we will just send you out with Black to fix any problems.” He said toward Bridget, a hint of playfulness in his voice. To this the merchant woman nodded and flexed her arms a bit.

“I can take on anything!” she exclaimed happily until the thought of her mother came back to mind. Bridget immediately wiggled in her spot and sighed heavily. “Except for when it comes to mother... I am going to hide in a crate once we get to port in Asturia. I don’t want to deal with her when we arrive. I’ll see her after we’ve been there for a few days.” She appeared to slip into deep thought for a few moments, before swaying a bit on her heels. “I wonder, is there anything we need to do before we leave Fanelia? I think we’re just waiting on orders.” Her emerald eyes met Max’s for a few moments, her cheeks getting a little pink. “Do you have anything else you need to do? We can stay longer if you need too.”
 
Max took a chance now and reached out his own hand to place it lightly upon Bridgets as he took a single step towards her to look into her eyes once more as he spoke with a chuckle, "Fine you complain and I will compliment... should balance out nicely in the end." This time he let his hand linger softly on her arm. It was at this point that he heard Brawlers comment and realized that the two of them at that point looked to very clearly be interested in one another... and he was not objecting at all, in fact he was actually smiling. Max began to wonder if this is what the big man had in mind all along and that thought just made him smile a bit more and nod his head a bit. The geasture might have seemed odd to Bridget but he was certain Brawler would get the gist of it.

He chuckled and decided to test the waters in a more extreme fashion as he half jokingly said to Bridget, "Could always have me and Brawler deal with your mother... tell her I was interested and flash my little book of noble heraldry... that might get her to leave you alone." He smiled and then took Bridget's arm in his own with a smile without even thinking about it and gazed into her eyes again with a playful smile. It just felt so natural and even with the joking tone it just sort of clicked in a way that made it seem so very natural to Max at least.

He pondered her other question for a moment then decided given the topic he would make what only seemed a natural offer to him, "I suppose if you want to kill some time I could take you down to see my estate... it is nothing overly fancy but it is outside the city in the woods and there is a lovely waterfall there. I do not need to stay longer though per say." He found his eyes drawn to Bridgets once more and again found himself gazing into her eyes only this time he realized they were a good deal closer to one another. In fact they were closer than they had ever really been before and he had a sudden impulse to lean in and kiss her in that moment... It took a great deal of self control for him to restrain himself but he managed. So he stood there smiling and gazing into her eyes as he held her arm in his.
 
Hearing Max’s stubborn remark to keep complimenting her, she slowly turned her head and simply made a ‘hmph’ sound to the male. This made Brawler smirk a little, but he quickly straightened his face. When her mother was mentioned yet again, Bridget turned and raised her brow at the two men. “Oh? Is there conspiring going on that I don’t know about?” she crossed her arms and tapped her foot as she scolded the two. But Max’s touch upon her arm as he took it startled her, and made her snap out of her scolding mood. Blinking at him a few times, she stared into his eyes and slowly turned her face away to avoid blushing more. When she heard him mention going out to his home, she stared at him once more and blinked softly toward him. Brawler seized the moment.

Pushing both of them toward the door, not even letting Bridget answer, the colossal man forced them off of the bridge and waved before shutting the door behind them. Bridget was staring at him, completely shocked and flabbergasted. Clearly she didn’t think Brawler had that in him. Muttering a little under her breath, she was forced to stare at Max again, realizing how close they were in the tiny corridor. The blush immediately returned to her cheeks, but it was harder to see in the dimly lit hallway. “S-Sure.” She said slowly as her eyes flicked about, searching for an escape. This had never happened to her before, and part of her was panicking because she didn’t know what to do. But Max’s arm around hers once more calmed the merchant, and eventually they got off the ship and walked toward the outskirts of Fanelia.

Keeping quiet for most of the walk, Bridget eventually relaxed and held onto the cloth of his arm as they walked. She could point at pretty flowers or plants, occasionally stopping to smell at them or investigate them more. It was clear to Max that she hadn’t explored much of Fanelia before, and was clearly enjoying herself. This was the real Bridget, the one that was hardly seen while on the confines of a ship. Returning her arm to his, she smiled a bit as she leaned against him, a skip in her step as he continued to escort her. “Thank you; I forgot what it was like to relax like this out in the forest.”
 
Max enjoyed the walk to his home a great deal more this time than he had the last few times in recent days. He wondered why, though it would be more truthful to say he tried to convince himself that he needed to wonder why. He really had not expected Brawler to push them out like this but he was glad the large man had done so. Here away from the ship and the crew he did not have to be so shy about letting his eyes wander to Bridget or flashing her that dashing smile of his. He knew it was because Bridget was here and it was just the two of them. This felt quite a bit like a date that the large man had pushed them out on and he was beggening to think that had been his plan all along.

When she clung to his shirt it made him smile, as did her smile and the bounce to her step. When she pressed herself lightly against him to lean on his powerful frame he flushed a bit. It was clear she did not realize what sort of affect she had on him but that too made him smile for some reason. He chuckled and smiled as he answered her, "I am glad you are enjoying it, this is where I grew up... my house is just ahead, you can hear the waterfall from here." He lead her forward a bit more and through a grove of trees to reach the home where he had for so long lived alone.

There before her was an elegant and lavish home set right into the wall of the mountain. Its walls were whitewashed and formed a stark contrast to the darkly colored stone of the mountainside. The front of the house was decorated in a rich navy blue trim and out front there was a lavish natural garden whose flowers filled the air with a pleasant scent. The path leading to the house was cobbled in slabs of dark stone carved from the mountain side and it split about halfway to the house so that one path curved towards the door and another towards the breathtaking beauty of the waterfall and the pool of sparkling crystal clear water at its base. Without thinking MAx pulled Bridget a little more closely to his side as he spoke, "Well here it is, be it ever so humble there is no place like home."
 
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