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Death Sentence?

His wink sent more blood rushing to her cheeks, but he seemed polite enough besides, leaving as a human would to get her food and clothing. Once he left the room she wandered around in it, curious as to the conditions this Vampire lived in. She was honestly surprised to find nothing that she would be fearful of. Quite unlike the tales and gosip about his species, he seemed more fairminded than her own species.

A few minutes passed, and finally the man returned, carrying her change of clothing, and a tray of food. "Thank you." She said, wrapping the blanket around herself modestly. "You are being very gracious, especially considering the circumstances." She smiled as he set the food down, and tore a small chunk of bread off to eat. It tasted surprisingly delicious, and fulfiling on her empty stomach. She had to contain herself to not eat hungrily and lose her manners.

She watched him as she did so, and finished the bread quickly. "Thank you, Lord Viktor." She said with a smile.
 
"Not at all, Miss Kaura," he watched her expectantly for a moment and then offered, grinning, "Don't you wish to get dressed?" He paused for another moment then conceded for the moment, "I'll turn around if you insist, but I need to talk with you for a moment."

He turned towards the wall and began to explain. "You and I weren't seen entering the castle last night, which is good from the perspective of avoiding talk about why I was running around last night and why I came back with an elf girl in my arms. But from the standpoint of explaining how you got here, it's a little more problematic. This is the story we're going to tell my people, so please listen close."

He paused for a moment to refill his lungs, "The elf that delivered your sentence to me was seen by some of the castle's guards as well as some of the servants. We're going to say that this man was your father. You were promised in marriage to an elvish nobleman but begged your father to be set free. He came to me rather than risk the anger of the nobleman in question, saying to said nobleman that you had run off and refused to return home. This will work well as there is a long standing rumor amongst my people that I am at least half-elven, which dovetails nicely as that would give your 'father' a reason to come to me to give you sanctuary. I don't discourage the rumor because it's a good explanation for the fact that I haven't aged in well over two centuries."
 
She nodded. "Of course I would like to change." She laughed, watching him turn her back to her for her privacy. She stood, turning her back to him as well, and shed the thin garmet, pulling on the petticoat as he began to explain the lie.

It was vague enough to not attract undue attention. She smiled at the people thinking him half Elf, knowing the impossibility of that. Her species rarely interacted with other races, rare enough that she didn't even feel much concern at the problem of rumors spreading. "So, I do not wish to be married to a nobleman, one whom I do not know or do not trust?" She asked evenly, knowing such things have happened in the past.

She pulled the long dress on, clasping it shut before turning back around. "I am dressed, my lord."
 
He turned back around and admired her for a moment. "I'm beginning to think that we couldn't find clothing that would make you less than beautiful," he offered with a smile. His eyes drunk their fill and he finally answered her question, "I would imagine that that is the sort of information a lady would keep to herself, so your father didn't enlighten me."

"Let's go introduce you to someone before I'm missed. The line for official business will be starting to form soon, and there's a bridge builder who needs instructions," he said gently, walking across the room to open the door. "It will take me a few hours to clear my schedule, but afterward I'd appreciate it if we could get better acquainted. I may also bring up a few of my more objectionable requests, if you wish to prepare any angry words to answer them," he smiled broadly as he finished.

He led her outside and found his head squire, introducing Kaura and explaining her situation. He gave strict instructions that this wasn't to be common knowledge, though he knew that probably wouldn't be followed, but that the servants in the castle should be told that there would be an elf staying with them and that her name was Kaura.
 
"Your words are far too kind." She told him at his compliment, trying to ignore the way his eyes roamed over her body. The dress was fine enough to have come from Elven territory, a darker shade of midnight blue than her hair, which she pinned up elegantly as an afterthought. It fit almost perfectly, snug around her hips and ample chest, but not to the point of indecency.

She nodded, smiling slightly at what she assumed was his joke. "I am sure if I have any harsh words, they will be well deserved." She sent back, a pleasant smile on her lips. He was a kind man, she concluded, not just for having rescued her, but for all the generous acts he was showing her.

She bowed, and followed closely, her head held high. If she was to play the role of an Elven noble she had to carry herself as one. Her expression was far from unkind, a polite smile, if distant. There were few who saw them, but each got a gracious nod from the young Elf, and a polite smile until finally they found the Squire.

Viktor explained the sotry while Kaura stood, her eyes taking in details arounf the yard. When he gave her name though, her attention was locked on the guard, and she extended a hand in the human greeting. "Pleased to meet you." She told him with a smile. "I am very grateful for the kindness I am being shown here, and hope I might repay you all one day."
 
Viktor quickly made his pleasantries and excused himself charging his Squire, a man named Gavin, to take care of Lady Kaura. Gavin made a polite bow as Viktor, suprisingly, opened the room's large door and headed out into the sunlight in the keep's courtyard. The squire, a man aged about 30, then turned and said very politely to Kaura, "If you'll please follow me, Lady Kaura, I'll find you a lady-in-waiting from among the castle's courtiers and give you a short look around. I'm afraid my duties won't allow me to show you much, but I'll leave you with someone who can give you a more thorough idea of your surroundings." After walking towards the door that Viktor had just exited, he opened it and motioned for her to walk through.

Once outside, he called the nearest page and gave the young man instructions to go get a courtier assigned to Lady Kaura and to bring the girl to the stables to meet them. The page ran off, and Gavin began to give Kaura a primer about life in Castle Ravenmoore. He explained that the courtiers had little to do as it was, because of the 11 knights that were in Viktor's service, 8 of them were already married and 2 of the remaining 3 were quite old. After asking her to excuse him for gossiping, he revealed that some of the courtiers seemed to be holding out hope that Lord Viktor might be interested in one of them, but that Gavin himself didn't think Viktor would ever marry. This meant that most of the women in Viktor's court spent a lot of time chasing Sir Rowan to have him wear their favor on his armor or giggling in the halls as Lord Viktor passed.

They walked across the courtyard of the keep, the most secure part of the castle, to the Court Stables. Gavin had just explained that the stable workers would find her a horse and a lady's saddle any time she wished to take a ride when the page came striding up with a blonde young woman in tow. She was dressed in a green dress that was similar in make to Kaura's, and she had a slightly embarrassed smile on her delicate face. The page introduced her as Miss Ellyn, and Gavin and the page left Kaura in her care.

Ellyn gave a practiced curtsy and said that she would be very pleased to help and serve Lady Kaura in any way that she could. She offered to provide a tour of the castle and began leading Kaura around. She showed her the dining hall and Viktor's main court, introducing her to a few of the courtier's there and then showing her where the ladies quarters were, along with the hairdressers and handmaidens that would assist Kaura in any beatifications she requested.

Ellyn then took Kaura outside and led her outside of the gates of the keep to the castle town of Ravenmoore. The outer castle walls ran for several miles, encompassing the church, market, the inn, and many of the larger homes. The protected part of the town was built on a mountain top and there were many more dwellings and farms further on down, outside the outer walls. Ellyn explained that, in case of a siege, there were enough storehouses and living quarters inside the castle town to house all the peasants and people that lived outside the wall, although things might be a bit cramped. Ellyn talked fondly of the fields and glades that were within a day's ride of the keep, offering to take Lady Kaura on a tour of the nearby countryside any time she might like to (Ellyn seemed to really like to ride, and was very enthusiastic in the offer).

As they walked along the castle town's paved streets, the townspeople cast many looks in their directions, most of which seemed to linger heavily on Kaura's uniquely shaped ears. Ellyn had even once or twice let her eyes linger there, but quickly darted them away to avoid offending her new Lady. When a page came running up to them and breathlessly say that Lady Kaura was invited to lunch by Lord Viktor himself, Ellyn's eyes seemed to double in size. "Oh my," she said as the page left, "We should hurry Lady Kaura, this is a large honor. Our Lord doesn't usually extend invitations to specific women." There was an implied question in her statement, but she politely didn't press for information.
 
Kaura gave a polite bob of her head to the Squire, a polite smile on her lips. They turned, and much to her surprise, headed out into the open courtyard, the sun still high in the sky. For a brief moment confusion clouded her features, weren't Vampires weak to the sunlight? Yet Viktor seemed to have no hesitation in stepping right into it.

In a second her attention was back on Gavin, her expression serene once more as he spoke, beckoning her outside. It was little surprise to her that Viktor showed little interest in the human women. The lives of the all too mortal creatures were painfully short, and they themselves were exceptionally frail. Even Elves, weaker than a fully matured vampire, had good reason to keep relations with humans to a minimum. To live with a creature you knew would die long before you even even seemed to age is a painful thing, so much so it was easier to stave off attachments altogether.

She could tell by her brief look around the town that Lord Victor had indeed earned his title. The townsfolk seemed to be thriving, attention paid to every aspect of their lives, and even the low class peasants could seek shelter. It honestly impressed the Elven woman, enough that she honestly wanted to accept the offer for a ride along the countryside, to see all that this town had to offer.

Before that though, they were approached by breathless paige. Kaura turned, listening quietly. It was no surprise to her that Lord Victor would want to see her, to discuss the living arrangements, no doubt. But for the Courtier, her eyes widened, and she stared in disbelief, her silent question hanging in the air. Why did he want to share a meal with Kaura?

Kaura wanted to assure the young woman that their meeting was entirely civil, but that would suggest that she suspected it would not be. She couldn't very well alert the girl of their story, no, that was a private matter in an Elves life, not one they would share so plainly.

She could have sighed, but help her calm, smiling as she nodded. "Let is not keep him waiting." She told the girl, lifting the hem of the dress to keep it from trailing in the dirt as she almost seemed to float down the streets. She noticed the lingering gazes of the townfolk, but pain it little mind, her chin high and eyes forward, all the essence of a refined and dignified Elven lady. And she hated it.

She would need to remind Viktor that politics and mindgames were not her fancy, she was a rebel, not a damned lady in waiting up for his beck and call. But, all things in their time, she supposed. Perhaps she might keep up this guise for a few decades, until memories faded of her reasons for staying, and she would not have to play the role of a prim and proper lady of the court.
 
Ellyn nodded to Kaura in response and turned to lead the way back up to the keep. She had all sorts of questions brewing in her head but tried to keep them to herself. She'd, of course, already heard the supposed story of why Kaura was here, but the interest Lord Viktor was taking in her made her wonder just how important of a noblewoman her new charge was in the elven world. More interestingly, she wondered how exactly Lord Viktor fit into the elven world Kaura had come out of.

When they were inside the gates of the keep, Ellyn quickly led Kaura inside the main doors of the reinforced dwelling, explaining that most of the people referred to it as The Palace. While the stone walls weren't bare, the decorating, much of which Viktor had lead Kaura past earlier, was generally low key. When Ellyn opened the door to the the main banquet hall that was Viktor's court, however, the decorating stepped up sharply. There were flowing red velvet drapes decorating the walls and trimming the windows and huge tapestries. Most notably for the court of a vampire, though, there were huge (and numerous) glass windows that were all open, allowing so much daylight to pour in that it was very similar to being outside. Viktor himself was standing in the middle of the room, the sunlight glinting off of his pale skin, waiting for the two of them.

"Ahhh, Miss Ellyn," he said, speaking to the younger woman first, "I see that Lady Sebbi made a fine choice in choosing a guide for our new Lady Kaura. My apologies, but I must ask to dine alone with your charge. We have much to discuss." He smiled at the young woman, who blushed profusely and curtsied politely in response before turning and leaving the two alone.

"So, Miss Kaura, how do you find your new home?" Viktor asked when they were alone. He was still standing in the sunlight, but notably had moved out of the most well lit part of the room.
 
If Ellyn had questions, she was curtious enough to not mention them. It was convinient to Kaura, as she had few answers she could give. It was wisest to not give any, as opposed to contradicting onesselve, a lesson she knew well.

The Palace, she found, was very different from Elven court. No intricate scrolling along the walls, or elegant hanging tapestries depicting their history. Oddly, though, she enjoyed the plain openess of the castle in all the simple beauty. Same as she appreciated, though differently, the elegance of the dining hall. Victor stood in the middle, almost seeming to glow in the light. Her breath caught for a moment before she compased herself. He was a stunningly handsome man, she realized, it was little wonder the human women seemed so taken by him.

Kaura smiled at the young coutier as she bowed, giving a gaceful nod of her head in return. "Miss Ellyn has been a wonderful Hostess, Lord Ravenmoore." She told Victor even as the girl bowed, a compliment more for her ears than his. She waited for the girl to completely leave the room, closing the tall doors behind her, to relax. She let out a long breath and smiled over at Viktor, the even and calm look she adopted for this role gone in an instant. "It is impressive." She admitted. "So very different from my old Elven home. You give your subjects such attention and care, it is to be admired, my lord."

She strolled to the tall windows, and quickly began to close the curtains. "I know that the light cannot be comfortable for you." She told him in a soft voice. "There is no point in pretending around me." She gave him a kind smile, before turning to face him completely, bowing slightly to him. "Now, my Lord Viktor, how may I serve you today?"
 
He watched with a raised eyebrow as she moved about, dimming the room until his brightly lit court looked like it was bathed in twilight rather than noonday sun. His eyes hardly needed to adjust. Interesting, he thought to himself, that she is not more terrified, or at least curious about how I'm still alive and not reduced to ash by now. She was an interesting creature to be sure, possessing a good bit of spunk and courage.

When she turned and asked him how she could serve him today, his musings stopped. It was a baiting question, though she had probably not meant it so, that even his ages of carefully crafted self-discipline couldn't dismiss. He moved with demonic speed, allowing himself to be unrestrained in her presence, until his nose was very near her own. "Are you certain you want an honest answer to that question, 'Lady' Kaura?" he asked in soft, seductive tone. Without any further warning, he pulled her into an iron strong embrace and pressed his cool lips against hers, kissing her passionately and not allowing her to pull away.
 
Kaura knew she baffled him with her lack of questioning as to his ability to stay in the sunlight. But, while curiosity did burn inside of her, she would wait until the appropriate time to ask.

She smiled at him as she finished her question, one that broke off in a look of surprise as he was at her once more, his nose almost touching her own. She barely had anytime to recover before he was spoke, a low, unusual tone in his voice. She started to step back, but his arms were around her, his skin pressed to her own. Her eyes widened considerably, and she realized her kiss, her only kiss, was being stolen. She gave an angry moan, twisting her head as she pressed her palms flat to his shoulder, tryint to shove him away from her, her feet lashing out to kick him, jab him, anything to break free of this unexpected affection.
 
His arms were completely unyielding, but his lips were surprisingly gentle as he held her in the captive embrace; the two parts of him were a stark contrast. As she fought, striking him in the shins and shoulders, he couldn't help but smile, his lips curling back against hers, but something unexpected happened as he did. Kaura's lips brushed against his exposed fangs, and suddenly simple lust for a woman took on another set of desires. The struggling of the woman in his arms intensified the rush and he was suddenly keenly aware of her pulse throbbing through her lips at an otherwise almost unnoticeable faintness. His pupils grew large, as they had the previous evening when he'd tasted her blood for a fleeting moment.

He waited until she was pushing very hard against his chest and shoulders and, with straining effort, made himself fully release her, letting her stumble backwards under the force of her own fighting. He closed his eyes for a moment to compose himself. She was too unpredictable to indulge in letting his bloodlust boil unchecked around her. "Always take care, Kaura, you'll find you get more than you bargained for with me," he said, meaning for it to be a playful warning, but an edge of real caution found its way into his tone. He watched her for her reaction, the small moment all he had needed to regain control of himself.
 
Her blows seemed to have no effect on him, even as she kicked and pushed, his lips stayed with hers almost gently, kissing her with a burning passion that made her shiver and gasp. She could feel the sharp edges of his fangs against her lips, and almosted sensed the growing bloodlust in him that forced him to release her.

She stumbled backward, too graceful to fall but startled none the less. Her eyes met his, wide, and full of seething anger and a subtler emotion she could not place herself. She stormed back towards him, the thought of running nowhere in her mind, and jabbed a finger squarely into his chest. "I take care." She told him, her normally soft and even voice rising from the emotions she didn't even try to surpress. "However, I would have thought that a Lord who takes such care of his people would be more honorable than to steal the innocence of a womans lips without her consent." She took a half step back so she wouldn't have to tilt her head up to look him in the eyes, her own narrowing slightly. "I would thank you if you did not do anything like that again, my lord." She forced out the last two words in anger. Angry at him for kissing her, and angry at herself for wanting more.
 
Viktor's smile returned, confident and playful, "In my defense, my lady, you did ask how you might serve me. I was merely offering a rather involved demonstration as an answer." He chuckled a little as he spoke, she was incredibly attractive like this, seething and enraged. He couldn't help but be flattered over the inherent respect that was in the words she spoke about the way he governed, but it wasn't helpful to his cause to display how deep his own care for others ran at this moment. Turning from her to break the conversation, he moved towards a smallish table that had been left prepared at one corner of the great hall. It seemed ridiculously tiny with the high-vaulted ceilings of the large room.

He motioned for her to join him and pulled out a chair for her. "You'll pardon me, I hope, if I simply converse with you rather than join you in eating, Kaura," he smiled at her, annoyingly polite and showing no remorse for having just forced himself on her, "as you say, there's no point in my pretending around you." He waited for her to sit with a bemused smile playing across his lips.
 
His smile bordered on insolent, and Kaura fumed some more, taking in a long breath as he turned from her, chuckling. She forced her anger away, or at very least made herself appear calm as she glided behnd him, raising a brow at his sudden politeness. It was almost inulting, this mock-charming behavior when compared to his behavior just moments before.

But she took her seat all the same, watching him carefully. "By all means, I will not force you to eat." She said simply. watching him out the corner of her eye while pretending to decide what on the tiny table she was hungry for. Her people usually ate very little meat, so she chose many of the fresh fruits and vegitables over the fresh, and tempting smelling meats. "You go to great lengths to appear human." She said after a moment, already begining to eat, chewing slowly between thoughts. "The sunlight, the food... Doesn't it harm you?"
 
He was a blur as he moved around the table to sit across from her; he seemed to simply appear in the chair. Leaning on his hand, his fingers curled across his cheek, he considered her as she ate and spoke. The questions were simple enough, and expected. He chose to answer the simpler first. "Food doesn't harm a vampire any more than drinking a healthy person's blood would harm you, Kaura," he offered, not particularly meaning to try and spoil her appetite, but unable to resist trying to goad her a little. "I would simply say that I find your diet as distasteful as you would find mine."

His eyes moved from her to the windows for a long moment, as if he were lost in thoughts from ages ago. "Sunlight, is a bit more difficult to explain," he began again, "I'm sure you've heard tales about my kind, and it is true, sunlight is lethal to a vampire. Well, it is lethal to most vampires today." He had to choose his words carefully. There were things that he was quite sure the Midnight Council would not want him to divulge to any outsider. "Let us just say that I am very old, and that that weakness is more... pronounced in the newer generations. That is, again, not to say that I don't find sunlight unpleasant. I find it most sharply affects my eyes, but that is probably because I'm used to the feeling of it burning my skin."

He smiled at her and the far away look passed. "If you would like to know the truth, the most difficult thing to develop was the ability to move like a mortal," he offered in an honest tone, "You might be able to sympathize, actually. You see, when you stumbled earlier, a human woman would most definitely have lost her balance and fallen to the floor. Imagine having to not only learn to fall down in those situations and move without that elven grace you have, but having to remember to always do so to avoid attracting attention."
 
She was still not used to his speed, the way that he traveled too fast for even her trained eyes to follow. But, as was her way, she made no acknoledgement of that fact, calmly gazing up at him as she continued her meal. It was beyond pleasant, delicious would be the best way for her to discribe it, honestly. "Too much fresh blood wouldn't agree with my stomach, I would hink." She said simply, before taking a sip of a chilled cider, not letting him see the distateful way her lips curled at the thought of drinking blood.

His further explinations intruiged her more though, and she smiled softly, nodding. It would seem to her then that most of the legands of vampires might have been spawned by the newer, younger generation. Likely a more aggressive, or at very least less controlled group. Which explained perfectly why this man seemed so different from the lore surrounding his kind. With so very much experience to draw on, he has had centuries to tame the savagry and learn to act like the mortals he surounds himself with.

Another brief sip, and a nod. "Yes, I can imagine." She said softly. "Much as walking the streets with young Miss Ellyn, humans seem overly awkward and clumsy to my Elven eyes. Such a distracted species, they are always landing their feet wrong and making even the most simple of moves more difficult then they should be." She shook her head slightly with a low laugh. "I can sympathise with it well, Lord Viktor."

She set down her cup, and tilted her head towards him slightly, a calm smile. "I must admit, My Lord, you are being very kind to me given that I am more or less a servant to you, much like the others in this keep."
 
She didn't miss much, he could tell. Her face remained fairly placid while they conversed, but he could see thoughts churning behind her eyes. He was considering how much she was reading back from him when she brought up his kind treatment, and it broke his concentration. Again, she wasn't trying to bait him, but he still couldn't resist. His lips twisted again into the satisfied smile and he answered her saying, "Except when I'm... How did you put it? 'Stealing the innocence of a woman's lips'?"

He raised an eyebrow at her suggestively, using this as an opening to press another issue he'd expected curiosity about. He continued, in a seductive velvety tone, "I wonder, just how you'd react, Miss Kaura, if I were to ask for more." Though he purposely didn't specify what he meant by more, his mind was creating many definitions for it. There were more embraces he wanted to hold her in than the one he'd kissed her in.
 
His tone suggested he found the reference to his actions amusing, something that Kaura certainly did not. She set down her fork and knife, her hunger satisfied, and looking him evenly in the eyes as her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her mind spun for a moment, trying to decide the best way to approach the situation. As she thought before, she was not some giggling court woman. The subtle ways of romance or courting eluded her, so much so that she tried to avoid it all together.

After a moments thought she raised her own brow. "I suppose that would depend entirely on the situation, and exactly what you were asking for, Lord Viktor. I assure you, I have limits."
 
A mocking sniff escaped his nose, "Most elves do, my dear. Very strict limits even, I'm supposing." Viktor's smile became even more smug, although that didn't quite seem possible, "I'm rather hoping that over time you might become less... uptight." He eyed her for a moment before getting up from his seat and coming around the table to stand at her side, taking care this time to slow down just enough to let her track and anticipate him.

His hand reached out very slowly and began to stroke her cheek softly. He mused for a moment about whether or not to say the sorts of things he was actually thinking. Subtlety was most definitely not something she seemed to relish, nor was the art of leaving things unsaid. Of course, her boldness and courage had been two of the things that had piqued his interest in her so much the previous evening. Perhaps he should simply be as direct in return, he reasoned. The pause in his speech hadn't lasted longer than a single run of his fingers along her cheek. His voice was velvety and soft, inviting and perhaps even a bit... reassuring, "Very well then, perhaps I should tell you exactly what I'm asking for, Miss Kaura. I would like not only the innocence of your lips, but your other virtues as well."
 
Strict indeed, she knew, and inwardly laughed as he voiced his hope that she would be more open. She was, she felt, for most Elven women would have said or done far more had he tried to steal a kiss from them. She was simply cordial, moreso than any other Elf in her position she was sure.

But he stood, and for once she followed him with her eyes, watching as he approached. She didn't try to move, knowing that even if she did he could catch her without any trouble at all. His hand rose to her cheek, and she stared as he stroked her, his cool fingers dancing across her flesh. But when he spoke, his voice low and seductive, her eyes widened. She stood, careful not to tip the chair over. "Lord Viktor." She told him darkly. "What you are asking is far too much for me to give to you." She silently thanked him though, grateful he changed her conditions so that she ould resist such a request, rather than stay with her offer of complete obedience. "Surely you understand that, My Lord."
 
He let his hand fall away from her face as she stood, his smile not fading, but simply curling a bit more at the corners of his lips. This was far more intriguing than if she had simply said yes, which might have actually shocked Viktor into a loss of composure anyway. As she moved away from him, he hopped up gracefully onto the back of the chair she'd just exited, perching there like a gargoyle. His face showed no signs of threat or predatory thought, he was merely poised in a position that required such unnatural balance that it was sure to make the rest of this conversation just a little awkward.

Truthfully, he was showing off a little, but he couldn't help himself. He hadn't been this interested in a woman in years, and the whole situation was far too exciting. The last woman he'd been with had never known his true nature, and it had required an incredibly annoying amount of self control to keep from revealing himself, not to mention harming her. His mind was nowhere near such an even mildly frustrating... or outright painful... memory like that at the moment. He was considering his tactics at the moment. Forcing Kaura might be enjoyable... seducing her definitely sounded so. Perhaps a little combination of the two. He'd thought that he could sense a little something in her when he'd kissed her. Something that maybe didn't want to fight so much. An interesting thought occurred to him.

"Very well," he said cooly, "then perhaps you'll agree to something less. A sporting chance at securing what I seek, at the least." His smile widened as he considered his negotiation play here, "Will you agree to this? I ask you to sleep each night in my chambers rather than with the courtiers. You've already done this once, and you didn't seem too disturbed by the experience. Since it obviously won't do to have you openly retire to my chambers each evening, though... You may lock the door to the room that Lady Sebbi assigns you, and I will meet you at your window to bring you to my room using a route that is less open to human eyes."
 
She blinked as he jumped onto the high back of her chair, crouching there eith ballence that surpassed even her species. She didn't let him see any trace of being impressed though, gazing up at him evenly as he smiled smugly down at her.

She had never had any romantic interest, but even she had to give pause as she gazed up at him. He was handsome, she had to admit. His pale skin shone almost silver in the low light, making his devious look seem somehow more seductive and appealing. And he was intellegent, enough so to pose an offer that held absolutely no benefit for her, but put it in a light that made it sound like a compromise.

A smile pulled at her lips, interesting indeed. Much more so than spending the day among giggling courtiers, and the nights alone in an unfamiliar room. "Very well." She said at last. "I will wait for you by my window, and when night comes, we will see who is the victor of this game."
 
When she agreed to his 'game', as she called it, he gave a courteous nod... and then dismounted the chair in an arcing backflip. He landed on his feet and was immediately walking, at human speed this time, towards the windows. He calmly began to draw the heavy curtains, one by one, trying hard not to show any excitement. "Very well then, Lady Kaura, I look forward to seeing you by moonlight once again," he said in a polite tone that glossed over the very impolite nature of the subject matter he was discussing. He crossed to the door she'd entered by and opened it, telling his personal page, who was waiting at the door, to go and fetch the maid Ellyn. Then he turned back and held the door open for, Kaura to pass.

He waited until the young blonde had retrieved Kaura from his presence to clap his hands together, rubbing them in anticipation. He had some thinking to do, and more business to attend to, before night fell. He recalled his page, asking for the head housekeeper this time to make a few special requests.

* * *

Ellyn seemed more than a little curious, her emotions written all over her face and in her eyes, about how Kaura's lunch with Lord Viktor had gone. Her conversation was politely obtuse as they walked down the hallways, "Dining with Lord Viktor alone. I would have been so nervous, Lady Kaura, but you seem so composed."
 
He leaped from the chair, so gracefully that it didn't even wobble at his departure. He didn't slow, walking as a human would to open each of the curtains. He seemed calm, even his tone was unusually polite considering the subject they were discussing.

She left with a smile and bob of her head, looking forward to their game that night as she walked next to the young courtier, who seemed almost eager to know of the experience. "Learning to tame and control emotions is fundamental to my race." She told the girl with a smile, "Lord Vickor is a respectable man, there is no reason to be anxious in his presence."

"I must prepare for bed," She told the girl, "Perhaps you would be so kind as to show me to where I will be staying the night?"
 
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