Cold, Cold Like Your Heart

[Anadwen]

The silent cursing was the only sound, accompanying a pair of heavy boots, treading through the thick snow. It was just a whisper, but it was perpetual - for two hours already. And the road somehow didn't seem to end! It was like a nightmare... Early morning and he was stuck in the snow. A complete nightmare.

Miku was shivering from the cold despite the layers of clothes he wore. He hated Connlaothian winter - it was the exact thing that made his well-paid job as an ambassador hell. Coming from warm, warm Adela, he never got used to getting his boots soaked, snow in his hair and looking like a wet cat, and getting a cold at least twice a month. Like now. He never got used to it, and he doubted that he ever will.

They refused to give him a ride to the residence where he was supposed to meet the Serenian ambassador, and now he had to walk about five miles through the snow, sneezing and swearing under his breath. "Hell, hell, hell, hell, someone get me out this hell. Sweet spirit of my passed father, save me from this hell." he whispered, wiping the sleep out of his eyes with a half-frozen hand. The sun wasn't even up yet, and he had to walk, dragging his armour through the snow. They couldn't be serious. If this position wasn't so important, he'd quit right tomorrow.

Finally, he arrived to the gate. He clenched his right hand - foolishly without a glove, so now reddened from the cold air - into a fist, and knocked thrice on the door, wiping his nose with the other hand. The door opened, most likely thanks to some servant, and he was allowed to walk in, shaking the snow off his shoulders. Someone unpinned the cloak off his shoulders and took the soaked fabric away, much to his disgruntlement - it was the only thing that kept him warm, even though it was leaving trails of water on the ground. He moaned, and sneezed right after, making a few steps into the entrance hall as he hugged his shoulders to keep himself warm.

"L... Lady Viara?" he called out, looking around himself and striving to appear both formal and polite. It was difficult, as he was shaking, pale, and had dark rings under his eyes, but he managed. A little.

[Brisinger987]

Viara heard the voice, and instantly recognised a man.

Her morning, in her opinion, had been mildly warm up until now. She'd only just gotten out of a bath, and she felt very relaxed and casual. Of course, that was no reason this man, or, as a matter of fact, the guards and servants dotted around the large house should be. That was reason for anything but that.

And so, as she left the bathroom with nothing but a towel on her, she seemed very informal, very unprofessional, but very comfortable, and knowing that the slightest knock from any item would undo it and make it drop made her heart race, and guards desperately tried to avert their eyes as she tortured them.

She walked down the stairs, and instantly she began her charms.

"Oh hello there handsome." Professionalism didn't really matter at the point. She reflected the relation between Serendipity and Connlaoth. Not anything else. And it could all be put down to political debauchery and trickery.

"Come in... Sit." The absence of mordecai meant her golden tongue would work on this man if she needed it.

[Anadwen]

She was just... In a towel. Miku had a hard time not popping his eyes out and staring at her, casually standing there in a towel...

...How was she not cold? It was freezing! Incredible. He couldn't even believe it.

He gave her a nod at the inquiry, and bowed deeply before walking up to her, on first sight completely oblivious to her attractiveness and the fact that she hardly had any clothes on. He offered her his right hand, still red, and introduced himself. "Miku Kora, knight of the Adelan army and ambassador. I am very honoured to meet you." he spoke officially, but as he bowed down to give a polite kiss onto her hand, he couldn't help but sneeze, immediately turning his head away and covering his face with one hand.

How utterly humiliating... Well, at least nothing got onto her. Accursed Connlaothian winter. This just had to happen, right? How fortunate he didn't blush. "My excuses, milady." he spoke, straightening his back and letting go off her hand. "The weather here isn't good for my health."

[Brisinger987]

Viara's heart sank when her near nudity didn't even affect the man, and a slight snarl might have even been heard as she approached him. She was aggravated by it at the very least.

She decided he might need a bit more than that to bring him into curiosity, and so, as she went to she his hand, she let her towel undo at the back.

Somewhere down the corridor, a guard panicked, and knocked something over, and she smiled.

"My apologies, only just got out of the bath. I'll return momentarily." She turned to go and get something, and as she left, she dropped the towel on the floor, clearly laid back in every aspect, while a maid picked the towel off the floor, and gave an odd look to Miku.

[Anadwen]

Miku gave the maid a confused look, and shrugged again, covering his mouth with one hand to stop another oncoming sneeze. He appeared to be completely oblivious to the fact that an attractive woman almost showed herself naked before him, not caring about it at the slightest. She was just another politically important person... And she wasn't his type, anyway.

He gave the maid a disinterested look. "Excuse me, is there any fireplace nearby? This residence is horribly cold." he requested, straightening his back to his full height again, and waited for her to lead him to a warmer place. It was really freezing, his bones were creaking...

[Brisinger987]

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lady Viara says fireplaces are dangerous things for her, because she has problems with her magic." The maid bowed, and left, most likely to go and clean the towel.

When Viara returned, she wore nothing, and carried two glasses, carrying herself with unnatural confidence.

"What would you like to drink lord Miku?" She bent over, and another guard rounded the corner clearly tripped on something, as a large clatter of metal could be heard, along with a rather loud "uggggghhhh".

"Please excuse my guards. They aren't used to me the way my guards at home are."

[Anadwen]

No fireplaces? The last beacon of hope within Miku died. He was doomed for a freezing morning again. Though, once the Serenian ambassador returned, he regained his official and representative stance. After all, he had to speak for all of Adela - and that meant no time for humiliating himself because of discomfort.

He glanced at the glass. "Only water or tea. The warmer the better, please." he requested, nodding slightly at her second statement. To him, there was nothing unnerving or otherwise disturbing on her behavior.

However, Miku has not been interested in a woman for a long time. All his life was just work, work, and more work.

[Brisinger987]

Viara found this man exceptionally infuriating, realising she might need more to break him.

"I'll make you a tea." She exited the room again, and tried to decide how to make the man uncomfortable. Then she turned on her golden tongue.

She brought the tea in, putting hot water in, and leaving sugar and milk for him, before speaking.

"So, Lord Miku, what is it you cam.." Her voice faded out, and a seductive, more suggestive voice faded in.

"Take a peeeeek..."

[Anadwen]

Miku gladly accepted the tea, tossing in at least a dozen cubes of sugar, and was just in the middle of the process of picking the cup up to take a drink when he had to cover his mouth for another sneeze. It shook him, and he managed to spill the hot tea over his fingers, almost dropping the cup itself. He quickly put it down and rubbed his hand against the part of his woolen tunic that was sticking out from beneath his armour.

It was truly unfortunate that that was just when she spoke. He hardly heard her... Accursed cold! It was at least the third time this winter. He used the black glove on his left hand to wipe his nose, still rubbing at the right one in a hope that it will prevent any burns, and straightened himself again. "I'm sorry, did you say something? I didn't quite hear you, all excuses." he inquired in an official tone.

[Brisinger987]

She didn't speak and say what she had. She let her siren song work it's magic.

"It's nothing majorly important. I was just curious." In the back of Miku's mind, voices would be repeating to him.

"You can touch... Just one touch..." The siren song would pierce his mind loud and clear, and a golden glow emanated from Viara's mouth as her golden tongue began to try and implant ideas in Miku's mind.

"So, might I ask if you are comfortable?"

[Anadwen]

Miku let out an audible sigh. "Due to the lack of a fireplace... I must disappoint you, Milady. No... I am not comfortable." he replied, shaking his head a little. He could clearly feel a desire to touch her... And at the same time, it felt somewhat unnatural. Just a sting of an urge that quickly passed.

"It's horribly cold inside here..." he admitted. Either he was clearly hallucinating, or the tips of his fingers were clearly blue from the cold. The air was freezing...

Oh, sweet, sweet Adela. He wasn't born for this kind of weather. And this crazy woman didn't even have a fireplace.

[Brisinger987]

"Mmmmm, how can I make you comfortable sweetheart?" She let her chest push forward.

"We can share a bed if you really want..." The song planted more complex ideas as it continued, the musical humming of the song now audible.

"Would you like me to generate some fire?" Viara offered, knowing that if he frustrated her much more, she might actually cook him.

[Anadwen]

This time, he completely ignored the urge. His work was more important than physical pleasures, and he could not simply afford to give in to something like that. He was at work. And he had a child. Something so shallow was completely irrelevant.

Preceded by another sneeze, he gave her a faint nod, rubbing his temples. "I would be very grateful if that would be possible." he replied silently. "It makes it particularly difficult to concentrate on the documents in this state."