Stop, you fiend! [M] [Aeyt!]

[Rhindeer]

"Oh, Lex," Maya sighed when he was done, eyes full of sympathy as she looked up at him, and shining with unshed tears. It was always a terrible thing to see a man cry, since they so rarely did, and that he was crying over his lost love? Gods.

"That is...that's too sad, it's too...that's so unfair! To lose the love of your life to someone she doesn't even love, just because you're not a real noble..." Her lip trembled. "And for her to be just...married off like livestock! My parents would never do such a thing to me!"

Well. She hoped not. But it was a worry that lingered in every young noblewoman's mind, and she was no exception! She looked away to discretely rub at her eyes. She hadn't expected to get so invested in his story, but she could easily put herself in Karis's place.

Eyes drier, she looked back to him. "But ah, how lucky she is. To have you, even if she can't have you."

[Aeytrious]

        "Love is wonderful experience," Lex said quite sincerely, "and I hope you get to have the real thing. Even if it ends in heart wrenching pain. It's worth it. To only touch heaven for a moment, goddess it was worth it." He took another swig from his quickly emptying mug, and he felt his buzz warming up. Best he not have any more after this one.
        "How about you m'lady, any romances at all? A creature as lovely as you must have had some sort of adventure in love."

[Rhindeer]

"Nothing like that," Maya said with a pouting sigh. With a huff, she rested her cheek on her hand. "And no adventures. I've kissed men before, certainly, but not out of love."

With a slight blush, she looked away. "It was because he was attractive, and I wanted to be able to say I had. But to have someone love you, and to love them, and to go to such lengths to be with them..."

She let out a wistful sigh. "Never."

[Aeytrious]

        Lex reached across the table and put his hand on Maya's. He looked deep in her eyes, locking her gaze with his. A small solemn smile spread on his lips, and his eyes were soft. "You will," he told her, "and it will be the most beautiful and wonderful thing you've ever experienced. The loss hurts every day," Lex's expression grew a bit more mournful, "but I'd gladly trade one hundred painful deaths for the joy of the love I felt." His smile brightened then, and his hand moved to brush across Maya's cheek. "Love is amazing."
        Lex withdrew his hand slowly, and returned to his honey mead. While her heart and mind were still set on his story, and her romantic thoughts of love, he quickly changed the subject. Off balancing her would make those thoughts linger in the back of her mind. He'd be sure to be just slightly flirtatious, and give her longing glances that she'd just barely catch. If he could warm her up to himself a bit more, perhaps she'd melt into a few willing kisses. She had lips he'd love to nibble on.

[Rhindeer]

Maya couldn't help it. When Lex's hand brushed her cheek, she shivered under his touch and her heart beat a little faster. For a moment she held his eyes with her own, her breath caught in her throat and mind stilling, and she noticed--not for the first time--that he had a wonderful smile and nice lips. But there was no way that gesture could mean anything; it was probably entirely casual. After all, he was in love with Karis.

...And why on earth was she thinking like that, anyway?!

He was a thief and a scoundrel!

If a very attractive, dangerous, intriguing one...

Catching where her thoughts were going, her face heated and she looked back down at the remnants of her meal and resisted the urge to touch her cheek. "So I've heard," she said, and finished off her wine. "I'm sure everything  is much better when you're in love."

[Aeytrious]

        "Everything is better when you're in love," Lex replied. He glanced up at Maya, taking another pull of his mead. He set the mug down, and leaned back. "And the kisses will melt you."

[Rhindeer]

Maya let out another wistful sigh, her face still flushed from all the romantic thoughts floating about in her head. The men she'd kissed had been good, no doubt about that, but they had also lacked passion. Well, not necessarily even passion, for they had been very enthusiastic! But she had felt very little. She imagined emotions, and real love, added much to the experience.

"Well," she said, and wiped her fingers off on a cloth. "Now I'll just have to go and fall in love."

[Aeytrious]

        Lex's usual grin was a bit warmer, and really reached his eyes as Maya expressed her need to find love. He leaned across and lightly picked up her hand, he placed his other hand on the back of it and looked into her eyes tenderly.
        "If only it were that easy," he said longingly, "it tends to not be where you want to find it, and sneaks up on you from behind. You cannot hunt it. You must be open to it finding you."
        As he'd been holding her gaze, he'd slowly brought her hand across to himself, and he leaned in, not breaking eye contact, to graze the back of her hand with his lips. Then he smiled warmly, and gently took his hands away from hers, leaving her hand extended toward him in the air. He slowly, but with purpose, moved back to his nearly empty plate.
        Acting as if the moment had not happened, Lex took a bite, and then casually asked Maya, "would like to watch the sunset with me this evening? I know a beautiful place nearby, with a spectacular view."

[Rhindeer]

"...Yes."

The word slipped out before Maya knew she was going to speak, surprising even her, and her heart fluttered in her chest like moths around a flame. Which was, perhaps, exactly how she felt--like a moth inexplicably attracted to something she should perhaps avoid, because it was as dangerous as it was warm and attractive.

Gods! What was she thinking?! This was a man who'd robbed her and then gone on to track her down and assault her in her very bedroom! She was a noblewoman! He was a ruffian! A noble-born ruffian, perhaps, but one nonetheless! Her servants would be wondering where she was by now, surely, and besides that...to go off alone with this man? To be with him at nightfall?

She touched the top of his hand where she could still feel the press of his lips, then folded her hands in her lap.

"Perhaps. Maybe. But it hardly seems proper! I'll remind you that you robbed me and tracked me to my bedchamber! We're in public now, so it's safe, but how do I know you won't try something funny once we're alone and it's dark?"

[Aeytrious]

        "You have my word of course," Lex said with a charming smile. "If that is insufficient, you can bring a chaperone if you like." He paused to take a drink from his mead and leaned back afterward. "Though it will be much less fun if you have a nanny there to care for you. Half the fun is the sneaking out and getting away with it. Propriety is for stuffy old nobles who have no perception of real fun."
        Lex popped a couple grapes into his mouth, watching Maya's face closely. He was hoping she'd take the bait, that she'd want to prove she wasn't stuffy, and wanted real fun. Getting her heart to flutter was easy enough, the slight color on her cheeks had given that away, but this was a more difficult endeavor. He was extremely lucky, but it took real tact and manipulation to guide someones decisions like this, not luck. "If you rather go alone, back to your boring room, while your parents enjoy their trip, I will not take offense. You'll be in my thoughts as I watch the last of the suns sparkles dance across the water."

[Rhindeer]

Stuff?! Old?! Those were two things she was definitely not! And she most certainly did not require a nanny! And come to think of it, he had a point! Her parents had left her here and were off having adventures of their own, and what would she do back in her room? Sit?

Watching a sunset with a cute boy definitely sounded more interesting, even if said cute boy was a bit bad.

...But wasn't that a part of the reason she was still even around him? Because he was interesting?

Maya would never in her life admit it, but she found the sort of safe danger he offered...very appealing.

She pretended to debate it, and then gave a light shrug. "I'll accept your word," she said, "knowing that, of course, should you be less than honorable, it'll be your neck in a noose."

But it was clear she was saying that just to say it, by the smile that betrayed her and the excitement that danced in her eyes. She would never, ever admit that some deep part of her hoped he would be less than honorable.

[Aeytrious]

        His bait taken, Lex gave Maya a crooked half grin. "Well then it's settled," Lex drank the rest of his mead in one long swallow, and set the glass aside. "We should deliver your things back to your home, and we can both get changed. I'm sure you'll prefer something more practical. Perhaps you have a split riding dress?"
        Lex ate a few more bites of potatoes and lamb. Then a piece of cheese and a wedge he cut from an apple. He was obviously in no hurry, and he was slowly making the ridiculously large amount of food disappear. "It'll take us about an hour to walk to my spot, but sunset is a good ways off. Is there anything you'd like to do before we set out?"

[Rhindeer]

"I do have a riding skirt I could change into. And I had no plans for this day, until you swept me up in your nonsense," Maya said as she nibbled a piece of fruit. She wasn't hungry anymore, but it gave her something to busy her hands with.

"By that I mean, I...am actually not sure what there is to do out here? What would you do to kill time? As you might imagine, a noblewoman fills her day with different diversions than the common people."

[Aeytrious]

"I spend most of my days at work, not at leisure," Lex told Maya. "When I take a rare day off, I usually lie in the sun or swim if it's hot. In cold or wet weather, I usually stay in a tavern or inn." Lex looked at the food on the table. They'd eaten a great deal of it, but there was still quite a bit remaining. He called for the serving girl, and she arrived shortly.
        "Please wrap what can be, in waxed paper or parchment, and pack it for a picnic. My Lady would like all the fruit we have here, and a bit more put in. Some dried meat please, and the unopened wine, along with some cheese and a fresh loaf of bread. If you haven't a basket, or a runner to fetch one, you can send one of my lady's footmen." Lex placed the necessary coins in the girls hand, and a generous tip, and she was off. Moments later, there were other servants there to clean away the dishes to the kitchen.
        "Perhaps we can just take a long slow walk through the nearby wilderness," Lex suggested. "Then we can have a snack, and watch the sun go down."

[Rhindeer]

"Hmm," Maya said after a moment's thought, chin resting on her hand. "That sounds agreeable to me. Wilderness, though. You don't mean deep wilderness? I'm not too fond of the dirt and animals, and I'd rather not get eaten by a bear."

She looked down at her clothes and brushed her fingers along the folds of her dress. "This is rather expensive, you know. I'd prefer not to soil it--even if I do have ample replacements."

But though she fussed, it was mostly just to keep up appearances--so as not to admit out loud that the idea of a wilderness stroll and sunset picnic sounded delightfully romantic.

[Aeytrious]

        Lex was quite manipulative, and had laid on lots of charm. Some subtle, and some not. Maya had taken most of it easily, she truly was naïve. She was beautiful though. So exotic. She needn't be the brightest, if her parents arranged a beneficial marriage for her.
        Lex did feel a bit sorry for her though. With that naïveté, she would be in line for a rude awakening, when her suitor was not as gentle, or considerate with her, as Lex planned to be.
        It wasn't long before a basket filled with all they had asked for, was delivered to them. There was even a small skin, filled with ice, to keep the fruit fresh. It always paid to be generous and kind to others. His luck surely helped as well.
        Lex escorted Maya back to her palanquin, set the basket in beside her, and directed the footmen to carry her home. A quick change of clothes when they got there, and they could be off on their romantic date. Lex didn't plan on telling Maya it was a date though. At least not until he was covering her in kisses.

[Rhindeer]

Soon enough, they arrived back at Maya's home, and strangely enough, none of the servants or guards seemed to notice them yet again. It was kind of unsettling--or would have been, if Maya had been thinking about that and not their upcoming forest stroll.

She headed quickly for her room, sternly told Lex not to peek, and slipped behind her changing screen after grabbing some clothes from her wardrobe. Before long, she was finished, and emerged from it dressed in a forest green gown that matched her eyes and left one shoulder bare. It an Essyrni design and hugged her shape snugly, though it was made of an opaque fabric. She was not so bold as to don one of the sheer gowns. That was just plain indecent, anyway!

It wasn't much more appropriate for a forest trip than her previous dress, but at least the color matched the locale!

"Much better," she said as she emerged, and headed for her vanity so she could apply a fresh layer of paint to her lips, and touch up the kohl around her eyes.

[Aeytrious]

Lex was capable of being a gentleman, and so waited patiently, without peeking at Maya while she changed. When she emerged, he immediately was pleased with her attire, as inappropriate as it was for the trek. At the very least, she would have to wear practical shoes. Something flat and comfortable, that wouldn't destroy her feet while they walked.
        "You look stunning, Maya," Lex told her, in a genuine tone. He stood from the window seat he had chosen to occupy, and crossed to her vanity, where she was about to apply cosmetics. He laid a hand on hers to stop her.
        "You should remove what you're already wearing on your face," Lex said. "The forest can get a bit misty, and it'll make your paints run. You don't want it to ruin that gorgeous dress. Besides," he said grinning at Maya in her reflection, "I already know you're gorgeous, there is no need to paint your face for me." She was a beautiful woman, that didn't need paint her face, sure. Lex also secretly hated the taste of the stuff. As he was planning on kissing that face, he thought this the best way to avoid getting it in his mouth.
        "Do you have comfortable shoes for walking," Lex asked. "When we arrive at the spot I'm taking you, you'll likely want to be barefoot. Until then, you don't want to wear out your feet."

[Rhindeer]

Maya paused with her brush hovering just before her lips, and she arched one meticulously shaped eyebrow at Lex's suggestion. Hm. Perhaps he had a point. She would look hideous if her makeup decided to run and smear.

She smiled at his compliment and reached for a wet cloth, dabbing at her makeup and gently removing the kohl, rouge, and lip paint. "Oh, I know. Makeup is just to enhance what's already present, not create beauty from ugliness," she said, and flicked the cloth back onto her vanity. But despite her words, her cheeks were tinted red, and that was certaiy not rouge.

"I doubt I'll go barefoot, though. Who knows what's hiding in the mud and grass?" And she strode to her massive wardrobe and picked out a pair or flat shoes, also green like her dress. She had shoes for practically every occasion and outfit, and thought it a crime not to match by color.

Slipping them on, she placed her hands on her hips. "Well? Is this acceptable for a nature walk?"

[Aeytrious]

        "It's not what I would have chosen," Lex said, "and I am glad it wasn't my choice to make. You look stunning. Perhaps you'll want a coat. It can get chilly when the sun goes down, and I have only the one cloak."
        Lex turned from Maya in time to see a servant inspecting the damage done to the lock on the front gate. They'd likely come check on Maya soon. He needed to slip away for now, and this was the perfect time to fetch his things.
        "I believe you will be having company soon," Lex informed Maya. "As soon as you can get rid of them, meet me at the servants entrance to the grounds." He picked up the picnic basket and walked right out her door. He was wearing servant livery and Luck was always on his side. Sure he had no idea how to get out of her house, but he'd figure it out.