[M is because with Roman adult themes are almost a given.]
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
What a lulling repetition of sounds.
Roman had been unsure at first about the stately grandfather clock that sat nestled against the wall behind him, opposite the fireplace, his comfortable stuffed sofa sitting before it so he could stare into the burning fire as it roared in the hearth. A glass of wine rested in one hand, his wrist making idle motions that caused the dark red liquid to swirl about the crystal in a lazy current. Off to the side a well-stocked liquor cart loomed, the dark walnut panels reflecting the dancing firelight pleasantly.
It was a meticulously staged reception and seating area.
As for him, Roman loved this room. Here was where he greeted clients when they called on him, and where he most enjoyed relaxing when not occupied in his bedroom or out of the house for business. The evening hours were actually surprisingly quiet. These were the hours when families were truly coming together, sharing the dull happenings of the day around dinner tables, or tucking little ones into their beds with stories and wishes of sweet dreams. With such a generally predictable lull in business it made planning wind down hours relatively simple and easy. Even he needed time to wind down from his work day – after all he had a rather hectic schedule that was prone to surprises.
Lacking any appointments for several hours yet, Roman had nothing at all to do other than sit with his thoughts and enjoy the dry red wine in his glass. A very fine vintage, it was particularly delicious since the bottle had been a gift from an appreciative regular.
Sadly his thoughts weren't nearly as fine. Boredom and restlessness gnawed at him with relentless vigor.
It was not like Adrienn to be careless. Not when this far away from her home. But she did not cling to that ideal in the need for safety. That word...it left a terrible taste in her mouth, much like the blood that spilled out onto her tongue. It tasted sweet and of iron, of agony and death.
Safety. It was a mentality borne from a fevered dream, an ephemeral wish that the desperate clung to out of fear of what might be. It never allowed one to prepare for life as it was: real, aching, harsh, merciless. Safety was what Adrienn had not been afforded when the knife sunk deep into her back, piercing her lung between the plates in her armor.
Gasping for breath left her choking on her blood, and something hard slammed hard into her face, knocking the helmet haphazardly off her head. With a loud clang it struck the cobblestones, and she fell with the force of the blow. She blinked up at the dark shape above her, gritting through bloody teeth and trying to reach for her blade. A boot slammed into her side, and she coughed.
Darkness aided her assailant and the same cudgel that slammed into her head the first time, struck her again across the face, knocking her out and she saw his eyes, crystalline red, possessed with madness until the blackness took her.
For fuck's sake, she couldn't go anywhere without attracting a bad crowd, now could she? Sure she'd dealt with assassins before, but none that ever managed to get this close. Some people didn't like those that asked questions, would prefer instead that people looked the other way. Those that utilized fear as their first weapon in their arsenal, and didn't favor those that didn't bow their heads to them. Questions would come later, but for now there was only the need for survival.
She slowed her breathing, only vaguely remembering being picked up, or was she dragged? There was no conscious recollection where she was. When the blackness faded in and out, she saw street torches, someone running away, and her slowly trying to crawl away. Fingers dug between the edges of cobblestones, pulling herself along. She had to stand, she told herself. So she tried...and immediately her legs failed her, and her armored body collapsed hard against the door she somehow found herself in front of.
Everything was so quiet Roman almost could have drifted to sleep. With no kind of mental or physical stimulation going on around him the incubus felt drowsy and simply bored. Maybe a refreshing nap before his first late client would have been a good thing. Conserving energy usually was good, right? Of course it was.
The sound of something heavy striking his front door snapped him out of his almost dreamlike state, causing Roman to jump slightly. His brow furrowed as he wondered what made such a sound. Sighing, he set aside his wine and rose sluggishly. It wasn't as if he expected there to be anything of interest to be discovered on his doorstep. Perhaps a child had thrown something? Seemed an odd hour for children to be running about playing, but who could really say?
Roman didn't really know all that much about what children might or might not be doing.
Opening the door to have a body practically fall against him was quite the surprise. A battered and armored body that was still breathing and bleeding. Well he had been worried tonight would be boring – that seemed to no longer be a necessary concern.
"Mary!" He called, and instantly there came the soft thudding of little feet against the hall floor from the back kitchen. A bowed old woman appeared, gasping at the sight as Roman knelt down next to Adrienn, brushing his fingers through the mess of her short flaming hair in an almost soothing way. "Quickly now, Mary. Fetch a doctor, and don't dawdle!" The woman turned and practically fled back down the hall – no doubt to go out the back door, since she'd have had to step over and around them to go out the front.
Roman wasn't much of a healer, and certainly not a doctor, so he wasn't sure if it would be better or worse to move the limp woman from where she had fallen. His hands warmed as he gently brushed them over her face, letting what little healing magic was in him touch her. Maybe it would help with pain once she woke? Or ease swelling and bruising. Someone had struck her quite hard.
Thankfully Mary was spry enough for a little old lady. Roman hastily moved out of the way when the doctor arrived, remaining close and watching curiously. It wasn't every day that a woman almost died on his doorstep. Well, he assumed she almost died. There was a lot of blood and she didn't seem conscious.
It took a long time before the doctor leaned back, looking rather strained. Roman didn't know what all had been done, but Adrienn's armor was stripped, the knife was removed, her wound stitched and dressed, and he could only assume the worst was past. Not that he would know much about that. The doctor suggested they send his maid to fetch a cart to wheel to his home, but also suggested the less she was moved the better.
How bothersome of a hint. Well, it wouldn't do to have her dying on his doorstep, and being generous to her could certainly help his reputation. Who didn't enjoy a good hero story? Between the two of them they were able to carry her up to a free room without jostling her too much. Roman even made sure that it was a room with a bed that currently had fresh, clean linens.
As soon as his patient was resting comfortably the doctor left, assuring Roman that he would send him the bill. He saw him out, feeling more than a little annoyance that this was costing him money. Well, it couldn't be helped he supposed.
Mary appeared shortly afterwards, making a bit of a fuss. He'd gotten blood on his hands and shirt cuffs. Placating her, Roman washed his hands in the kitchen and discarded the stained shirt; it had been a crisp white and was undoubtedly beyond saving. She'd produced a clean shirt almost before he'd even finished removing the soiled one.
"Well this has been a strange evening thus far." Roman mused as he buttoned and tucked in his shirt. "Go home, Mary. You can finish up any chores you didn't get to tomorrow. Plus there will be the blood in the front hall to deal with."
After dismissing her he ventured back to the second floor, entering Adrienn's room to have a seat in the plush chair in the corner. Watching her like this wasn't creepy at all – after all, what if she became distressed or her rest was somehow disturbed? The little bird had obviously weathered quite the storm before crashing against his door!
At least it was interesting.
There wasn't any conscious recollection of what happened between being sprawled against a door, bleeding out the very essence of life, to lying in a bed, stripped of her armor and covered only by a thin linen sheet. The pain in her skull was easing slowly, just enough to rouse her, and cause her to breath in slowly. The pressure was gradually alleviated, and slowly she opened her eyes.
Wherever she was, she was thankful for the dim lighting. Just a few candles and oil lamps, but nothing too bright. Still, her expression was grim, brow furrowed as she wiggled beneath the blanket, or as much wiggling as she was capable of in the present moment. She coughed, her back hurting and she felt the pressure of the bandage round middle and it seemed everything else was removed.
"Aw...fffff-fuck," she breathed out and turned her head just enough to see a blurry shape from the corner of her vision. A shape that came more and more into view as she blinked the blurriness away. There he was, just...staring at her. And there she was...just naked.
Right. None of this was normal.
Adrienn returned the stare at him, eyes wide, then turning slowly to peer down at herself. What were those pointy things? Oh, right, they were breasts. And...right, she was naked. Shit! She pulled the sheet further up on her chest, shooting a glare to the intrusive man and his leery gaze.
"Where are my clothes?" she said lowly, maybe a little more irritated than she meant to be.
Very little about the situation was normal for anyone involved. About the only normal thing was having a naked, strange woman in one of his beds.
Roman didn't have to wait very long for the woman to show signs of more active life. He had crossed on leg over the other, and elbow resting on the arm of the plush chair and his chin in his hand as he observed fairly passively as she came two and slowly grew aware of her unfamiliar surroundings. A slow grin spread across his face as she hastily pulled the sheet up and demanded to know where her clothing was.
"I imagine they're still laying in shreds on my hall floor, covered in blood and unfit for wear." He made a small gesture towards her with his free hand. "No need for modesty, little bird. I helped carry you up here and you were in not a stitch. It seemed unimportant next to your life. You should probably try not to overdo it. You're safe for now."
Covered in blood. Laying in shreds... And unfit for wear.
If this didn't raise her ire, she didn't know what did. Not because of him, but at herself that she could let herself be so foolish. She cursed again, but this time just shook her head harshly.
She sighed and buried her face into her hands, rubbing out the exhaustion. "Thank you," she found herself saying, but the tone was crisp and irritated. Again at herself. He was just collateral damage. "I apologize for the inconvenience this must be. I'll find a way to begone as soon as I am able. I am no invalid, I can care for myself."
Roman scoffed softly in an amused manner. "I never accused you of being an invalid, and I am sure you will be on your merry way in no time at all."
There was no point in arguing against her being an inconvenience, because she certainly was. Although at least her sudden appearance had been some form of entertainment. Either way he shifted in his seat, leaning forward as he watched her.
"Now then, is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable? I mean, aside from leaving you in peace, of course. Perhaps a glass of water? I believe I could even manage something to eat if you're hungry." Food and rest to get her strength back up would be good. Then she could make good on her assurances of being gone quickly.
Her stomach growled at the sheer mention of food. And a blushing burn came to her cheeks at her body's response. Yes she was hungry, hungry and out of it for losing so much blood. Again shame washed over her. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to get rid of her, which she both hated him and was gracious for.
"Merry isn't what I would call it," she mumbled, mostly to herself.
Adrienn pushed herself up against the headboard and sighed. "I...I would be very thankful if you had something warm and meaty. Ahem, food, I mean. Aaaand perhaps some wine, for the pain I'm in."
"Warm and meaty?" One elegant dark brow arched as a devilish grin curved his lips, he let out a soft chuckle. "I think I can manage to find something...satisfactory."
Oh he knew she hadn't meant it like that, but how could he possibly resist his choice of words? Roman rose from his seat and stretched slowly. He wasn't even sure how long he'd been sitting and watching his unconscious guest. Not terribly long, but more than long enough. "Just relax while I fetch you some supper."
With that he gracefully swept from the room, closing the door behind him. There was no one else in the house to invade her privacy...currently. There was still leftovers from dinner, a succulent beef roast, with buttered red potatoes and rolls. He made sure they were hot and situated everything on a tray neatly. The last thing he got was the wine. With a fresh glass he brought the rest of his previously opened bottle. It was a very good wine, might as well see that it was properly drunk and appreciated.
He carried everything back upstairs, not bothering to knock before pushing the door open. It had taken several minutes to put together the tray, but he doubted she could have gotten up to much in that time frame.
She as blushing, if only from stumbling over her words. She was being foolish, and even after being brutally attacked, she was letting the shame of it get to her. It was hard to let go, admittedly. When it came down to choice and action, one usually had only themselves to blame for letting an opportunity slip through their hands.
In the end really, it was her assailant's fault for not killing her out right. Because she wasn't going to give them a second chance.
The door soon opened from her musings and she noticed the tray full of food. Her stomach growled again. "Quiet you!" she growled back at it once the tray was close enough. "This is divine." She inhaled sharply to smell it and a potato quickly.
For once something akin to a smile touched her lips. "Thank you, Mr....erm?"
"Yes, it is rather good. My housekeeper is an excellent cook." Roman mused as he carefully set the tray on the nightstand next to the bed with a grin. Serving others was his entire profession, although he was usually serving in a very different way.
"Ah yes, I suppose introductions are in order, aren't they? Roman Moretti, at your service, little bird. How unfortunate to meet under such circumstances, but well meet all the same." She could have died if they hadn't met! Although he was sure she could have fallen against any door and someone would have helped her.
Backing off from the bed, no need to be crowding her, Roman returned to his chair. "Drink as much of the wine as you wish. I have plenty of other bottles."
That was no certainty. But Adrienn wasn't that to question her luck. Only a fool discounted their fortune to linger on the what ifs. So she graciously took to her savior's generosity. It was the least she could do, after all he had done.
"Ser Adrienn Chastain. A pleasure," she greeted and watched him take leave. She didn't protest it and she focused on her meal quietly, letting the wine seep into her bones and make her marinated. She drank whatever was left in the bottle. Or thought she did until the last glass she had spilled on his bed.
"Shit!"
Mostly he took his chair so that his unexpected guest could eat in relative peace, but also he just felt a bit lazy and wanted to watch her. For the moment she amused him as a curiosity, given the way she'd fallen into his lap - so to speak.
Roman had only enjoyed a single glass, so there was plenty for her to drink. He wasn't sure what he expected, but not quite for her to finish off the entire bottle. Definitely not to spill the last of it on the bed. Although her reaction to the mishap caused him to chuckle somewhat even as he moved to help her with the accident.
Far worse things had been spilled on most of his beds.
"It's alright. No real harm done." Sheets could be cleaned. The mattress and coverings were all wet now, though. A wet bed was no place to rest. He took the glass from her and set it aside gently."I think we should move you to another bed, little bird. Mary will clean everything up in the morning."
In truth, Adrienn hated being coddled like this, even if she knew there was little to be helped from it. A fearsome knight made humble by a blade to the back and being treated as if she were as delicate as a flower. She resented the implication that she could do nothing for herself, even if it had been made with little more than good intentions.
She set the tray aside, and tried to move, to get out of bed. To stand. Her body was healing as she spoke, but it would take some time to fully recover. So as she did so, Adrienn's hold on the table beside her shook with her hold. But she tried to stand, and the moment weight gathered on her legs, pain shot up her spine and she fell forward.
Roman let out a patient sigh as she tried to get up on her own. There was much to be said about stubborn pride - especially in such a situation as this. Why did some people have so much trouble accepting help?
It was something to ponder another time.
When she fell forward he was ready, his arms engulfing her gently, trying not to aggravate her injuries as he pulled her to his chest. "Easy, little bird. Your body needs rest to heal properly, if you push too hard you're going to undo all the hard work the good doctor put into mending you. You wouldn't want to seem ungrateful, would you? Why don't you let me carry you?"
No, she didn't like being cradled or coddled, but she had to face the facts. She wasn't going anywhere any time soon if she kept straining herself. She would not heal properly and be even more of a burden. So when Roman pressed her to his chest, she let her head rest there. Gods this was awkward. And damn did he smell good. Like peach cobbler.
For a second she leaned into him, only to clear her throat and looked up at his face. She wanted to smack that look off his face. She didn't know why, it simply irked her. No use in further protest.
"Very well," she agreed, albeit reluctantly, and reached her arms up to wrap around his neck. "Why do you smell like peaches?"
Look? Why his face was an angelic image of innocence! At least that is what he'd have claimed if she asked about it. Instead she asked about peaches.
Roman let a grin dimple his cheeks just a touch as he leaned down to hook an arm under her knees, lifting her bridal style into his arms - taking great care with her. No matter what else was said of him, he could not be accused of not being very accommodating to his guests. Even the unexpected ones.
"Why? Because peaches smell very delicious, and I find most people amenable to pleasant smells. Would you prefer something a little muskier? Some like that too." Ah, the cheekiness was palpable as he carried her from the room and down the hall. He would have to leave her to rest soon. Both for her own good and because the hour was growing late and he would have company shortly.
Best to settle her in for the night before that!
The new room was similar to the last, although the colors were different. This room was earthy browns and greens. Roman set her down carefullly on top of the comforters. "I would offer to turn down the bed and tuck you in, but something tells me you wouldn't appreciate it as much as a more delicate little bird."
"If I'm a little bird, does that make you a big bird, Goshawk?" Adrienn smirked as she was laid down on the bed. As uncomfortable as she was with all this pampering, she wasn't going to be an unruly guest, not for the duration of her stay. She was raised better than that.
"Thanks though, I mean. I'm not...accustomed to all this. At all," she said with a nod, gesturing to the room around her. The silks, the finery, the wine, even te food was much more than she was accustomed to. "I'll find someway to repay your kindness. I leave no debts unpaid, Mr. Moretti."
"Ah, but that is the beauty of it, little bird. I am whatever you want me to be." Being whoever other people wanted him to be was kind of his entire purpose in life. Some might not have been able to handle it, but Roman rather liked shaping himself to meet others expectations. Things stayed interesting whenever someone was around for him to actually adapt for.
"You don't have to be accustomed to something to relax and enjoy it while it lasts. I rather encourage people to enjoy nice things whenever and wherever they can." Hedonism was key to his very existence, after all. "But don't worry about the repayment right now. When you're well enough to get out of bed again we can argue about payments as much as you like. For now, please try to rest, little bird. I'm afraid I will have to cut our time together short tonight, as I'm expecting company soon."
He should have been getting ready for that company, but emergencies took priority!
He wasn't that unbearable, she supposed. But he seemed just a tad bit too accommodating. "Truthfully, I don't want you to be anything," she said, shrugging, or almost save for the pain in her back. "I do appreciate the hospitality however. Thank you." With that she settled into the bed and relaxed against the coverlets.
There wasn't much more he could do for her. All that remained to be seen was how well and quickly she could recover. "Go, see to your guest. I'll be content in here," she said and shoo'd him away. Adrienn sighed and pulled the pillow further under her head, and closed her eyes, to try and sleep the aches away.
"Good night, little bird." Roman said before leaving the room and quietly closing the door behind him. Whether she was able to actually get any rest would be in question. Perhaps she was a heavy sleeper?
That would be very good luck.
Into the wee hours of the morning, until dawn even, the muffled (and not so muffled) sounds of doors, footsteps, and cries of pleasure (both masculine and feminine) echoed through the house as he saw to his parade of clients. Although there were only four that night.
Mary came in at dawn, just as the last satisfied patron was slipping out. It was all routine by now. She bustled into the kitchen to make breakfast while Roman soaked and relaxed in a hot bath to clean the night's adventures away. He had breakfast at the table in nothing more than a towel, before giving mostly unnecessary instructions and heading up to bed.
The highly patient and aged maid fixed a tray and brought it up to Adrienn's room, giving only a soft knock before entering. "Good morning, child. I hope you were able to sleep."
If anything kept her up, it was the creaking of flooring and the thudding against a mattress. But Adrienn surprised herself by how unalarmed she was at the noises she heard. She likely figured if she was in any real danger it would have come to her already. The throbbing in her back and the aches in her body would feel even worse in the morning.
And she did, her head throbbing something fierce. The door opened and Mary quietly came in. She turned slowly in the bed. "I feel like the dead, reanimated," she hissed, turning the blankets off of her. "Thank you, dear."
The tray smelled divinely of food, and Adrienn felt herself growing ravenous again. But curiosity was on her mind. "Ma'am, what is it exactly that your employer does?" Adrienn asked with as much care as possible.
"Well having a brush with death might do that to a person." Mary mused as she set the tray on the night stand. The plate was piled with an omelette of sweet peppers, onions, steak, and cheese with fried potatoes on the side. There was also a cup of tea, slice of lemon, and honey. A hearty breakfast was always a good way to start the day - even if Roman usually went right to sleep after eating.
"What do you think Mr. Roman does?" She asked with a bit of a chuckle, shaking her head. "He would call himself a masseuse, and a courtesan. I guess."
Not like there was a reason to deny it. Her boss didn't.
Gods, did everything in this house smell absolutely heavenly? Even that smirking Roman. He didn't smell nearly as good as this food, but she wasn't going to argue. She sat up with some care and smiled at Mary. The old man seemed nice enough, discreet, but honest.
A courtesan, huh... A part of her wasn't really surprised. The posh housing, the beds, furniture, wine, and the amount of food that seemed to be served in a single day. She was a knight but even she didn't have as much to call her own. Maybe there was a faint sense of envy festering inside of her, and Adrienn bit it down.
"I suppose a man has to make a living," she said, nearly choking on the omelette, at the pepper inside. She cleared her throat, swallowing it down. "How long have you been working for Mr. Moretti? He been doing this a long time?"
"Yes, most of us do need to make a living somehow." She kept up Roman's house for him and he slept with people who paid him lots of money for the pleasure. It was all work, in one way or another. Her attitude about the whole thing was probably why she had been able to work for him. He'd have gotten rid of someone judgmental about his lifestyle.
"I've probably been here for about ten or so years. Mr. Roman likes my cooking, and I am efficient and discreet - the most important qualities, he says. As for how long he's been a courtesan? At least as long as I've been here, but a bit longer, I think." She shrugged her shoulders. "Eat up, child. Mr. Roman is sleeping and I have to go strip the beds and remake them with clean sheets. For a man in his line of work, he's quite meticulous about having everything nice and tidy. I'll be back soon enough to take your tray. Just holler if you need something."
Ten years? The woman had been here 10 years just cleaning up fluid-covered sheets and making food. She seemed happy about what she did. Fuck was she in the wrong business. Adrienn wasn't going to judge the man, for he had helped her most in her hour of need. What really could you give a man that seemed to have everything already?
For the most part, she couldn't really focus on that until she was thoroughly recovered. Her wounds were starting to clear up now, the minor ones anyway, and bruising was lightening. She ate and slept most of the next few hours, not really needing anything else, except maybe a bath. But was that asking too much. The blood had crusted around her skin, and she tried to pick at her itchy scabs.
Finding strength enough, Adrienn shuffled herself out of the bed, using the nightstand for support, pulling the comforter over her shoulders like a cloak. Each step brought sharp pains up her spine, but she persisted and quietly maneuvered for the door.
"Um....Mary? How do I go about getting a bath?" she called out. Hopefully that Roman was still asleep.
Mary spent those hours going about her chores. Making beds, doing laundry, and general cleaning while they slept. She heard Adrienn calling out to her and hurriedly moved to the steps, looking up the stairs with a disapproving scowl.
"Don't you go hurting yourself young lady!" The chastisement was almost motherly. "You just wait and one of us will help you down the stairs."
Well, she supposed that no one could expect the poor injured woman to lay in bed all day and night until she was well. Mary went upstairs as quick as she could, which wasn't as fast as she used to be able to admittedly. She pushed open the door slowly, peeking in at Adrienn with a frown.
"If you're wanting a bath you've got to come downstairs, and I'm not sure I can support you enough to not run the risk of you tumbling all the way to the bottom. I'll have to get Mr. Roman." She wasn't surprised that they hadn't woken him.
Adrienn firmly raised her hand. "No!" she hissed in response, although she hadn't meant it in a griping manner. The woman was only doing what she felt was best for her. Unfortunately Adrienn didn't agree.
"I can do it. Just help me take each step. I won't have Mr. Roman waking up and making a fuss over me again. If I can't learn to do it on my own, I won't get any better, Mary. And then I'll never get out of this house," she protested, tone not unreasonable.
She opened the door fully and hobbled passed Mary, shuffling and huffing her way to the banister, gripping it hard. "Just hold my other arm, please," she said, arcing her elbow out for Mary to grip. "I just need someone to steady me. Please. Your gawking isn't making this go any faster, milady."
"Stubborn girl." Mary muttered under her breath. She only had a few options: go to fetch Mr. Roman anyway and risk Adrienn hurt herself alone in the short time, yell for Mr. Roman, or help the girl and hope that everything went smoothly.
With an exasperated sigh she took her by the arm, offering as much support as she could as she slowly helped Adrienn down the stairs. "Honestly, you act as if it might kill you to bother Mr. Roman for help. If he wasn't willing to help you then he wouldn't have let you stay in one of the rooms, you know. You also act as if taking it easy will kill you. Being careful for a couple days won't stop you from getting out of the house. It isn't like Mr. Roman could forbid you from leaving whenever you want."
Adrienn stopped in her tracks at Mary's last words. Not the being forbidden to leave part. Mainly the, "Being here for the next couple of days?" Adrienn hissed those words with a half hysterical gape. She said it as if 'days' were somehow an eternity. And in some ways, it certainly felt that way. The longer she waited here in recover, the further and further away her assailant was getting.
She didn't want to admit that she didn't even know who to look for, or who had ordered her assassination - and did a shit job of it at that - so Adrienn bit her tongue and finished shuffling down the stairs.
"It's not that I don't appreciate everything Mr. Moretti is doing for me," Adrienn whispered. "It's more like I just don't want to be useless. And being able to bathe is very much something I'd like to do myself. I am no paying client here. I mean, do you let Mr. Moretti bathe you, Mary?"
"Well you're not going to be back in shape over night, but you don't have to wait until you're completely better to leave. I'm sure you would like to seek care from someone more familiar. We're just strangers." Mary shrugged a little and helped her down, one step at a time.
Although she did give a hearty chuckle at the suggestion of Roman bathing her. "Well he's never offered. I wasn't going to have him bathe you. Just thought he might be better able to help you down these stairs. I'm an old woman, child." Old enough to be a little stooped, but certainly still strong enough to manage herself and keep up with Roman's home to earn her living.
They reached the bottom and she steered Adrienn through the kitchen and into the back room set aside for bathing. It was a very fancy set up - imagine a whole room in a private house just for bathing! Mary certainly didn't have that in her home, but often enough she had simply taken advantage of Roman's hospitality and bathed here. At least when she was a bit younger, the huge copper tub was a bit much for her to get in and out of these days.
There were smoldering embers beneath the tub, separated in a way that they distributed heat through the water, but didn't make the tub itself dangerously hot. Roman had tried to explain it to her once, but she didn't really understand how it worked, only that it did. She suspected magic was involved.
"Well now let me fill this up for you." Now she knew this part was definitely magic. There was a bucket that looked only half-full, but when you tipped it over the tub it poured water into it, but it didn't empty. The water didn't stop flowing until she tipped it back upright and set it on the floor. She eyed the full tub, then glanced over at Adrienn with a soft tsk. "I'll leave you to it, but you know your clothes were ruined. Can't have you going about the house naked until you're better. Maybe I can find something for you to put on once you're finished."
Even a nightgown would be better than nothing.
The man had....impeccable taste. And if that mattered at all to Adrienn she knew exactly what she would do if she ever called upon Mr. Roman Moretti again. She'd pay him greatly to come into her own home...and completely redecorate.
That was a plan she could get behind.
For now, the task of bathing was the monumental issue here. And when Adrienn saw that tub, she balked at first. Oh not because of the decorations. Because she hadn't figured out how she was going to get in there. So she dropped the blanket and scooted it toward the door once Mary left and stepped toward the copper edge of the tub.
"Here goes nothing," she said, and tried to carefully slide along the edge of it. Of course there was an unceremonious splash and made the fire at the base of the tub sputter and nearly go out. "Aww fucking hell." But as long as the water was here, she could at last lather up. She didn't need help for that.
Not exactly the most confident that she wasn't making a mistake, Mary left Adrienn to bathe in peace. While she knew Roman would want her to make sure the girl was taken care of and not hurting herself, she also had a lot of cleaning to do.
Thoughts of cleaning were quickly dashed when she heard the splash. She hadn't gotten very far at all so it only took a moment for her to poke her head back into the room. "Are you alright? Don't give an old woman a heart attack, you hear me? Mr. Roman will not be happy with me if I let you go hurting yourself doing things you shouldn't be doing on your own yet."
It couldn't be said that Adrienn was a graceful 'little bird' and managing to slip into the tub certainly left her bum bruised and her arm a little banged up. But otherwise she wasn't any more broken than she was going in.
Now she could at least get started with getting her grimy self cleaned up. That was until the door opened and there Mary was.
"I'm fine, Mary," Adrienn said with exhaustion evident in her voice. "I'm still alive. If I die trying to get out, I'll be sure to let you know."
She swallowed back the rest of the exasperation and settled into the heated waters. "Although, I don't suppose Mr. Moretti has an unused loofa around here does he? The one here has an um...a hair on it. A lower body hair."
"If you think you'll have trouble getting out call for me and I'll help. If you fall on the floor you might really hurt yourself. Mr. Roman already owes the doctor for you." Mary didn't say it unkindly, just a bit sternly.
The elderly woman rolled her eyes a little as she pushed into the room to remove the dirty loofah. "If'n I was you it wouldn't be the hair bothering me, but what the thing was used to clean off."
She tsked softly and rummaged around a cabinet, pulling out a fresh loofah, as well as wash cloths, towels, and scented soaps and oils. Mary set them out on a stand beside the tub, offering the loofah directly to Adrienn. "Use whatever you need, and take as long as you want, but don't go falling asleep in the tub. Just call for me if you need anything else."
And Mary left her alone again.
She knew when the woman meant business. And Adrienn, if anything, could be accommodating to the people trying to heal her. Well, by extension. The doctor healed her.
"Well, that's precisely why I asked for a new one," Adrien grumbled underneath her breath as she took the loofa. "I mean, I will certainly call when/if I need help getting out, Mary. Thank you!" But the woman was gone before she could finish.
At least the water was warm then and soothing to her muscles and lessened the sting in her back. Adrienn sighed in the waters, reclining and easing into the soap suds. She lifted her left leg and frowned. A bruise had formed there as well. Gods, what had she turned into, a fucking peach? No, wait that was Roman.
She cackled as she finished washing up and laid back into the warm waters, blowing bubbles away from her mouth. She closed her eyes, letting the heat ease into her bones, her body, and let the darkness take her away.
Mary poked her head in to check on Adrienn between chores, a little worried when she hadn't heard anything for a while. Of course when she saw the girl asleep in the tub after telling her not to go to sleep, well, she huffed a bit and quickly went upstairs to fetch the master of the house. Sure, she could have woken her and attempted to help her out of the tub and back up to bed, but she had other work to do and couldn't babysit all day if Roman wanted the chores done.
Plus she knew that Adrienn wouldn't have wanted Roman to come help.
Rousing him was easy enough, Roman only grumbled a little before yawning and stretching languidly. It was as good a time as any to get up and start the day, he supposed. Considering what Mary told him, he only put on his breeches, as there was no point putting on a shirt that was only going to get super wet.
He entered the room quietly, red eyes falling over Adrienn's form soaking in his tub. She was non-traditionally pretty, he thought. Personally, he thought her short, wild hair was a nice shade of red. Sighing softly he dipped his fingers into the water, enjoying how warm it was. He should have woken her, but she looked so tired.
After her rough night he truly loathed the idea of disturbing her rest any further than he already had the previous night. Roman reached down into the tub so he could gently lift her up into his arms against his chest once again. Mary appeared beside him and draped a towel over the sleeping woman before he began carrying her through the house with the intention of returning her to the bed she'd woken up in.
If his touch had been any gentler, Adrienn would have just let herself pass away right then and there. Her sleep was uneventful, but it brought the rest that she desperately required and was too stubborn to admit that she needed. So when Roman's arms scooped her up from the water, she naturally turned into the warmth and curled into him.
Then she started to feel a slight draft, like she was moving. She was moving. When she was supposed to be in the water. Did the tub just get up and walk somewhere?
Her eyes tiredly flickered open. She was floating. OH shit! She was floating! "The hell-" were all the words she'd be able to get out before her arms flailed outward and the slipperiness of her body against whatever was making her float made her lose friction. Then gravity was all that was supporting her now, with a hard land on the floor.
"Oh...fucking hell," she hissed, reaching an arm up to grip her shoulder.
Everything had been going very well. Adrienn hadn't been disturbed by being lifted from the tub, and he'd carried her through the kitchen without incident. They were almost to the stairs when she woke up and immediately began flailing. Roman was startled by the sudden movements, and woefully unprepared for the outburst.
He winced as she squirmed her way right out of his arms and fell to the floor - hard.
"Little bird," Roman's voice was a mixture of frustration and concern as he knelt down next to her, a hand gently moving to touch the shoulder she was holding. "Does it hurt badly? I can have Mary fetch the doctor back if you need."
Guilt gnawed at him. He should have held her tighter, should have reacted quicker to her squirming. If her injuries got worse or if she hurt herself now, it would be his fault. Sure, he didn't have to do anything he had done the past day. Roman could have ignored her or sent for someone to take her away, but he hadn't and now he felt more than a little responsible for her well-being. At least until she was mended enough to go about her life.
It wasn't like she threw herself to the ground on purpose. If anyone wanted her out of here the most, it was her. Nothing made her feel more restless than simply lying there being absolutely useless. She was stubborn.
And now she was in even more pain.
Fuck...
"N-no. No doctor," she hissed. "You just need to pop it back back in. It's easy. Like playing with wooden blocks." Adrienn brought her eyes up to his, as if pleading for him not to over react. "Just pop it in, I swear it'll be fine."
Roman paled just slightly as he realized her shoulder was dislocated and that she was actually asking him to fix it. Why did she have to be so stubborn? A doctor should be the one treating something like this. He should have insisted the doctor take her. Although he doubted the doctor would have had much better luck with getting her to actually rest and take it easy.
"Little bird, I'm really not sure I'm the one that should be doing this. I don't want to hurt you. I'm not a healer." His hands warmed as he tried to soothe the injury, but he knew that nothing could be done until it was back in its proper place.
He was going to regret this.
He balked a little more as he felt around the shoulder, trying not to hurt her as he tried to get a better idea of how it was currently aligned. Sucking in a breath he grabbed her arm and snapped it back into place, looking just slightly like he might be sick. Roman actually shuddered a little as he looked at her with a scowl.
It was clear she was asking much. And she truly believed if it had been the other way around, she would do the same for him. It was only fair. Even at his discomfort, she hoped he would swallow his pride, his anxiety, and simply do the deed. The sooner it was back in place, the better it was. For both of them.
Adrienn simply closed her eyes and said nothing. But truthfully she was biting her tongue and twisted her body so that he could easily pop the joint back into place. With a sickening crack it was and she bit hard into her lip, feeling blood drawn. But she didn't scream. Her eyes instead were sparkled with tears.
Her gaze shifted back to him, a stray tear running down her cheek, and her hands gently reached up to lace into his arms. "Thank you," she breathed, licking away the blood that lightly stained her lip. "I'm sorry...." Her face burned with a vague sense of shame. "I'm not trying to be a burden. Or make things worse. You're better with your hands than you let on. They're very soft."
Adrienn smiled at him, looking his arms over, clearly impressed. Or was it just amused. Either way, the light made her eyes glint with curiosity and she carefully coaxed herself to shift toward his arms.
The tangy, copper scent of blood reached him and his red eyes softened a little as he reached up to lightly swipe away the tear with his thumb. Yes, perhaps she was a stubborn creature, but he hated to see someone suffering in pain. She did an admirable job of hiding it - even if it was frustrating.
"Oh little bird," his voice purred out softly as Adrienn shifted closer, his arms wrapped around her upper body and drew her against his chest, "You have no idea how good I can be with my hands."
Those hands, heated as they were, roamed carefully over her shoulder, gently rubbing and massaging as he tried to soothe her hurt body. Roman really wasn't a true healer, but he hoped that he could at least ease her pain a little.
[He's only good at sexual healing *Marvin Gaye plays in the background*]
Adrienn gently Pat his chest, content to rest her head against his chest while the pain that radiated from her arm gradually dissipated. His massaging wasn't hurting things either.
"Okay Peaches. I'll concede to that. You've got soft hands and a firm touch. I have no doubts as to what you're capable of," she chuckled and reached up to lightly clap her hand against his face, running a thumb along his cheek. He was a fairly handsome guy, and he wasn't unbearably obnoxious. That always helped. "But I'm no paying client, sadly."
"So you gonna help a lady to her room, or do I have to crawl there myself?" she chuckled.
Roman gave a soft, amused snort at the name Peaches, still running his hands gently along her skin. It was slightly wet and warm from the bath, and he enjoyed the feel of it gliding beneath his palms.
He turned his head and nipped at her thumb as it stroked over his cheek. Perhaps it was wrong to be flirtatious with her. She was hurt, obviously tired and had suffered great amounts of pain. Maybe she was delirious? It would feel wrong to take advantage of someone while they were so vulnerable. Well, a little!
"Sadly?" Roman questioned with a teasing smile as he adjusted his hold so that he could lift Adrienn up into his arms once again.
"Little bird, little bird..." He cooed softly in her ear, which he was nuzzling gently as he carried her up the steps. It was true, she wasn't a paying client, and most people paid him to use those hands on them, but not always. "...you know sometimes I just like to have my own fun."
It wasn't wrong. It was just that Adrienn was rather dense to any flirtation being thrown her way. To her it was merely a practical solution to have him carry her up the stairs since she couldn't very well do it herself. And fighting him was much more taxing than she truly wished to spare energy for. Besides it wasn't like he was completely unbearable. Even if he'd seen her naked more times than he would have allowed anyone else.
"Haha! Oh yeah? You have fun all right, I'm sure. What's your idea of that? Playing darts and reading poetry?" she teased with a half-delirious chuckle. She twitched at the feeling his breath in her ear, and made no outward show of the chill it sent coursing down her spine. He was comfortable, and she could settle into it.
"When I want to have fun, I get shit-faced drunk, or go goblin hunting. Have you ever seen a goblin, Mr. Moretti? They are but-uuuuuuuuugly. Like mushed banana-bread," Adrienn snorted. She smiled, shaking her head. "There aren't too many in the wilds around Arca, but deeper into the forests, there are hordes of them. But you don't want to hear my boring stories."
She shivered again and curled her body into his by the time they made it back up the stairs. And a look through the hall window indicated an overcast sky above them. "How long have you been living here?"
"Nothing wrong with poetry, and I hear darts can require some skill." Roman mused, not really answering the question as he carried her up the stairs smoothly. She was surprisingly light, but he probably didn't look like the strongest of men.
The carrying had little to do with flirtation, but the rest, well, she wasn't conventionally pretty, but she was definitely interesting, which was more important to a man that was surrounded by conventionally beautiful people willing to fall against him at the slightest provocation. It was a bit amusing that the little bird he'd caught seemed not to be quite affected by his incubus charm the way most were.
"I can't say I've ever seen a goblin, no. I never did understand the appeal of getting that drunk. If you can't remember the good time, then it was no good time at all." He chuckled softly as they reached the top of the stairs. "I doubt I could find you boring, Little Bird. I've met many people in my life, and one of them were boring."
He felt her shiver in his arms and followed her gaze out the window. Roman turned down the hall, arms gripping her tighter to his chest so that his body could hopefully warm her. "About fifteen years, I believe. I was barely a man when I came to the city."
They reached the door to her green room and he fiddled with the knob until the door swung open, whisking her to the bed and gently setting her down. This time he didn't worry if she'd protest to being so pampered as he pulled the fluffy comforter over her body and tucked her in. Roman didn't leave, instead he sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her with a smile. "Will you be comfortable enough? Is there anything else you need?"
"I guess the appeal in drinking so much comes down to sinking your inhibitions low enough that you'd find yourself doing something that you wouldn't normally do." Hehehe, except look who she was talking to. "Except I'm sure you don't have that problem." She giggled, rather unlike her, and settled into the bed once he'd laid her down in it.
It was strange how easily her nakedness flitted from mind. She never consider herself shy or demure - and of course she tried to carry herself with decency (whatever that meant) - and somehow she didn't find anything indecent about this at all. He didn't at all seem preoccupied by it, so she paid no attention either.
That was a nice touch she definitely didn't expect. If anything Roman was easy company, and that distraction was welcome to the throbbing ache of everything else in her body. She certainly felt like she fell down a flight of stairs.
"I don't think I require anything," she said, pleased, turning onto her side. The comforter fell from her breasts, but she didn't seem to notice. "I'd like to get to know my savior. Mr. Moretti, you seem to be a bright and experienced man. Tell me about yourself. What do you enjoy doing when you're not working? What interests you? Fifteen years, I'd imagine you have a lot of stories."
"Not usually." Roman agreed, very amused by her assessment. No, to be a whore you had to let go of silly things like inhibitions. At least from his own experience. Not that he'd had many to begin with. Being part incubus lent to having pretty low inhibitions to start with.
"You want to get to know me? I'm flattered, Little Bird." There was only a slightly teasing tone to his voice. "I like lots of things outside of my work, although I enjoy that very much too. Usually I prefer filling my time with interesting people. Just walking around the city will let you run into the most peculiar and fascinating of people. I suppose bathing and swimming are also things I am fond of, soaking in hot a hot bath is about the most relaxing thing I can think of for me. It helps me unwind from...work."
It also got him nice and clean. The mess was fun in the moment, but not for very long afterwards.
"Oh? Hmm, I can understand that. Y'know it's not always frills and ceremony being a knight y'know. Goblins are especially messy. Blood and grime everywhere. And when you have to go into their lairs, it only gets worse. They're particularly smelly. They have an odor that lingers on the line between rot, blood, and fresh mud. It's very repugnant. And when they capture their victims, they hold them."
Her hands rose up and captured Roman underneath his left shoulder and her other arm around his neck, hands meeting behind him, ignoring the spiked pain her back. Adrienn pressed herself close to him, in taking his scent. "Peach," she found herself murmuring, her eyes briefly catching his and twisting her body to throw him over her legs and pin him against the bed, holding him down with her weight.
"Like so. And mark lines on their faces and body, along the edges of bone," she said gently. Pulling her arm out from underneath him, she let her index finger trace along his cheekbones and over the bridge of his nose, and touched carefully around his eyes. His bright eyes. She smirked, just a little. "To see where they best can hack away the meat. They keep the best parts for dinner, I'd imagine," she whispered, leaning in close to his lips. "After all, hunger is a very natural instinct."
"Sounds terrible and harrowing." Roman commented, crinkling his nose in distaste. No, he could never have been any kind of warrior. The idea of being covered in dirt, grim, blood, and whatever else was wholly unappealing. Truly remarkable he could even perform his profession of choice so well given his aversion to being dirty!
He let his mind wander just enough to really be unaware of her intent. Arms coming around him was a fairly normal sensation, and his hands instinctively moved to smooth along her sides gently. Roman arched a brow at her reference to his scent, but a moment later was blinking up at her with widened eyes. His hands twitched as he lightly gripped her hips, while being pinned to the bed was unexpected, he didn't fight it either.
Instead he simply relaxed beneath her fingers as they slid along his face and she informed him of goblin butchering techniques.
"Hunger isn't the natural instinct I'm thinking about right now." Roman mused with a half smirk, she had leaned in so close, he couldn't resist closing the very short distance between their lips, kissing her rather confidently.
Lots of things were terrible. Goblins were terrible. Being trapped, chained, and burdened with injury were terrible. And having been stabbed and beaten and made an invalid in a courtesan's home were terrible!
Then he kissed her. It took a moment for that reality to catch up. He. Kissed her. That meant his lips were puckered up, and his head had been raised enough, and he purposefully pressed his lips to hers in a warmth that might make any other person suddenly moan and melt into the pressure. Adrienn was watching the moment, examining outwardly.
His hands were on her hips. And she had him pinned right to the bed. And there it was, his lips were pressed against hers. And his words echoed in the room of her mind.
Instincts, riiiight. And that's when Adrien followed her instincts. Her eyes widened and she yanked her face away from his, removing her hold on him. For the moment, her pain disappeared, and she reared her arm back and punched him hard across the face, feeling her knuckles meeting lip, then snatched him by the shoulders and turned him onto his back, grasping one arm of his and twisting it around to press against the small of his back, her knee following, just in case the arm wasn't enough.
"Excuse me, Mr. Moretti, but I don't know what kind of woman you think I am. Just what the hell do you think you're doing!?" she demanded.