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Happy birthday to me! [Dragonsong!]

Started by Rhindeer, March 31, 2016, 02:30:34 PM

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Rhindeer

"Oh, nothing," Valor said with a wave of his hand. "I'm just saying, if you liked that, I'd be happy to do it again."
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DragonSong

Ka'lei blinked again, then ducked her head, her very uncharacteristic blush deepening a few shades. "I, ah...I didn't dislike it," she admitted in a mumbled.

Then she gave herself a little shake and took his arm again. "Alright. I'm following your lead here, husband."

Rhindeer

Duuuuly noted. She didn't dislike it. Mhmm. Valor filed that away for future use, trying not to grin so openly about how oddly shy and flustered she'd gotten, when she'd had no issues acting the part. But perhaps that was the difference: it was one thing to act, and quite another to genuinely feel.

"Ah, right. Right this way, wife," Valor said, as he lead the way out into the dining room--and it's larger than necessary table. It was large enough to seat a small army, and Valor lead them to the dead center of it.

During feasts and celebrations, it would be lit with candles and piled with flowers and more dishes than anyone could ever sample. Right now, though, it was just the two of them, and Valor paused to pull out Ka'lei's chair for her like a proper gentleman.

"There we are," he said, and leaned past her so he could pick up a decorative flint from where it was stashed among the candles. He lit the ones closest to them, enough to encircle them in light. "Breakfast for two. If I'd known ahead of time that I'd have a guest, I would have hired some musicians to serenade us."

Then he paused, blinked, and let out a laugh. "Or I could just serenade you, I suppose! I have a gift with that, you know."
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DragonSong

Her eyes went wide as he led her into the massive dining room- who was she kidding, this was a hall, not a room. She gave a low whistle and shook her head in disbelief.

"You actually live in this place," she muttered with a wondering little chuckle. A very small smile twitched at her lips as he pulled her chair out and she took it a little hesitantly.

Yeah, maybe she could get used to being treated like this, even if it was just an act.

With a small chuckle and another shake of her head Ka'lei glanced up at him. "Serenade? Really?" She settled back in her seat- as much as she could without cramping her wings- and smirked. "I think I'd like to see that."

Rhindeer

Oh, she was going to be a fun one, indeed. Her open, genuine wonder was, well, wonderful, and if she was this impressed over a dining room, then he couldn't wait to show her what other perks awaited her. He found himself looking forward to her reaction. Perhaps it was because he was so used to living like this, and took the lifestyle for granted, that it was fun to sort of...live vicariously through someone to whom this was all new and fresh.

But first things first: she had asked for a serenade!

Valor flashed her a grin and took a seat on the table near her, perched on its edge and mindful of the candles. He cleared his throat and tapped on his chest, less because he needed to and more for drama's sake.

"As you wish, m'lady," he said, and reached down to take her hand between both of his, meeting her eyes as he began to sing.

It was a song with themes of forbidden love between secret lovers, one he'd picked up in a tavern ages ago--as he did many of the songs he knew. But unlike the rowdier songs that played into the night, the woman who'd sang it earlier in the evening had been genuinely talented, her lyrics heartfelt and sweet. Valor's voice was rich and clear, and for a moment he considered pouring a little magic into it as he often did when he sang in taverns himself--but then he thought better of it. He could use his voice like an aphrodisiac, and he had seduced no small number of men and women with its help, but for some reason here it felt like cheating.

It felt wrong, even though he would have been more than happy to learn Ka'lei's body.

So he kept the magic from creeping in and finished the song off with a lingering kiss to the back of her hand.
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DragonSong

At first Ka'lei rolled her eyes when she recognized his showmanship for what it was- she was hardly a stranger to such tactics- but there was a small smile twitching at her lips.

She had to resist the urge to jerk her hand back when he took it between his, not so much because she disliked the touch, but almost more because she was a little worried that she did like it. When his eyes met hers she found she was suddenly unable to look away.

And his song... She'd met plenty of entertainers in her time passing through different master's hands, but they were normally women, she was unused to how well-practiced a male's voice could sound. Her eyes softened a bit and almost closed once or twice as she allowed herself to relax and just listen to the lyrics.

The kiss, chaste as it was, nevertheless sent a little shiver down her spine and it took her a few moments to blink her way back into focus, wings shuddering delicately in an almost bashful sort of way.

"That, um..." She cleared her throat and ducked her eyes. "That was...very nice."

Rhindeer

"Thank you!" Valor said with a grin. Oh, he had noticed the way the tension left her, the way she dropped her guard and closed her eyes--and the way her eyes had met his before that. For a moment, he worried that maybe he had added some magic to the song without even intending it; it was such an automatic response, like breathing, and just as much a part of him. But then he thought, nah. He shouldn't give all the credit to magic. He was just that damned good.

"I just learned it, so I was hoping not to slaughter it." He was still holding her hand, and hoped that pretending he'd forgotten about it would buy him a few more seconds. Cocking his head curiously, he met her eyes. "Can you sing?"
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DragonSong

She laughed at that, shaking her head. "Oh, I can. What you should've asked is can I sing well." Her lips twitched up on one side and she propped her chin in her hand.

"Where did you learn to do that?" There was real curiosity in her eyes. "Is it a Serenian thing? No one sings like that in Essyrn."

Rhindeer

"Oh, plenty of people sing in Serendipity. We have as many bards as you can throw rocks at," Valor said with a wave of his hand. "But me, I'm self taught, you could say. I've always been able to do it. Natural talent and all that."

He quirked a smile. "But your voice is already nice. I bet you could sing if you tried. Or if given the proper instruction." He winked. "I don't mind playing teacher."
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DragonSong

Ka'lei flushed a bit and her eyes flickered down. "I...suppose. If you'd like." She cleared her throat and glanced up at him through her lashes a bit. "I never wanted to learn. Being an...entertainer in Essyrn, when you're a slave..."

She trailed off with a shrug and looked away. "But if you just wanted to teach me. Well. As my lord husband commands, I suppose." Her voice was almost playful, but there was a bit too much of an edge to it.

Rhindeer

The implication sailed over Valor's head. Oh, he knew in some abstract way the many ways in which slaves were used. He knew there were plenty of bed slaves, for example--after all, that was why his friend had purchased Ka'lei for him. But he knew it all in a very distant sort of way. His image of bedroom slaves was idealized--men and women who were eager to please and lived for it, who were practically born for that purpose, like some scene out of a romanticized harem painting where everyone was smiling and naked. His image of other sorts of slaves was much the same. Entertainer, for example, didn't sound so terrible. So, she sang and played music and maybe danced? Hm. Why was she acting so...

Kicked puppy?

Ka'lei was his first up close and personal experience with an actual slave. A living, breathing human who had experienced its horrors first hand. Horrors he, in his privileged life, couldn't begin to comprehend.

He frowned, raising an eyebrow at her reaction. "Well, if you don't want to, you don't have to. If you're not actually into it, you'll just sound like you're bored and dying." He gave her head a playful pat. "Now then, what did you do if you didn't sing? You said you were an entertainer?"
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DragonSong

Ka’lei had to resist the urge to flinch away from his touch, and she snapped an automatic glare up at him before she caught herself and forced her expression to smooth out. “I wasn’t...exactly...an entertainer,” she responded slowly, staring at him warily.

She hesitated for a long moment. It was becoming clear to her just how out of touch with the life she and her brother had led her new master was. There was a part of her that almost didn’t want to ruin his- well, innocence.

“I didn’t perform. For people who owned me,” she elaborated after a while. “I...sang a bit, for Kai, or other slaves we might’ve been living with.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “And I can dance. They made me, sometimes, but I can do it on my own, too.” She laughed a bit and shot him a slightly dry look. “Don’t think it’s the kinda dancing you northerners do though.”

Rhindeer

"Oh? And what kind would that be?" Valor asked with a sly smile. He had a feeling it was the kind of dancing he would very much like. He'd never been to Essyrn before, but he'd of course heard the stories, and he had to say, it sounded like his kind of place.

"Perhaps you could show me. Or, better yet, teach me! I'd offer to dance for you in return, but the only dances I know are dull courtly ones."
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DragonSong

She was silent for a long moment, just staring at him. Then, almost despite herself, she smiled and shook her head, something like disbelief in her expression. "Yeah, I could...teach you. If you really want," she said with a shrug.

Damn. Just what did this guy think Essyrn was, some endless party city?

Ka'lei looked Valor up and down. Okay...yeah, that was probably exactly what he thought.

Putting that slightly unsettling thought from her mind, she shook her head again and- her stomach growled. Loudly.

Her cheeks darkened with a ruddy blush and she snapped her eyes away, clearing her throat to try to cover the sound.

Rhindeer

As though on cue, several servants came bustling out of the kitchen, carrying steaming plates heaped with more food than two people could ever hope to eat. Valor grinned at Ka'lei and gently elbowed her.

"Hope your appetite is as mighty as your roar," he teased. Oh yeah. There was no way he hadn't heard her belly-rumble. He could appreciate that! He liked food, and he liked a girl that could eat! There was nothing less appealing than those noblewomen who took a nibble and acted like they were stuffed. What a waste of good food.

The servants set down their plates, revealing freshly cooked eggs, bread, pastries--meat pies and fritters--and plenty of fruits. With a bow, they exited, leaving the couple to privacy.

"Well, I'm excited." Grinning, Valor scooped up a fritter stuffed with cinnamon coated apples. "You simple must try this. Say 'ahh', dearest," he said, and held the pastry in front of Ka'lei's lips.
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DragonSong

At the sight of the food, her mouth began to water. She couldn't help it, it had been ages since she'd be properly fed-- and having lived her whole life as a slave, she figured she could safely say she'd never been offered food like this!

She was so absorbed in simply gaping at the array of food spread before her that she didn't notice what Valor was doing until the crumbly crust of the pastry was almost touching her lips. Her eyes quickly narrowed into a scowl.

But then her stomach grumbled again and her blush was back. Cursing under her breath, she leaned forward and took a massive bite out of the fritter, chewing almost defiantly as she rolled her eyes at her "fiance".

It didn't take longer than a moment for her sour expression to melt into pure bliss as the taste of it assaulted her tongue. Her eyes fluttered closed and she groaned, leaning back in her chair. Her wings shivered behind her, feathers rustling quietly. "Oh. My. Gods."

Rhindeer

...Well, that was sexy as hell.

Valor stared at Kiri, one-hundred percent aware that she probably had zero idea what she looked like in that moment: the way her expression melted into sheer bliss, the way she shivered, the little sounds she made. All from a bite of pastry!

And he was more than happy to quietly watch her. But not for too long! Too long and she'd catch him staring, and then it would just be creepy.

He cleared his throat. "Do you, ah, need some alone time with the pastry?" he asked with a waggle of his brows.
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DragonSong

"Mm?" Ka'lei blinked, coming down from the high of good food. Once she processed his words, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, ha ha, very funny."

She crinkled her nose up at him and stuck her tongue out, then took another bite of the fritter. "It's really good though," she mumbled as she swallowed. "Do you always eat like this? Or is the kitchen staff celebrating your engagement?"

She winked playfully as she leaned back in her chair again, looking significantly more relaxed that she had before the food. Her wings unfurled slightly from their tight curl against her spine, head tilted slightly as she looked at Valor.

Rhindeer

"Oh, I don't always eat like this," Valor said with a wave of his hand to indicate the rich spread. "My usual meals are smaller and simpler. If I ate like this everyday, my waistline would suffer! Naw, this is just a little something extra special, and knowing ol' Ennis, our engagement is definitely a factor."

He looked at her curiously, grabbing a fritter for himself. "I imagine Serenian food is very different from Essyrni fare?"
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DragonSong

She shrugged, eyeing the plate with meat pies on it. "Yeah, I suppose. I mean, obviously it's just different with what's available. I couldn't really tell you about flavor though-- slaves are kept to bread and water, mostly."

Glancing at him sidelong, she started to reach for one of the pies, an automatic, "Can I...?" out of her mouth before she could stop it.

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