The next generation (The strings of fate)

Marocelli POV

Maro woke up with an ache between his legs. He was awake before Constance somehow. She had always been the one up before him. He was grateful she was still sleeping as he slipped out of the bed. His familiars didn't stir as he searched for his pants. When he found them he dragged them on before quietly leaving the room.

He was glad for the plumbing that had somehow still seemed to work in the inn. He took a very cold shower. When he was clean he spent time combing his hair in the mirror. He saw the bottle of soap by the sink and lightly touched the purple ribbon. He removed it and after a moment of debate he tied his hair up. He was surprised to see how much he could see his jaw. He turned his face in a mirror a bit before deciding it didn't look terrible. Maro stepped out into the hall only to see the innkeeper.

"Good morning, I came to leave you two some breakfast. Even if it is close to noon." Her eyes twinkled with an almost knowing look. He felt his face and ears heat up. He instinctively reached up to hide the bite that he had washed the dried blood off of.

"Thank you." Maro cleared his throat, wincing as he accidentally rubbed the fresh wound. She 'tsk'd him.

"Go get dressed and wake your pretty witch. I'll bring some juice up." She told him as she headed for the sitting room down the hall. Maro quickly went into the bedroom across from the bathroom.

"Constance." He called to her, he gathered his clothes and started to pull them on. The heat on his face was cooling now that the woman wasn't looking at him as if she heard everything that had happened the night before.

Constance groaned a little at Maro, her eyes fluttered open. Sleep was still very heavy in them. "Maro." She called sweetly. "Good morning." She stretched a little bit before she slowly sat up, the blankets were caught between her arms, she looked around the room with a distant confused look before her eyes landed on Maro. She smiled at him.

"Afternoon." A smile forcefully pulled his lips up. "The woman heard everything." He didn't want to be the only one embarrassed. He could admit that as he pulled his cloak over his shoulders.

"Oh." Her neck reddened. She hid her face behind her hands and giggled lightly. "Well... that's a little embarrassing."

He nodded, moving to the bed to kiss the top of her head. "She made food, it'll be cold if you don't dress soon. You can bathe then we should start looking." He told her, lightly running his hand over her tangled white and purple hair. She leaned into his hand and nodded.

"Okay I'll dress quickly then." She blew him a kiss and winked. A flash of heat came to his face, he smiled a bit but moved to his familiars. While they slept he pressed a hand to both shoulders, putting them away.

"I'm going to see if she needs any help." Maro told Constance as he went to the door. She nodded at him and watched him as he left the room. Maro started downstairs, before he reached the bottom the innkeeper was coming up with the juice. "Please, let me." He offered, taking the two glasses from her.

"Thank you, these stairs are a curse on my old knees. Of course, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" She smiled almost innocently before she went back down the stairs. Maro let out a puff of breath, shaking his head as he went back up. He walked down the hall and placed both glasses down next to a tray of food. He had been so distracted and surprised before he hadn't noticed what she had brought up for them. His stomach rumbled at the smell of the still warm pastries and toast, she'd even put different jams in tiny little bowls as well as two small cups of coffee.

Maro wanted to wait for Constance so he went to the window to look out. There was a couple out there, and another witch. He was surprised at how normal they looked. It didn't seem as if the chaos that he was used too had fallen on his home city at all. He had mixed feelings about how he felt about it, a distrust and a grateful one mixed together. He didn't want to let his guard down too much, even before the Plague of Darkness the city he had grown up in was anything but safe.