Buried In Thorns

HIM8

The door flew to shut behind me with firm slam, the knights started as I stormed out. My robe dragged behind me smoothly, people unfortunate enough to run into me darted away or came to a halt when they caught sight of the glower that I carried.

She was utterly mad, naively inexperienced! I roared inwardly. I would have assumed Allan had put her up to it, her proposal coming too soon after his own, if not for the clumsiness of her attempt to entice me to choose her. My jaw locked as her large eyes came to mind, the hopefully yet nervous way she tried to hide her desperation. I had half a mind to write to her father and demand he come explain how she could be so foolish.

"Stupid girl." I snarled, my hands fisting beside me. It didn't take long to make it back to my office, when I stormed in Allan stood, a surprised expression soon morphing into a sigh.

"How did she ruin it so fast?" He shook his head, walking around the desk to the side table, already pouring wine for me. I sunk into the couch.

"You both had the same idea." There was a pause in the pouring as my words clicked for him, before he handed it over to me. I drank it all in one gulp. "Even you would have been appalled by the 'deal' she offered." I used the word loosely.

"Did she demand more than she was willing to give?"

"I would be a full-fledged bandit-" I corrected myself at his skeptical brow raise. "Not the kind of thief I would be alright being labeled as."

"How bad?" I watched as he refilled the cup, my tongue already tingling at the heavy drink.

"She barely asked for enough to cover the Baron's finances, to lessen the land under her father's name, and to make the matter all more insulting. She even shrugged when I pointed out the fact that she would probably be assassinated before she could voice the thought of wanting to break the engagement." At my incredulous tone, he halted and then grabbed himself a cup to drink from, before taking a seat across from me, crossing a leg over the other.

"Ah, I see." I disliked the careful way he spun the wine around in his cup, his expression fixed as he watched me. Allan knew me better than most, that was one of the reasons having him as my right hand-worked. The other was how disturbingly observant and indifferent he was to the knowledge he gained from his insights.

"I may have been able to tolerate this deal if she hadn't been so nonchalant about her fate." I almost felt as if I was defending myself as he remained silent. My claws tapped at the cold cup, a persistent sound that rang out over the sound of the crackling logs. He lowered his gaze to my claws before he spoke, looking off to the side.

"Your disdain for selflessness is known to many. Choosing her as a bride would be..." Lips pursed together, his head lolling back towards me.

"Unbelivable." I finished off with a sigh.

"Hmm." He shook his head, exasperation filling his words. "Can you not simply think of it as her selfish desire to throw her life away for the bettering of her father?" He sat up, his free hand motioning around. I knew he was tired of looking for potential brides, hell's horns, I was tired of meeting them, but even so, this was the worst solution to present itself to me as of now.

"If she was doing it for her father, she would have been greedy enough to ask for more coin and protection. If she had asked for more, I would have felt fine accepting, but even I know not to steal from those who hand out with pure intentions. That is just asking for an awful sort of punishment." I held bad a shudder as the fur on my body stood on its end, my tail moved rapidly on the ground, slithering back and forth.

"Emotional attachment you mean?" He said with a smirk. I bared my teeth at him. Chuckling under his breath, he shook his head. "Surly a wife is worth some ache."