Chronicles of the Selphia Plains [Rune Factory 4]

Three Little Words Part II

That night as she lay in Leon's arms, both of them still damp with sweat from their lovemaking, she gazed at him with a hesitant look in her eyes. "Yes, My Lady?" he said with a smile as he stroked her hair affectionately. "You appear to have something on your mind. What is it?"

"It... it's a little hard to explain. I have... I guess a favor of sorts to ask of you, but I think you won't want to grant it. You may even be angry with me just for asking. But... well, will you please hear me out?"

"Of course. Tell me all about it," he replied, looking surprised and a little concerned.

She sat up and turned to face him, the sheet loosely draped around her, and proceeded to explain. "You know Barrett, of course?"

He nodded; the knowledgeable but reserved Alvarnan scholar had consulted him a few times, inquiring about the old languages and scripts that Leon knew from his era.

She hesitated, then said, "He told me this in strict confidence, so please, Leo, don't say anything to him or anyone else. I'm only telling you because I need to, in order to try to help him."

Again he nodded; as the former Dragon Priest, he'd heard—and kept—his fair share of confidences. He looked at her expectantly, wondering at her hesitation.

"Well... it seems that his wife took their kids and left him yesterday. Apparently their marriage was not a happy one, and he couldn't even bring himself to touch her after they were married except once—and then only because he'd gotten so drunk he hardly knew what he was doing."

Leon shook his head sadly. "That's an unfortunate situation to be in. Divorce is probably for the best, though avoiding such a marriage in the first place would have been preferable," he remarked.

"There's more, though. It seems he was in love with a girl who loved another man. And I think he is in love with her still, even though she's apparently happily married. I think that inside, he's something of a wreck—a bundle of nerves and strain and fear and resentment, and probably a lot of other things as well. And... and I want to try to help him."

"Okay... so where does this favor you wish to ask of me come in?" Leon asked warily.

Avani took a deep breath, then averted her eyes as she replied, "I... I want to seduce him."

"What?" Leon exclaimed, sitting bolt upright. "How the hell is that supposed to help?"

"It... it might sound a little strange, but I'm hoping that it'll get him to... to drop his defenses, at least for a short while. And maybe if I can get him to just relax a little, then that whole tangled mess inside of him will begin to unravel. If he can begin to resolve things in his head and heart, maybe he can move past his fixation and be happy. I know it probably sounds crazy... but it's the only thing I can think of that might help him."

"So, let me get this straight... your favor is that you want me, your lover, to allow you to have a one-night-stand with another man? Is that it? And why do you want so badly to help him, anyway?" he asked, frowning at her, feeling pangs of jealousy deep down inside that he was unwilling to acknowledge even to himself.

She looked up at him, saying simply, "Because he's my friend, and I can't bear to see him hurting like this. And... you might not realize this, but we owe a lot to him. He was the one who gave me the ring that saved you—the ring that opened the portal to Selphia and pulled you through. When I told you that everyone in town wanted to save you, I meant it—even Barrett, who's not even from this town, wanted to help. And now... now he's the one that needs help."

Leon sighed, saying with a faint smile, "Well, I suppose he'd not appreciate it if I tried to seduce him in your place?"

Avani grinned, laughing, "No, I suspect not. I mean, you never know, but I've never seen any sign that he would welcome such advances."

Leon looked into her eyes. "I can't say I approve of your plan. And I'm certainly not happy to think of another man in your bed, though I do at least appreciate your candor." He frowned in thought for a moment. "What about Dylas? Will you tell him of your plan, as well?"

It was Avani's turn to frown. "No. You know that he has no say in what I do at this time."

"Does that mean that I do?" Leon asked her with a grin.

"Maybe not a say exactly, but you are entitled to an opinion, which Dylas is not—not for the present time, anyway," she replied.

Leon lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. "Like I said, I'm not happy about it, nor can I say I approve of it. But I said from the beginning that, as I was bound by a promise made long ago, I wouldn't tie you down, and I stand by that. If you feel this is what you must do, then do it. Just be very certain of yourself before you put your plan into action, because that is not a step that, once taken, can be undone."

He rolled onto his side and pulled her down to him with a wicked grin, saying, "And keep in mind that I might have to find other... distractions, to keep my mind off of what you're doing."

She laughed, saying, "Be my guest, just as long as you tell me first. You know I would never stop you as long as you're honest with me."

He nipped her neck, then murmured plaintively into her ear, "Can't you at least pretend to be even a little bit jealous?"

She flipped him over then and pushed him down into the softness of the bed, straddling him as she held him down by his arms and leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose, his eyelids, the sensitive spot on his throat right below his jaw line, and finally whispered into his mouth, sending little thrills down his spine, "I am insanely jealous," before covering him with her kisses.