Cloak and Scalpel

ABERLEEN ARC: Live Wire

Lesley took a sip of her wine, her eyes scanning the opulent dining hall as she did so.  Duke Vance, despite their earlier tension with Duke Paxley, had opted to attend the farewell banquet for the Princess Silvanna at Castle Aberleen.  Perhaps it was because he would be losing Lesley for a year, or perhaps he was eager to propose business with the princess.  Whatever the reason, Duke Vance had seen fit to drag Lesley to this gathering.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she hung back from the crowd, her good eye watching as everyone mingled among each other.  The Princess Silvanna was engaged in deep discussion with Duke Vance, while members of the Lightborn squad mingled freely with the nobles gathered.  She watched, amused, as Fanny snatched an entire tray of hors d'oeuvres from a passing waiter, who blinked in surprise.  Around her, Granger and Harith cheered while her brother, Tigreal, sighed in defeat.

Her gaze scanned the crowd again.  The Paxley siblings were scattered around the opulent dining hall.  Little Sitri Paxley was dancing together with her older brother, Vassago, while Eren and Berith hung back with Amy who was in deep discussion with her blonde-haired friend.  Cameron, if Lesley recalled.

Dancing beside Sitri Paxley and Vassago were Diana and the duke.

Lesley kept her gaze fixed on the man who would be her...employer.  For a year.  Still.  She took another sip of her wine as she watched the duke.

She had known the duke to be an aloof character.  His charm in society was tempered with just the right amount of haughty detachment that the nobles were so fond of.  He was especially brutal when it came to his enemies-as his execution of the Elders of House Paxley showed.

But when he looked into his fiancée's eyes, Lesley saw none of that.  No, she only saw a man deeply in love with the woman in his arms.  Beneath the cold look in his eyes, she could make out the smoldering desire there, the need, the want, the love.

He really ought to be careful.  It wasn't difficult to surmise that his enemies might want to attack him, by targeting her.  Was that why he had accepted Duke Vance's proposal of Lesley's servitude?  Maybe.  She didn't want to dwell on how the duke's mind worked anymore than she already did.

Duke Paxley's eyes snapped to her own.  To her surprise, the duke gave her an imperceptible nod of the head in greeting before turning his eyes back to his fiancée.  Diana was saying something, which made the duke chuckle quietly.  There was no mistaking that look of adoration in his eyes.

She watched as Eren Paxley led Guinevere Baroque out onto the dance floor.  She chuckled to herself.  They were such an odd couple-rather awkward around each other, blushing at times.  Eren did not possess the gift of dancing that the gods had blessed Aamon, Vassago and Sitri with.  Lesley nearly burst out laughing as Eren bumped into Vassago, nearly making him stumble on Sitri's tiny feet.

Eren let out a stream of apologies and Guinevere blushed in embarrassment.

"Don't feel like dancing?"

She turned, surprised, to find Gusion Paxley standing behind her.  He wore a white suit with purple trimming.  Like his older brother, the duke, he'd slicked his brown hair back, tendrils falling into his face.

"Aren't you supposed to be banished?" the sniper asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gusion shrugged.  "That was before the Elders died," he said, grinning.  "Guess who's back to wreck havoc on Castle Aberleen?"

Despite herself, Lesley chuckled.  "I did hear you had a rather...mischievous streak," she said as she took another sip of her wine.  "The duke can't be too happy about that, can he?"