I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 79 - Falling For You

Evangeline didn't so much as fall into Harrowheart's arms as she landed on Harrowheart in general. The orcess being there had been enough to keep her from breaking her neck and depleting her remaining HP. The Stunned-Mild condition appeared beneath her HP total.

"No kidding," she muttered to herself as she rolled off of Harrowheart.

"You okay?" the orcess asked, keeping a hand on Evangeline's back, even as the larger female rolled up to a crouch, ready to spring and protect her party mate.

"Yeah," Evangeline said hoarsely, shifting on her hands and knees. "I don't seem to have anything broken. At least, I don't have the condition."

She felt Harrowheart's fingers pull back on her collar a little, which made Evangeline hiss a little. "Woof, that looks awful."

"I expect we're all going to have them," the rogue said, sitting back so she could look around. "What's happening?"

"The harpies seem to have retreated for now," Harrowheart said, her eyes scanning the trees. "I think we gave them too much of a fight."

"For now," Evangeline added. She could feel the eyes of the harpies glaring into her from wherever they had hidden themselves amongst the trees. Forcing herself to stop trying to make them, Evangeline scanned the ground for her bow, only to find Artmond holding it out to her.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Thanks to you guys," she said, taking it, relieved to see that it had endured the fall just fine.

Sigismund approached, grabbing Artmond to pull aside the collar of his shirt to look at the welt on his own neck. "Not like we had a choice," she growled.

Evangeline sighed. "Thank you, just the same," she said and shifted to stand up. Harrowheart steadied her with a hand on her back without needing to come up out of her crouch.

She noticed Hagor by the horses, kneeling by the injured one on the ground, petting its neck as he whispered softly into its ear. The couchman had the other horse by the bridle, soothing it, and possibly himself in the process.

"I hope the other horse is alright, we're going to need both of them if we're going to get out of this alright," Evangeline said, rolling one of her sore shoulders.

"Is that something you saw with your Meta power?" Sigismund asked, this time sans sarcasm. Maybe she was coming around on her special ability.

"No, just adventurer sense. We split up from them now, the harpies will come pick us off," Evangeline said.

"I agree," Harrowheart noted. "More of us together made a difference to all of us."

"No thanks to that dog," Sigismund muttered.

"The dog!" Artmond cried, and spun around, looking along the ground amongst the few harpy corpses that laid about. "Here boy. Or girl. Come here, where are you?"

Evangeline thought to help join him in finding the little creature who had started this all, but she came to a full stop as she saw Valerian. He stood next to the noblewoman, taking her hand to help her up to her feet. He then slid easily into an elegant, courtly bow. "My lady," he said with a softer, more genteel voice than he had used up to that point. Despite the rougher, tousledness of the noblewoman's appearance, her lifetime of training kicked on and she returned the courtesy with an elegant curtsy herself.

"Thank you for the rescue, good sir," she returned.

Valerian didn't let go of her hand, but instead covered the top with his other one. "Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked and a pang of... dislike knifed through Evangeline.

What the hell is he doing? she thought jealously, before tamping it down hard. Despite having initiated the romance storyline with him, it wasn't guaranteed to continue on. Like all the relationships in her game at home, it had to be cultivated and directed in that sort of direction.

They had only kissed the one time, and that was a couple of weeks ago. They had been friendly since, but not really... romantic.

"Crap," she muttered, wondering if she had done something wrong to lose it. Swallowing down her anxiety, she decided she would need to burn a Meta Point that night, before she rested. Just to be safe.

But do I really want to be with a guy I have to continually coax to be with me? she thought.

"I'm fine," the noblewoman said, smiling, maybe a little flirtatiously, at Valerian. The smile fell however as she a groan behind her caught her attention back. "Willem!" she cried, turning back to kneel down beside her coachman.

"My lady, are you well?" the coachman named Willem asked, but she waved it away.

"Hush! I'm not the one nearly carried off," she said, grasping his hand to hug against her shoulder. "We need to get him to a healer."

"I'm a healer," Sigismund said. Though she grumbled the words, she marched over to the other side of the injured man and started asking her standard questions.

"Valerian touched her shoulder gently. "Come Lady. Let us give the healer space to work,"

She allowed him to escort her away. As they turned, his and Evangeline's eyes touched briefly. His were cold and dead, like he was seeing through her and judging her unworthy. A warning to stay away. Then his expression bloomed into warmth and solicitous care as he paid all of his attention to the noblewoman.

"Do not think me ungrateful for you assistance, but who are you people," the noblewoman asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"We are humble adventurers, grateful we could come and serve you at this opportune time," Valerian said sweetly, offering respectful bow of his head.

She noted it, but her attention was caught as Artmond approached her. "Please, sir, do not besmirch your good deeds with lies. You are most definitely not simple adventurers." She faced the other man fully and as if by some pre-arranged coordinated synchronization, both Artmond and the noblewoman bowed to each other with the practiced grace of courtiers.

"Second Lordling Artmond of Greenside," the noblewoman said, as she straightened. "While I confess to not knowing much of you, I did not expect to be gallantly recused by my fiancé."