Eirene’s confusion spilled into anger as she mulled over the conversation she had overheard between Jinn and Liviana. She had taken a few moments to gather her composure after gently closing the shutters. On one hand her body trembled with delight – to think Jinn had never revealed his wings, his true self to anyone but her! The thought chased away any crumb of doubt she may have had about his love for her. At least he was telling the truth about that. But could she believe it, even now, if he was withholding information about the whereabouts of Germanus? She ran both hands through her long hair; eyes closed and stamped one small foot as she uttered a stifled cry of frustration. Should she talk to him about what she’d heard? But then she would have to reveal that she’d been listening. Without a second thought Eirene headed for the door and took the back stairs that led out to the main tavern below two at a time, with every intention of confronting him.
Jinn had forbidden her to leave their room before he had ventured downstairs with the promise of acquiring some form of dinner for Eirene. She hadn’t been bothered by the instruction at the time, from what she’d seen of the large public room below on their way in it wasn’t really a place she would choose to spend her time in anyway. But now, that instruction rankled her greatly as she saw the tall, striking form of her Master leaning against the countertop deep in conversation with a pretty blonde woman; though her prettiness paled in comparison to Liviana’s haunting beauty that still etched itself upon Eirene’s lids whenever she closed her eyes. Her stomach growled at the rich smell of roasting meat and stewed fish, reminding her that Jinn hadn’t bought anything up for her as promised and, by the looks of it, he didn’t plan to anytime soon. She narrowed her eyes, feeling her anger towards him bubbling even more fiercely as she caught a fold of the tunica of a passing woman who had her arms laden with used dishes and an earthenware jug.
‘I’ll have a bowl of whatever meat you’ve got and a jug of wine please.’
The woman, a rounded middle-aged lady with straggly brown hair greying at her temples and a heavily lined face eyed the girl for a moment, taking in the gleaming collar at her throat with a sour expression. She twitched her tunica out of Eirene’s fingers with a swift jerk of her hips and stalked off towards the counter where the tavern-keeper, possibly her husband watched the exchange silently. Jinn, on the other hand still hadn’t noticed Eirene as his back was turned towards her.
The woman said something to the man behind the counter, nodding her head in Eirene’s direction as she filled up the empty jug she had collected with one hand, from a much larger jug, and tidied away the used dishes at the same time with the other, adding a few more stains to her already grubby tunica as she did so. The man was as stout and robust as the woman, ruddy cheeked with narrow, suspicious eyes that Eutopia didn’t like the look of. Especially when they raked over her in such a brazen way as they were now. He gestured to the woman briefly before Eirene saw him hesitantly approach the end of the counter where Jinn remained deep in conversation. A simpering look that sickened Eirene clung to the man’s face as he interrupted whatever meaningful discussion Jinn was having, gesturing to where Eirene sat. Jinn straightened up at once and Eirene caught the surprise and perhaps anger that flashed in his dark eyes as he spun towards her. He had whirled around so quickly that Eirene hadn’t been prepared for his beautiful features, made all the more striking by the gentle light of the oil-filled lamps placed about the room for illumination. There was a sudden fierceness to his expression that Eirene wasn’t expecting but she caught sight of the woman he had been talking to, who leant around Jinn’s broad shoulders to follow his gaze. Eirene swallowed whatever doubt may have been creeping up on her then, tossing her head to shake the loose hair from her eyes, her chin raised a little higher as she deliberately avoided her Master’s eyes. Focusing on some distant point to the left of him she missed the nod of assent Jinn gave to the tubby man, who in turn nodded to his wife.
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Eutopia (First version)
Fantasy'You knew, all this time, you knew and you never told me.' 'Yes,' he bowed his dark head, black hair dishevelled as it fell into his eyes that were beginning to shed their own tears. 'I wanted to protect you. I thought if you never knew then this co...
