51 parts Complete Mature--Completed--
"Why are you following me?"
"I am free to roam anywhere within Barracks, am I not?"
"Aldaire will be displeased if he sees us together."
He grins, leaning in close to whisper in my ear. "Will he? Last time I checked, you two are merely playing a part."
I place a finger on his lips, acutely aware of our proximity yet taken aback by it all. "Don't utter such things. They can hear you."
"So it is true. I wasn't present that day, but Himley made sure to fill me in."
There's no need to persist with the charade, but if I concede too readily, I'm not fulfilling my role adequately. This is going to be challenging, especially given his annoying demeanor.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Aldaire is a noble man."
"Then how do his lips taste?"
Hiccup! "That is none of your concern, sir."
"Why do you take offense? It was an innocent question."
"It was not! I am inebriated. Why are you pursuing me? And be honest this time. If you intend to kill me like the rest, I'll make things easier for you."
His silence prompts me to look up. His lips are drawn into a thin line as he glares at me. "Do you hold me in such low regard?"
"I don't know you," I retort.
"That is why I am here. We can acquaint ourselves with each other." His laughter reverberates in the empty space, prompting a grin from me. It makes me blush at the thought. Perhaps it's the alcohol causing me to hallucinate, but the idea of someone vying for my affections is amusing.
"I relish challenges, Lady Leizabeth. Give me some time, and you'll see."
"I don't understand why."
"Because you are a fascinating woman. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I had to get to know you."
**In the journey of life, we stumble upon love twice. The first shatters your heart into countless fragments; the second conjures up the power of the universe to piece it back together. **