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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 17, 2007 21:22:50 GMT -5
I made my way to the Generous Patron, looking around a bit as I entered. Aleron wasn't here yet so I found a table off to the side and waited, knowing he would be here soon.
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 17, 2007 21:30:04 GMT -5
Still curious, I walked into the Patron and looked around, searching for my dear Riva, who I hadn't expected to see so soon. She said everything was fine and I believed her- but I still wanted to know what was going on.
As always my eyes were quickly drawn to her and I smiled as I came over, resting my hand on her arm and then taking her hand as I sat. "Hello," I said quietly, though I smiled widely. "Fancy meeting you here."
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 17, 2007 22:35:07 GMT -5
"I know, what luck," I said, smiling wide.
I leaned over and kissed his cheek, needing to kiss him but not wanting to push the limits of our public meeting.
"How are you?"
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 17, 2007 22:37:53 GMT -5
Softly I kissed her cheek in return. "Better for seeing you well," I told her. "And yourself?"
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 17, 2007 22:55:27 GMT -5
"Good, except that I'm not with you all the time," I replied, grinning.
I twined my fingers with his.
"I had a new patron, look what he gave me," I said, pulling out the pearl bracelet and showing it to him.
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 17, 2007 22:59:53 GMT -5
"Very nice," I said with an encouraging smile, though I wondered why she kept it. I wasn't really jealous, just- cautious, I told myself. "At least he's wealthy."
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 17, 2007 23:11:43 GMT -5
"Yes, he is. He's the ambassador to Caerdicca Unitas and he wants to purchase my marque," I said, rushing things more than I meant to. "I told him I had to talk with you about it first though. He knows all about you and about us and he says that if I say yes I'd be free to be with you whenever he didn't need me for business."
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 18, 2007 6:30:27 GMT -5
"An ambassador to Caerdicca Unitas," I said slowly, sorting the information I'd received, both spoken and unspoken. She was excited about this, which caused an honest pang of jealousy- she was fond of this man and trusted him. Other than that, the way she spoke of this was- vague. I was nervous with it. "How long and in what capacity does he mean 'need you for business'?" I wanted her free, but gods- being owned by another, who was likely to travel to a foreign country and take her with him? She'd been anxious enough about my working for Jaiden, who'd never really been a true patron and angry over her sending me to Camlach. Yet she was willing to go with someone likely to send her further.
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 19, 2007 0:54:32 GMT -5
My excitement faltered.
"I.. I don't know," I said, putting the bracelet back into my pocket. "We didn't talk about that. He's been cursed and I'm helping him break it. we get on well and he thinks I could help him in his business dealings as well as help him with his curse."
I had been so caught up in the idea of being free to see Aleron whenever we wanted that I hadn't thought about things like time.
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 19, 2007 1:13:43 GMT -5
"That's something it would be good to know," I told her softly. "Whether you get on with him well or not, people are creatures of habit; once he has you in his sights and is used to your presence he may think he needs you longer than he does."
This entire thing tickled at me unpleasantly, though I tried to see the good side of it. She could see me, as he said- but words change and an adept has no recourse in verbal agreement. "Don't you think a definite contract may be a good idea? And what if he takes you with him to Caerdicca Unitas?"
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 19, 2007 12:57:28 GMT -5
"No, you're right," I said, my excitement completely wilted by now. "The idea of being able to see you and being away from Gentian just made me not think about anything else. I should have just written to you about it, I didn't mean to interrupt your day for this."
I felt stupid for having been so certain that Aleron would be excited at the idea as well.
"It was nice too to have someone want me for my gift. It's the first time."
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 19, 2007 16:39:12 GMT -5
Now she seemed depressed and I knew she'd wanted me to be as happy about these ideas as she was- but I was too careful and had too much to lose of her. I knew she'd always come back, as surely as the sun rose; but I didn't want to wait ten or fifteen years for our little house and our lives of peace either.
"It's a pleasant interruption, for I get to see you," I told her, stroking her hand with my thumb and meeting her gaze. "I'm happy someone wants you for your gift, but I worry too. It would be like me indenturing myself to another person under the same circumstances, except they want me for my skills with money and games. You already don't like my doing that for House Liatris and I chose that before I even met you."
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 20, 2007 0:55:08 GMT -5
"I don't like it because of the horrible crazy woman who holds your life in her fist. You two are either plotting revenge on each other or avoiding each other, it's like a constant war." The thought of being free of Gentian was so wonderful, and I knew Gillermo would never do to me the sort of things Jaiden had done to Aleron, nor would I ever do what Aleron had done to her. "Just forget I told you, I won't bring it up again unless something more comes up."
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 20, 2007 7:34:49 GMT -5
For a moment I was nearly angry, but I stifled the urge down. "Don't do that, Riva- it's as though you're pouting. At the time my actions made sense and I never would have expected you to judge me for them. It garnered me her respect, and your virgin-price. At the time, it was a wonderful deal for me, winning my freedom and allowing me to move on. If not for her I never would have met you and we'd never have had any of the things we cherish."
Sighing, I let the matter drop. "In the end, you must do what you think is best. If I have to wait ten years for you, I will, though I have to admit I won't like it." She liked him too much and it made me bitter with anger and jealousy. She may love me, but she liked him and his nature far better. It was a silly thought, childish and inane, but I indulged it for only a moment before softening. I didn't want to make her angry and kick her stubbornness into life so she'd choose this path out of refusing to give it up. "I only want you to be safe, and selfishly, I want it to be with me." Opening myself I tried to let her see the frustration and fear even as I wanted to hide my face for shame.
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 20, 2007 15:49:26 GMT -5
I hadn't been judging his actions, just telling him why I hated the situation he was in.
"I want to be with you too, and I thought this would allow me more freedom to be with you until I was totally free," I replied. His emotions touched me and I blinked with surprise at the jealousy I felt there.
"Oh Aleron," I whispered, softening immediately. My hand came up and cupped his cheek. "I like him, but not anywhere near the way I like you." I looked into his eyes so he could see the truth of my words and that I wasn't just trying to placate him. "no one will ever be able to make me laugh and smile, make me happy the way you do. I adore you."
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 20, 2007 16:01:30 GMT -5
"I wanted to set you free," I whispered, leaning into her hand. "It kills me that I can't. The freedom- oh, Elua, I'll accept that with open arms. It's the knowledge, the conditions of it that hurt."
Smiling slightly I ran a finger along her nose. "But, even though I love you, I'm still sensible. This is the easiest plan that keeps the others in line, our home and future, and still allows us more time than twice a year to be together. For those things I can ignore my selfish feelings." I'd still feel them, but at least I could put them away, keep them hidden with the reminder I could stay closer. "I love you and I'm sorry for not trusting you. I just...this feeling thing isn't always so logical as I would like."
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 20, 2007 16:51:41 GMT -5
I smiled, relieved to have the tension between us gone.
"I should have talked with him more about the details, but you know how bad I am with those things," I said, chuckling. "But I will speak to him more, and get things written down before I say yes or no to him. He's so worried about hurting the woman he loves because of his curse that I don't think he focused much on details either."
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 20, 2007 17:03:48 GMT -5
Sighing a little I nodded, but kept smiling. "I suppose I could understand where something like that could come from," I finally said, a little unwillingly but with complete honesty. "I just feel a bit powerless in this whole thing. I don't want to hold you back but I don't want to see you hurt either. I have a feeling curses aren't definite things but- I don't want to see you spend your lifetime on this either."
Then, with that slight cautious twinge again I asked, "You'll only go to his bed out of duty, right? I can understand friendship and accept it, but-"
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 20, 2007 17:31:02 GMT -5
Memories of sex with Gillermo rose in my mind. I had liked it, very much. Not the way I liked sex with Aleron, that was different, so different I hardly thought of them as the same thing.
"I don't know that he'd even want that with me again," I said, thinking about what Gillermo had said about not understanding how someone wouldn't want to be with me. "If he did though, it would be the same as an assignation, wouldn't it? But if you don't want me to, I can talk to him about it when we talk about the other parts of the arrangement."
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 20, 2007 17:47:32 GMT -5
"Unless you went because you wanted him," I said softly, grudgingly, with the odd feeling my words would anger her but unable to say something different and be honest. "If desire strikes you I would rather you come to me than go to him." It was horribly selfish of me to say that, to even think it- but my mind was not my own when I was taken by some of these emotions, so foreign to me. I wanted him to be a patron, not a lover.
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 20, 2007 21:41:17 GMT -5
"If I had my way, I would always go to you when desire struck me," I told him, smiling tenderly. "if I could, we would spend hours every day making love. My first desire is and always will be for you Aleron. Being able to fill that desire is part of the reason I want to be free of Gentian so desperately."
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 20, 2007 21:58:31 GMT -5
SMiling, I nodded. He reassurance was enough and, which I was foolish sometimes, I wasn't stupid enough to doubt her word. "Are you going to the L'Envers wedding?"
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 20, 2007 22:10:05 GMT -5
"Yes," I said. "Are you going?" I hoped he would be, but I was braced for the possibility he wouldn't be allowed to.
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 20, 2007 22:12:12 GMT -5
"As yet I haven't been told I can't," I replied with a smile. "I wasn't planning to go as you said you dislike such things, but I will if you're going. Are you contracted?"
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 20, 2007 22:25:15 GMT -5
"No, not as of right now. Everyone's been talking so much about it that I thought I should go. See what a free adept looks like," I said, smiling.
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 20, 2007 22:32:37 GMT -5
Chuckling, I nodded. "I'll find you when I get there and we can sit together so both of us can learn," I told her. "Just try not to get too weepy." It was a tease, I didn't care if she cried at the idea or not. It would be somewhat- touching.
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 20, 2007 22:35:06 GMT -5
"I'll try. I know you'll be crying enough for the both of us," I told him, teasing back.
My fingers caressed his cheek and my voice dropped low enough only he could hear it even in this crowded place. "I love you."
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 20, 2007 22:38:58 GMT -5
"Yes, that's me, the weepy one," I agreed jokingly, then smiled softly and kissed the palm of her hand. "I love you," I whispered back as softly. "Is this farewell for now?"
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Post by Riva Carle (R) on Aug 20, 2007 23:28:45 GMT -5
"Unfortunately," I said. "I have a class that I have to get back for. I'm to learn how to speak on matters of politics apparently."
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Post by Aleron Carle(Retired) on Aug 21, 2007 14:14:52 GMT -5
"A useful thing, considering your patron," I teased lightly. "I just remember politics are liek a game of chance, in the end- some parts may be predicted, but most of the time you can only be sure that things will change."
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