Zel slowly opened his eyes. The first thing that rushed to his mind was that Lina had slept in his bed with him the night before. He felt his heart beat faster and willed his cheeks to stop blushing. Slowly, he moved, so as not to shake the bed, and looked over to Lina. Who should have been sleeping beside him, but wasn't. Zel sighed in both relief and disappointment.
After getting up and ready for the day, he passed by Sylphiel in the hall.
"Sylphiel, have you seen Lina?"
"My Lord, she spent all day in the kitchen."
"She's cooking?"
"No, my Lord." Sylphiel shrugged with bewilderment. "She just watches."
"Is this to be today's breakfast?" Lina arched over one cook's shoulder.
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
"Hm." Lina stepped back, and propped herself up on an unused counter top. From her vantage point, she watched every ingredient put into the simmering pots. Damn him...If he's going to get rid of me as soon as I'm done giving him halfbloods, I just won't have any for a long, long time!
A cook passed by her with a pot she hadn't seen before. She yanked him by his collar.
"You there! Did you place the new ingredients in there?"
"What ingredients?"
"The ones to keep humans sterile!"
"Oh, oh, yes, ma'am."
Lina let the man go and continued her vigil. He is not going to outsmart me!
"Oh, Miss Lina!" Sylphiel entered the kitchen and strode up to the concubine. "Lord Zelgadis is looking for you."
"Sylphiel," Lina hopped off the counter and lead Sylphiel away by the arm. "Does Lord Zelgadis always have tea before he goes to bed?"
"Why, yes? How did you know? ...Oh." Sylphiel blushed.
Lina almost rolled her eyes. Then she remembered that she was supposed to be playing the good friend. "Sylphiel," Lina implored, "I want to please Lord Zelgadis. But I'm afraid I don't know him well enough." Lina felt a whim to add some truth. "He's different from the other lords..."
"Yes, he is." Sylphiel smiled. "He's always been kind to humans. When my mother died, Lord Zelgadis bought me from the auction. He said he did it because he didn't want anyone to mistreat a child as small as I was back then."
"Are you sure he didn't just see your green eyes and want a halfblood loyal to him?"
"Oh, no. Lord Zelgadis doesn't know I'm a halfblood." She admitted a little shamefully. "My mother gave me a collar without the lock, attachment, and magic-blocking spells. And I found out on my own when I was young, how to make my eyes look brown."
"That is very kind of him..." Lina thought hard for a moment. If this was true, then maybe Zelgadis was trustworthy afterall. But then again, the way Sylphiel had already proven she could mess up her brown-eyes illusion, maybe her lord did buy her for her half-breed blood. Now to kill 2 birds with one stone. "Do you know of Lord Zelgadis's business affairs?"
"Well, no..." Sylphiel looked a little befuddled.
Well, that rules out Zelgadis knowing she's a halfblood. If he did, he would ask her a lot about her thoughts on the other elvenlords, seeing if he could discreetly ask her what she was reading from their minds. "It's alright, Sylphiel. It's just that elvenlords are often preoccupied with business, and I wanted to understand Lord Zelgadis better..."
"Oh!" Sylphiel's eyes widened in comprehension. "I understand, Miss Lina." She smiled reassuringly. "But you're right about that. Lord Zelgadis spends most of the day in his study."
"Oh really?" Lina almost smiled sinisterly. Now for the 2nd bird. "Where is his study?"
"This way, Miss Lina." Sylphiel lead the way, only too eager to help.
Zel came to the breakfast table to find the courses there, but no Lina. He wandered towards the kitchen door and took a peak inside. Lina wasn't there either. Which was pretty strange, remembering how much she ate the day before.
Zel took a seat at the table and helped himself to breakfast. It was disappointing without Lina sitting across from him. He almost regretted the fact that it would take some time for her to get used to how he worked things on the estate. With Lord Dyran, she had learned already how to match him perfectly. She already knew her obligations and the allowance she would have for enjoying herself. She laughed and played and had so much fire... And Zelgadis could see in her eyes when she wasn't fulfilling her manipulative obligations, but taking advantage of allowance.
But she would never show Zelgadis that until she felt she had control over him. Zel sighed, and reached for a pot of coffee. Again, he stared across the long table.
Where is Lina?
"Does Lord Zelgadis spend so much time in his study?" Lina asked as they walked down a hall.
"Before tea time, he practices with his sword. Afterwards, he walks around, checking the estate. Then he goes back to his study and doesn't come out until he goes to his room for reading and tea before bed."
"Really?" Sword practice, huh? Lina smiled in thought.
"Miss Lina, we're here."
Lina looked to the double wooden doors. She was about to take one of the brass handles when Sylphiel gasped.
"Oh, my! I forgot! We're supposed to meet Lord Zelgadis for breakfast!"
Lina sighed, resigned. "Coming, Sylphiel."
It was 3:00PM. One hour before tea time. Lina picked up the sword and swallowed her pride. Any minute now, Lord Zelgadis would come into this very same courtyard to practice with his sword. When he did, he would be in time to see just how terrible Lina's skills at the sword were.
Lina took postion and swiped with her sword. Her form, completely off. A voice behind her said so. Lina mentally counted to 10 before turning around.
"My Lord Zelgadis." She curtsied slightly.
"Where did you get that sword Lina?"
"I asked Sylphiel and she brought it to me."
Then she doesn't know where the armory is. That's a relief. "Would your taking up the sword so suddenly have anything to do with me?" He asked, commenting on her obvious novice level.
"Of course not, my Lord." She smiled surprised.
Zel's expression was strewn with skepticism. I wonder if she knew my reputation as a swordsman from elvenlord politics, or from one of my house servants? Zel unsheated his sword and set down the scabbard off to the side. She's probably taking up the same activities, just to get more chances to seduce me. Zel began his own practice.
Off on another side of the courtyard, Lina kept up her improper swipes. She took a sideways look at Zel who completely ignored her. Damn it! Doesn't he notice?! Keeping this up isn't easy! Lina clumsily dropped her sword again. But Zel still ignored her. After another clumsy handling, Lina became very annoyed. But not in frustration with the sword. She didn't have to be frustrated with her swordsmanship skills. Because they were encellent. In reality, Lina had been training herself for years, watching the gladiators. An ambitious concubine made lots of enemies in a large harem like Dyarn's and she wanted to be ready for anything. Zelgadis still ignored her. She stopped swiping and came up behind him. "My Lord, I would be honored if you would give me the proper instruction." Again, swallowing her pride.
"Lina, I would have to hold you pretty close to guide all your movements." Zel continued his swipes.
"I don't mind, my Lord."
"Hmph. Nice try." Zel stopped practicing his parries and stepped farther and farther from Lina to practice his thrusts.
Lina squeezed her fists, growling. achem
Zel's sword clattered to the ground, knocked from his hand. "Lina?"
She stood before him in perfect position. "My Lord Zelgadis, perhaps you would like some instuction?" Lina's blade picked up his sword by the hilt, and tossed it to him.
Zel caught the sword perfectly. "My Lady." He bowed slightly, getting into position.
After the first encounter, Zel barely managed to keep his sword.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't underestimate me, my Lord." Lina circled him with her blade tip.
Zel smiled and got into position. Lina dodged his next thrust and they stood at a stand still for a moment as their swords did all the movement. Zel thrusted again, but Lina only stood there. She leaned ever so slightly enough for him to miss. Zel was both outraged and impressed with her cunning, but that didn't last. She raised her sword straight up, and it caught the back of his sword hilt as he tried to retract. But, still in the motion of pulling back, he inadventently brought Lina with his sword. She headed straight for a kiss, but he ducked and swished his sword back into ready position.
Lina started to giggle. It was the most refreshing sound Zelgadis had heard in a long time. And her smile struck him with awe. She's being real now...
Lina raised her sword again against Zelgadis. Fire and Rain! Lina grinned. His expression when I had almost caught him - ! Not that she was planning to really kiss him. I would have pulled back. I just wanted to scare him. From the back of her mind, a voice reminded her to stay on her guard and stop playing. That was a stupid decision. I can't waste time having fun! I have to get him! It was at that point that Zel knocked the sword from her hand.
She stood perfectly still as he stepped closer, his sword never leaving her neck.
"Well played, Lina. But you suddenly lost the vigor you had before."
"Forgive me, my Lord." She distracted him with a focused gaze, inching past his sword tip. "But you were distracted for a moment earlier as well, I recall." She smirked, creeping closer. To her surprise, Zel didn't blush. He smirked. He quickly reminded her of his blade at her neck before she came any closer. Lina froze.
"My Lady." He stepped closer with a sinister smile. Then he whispered in her ear, slowly and deliberately. "That was very well played." The sword left Lina's neck and she just stood frozen, as he walked away chuckling to himself.
When she came to herself, she shook her fist in the air. "Oh, yeah? Well, you just wait until tonight!" Of course, she had made sure he was far out of distance before her outburst.