Post 5

Rayna went in search of her pupil later in the afternoon, a list of questions written out on a piece of parchment in her neat handwriting. When he wasn’t in his room, she caught the sleeve of a passing servant. “Have you seen Master Arius, the one who is using this room?”

The girl bobbed a curtsy. “Yes, my Lady, I saw him heading for the practice yard with his blade at his side. He usually spends a few candlemarks there each day.”

“A soldier, then? Hm…” She waved for the girl to go on, and then turned and made her way to the practice yard. She had only been there a few times, as most of her students were rarely ever in a position to be concerned with protecting their own persons. Assigning bodyguards was much more practical than teaching some foppish boy-child how to use a sword.

The sound of clashing swords reached her ears before she made it to the yard. Surely they weren’t practicing with real weapons? But she turned the corner, and there before her, stripped to the waist, were two men at arms dripping sweat as they attempted to get the better of her pupil. He fought like a demon, and seemed barely winded as he held his ground before their battering. She kept to the shadowy hallway for awhile, watching, enjoying the scene before her. She could cross off one of her questions; with the graceful way he moved, if he couldn’t dance it wouldn’t take much to teach him.

Rayna enjoyed watching him move, and the way his soft breeches and shirt molded to his sweat-slick form was certainly pleasing to the eye. He handled his sword delicately with a sure hand, and barely seemed to consider any of his moves before he made them. The two men he practiced with could not come close to scoring a hit on him. He would be lethal in a real sword fight.

A delicious shiver crawled across her skin before she stepped into the light and cleared her throat softly. The fighting stopped instantly, all three men dropping their swords and turning towards her. A brief scowl passed Ari’s face before all emotion left his eye, but she had seen it. So he didn’t like to be interrupted, did he? She pasted on a gleaming smile and waved prettily. “Hello, gentlemen! May I please steal away Master Arius for a little while? You may have him back momentarily!”

The two men looked to Arius, and he waved them away. With a perfectly blank face, he approached her. “I apologize, I’m dirty and sweaty.”

She shrugged. “No matter, I only need a few answers and you can return to bashing at each other.”

“Bashing… Do you disapprove? Shall I put away my sword until you are done with me?”

Rayna arched her fine blond brows and tapped her lips with a fingertip, studying him for a moment before answering. “We had a nice ride this morning, Master Arius. But obviously something has changed since then. What happened?”

He looked away, not answering. She didn’t need to know about the worries that were swarming through his head.

She hesitated before reaching out to lay her hand firmly on his arm. “Shall I add another rule? No secrets between us?”

He rolled his eye and shook off her hand. “No secrets.” His laugh was chilling, and her shiver this time was far less pleasant. “I’m afraid that is one promise I will be unable to fulfill. If that is one of your stipulations, then we may as well end this right now.” He met her gaze squarely, his gray eye flashing steel. “My secrets are mine to keep, and only mine. But I will be frank with you. I’m not certain that I am up to the pretense of pretending to be something I am not. I am not a Lord, I am not well-born, and I most certainly am not a gentleman.”

Rayna took a step back and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. She took a small comfort from seeing his gaze flash down to her cleavage before he flushed and his eye snapped back up to her face. “Not a gentleman? Indeed? What exactly makes a gentleman, Master Arius?”

He frowned, his eye narrowing, wondering at her motives. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean. You are correct, you are not a Lord and you may not be well-born, but you are the very essence of a gentleman. So what exactly makes a gentleman?”

Arius shrugged uncomfortably. “I have no idea. I assumed a title did.”

Rayna smiled tightly. “Hmmm. Being a gentleman does not depend on one’s social standing, Master Arius. It is a man’s behavior which makes him a true gentleman, and even the lowest born peasant may be a gentleman. I can tell that it is in your nature to care for those around you, to ensure that others’ needs are dealt with before your own. You are a gentleman in every sense of the word.”

He looked away, and she stepped close again, laying her hand back on his damp sleeve. “Master Arius, you can do this. Have a little faith in me, at least, that I can accomplish this. I have made do with far worse.”

Arius was silent so long that she was certain he would turn away from the path she had set, but finally he sighed deeply and shook his head. “I apologize, Lady Rayna.”

She smiled, far more pleased than she was willing to let on, and patted his arm softly before lifting her list. “I have a few questions, that I might better plan your lessons. Now, first off, can you dance?”

He shifted uncomfortably, flushing darkly yet again. “I have been taught before, but we weren’t exactly in… gentle company.”

“No matter, if you’ve covered the basics then it should be a simple matter to teach you the finer points. Now then, have you ever been to a social affair? A ball, or the theater, or…”

“No, nothing that could be considered an event, in any case. Consider me the roughest of peasants, and you’ll have an idea of my experience level.” He watched his men at arms practicing some wrestling holds together a little ways off, looking distracted, but Rayna was certain she still had his full attention.

“When I told you that you would be reading, I assumed you could read, and you did not correct that assumption.”

He nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. Her inquiries made him feel defensive, although that was probably his own insecurity and not doubts on her part. “I can read, and I can write.”

“The roughest of peasants cannot read, Master Arius.” She consulted her list again. “Do you know how the ranking tiers work, among the Lords? Do you understand rank, and the proper greeting for each level?”

He nodded again. “I do, to both. From the High Lord, to the Lord, to the Baron, to the Baronet, to the Knight, and then onwards down. Of course the feminine versions reflect; High Lady is the wife of the High Lord, to the Lady, to the Baroness, to the Baronetess. I do not believe there is an equal rank to a knight, since a lady may not be knighted. I, of course, am below rank to all of them, and so must show proper deference.” Arius worked hard to keep the snarl from his lips.

“Hm… as to that. Lord Wensella has decided that you must be a young Baron’s son, and so act accordingly. Can you adjust yourself to that title? For these lessons, at least?”

Arius hesitated, and then nodded yet again. “So I act as a Baronet would, although I do not hold the rank?”

“On the contrary, you act as a Baron would, and should be given the deference due any other Baron. You will inherit the title, after all.”

Arius thought that through. “All right; so I bow to a Lord, but none other?”

“Not unless you happen to meet the High Lord.” She laughed, and again the sound rippled through him, drawing at least a little light into his gray eye. Rayna hesitated and then grinned widely. “I know you are a mess, Master Arius, after your workout, but why don’t we go and get a basket from the kitchen and we can go over the rest of my list at our leisure?”

Arius cast another of his inscrutable glances towards her, but then nodded. “If you will fetch the basket, then I will go and clean up. I’ve had my share of the sword for today.”

She nodded. “All right, we can meet in the rear garden.” She flounced off, and he watched her go, wishing his heart didn’t still feel so heavy.

Waving to his men, he headed back to his room, thankful that he had finally gotten a measure of the maze of hallways through the manor. He ducked into his room for a fresh shirt and breeches, and then made his way to the one of the bathing rooms. Those were a new experience for him; one room for the women and one for the men, each lined with a dozen copper tubs. Water was somehow piped into those tubs, both cold and hot. Usually he enjoyed the novelty as long as possible after a training session with his men, but today he rushed through a swift wash, then braided his hair back after only a quick scrub dry with a linen towel. He threw his clothes on then stomped his feet back into his boots and headed back to meet Lady Fairhaven.

Rayna Fairhaven had never been one to back down from a challenge, and as she watched Arius cross the pebbled path towards her, fresh from a quick bath and in a new change of clothing, she knew it would take more than a little bit of temper and stubbornness to keep her away from this one. He was gorgeous, and not just in a skin-deep way. He was courteous when he tried to be, and while his modesty was almost a touch too intense, it was better than the other extreme. To top it all off, he had good manners and intelligence in spades. She suspected a clever nature behind that sober gray eye.

The dark blue shirt and black breeches he had changed into were close fitting, and she noted with satisfaction that he had chosen from the clothing she had had sent to his room rather than from the slightly more casual styles Eithna had provided for him. His long hair was twisted back into a braid that hung down his back, and she examined him while trying to decide whether or not he would need a haircut.

Arius almost hesitated as he approached the Lady Fairhaven where she was reclining in the shadow of a large tree, a blanket spread out beneath her with an appetizing lunch set out close by. She was back in her purple dress from this morning, and the color set off her alabaster skin nicely. Her blond ringlets were still neat and tidy, even after their morning ride, and she looked as fresh as if she had just risen from bed. Her gaze seemed thoughtful as it caressed him from tip to toe, and he suppressed a shiver at the intensity in her doe-brown eyes. He reached the edge of the blanket, and hesitated only a moment before sketching a suitable bow, peeking at her from beneath his thick lashes to gauge her reaction.

She laughed softly, and he concealed another shiver as the soft chime of her amusement washed over him. “Come now, Master Arius, sit beside me and let us enjoy this lovely meal.” She held a hand up to him, and he obediently pressed his lips to her fingertips before settling down across the blanket from her. She giggled and patted the spot beside her. “Come on now; do not be shy, not with me.”

He shook his head, and she let the matter lie with a deep sigh. “Such a stubborn boy you are.” Rayna tipped her head curiously and nibbled on her full lower lip charmingly. “I am only a few summers older than you, so at least we should suit just fine. I think we should play the role of lovers. Rumors are already running rampant about how Lady Eithna brought home a fine young specimen and who will get her claws into him first.”

The flush was back. He really needed to work on not letting her embarrass him. The idea horrified him. “Lovers? What do you want me to…”

“Does the idea repel you so?” She lifted that blond brow again and tapped her lips with one fingertip, and his felt his flush darken even more.

“Of course not. But in public? In front of everyone?” He was certain he looked as terrified as he felt. She confirmed his suspicion when her smile gentled.

“You won’t need to be so obvious. A few well-timed scenes will have every gossip spreading rumors. No one, and I mean no one, touches a man that I’ve laid a claim to, at least not until I’ve moved on. That should keep you safe from the preying mamas until you’re ready to handle them on your own.” She took the initiative and crawled towards him, and smiled as she saw his gray gaze riveted on her swaying cleavage. “But not safe from me, of course.” She slid around to settle herself beside him, cuddling his arm to her side. “I’ve decided that we should just go the easy route and become lovers in truth, Master Arius.”

“Wha-.” He tried to pull his arm away, but she held firm. What in the seven hells was she up to? Just this morning she was setting him in his place, and now she was nearly climbing into his lap. It took every ounce of his self-control not to dump her on the blanket and run for his room.

“Don’t act so surprised. I told you that I would make certain you knew if… when… I became interested. I’m interested. I can’t be much more obvious than that.” She reached up and touched his cheek as he stared at her, stunned. “Now kiss me, you foolish man.”

Arius swallowed hard, flush gone, skin gone clammy and pale. His heartbeat was thudding thunderously in his ears. He had never had a woman approach him so blatantly like this, and wasn’t exactly sure how to react. “I…”

She sighed and reached up to pull his head down towards her, tipping her own head until their lips met. He was shocked at the contact, and then suddenly, no matter his resolve, he was kissing her as if his life depended on pleasing her. A satisfied little hum sounded in the back of her throat, and before he knew it, he had her pressed down on the blanket and the kiss had deepened intimately. Chills raced through his blood, followed by a searing heat as she pulled him closer, nearly dragging him over her, running her hands up over his back and shoulders.

Arius heard a soft growl leave his own throat as he tore his mouth from her pouting lips and began to rain soft kisses across her chin and down her neck. She sighed and let her head fall back to the blanket, obviously enjoying his touch. He clenched his hands on the blanket, resisting the overwhelming urge to explore her curves.

It had been summers since Rayna had taken an experienced lover and the difference between those fumbling boys and this man’s intensity all but shattered her. She slid her hands across wide shoulders thick with muscle and shifted to press herself against his hardness. Her curves fit into his angles perfectly. She reached one hand up to pull the ribbon from his hair and the thick tresses fell around them, closing them off from the rest of the world. His scent surrounded her, woodsy and earthy and delicious. She tugged his head back up to meet his lips in another searing kiss that left her breathless. She tangled her fingers into his hair and wanted the moment to last forever, but she sensed his sudden hesitancy.

“No, no. Don’t stop now, Ari.” Rayna whispered against his lips, meeting his gaze pleadingly. She pressed a small kiss at the corner of his mouth when he would have pulled away. An agonized look flitted through his eye, and she reluctantly let him go. He sat up abruptly, moving away from her and turning his back on her. She lay where she was for a moment, every inch of her throbbing with need, and then she pulled herself together and sat up. His long hair was spread like a curtain across his back, and it tickled her fingers as she reached out to place a hand gently on his back. Rayna resolutely ignored his flinch at her touch. “Ari, are you okay?”

He shook his head, not answering. She moved onto her knees behind him, placing her other hand on his shoulder. “Ari, look at me.”

He shook his head again, and she frowned, her stubborn streak rising to the surface. “Look at me!” She struck his hard back gently.

He hesitated before glancing over his shoulder at her, clearly torn. “I can’t do this, Lady Fairhaven. Maybe I should just go home.” He turned back away from her.

Rayna rolled her eyes. “Lady Fairhaven! After all that? Ari, you cannot be like a spoiled child and just give up when you are worried. I apologize if I acted too quickly for you; I’ve never been one to wait on anyone else’s whims. I’m the sort of woman who reaches out with both hands and grabs onto whatever it is I want. And I will plainly admit that I want you. But if you aren’t ready for that, then I’ll accept it. At least for now, I will. I’m sorry.”

His bark of humorless laughter caught her unawares. “You’re sorry! I am the sorry one, Lady- Rayna. I cannot seem to make up my mind; I clearly have no clue what I want.” What was he supposed to do? A fortnight ago he thought he was heartbroken over Eithna, and now here he was wrapped in another woman’s embrace. Eithna hadn’t even crossed his mind until a moment ago. If that didn’t scream of a fickle nature, he didn’t know what did.

He jumped a little when Rayna leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s okay, it really is. You have time to figure that out. I’ll give you some space, and we can continue on as if nothing had happened. There is so much to teach you, after all.”

He shoved to his feet and strode away without a response. He felt her watch him leave, her gaze weighty. Neither noticed Eithna watching from the shadows.

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4/16/11- updated