-The Day before Luke and Laurels Arrival to Amplefort- 

The bright pale moon was high in the ebony sky as Elle Whiteshorn sat at the desk in her mildly decorated chambers, the soft candle light glew just enough for her to finish her hurried writing. Laurel was arriving tomorrow and Luke Conrad would be accompanying her, he had urgent news that required her fathers attention. Her flustered hair kept falling into her eyes as she scribbled with a tired sigh, her loose white silken night gown shifted slightly on her shoulders with the short excursion. With a small nibble of her own red lip she pushed her untameable hair back behind her ear as she kept on pushing herself through the boring work, as the cool night caused her to shiver slightly in her oaken seat

 Elle looked to the book she had been reading, copying the supply checks onto her own personal work notes. She was used to doing this paperwork. The important tedius checking and balancing her father was always too busy to attempt and with the latest Ashishian shipment just arriving that morning, the work was piled high with all sorts of legal work and permissions to compensate the long business partners that were the Ashishian merchants. However the arrival of the all too familiar merchants aroused more than paperwork, as a fantastical and giddy thought pranced freely in the depths of Elle's mind, only to her pessimism, to be thoroughly hidden and kept in secret despite the flutters this fanciful concept gave way to in her chest. 

 A small breeze was gently making its way through her bedroom window and scarlet curtains that was placed behind her. The breeze caused the tree that stood outside her window with the crisp amber leaves to scratch and hiss against the rough exterior wall. Her candle light nearly flickered out as the breeze gave way to a heavier sigh. Elle thought nothing of the night breeze as she remained trapped in her fantasy while her body routinely filled out such mundane orders and solved simple mathmatical problems. 

 Two ashen hands quietly found their way to grip the window sill, much to Elle's ignorance, soon after forcing a shadowy hooded figure into the room with a barely audible "oomf". The man took a soft step forward, wet boots soaking the fine woven carpet. As he slowly approached the unaware Elle he pulled back a brown hood, revealing a handsome young Ashtoken face, with a masculine nose between two soft silver eyes that glew with reflections of the dancing candle flame and a black as night stubble starting to shade his square jaw. The man slowly moved his hand past a small utility knife that hung loosely on a worn leather belt. A topaz crusted signet ring almost catching itself on a loose string that eluded the weave of his dark tunic that was wrapped close to the lean figure by a beaten leather jerkin, salty from long seaborne exposure. 

 The ringed hand eventually found its target: a long shimmering chain. As the man just reached Elle's chair and the pungent scent of the sea crinkled her delicate nose, the mans swift hands looped around her, locking the chain around her slender neck with a quick snap of a clasp. Revealing to Elle, a fine silver necklace, complete with an purple amethyst pendant crafted with delicate care in the hands of a skilled Kenero jeweller. The cold metal caused small goose bumps to pollute her fair skin and shot a small chilling ripple down her spine, only to be warmed once again by the thoughts that now flared wildly in her head, which now seemed to have manifested into reality. 

A pearly smile caught the faint flickering light of the candle as it stretched itself from ear to ear across Elle's pretty face, her eyes brightening with a loving glow as she turned quickly in response to the mans lingering touch.

"Jopol, I didn't expect you for another turn of the glass!" Elle remarked, standing up quickly to embrace the man. She went to the door and checked that no-one was on the other side, then came back, locking the door with a large metal bar. She rushed to the mirror "This... its beautiful" She said smiling as she span around again, "I would advise you to not sneak up on me. Next time you might lose your hand" She teased, embracing the man again.

Jopol wrapped his arms tightly around Elle's warm body, refresh both his own sea chilled bones and longing heart. His silver eyes danced with joy as he heard her voice once more parade in his ears. His big smile would've been impossible for him to hide even if he had wished, his face narrowing at Elle's comment and he slyly rebutted with a false dis-attachment, "perhaps I should've seeked out a smith rather than a jeweller."

"Well I cant kill a man with this.." She looked to the chain and stroked across it. "But i guess it will do, its always nice to be treated like a lady."

The smitten sailor replied with a simple light heated chuckle, his eyes locked on Elle's. Their hands fell from each others sides and entangled. Her soft fingers gripped his rough scarred hands as they stepped closer. Jopol leaned in, sealing the moment with a soft kiss. Her lips pulsed against his as the hard stone casing that had imprisoned her heart to such an abrasive level cracked and shedded, giving way to that soft beating flutter that she had felt long ago when they first had met. The cold loneliness that had so gripped her was boiled away by the soothing warmth of his breath and the care of his gentle touch, enlightening her newly lightened spirit with the fire that satisfies the long waiting one lover cradles for the other. 

Elle pulled away slowly from her lover, she gripped the mans wrist and gently walked him to the bed. She kissed him once again before slowly slipping out of her night gown, she pushed Jopol onto the bed and straddled him as the breeze from the window extinguished the candle light.

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A soft dawns light barely peeked into the dim room, splashing just enough of the sun on the couple's faces to stir them gently from their dreams, but not from each others tight embrace. A calming song gently drifted and chirped from a lonely songbird that had taken residence in the autumned tree, bringing a pleasantry to their ears. Jopol opened his eyes, they fuzzed for a moment than readjusted. Two happy hazel eyes stared right back into his, "Good morning, love." Elle whispered with hints of still being near breathless from the night. Her warm breath caused Jopol to blink and smile as he returned her blessing, 

"good morning [i]princess[/i]," he said in almost a joking manner as he rested his hand flat on her soft cheek. Elle took her own around it and gave false frown, 

"now is that any manner for a pauper to talk to nobility?" She quoted a past event with a charismatic mockery whisper in her voice. 

Jopol laughed heartily, as she shared in the humour. He presented his ring, "well at least I rose somewhat from that old title of pauper," he defended himself lightly, "Infact I recently heard Gori Lamillur himself requests my presence to discuss some things, [i] The First Star [/i]," he said trying to hide a child like excitement. 

"Oh?" Elle said equally as excited "Maybe you are the succession to the throne?" She teased twirling his hair between her fingers. "Maybe then you wont have to climb through my bedroom window when we meet. And I don't have to blame the insects for those red bite marks on my neck" She said softly as she kissed up his strong jaw line, then stroked at his hair once again. "I didn't even think Asktoken could grow hair" She joked teasingly "Why the locks? Not that I don't mind some fluff on your head for once"

As Jopol smiled , remembering all the excuses they had both made up over the years to their superiors, or in her case, father, he remembered his hair and his expression changed to one of a wide eyed doe. 

"Shit, I cannot see the Stars like this," he then looked at her, and the reassuring smile that was so beautifully painted on her rosy cheeks shooed away such minkr cultural thoughts and instead ushered back his revitilizing smile Elle had grown to enjoy so much, "you also didn't think Ashtoken could smile, or even give reasons for such excuses," he said reminding her of a seemingly far away past with a witful wink. 

Elle suddenly remembered "Oh by the way, my sister is returning today, Luke Conrad is bringing her and I believe she will be staying for a few days." She remarked sitting up as she thought about all the work that needed to be done before hand. "I should have finished that paperwork last night... unfortunately someone distracted me" She looked to the Ash man beside her. 

Jopol stretched and made a face, "whoops," his voice was heavily drowned in sarcasm. With a quick yawn he looked over at his beautiful partner, "Perhaps, I am to be appointed King," he said stroking his growing beard, 

"Then perhaps someone will find the thief who keeps stealing your clothes off the floor," his eyes scanned the room "and promptly thank them."

"Alas my sweet," he continued, his rougish smirk dominating his face, "I must make haste to the Citadel, and perhaps I will come back with a solution to the distance that tends to haunt us."

"But for now," Elle continued, "that distance doesn't [i]need [/i] to come around for a few hours, "he smirked back, wrapping her slender arms around Jopols neck, who in return gave her a suggestive glance as her leg rubbed up against his.

The paperwork laid on the desk, only to be thrown off by a gust of wind as the two lovers picked up what began so long ago in a heat of passion.