Event: Ersand'Enise's most eligible bachelor and bachelorette?
| Location: Ersand'Enise
The man stumbled out of the Forked Tower, rubbing his head with confusion. Curiosity had got the better of the cat, as it led him to Juulet's trap, which landed him squarely at the door demon of room 69. Despite attempts to explain the mistake, his words fell on deaf ears. Now, he found himself enduring the consequences of a gender-swap for an unspecified length of time. A quick change of clothes granted spared him from potential awkwardness with his transitioned figure, and now standing at 5ft 7, the Torragonese noble bachelor ventured into the town as he tried to make sense of his newfound situation.
Aside from the height difference, not much had changed much. He still has his long red hair, his blue eyes, though the petite physique was now lean and more masculine. The new clothes suited him well, a noble suit tailored to his size and dimensions, though in places it fit too snugly. A glimpse of his reflection in a piece of shining metal at the market revealed a resemblance to his brother, Jorge.
Adjusting to the social dynamics of being a man proved challenging. Men seemed to frown at each other, and even a friendly smile was met with derision from his peers and elders. When he looked towards women, his attention brought a mixture of results from hostility from the males, a disapproving reserved look from the women, and sometimes what appeared to be a blush and a giggle from the girls around his age. As he moved through the town, he maintained a positive demeanour, noticing some stray kitties and taking a moment to scratch them behind the ears. At least he still had his charm intact where it mattered. His laugh pleasant and sweet, as he displayed affection towards these wonderful creatures.
Wandering through the streets, followed by his new feline companions, he stumbled upon a crowd near one of the local restaurants. From what he could make out from the flyers, Ipte's Courtyard and The Taster’s Union were organizing a one-off event - a dessert tasting experience. With a sweet tooth intact, even with the transformation, he approached the restaurant. The catch: the special offer was limited to couples only. This posed a dilemma; he pondered convincing Rikard to join him, only to realize the challenge of explaining his current predicament and the unlikeness of him accepting whilst he was in his current form. He had considered his other friends, Maura, Zarina, or perhaps even Jocasta, though the humiliation from confiding in them would be merciless.
What appeared to be a saving grace is the marketing was tailored to those like normally like himself. It was fluffy, pink, hearts and very feminine. This worked to attract the attention of girls walking past, or those seeking to find a mister to escort them through the door. His attention turned to a girl from his Darhannic studies class, a friend of Zarina. He recalled that her name rhymed with Taffy, remembering it was Raffie. Despite limited knowledge about her, she seemed pleasant and might make a suitable partner for him. Contemplating the best approach to invite her, he rejected the idea of being too forward, like many of the male peers might consider or the tall-tale Prince Charming approach, where they would hope to sweep her off her feet. Unlike them, he had insider knowledge to how a girl thinks, and it was time for him to take advantage of it.
Approaching Raffaella with a suave smile, he extended his arm, palm open towards her as he offered her to take it.
"Mi’lady, will you accept my invitation to join in indulging in sweet desserts for the next hour or two?" The straightforward manner of the proposal cut to the heart of the matter, emphasizing the shared enjoyment of sweet treats without the unnecessary pretence that came with such an advance. As if on cue, one of the stray kitties brushed up around their feet and purred contently.
Raffaella was right outside the door of the event, absorbed in her prayers for happiness for the couples passing by. Some thought it quaint, others found it endearing. Only a few opted to actually stop and
*join* the girl as she prayed over them, however. All these were Darhannic as well. In fact,
*all* of the Darhannic students that came stopped to pray with her. They all seemed to know her, or at least know her name. Perhaps it was fitting for the shy girl who paradoxically tried to look her best without standing out.
She had just finished her latest prayer when a cat wandered up and curled on her foot. She smiled, giving in to the adorable creature's plea for scratches.
"What am I to do with you? You're just so needy~" she "chastised" in her native language.
Then came the unexpected invitation. A hand outstretched as she looked at a familiar face. She'd
*seen* this person before. Maybe. Or was it a relative? But regardless...
How could a
*guy* be this..?!
Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushed pink to match the rest of her, and she squeaked like a little mouse.
"H... Holah," she said uncertainly, cuing in on his Torragonese accent.
"E-Estoy..." she paused, as if she forgot what came next... nothing else came next, right?!
"Raffie," she finished, her voice barely above a whisper.
She was shy, alright. In fact, she looked like she wanted to flee—but there was, presently, a cat curled up on her foot, and as all true cat lovers knew, movement in this situation was forbidden.
"Um... I can't speak Avincian that... formally. I'm sorry!" She clapped her hands together in apology.
"Er, or speak Torragonese, like, at all." She frowned and gripped at the loose floof of her dress.
Man, he looked
*really* cute.
Er, important! Yes yes, VIP level nobility! Wow!
He smiled warmly at her as she searched for words, displaying patience and politeness.
“Selam ben A… Selam ben Asier.” He almost stumbled over his own name, unable to reveal his true identity at the moment. Instead, he chose to adopt the name of his pet puff lion and esteemed ancestor. His cheeks flushed as he acknowledged the stutter,
“My Virangish is just as bad,” attempting to play it off as a language barrier with a chuckle.
Asier noticed the cat moving on her foot, registering the panic on her face. He tilted his head, he crouched down, guiding the kitty off her foot with a gentle
pspsps using his finger to scratch and brush against the cat's body.
“It seems wherever we go, these cute lil’ furballs have a habit of following. Probably because we keep feeding them.” Looking up into Raffie’s face with a smile, he continued,
“Speaking of which, are you hungry?” Patting his stomach to indicate his own hunger in that universal language, he took the girl’s hand within his own as he stood up.
Surveying the restaurant's interior, even with the spontaneity of the event, it was nearly at full capacity. Asier spotted a cosy spot near the kitchens, clearly one of the better seats for catching the attention of passing servers. Hoping his increased size included a bigger stomach, he gestured for her to take his arm, signalling the start of their entrance.
“There seems to be a table in there, ideally placed for the two of us.” He motioned towards the greeter, indicating their desire for seating, as he prepared for escorting her inside.
Raffie couldn't help but giggle as "Asier" blushed. She wasn't sure why, but it just slipped out.
"I'm sorry! I don't mean to be rude. It's... a good name. Your parents chose well." She smiled somewhat ambiguously.
She joined him in spoiling the cat, ruffling its fur.
"Yup! We keep feeding them, 'cos they're cute!" she replied cheerfully. Then, she frowned.
"Am I that obvious?" she asked.
"...Thank goodness!" she heaved a long sigh.
"I thought I'd lost my touch! I wanna go inside so bad~! But all the boys are too nervous to ask me... not that I'm one to talk." She fidgeted a bit. It was her own fault, refusing anyone who was after more than just a one-off tea and dessert date.
Asier, however, seemed to share a similar goal in mind to Raffie. Somehow, being with him felt cosy, though she couldn't place why just yet. She clung to his arm without hesitation and...
Haha! As if! She was nervous as heck! She took his arm with a touch so gentle it could barely be called grabbing. She was understandably anxious with this tall stranger, no matter how vaguely familiar, friendly, and good-looking he might be. But at a second glance, she wasn't looking
*away* from Asier so much as she was looking around at the other couples, and in particular, the other girls.
Will they get mad? Girls are scary when they get jealous... she thought as she sat down. She put her hands in her lap and tapped her thumbs together nervously. A few times, she almost put her hands on the table, and she abruptly stopped swinging her legs once or twice. Table manners didn't seem to come naturally to her. Nor patience, but she was trying!
Asier smiled widely, saying,
“Named after the legendary lion knight himself, and as a consequence, probably quite a few kitties with that name as well. As for my parents, we are fortunate that they never settled on Harold. There was a girl whose parents were so convinced they were getting a boy, she ended up with that unfortunate name.” His smile softened as she attended to the cat,
“Yes, you are a cat person, just like one of us. No turning back now.”After his comments, Asier appraised her, examining her features. It's an odd feeling being so tall and looking towards someone shorter than you are. He isn’t tall for a male, but still a fair distance taller than his previous height. He smiled warmly as he looked into her eyes,
“Worry not; you have this captivating aura that draws in people's attention and lights up the room. Any of those boys would be lucky to have you escorting them. Now, let’s investigate these puddings; they won’t eat themselves,” he winked towards her as he guided her inside, indicating to the wait staff the table he spotted and allowing them to be escorted inside.
As they stepped inside, a wave of warm air infused with the sweet aroma of baked goods and caramelized sugar greeted them. The dimly lit space gave a romantic ambiance as shadows from the candlelight cast across the antique wooden furniture and tapestry-adorned walls. The low hum of hushed conversation and occasional clinking of glasses and silverware created a lively yet intimate atmosphere. Each of the tables was adorned with crisp white linen cloth, showcasing an array of decadent desserts: Crème Brûlée with its crackling sugar crust, Trifles layered with fruits and cream, and Flummery moulded into shapes of sweet velvety goodness. Asier watched as Raffie appeared to be eyeing up the treats others indulged in, recognizing she is most likely just as looking forward to tasting them as himself.
Finally ushered towards their table by the bustling kitchen, they settled in, and their anticipation grew. Asier moved his long red hair out of the way as he tried to position himself within the chair. Navigating this outfit was a new experience, especially when he noticed just how uncomfortable it can be to cross your legs, finding himself quickly rectifying that error with his eyebrows risen in surprise. Finally settled as he sat facing towards Raffie, he smiled widely as he looked over the menu, and it was then he came to notice something unusual as his expression changed. He had the men’s menu. Glancing between his and Raffie’s, he noticed the details such as the font being different, her list looked shorter, and more surprisingly, his had prices against the options unlike hers. A mischievous smile played on his lips, and with a glint in his eye, he lowered the menu onto the table, saying,
“Just how big is your sweet tooth?”."Oh gawds, really?" She chuckled, picking up the pace.
"At that point, why not just change the name? If I had a kid, I'd want to know right away if they're a boy or a girl!"Distracted from her nervous musings, she looked at Asier.
"C-Captivating?" She blushed.
"You think? Everyone's looking at me, when I'm not looking?" she asked innocently.
"Gosh, but that'd be embarrassing~"She started fidgeting excitedly again as she picked up the menu.
No prices. That means everything's probably really expensive. Shoot, he's actually really nice. I should tell him. I should tell him, but! It all looks so good, and he looks really rich. It's no skin off his nose, right?! Right!Unbeknownst to her, she was gnawing on her thumbnail the whole time, looking mildly frustrated as she eyed the menu. Eventually, though, she caught herself.
"Uhm, I'll just have one," she replied with a nervous smile. Then, her stomach growled.
"Uhm, or tw... three," she relented, with a big goofy smile.
*No more, Raffles. Any more than three and he'll definitely think you're gross. Like, a total pig.Asier nodded with a smile, as he gleamed with appreciation,
“You are definitely my kind of girl.” With a playful wink, he clapped on the table, and caught the attention of one of the waiters.
“We’ll take one of everything.” he declared confidently, placing an order for each delectable item on the menu.
The waiter, adorned in a crisp apron, approached as a subtle smirk played on his lips as he observed the pair. With a measured tone,
“Ah, Monsieur, feeling adventurous tonight, are we? One of each delightful delicacy, très bien. A feast for the senses, indeed." A subtle annoyance lingered in his voice, masked by the professionalism,
“But of course, Monsieur, we strive to accommodate all preferences. A delightful selection, but may I recommend a few personal favourites to truly enchant your evening?” He subtly attempted towards a more well-curated selection over an exhaustive one.
Asier smiled as he sensed the waiter’s disapproval, and chuckled,
“Ah, but we are very hungry, my good sir. The plan is to make this an evening to remember,” he replied, with a mischievous demeanour.
The waiter maintained his professional facade, nodded in acknowledgement.
“As you wish, Monsieur. A memorable evening it shall me. Your order will be promptly served.” He retreated, perhaps with a hint of bemusement, to relay the extravagant request to the kitchen.
As he waited for the banquet of desserts to arrive, he got the napkin as he fastened it to himself with a flair, as he began to strike up some casual conversation.
“What are your favourite things?”Raffie's eyes widened in surprise at Asier's order. Her cheeks flushed pink as she realized that he'd seen right through her, and her embarrassment only escalated as he navigated the waiter's subtle barbs.
Then came the question.
"Oh, you know! Cute things, fluffy things! Sweetness and pink, girly girl things!" she recited, as though she were asked every day.
Asier politely smiled as he ordered a bottle of wine from a passing waiter and poured some water into a glass. What a delightfully dull response to the question, he mused. He sat back and reflected, noting the absence of a follow-up question to encourage engagement. Perhaps he was always guilty of the opposite, recalling Rikard’s face every time he mentioned his cats.
“It is worth developing some niche or special interests,” he smiled wider as he leaned forward,
“We enjoy a number of them. First is my animals, from my kitties who have the habit of sitting on me while we are in bed, growling every moment for me to feed them, appreciating their insatiable appetites. Also enjoy combing the long hair mane of my beautiful mare, and riding my royal froabas, with a particular favourite of soaring high with him at sunset, watching the light creep away from the world. Simply divine.”As the wine arrived, he held his glass for it to be filled, and the waiter offered to fill Raffie’s glass as well.
“Second, we really love music, especially something with a strong beat. We find that dancing to a fiery flamenco can be so energizing and passionate, simply losing yourself in the heat of the moment. The moment the music stops, the lights go out, and the sudden coolness as the heat escapes your body. Exhilarating.” He took a drink from the glass, savouring the smell, texture, and taste. It was Perrench, as expected from an establishment like this. Certainly, one thing you cannot fault them for was the high quality of their wine, refined for hundreds of years.
He sat back and smiled toward Raffie with a playful smirk.
“How about the trials? How are you finding them?”*Now he's just showing off...* Raffaella thought, annoyed.
*I'd love to have hobbies, if I had any time or money for them.* She didn't let her irritation show, however.
"Ehehe, yep! Kitties are so full of mischief, but you just can't stay mad at them!" She curled up her fingers into little paw shapes and raised them up close against her cheeks, all giddy and giggly just thinking about them.
When the waiter offered wine, Raffaella refused.
"Oh no, I can't~! Juice please!" she requested instead. Then, the next topic came up. Finally! A saving grace! She gasped dramatically.
"I *love* to sing and dance~!" she proclaimed, even as Asier was still explaining. She covered her mouth in apology.
Of course, there were also the Trials. In truth, she was trying to forget about the next event.
"They were surprisingly fun!" she admitted, leaving out the part where she, the team's namesake, had contributed almost nothing to their success.
"But the next event is... how do I put it..." she rested her chin on her little hand in contemplation.
"Totally barbaric?" she ventured. Then, she heaved another big sigh.
"I can't fight at a~ll! I hope my opponents are nice. I don't wanna die..." She frowned, staring intently at the glass of grape juice in front of her.
Asier smiled as she engaged, even giving a chuckle as he watched her little cat impression. This is better, he thought. He appreciated her engagement, even if she interrupted him, not offended in the slightest.
“You do? We would love to sing and dance with you sometime. Warn you, though, things can get quite competitive.” He moved his hand onto hers,
“Will drag you onto the dance floor and have those pretty feet of yours tapping away. You should have seen last time when we dragged…” he paused for a moment,
“Well, it was electrifying.”He continued to enjoy the conversation as she opened up, preferring to hear Raffie enjoy the moment. His hand lingered on hers, as if they were sharing a connection with the other.
“They are challenging, fun, and intense.” He listened to her every word as he allowed her to express herself. He was in agreement; he had never killed anyone before either, and the thought of it, especially when it came to killing her friends, was unspeakable.
“As for Mano e Mano… there is an expression, there is more than one way to stroke a cat.” He squeezed her hand empathetically, then released it,
“There is no need to kill anyone; you just have to get them to leave the arena.”"Were they really that hard?" Raffie pondered, tilting her head innocently.
"I must be doing pretty well, then~! There's that one girl who keeps getting in the way, I guess," she remarked, referring to Taleja, vastly understating her annoyance with the woman.
She looked down at the hand that completely dwarfed hers, and realized that she'd left her hand on the table. Again. She smiled softly. Unlike a certain "maid," Asier didn't scold her for her bad manners. Bold of him to go for the hand-holding so quickly... but she'd let it slide.
After all, he was cu... ahem! A gentleman, yes.
"Can I really just make them leave? It's not like I can shove them off." She flicked a delicate finger, knocking a crumb of someone else's cake off the table.
*Missed a spot, Mr. the Waiter. Not very professional, despite your carefully managed appearances.* A slightly impish grin curled the corner of Raffie's lips, though it wasn't obvious why.
"I'd rather challenge my opponents to keep up with my dance moves. Ooh, or a beauty pageant! Since I'm just so~ captivating!" Her half-smirk became a full one as she teased him.
Asier smiled widely at the confidence, “Never underestimate an opponent; it is what happened last year, and we won. That caused quite an uproar.” On the topic of particular candidates, “Oh, quite a few of those. Marci is certainly playing the best so far, and Maura is after repeating her success from last year. That Vyshta girl is causing quite a stink, too… the boys are doing quite a poor showing.”
He beamed widely towards her proposal,
“That sounds like a fun challenge. We would love to find myself facing you; we’ll even put on our best dress for the occasion.” He imagined the dress as well, the red and black one with the lion mask that he wore for Nox Arcanium last year,
“Don’t think we’ll go easy because we like you.”The desserts began to arrive at the table, crowding it with a tempting array of flavours. Each dessert hailed from a different region, allowing one to taste a varied palette. From Perronce came the Crème Brûlée, its caramelized sugar crust shimmering in the soft candlelight, promising on the first crack to reveal a velvety vanilla custard beneath. From Enth was the Trifle, a layered marvel of sponge cake, custard, fresh fruits, and whipped cream. The Panna Cotta was a creamy delight of vanilla and fruity drizzle, promising an indulgence of Revidian culinary finesse. Bitesized Baklava with layers of phyllo dough, chopped nuts, and honey promised a taste of Virang. From Torragon was the classic choice of churros, crispy on the outside and tender within, served with chocolate sauce. Vossiyrian Medovik provided a layered honey-infused cake to enjoy. A sweet variant of Moin Moin from Belzagg came on the table, prepared with black-eyed peas, sugar, bananas, cinnamon, then steamed to perfection. Lastly, Helwa tat-Tork from Djamant, the sweet and nutty fudge delicacy of sesame seeds and honey served in bite-sized chunks, graced the table.
“Is that all, Monsieur and Mademoiselle?” Another waiter brought along a pair of elegantly crafted long-handled spoons, clearly designed not for individual use, as they were handed over. Asier playfully looked at the spoons,
“Looks like we can help ourselves to the desserts from the other tables with these.” The waiter, whilst bemused, sternly corrected the assumption.
“Today is a special day by Ipte for couples to enjoy this fine dining experience together. This, Monsieur, is for you to feed your Mademoiselle. Enjoy.” The waiter politely made his leave, leaving the pair with their conundrum.
Asier blushed as he began to survey the table,
“What would you like to try first?” as he offered to Raffie.
"I didn't make the cut for the Trials last year," Raffaella admitted casually.
"They kept trying to push me to learn atomic or temporal, but I'm just not strong enough in the Gift." She said it in a sing-song voice, like it didn't really bother her that much.
At the mention of boys not doing well, she tilted her head.
"That short lad with the funny hat seems to be doing alright. The one who wears a mask all the time?" she prodded, covering her mouth with a napkin.
"Which team are you on?" she added excitedly. The conversation shifted back to dancing, however.
"I wonder if the crowd would get mad~" she remarked absentmindedly, like she didn't really care if they did or not.
Best dress? she pondered.
Is that some kind of absurdism that only makes sense to nobles? In the end, she decided that giggling girlishly was a safe bet as always.
"Bah, do your worst, foul villain~! The ballroom floor shall see thy face smitten~!" she teased with a high-pitched war cry.
Then arrived the desserts. Her eyes sparkled unnaturally with arcane magic at the sight of them all. She did it so seamlessly; it was obviously an effect she practised often.
"Gawds, I wanna try them all. ...Did he just say you're supposed to feed me?" She paused. This was something... couples did.
Oh. Yeah. They got in on that pretence, didn't they? So, it couldn't be helped if they had to do something like this. That said, why was Asier blushing?!
"Oh, come on~!" she pouted.
"Look, I see you blushing. This was *your* idea, so don't get cold feet now!" she gently scolded him. She was blushing too, though, looking at his face and imagining him doing it.
"S-Surprise me," she demanded in that soft voice, closing her eyes.
Asier tried to recall someone who matched the description but struggled to think of any boys. However, he couldn’t resist some bemusement.
“We can only think of the girl in Fait Accompli… Heard her name is Bella.” He clicked his fingers as he nodded affirmatively, recalling the name used. When it came to the team he is on,
“We are on Singers and Saints… as a substitute when someone becomes inconveniently indisposed. Then we step in to help out.” He wasn’t exactly wrong, as he gave her a big grin, but it was certainly a stretch of the truth.
“The Moon Prince to the Sun King.” In reply to her boast,
“You would be purring like a kitten in our hands as we take you as our partner on the dance floor.”Asier couldn’t help but smile when called out for blushing, the corners of his mouth lifting.
“It is our first time doing something like this; it is kind of romantic when you think about it. Imagine if we were doing it as a real couple.” The tip of the spoon broke through the caramelized sugar as he began with the Crème brûlée, scooping up a mouthful of the delicious treat. He couldn’t help but feel his heart racing as he brought the spoon towards the other’s lips. There was just something so cute and vulnerable with her gesture; it made him want to feel… protective? Certainly, it stirred a sensation as he drew the spoon to her mouth.
“It’s entering now.” He delicately pressed it forward past her lips, as he began to fill her with the sweet treat. One spoonful at a time.
"Eh? A girl? No way, right? What girl in her right mind would hide her face~?" She cackled a little. Then, her eyes widened a bit in realization.
Wait, then is she the girl who went missing? Who just up and kidnaps someone that strong?! Scary!! Her face turned a bit sheepish as she realized that she might've been insensitive. She said nothing, however, and the two passed over the grim topic quickly.
At Asier's rebuttal, she seemed a little surprised.
"First time? Really?" She averted her eyes shyly.
"L-Lucky me." Is this what a romantic evening with a prince would be like? It is, isn't it! she realized, happily accepting the bite of crème brûlée. She cracked a wide smile as her cheeks tingled with delight.
"Mm~! What's next?" she asked without missing a beat.
But... shouldn't it be Asier's turn now? As if she suddenly had the realization herself, Raffaella nearly slammed her hand on the table to grab her own spoon.
"No, wait. You need to try this too!" she backpedalled, taking up a sample of the crème brûlée in her own spoon.
Outside, in the grander world of Sipenta, with its politics, power struggles both economic and martial, and businesslike marriage arrangements for mutual gain, it was a man's world. But here, in this protected bubble of precious, even
*sacred* romantic rites, the whims of the girl would direct the events of the evening. In this situation, as the man, Ayla's needs and desires took second place.
Yet Raffie, despite her obviously selfish motive in accepting Asier's proposal, made an effort to set her privilege aside. She had to raise her arm a bit just to reach him, and she held the spoon with a hand that trembled with signs of hunger and low blood sugar.
"Open wide~" she said sweetly.
Asier opened his mouth wide, resembling a lion about to pounce, his mouth roaring as he moved to attack the vulnerable crème brûlée. It was as if the spoon had a mind of its own as he was countered, the crème brûlée getting mushed over his nose. He blinked in sudden surprise as the rich flavour invaded his nostrils. He paused for a moment, shocked, then burst out laughing as he moved to hold onto the spoon, guiding it into his mouth to consume the mouthful.
“Our turn,” he moved his spoon over to the trifle, ensuring to scoop a big dollop of whipped cream. As he approached Raffy, he kept his other hand on her spoon to disarm her.
“Now make sure to open wide; we don’t want to miss...!” The custard prince threatened to make his date the cream puff princess as his movements hinted at getting her nose, then he would dive it into her mouth if she opened wide.
Raffie sat frozen in... fright?
"Oh no! I didn't mean it, I'm so sorry! Please..! ...Forgive... ...me." But Asier had laughed it off. She was so surprised by his reaction that she almost missed the counterattack, but managed to react just in time to get
*most* of the whipped cream.
"*Ooh,* now you've done it!" She grinned mischievously.
What followed was a spectacle that some might call a more elegant version of a food fight. They jousted with their spoons as they feasted on the delectable desserts. With each bite, Raffie's smile grew wider, her laughter more raucous. The two had become the centre of attention, but she was too focused on Asier to notice. Her signature shyness seemed to just melt away.
Come to think of it, had it even been there at all?
Even as Asier finished, Raffie kept going, until there was hardly a crumb left on any of the plates. At some point, she'd finally stopped shaking.
Oh dear. I really overdid it. She's definitely going to know that I've already had food today. Maybe this will be enough, if I go to sleep early. She covered her mouth and yawned loudly.
"Gosh, is it getting late? So... sleepy."Just like that, she was out. Fully asleep in her seat, as the waiter returned with the bill.
Asier had fun as he smiled towards the other girl. She definitely could out eat him when it came to puddings, a miracle in itself. He sighed whimsically, looking toward himself introspectively, wishing someone would do this with him, somewhat envious of the girl opposite. The waiter came with the bill after a delay, and after seeing the eye-watering price, he could understand why, especially with what appeared to be additional security by the doorway. He looked toward the sleeping girl, opened the coin purse, and essentially emptied it to pay for the dinner.
“What shall we do with you?”“If Monsieur is accepting suggestions, typically one should accompany the lady back home,” the waiter said, impressed by their appetites and the compensation in tips,
“A true gentleman would wrap a young lady in his jacket and carry her home.” Asier smiled a little at the suggestion,
“You are certainly a romantic at heart.” “It ended up with me being married for 24 years and counting,” the waiter politely nodded as he departed with his sage advice.
“Well, looks like we play this role some more, mi amor.” He removed his jacket and draped it over Raffie’s shoulders, then gently lifted the girl up in his arms in a bridal carry, escorting her out of the restaurant like a Prince Charming. As the fresher air hit his senses, he made a realization as he looked down toward her.
“Where do you live?” He mulled over the options as he discreetly caressed her cheek, as he wiped away some of the crumbs, before finally deciding to escort her back to his place. He knew she would be safe there at least, he would have to figure out the rest of the details later.
Asier was able to pick Raffaella up without any difficulty. Beneath the fluff, she was even smaller than she looked. There were probably mid-sized cats that weighed more than this fully-grown young lady. Was this really normal? Or was Ayla just that much stronger right now?
"Mmh... Ana... F-Fash..." she mumbled in her sleep, but didn't stir. While Asier walked and onlookers whispered and giggled, Raffaella slept peacefully right through it.
Asier may have intended to leave her in the care of Zarina, but he wasn't able to get far before a semi-familiar middle aged maid shrieked dramatically and ran over to him. "You! Put her down this *instant!"* she cried, causing Raffaella to jolt awake. However, she continued to pretend to be asleep, not moving a muscle.
Once she'd gotten a good look at Asier, the woman straightened her posture and bowed in respect, acknowledging his noble bearing. "My apologies. As I'm sure you can guess, this girl is my responsibility." She let out a hollow chuckle. "I'll escort her back to her quarters," she offered with her words, but not her hands. Perhaps she was too old to carry her; though, that was questionable.
Asier classically looked behind him, wondering what was going on, oblivious to the fact that initially, he was the one being hollered at. He eventually saw a maid giving him an evil eye, examining him up and down. She then became deferent in her mannerisms towards him, observing his noble bearing. It's a good thing he wasn’t trying to kidnap the girl, he thought, noticing the difference. He smiled toward the woman,
“No apology needed; misunderstandings can happen all the time.” He looked toward Raffie, the girl tucked up like a baby kitten, snug within his arms.
“It appears she doesn’t want to move,” as he shook her gently within his arms, trying to stir her awake,
“If you like, lead the way, and we will follow you.” He smiled politely towards her. If this maid was like one of her old ones, Raffie is getting plunged into the nearest fountain to wake her up and get her moving if he didn’t offer.
"Thank you for your understanding, milord..?" she inquired for his name. "Good grief. She just does whatever she likes, this girl. I have my hands full every day. Expecting her to act her age is like trying to squeeze water out of a rock." Raffaella was trying not to smile as the maid laid her troubles on Asier.
She led him to a small, unassuming place just outside the Queensgate. It didn't seem like the kind of building where a young noble lady and her maid would live. Inside, however, it had a distinctly upper class vibe; it was a haven of luxury hidden in plain sight.
An elderly woman in well-worn, ashen gray mage's robes greeted them with a smile as they entered. She didn't seem the least bit surprised to see Asier carrying Raffie. "Leave milady on the seat over there, if you please. Then you may go," the maid said with a stern expression, gesturing to the chair next to the old woman. "Please excuse her rudeness. She has her hands full every day, you see." She cracked a mirthful smile. "Why don't you stay awhile and have some tea and cakes?" she offered, grinning as though she had said something witty.
"Milady, this man was currently making off with your daughter before I stopped him. He tempted her with sweets at that location she told you about earlier today," she dutifully reported.
"She went inside after all, did she? Naughty girl, going somewhere you shouldn't be." Her words seemed intended for Raffaella, but her emerald eyes stared right at Asier, accompanied by a knowing smile. "You may leave us," she said, regarding the maid. She looked like she wanted to protest, but she obediently took her leave.
Slowly, she turned back to Asier. "The last time I met your mother, I was sure she was expecting a girl. How peculiar." As ever, she smiled. "Did the two of you have fun together?"
“Asier”—getting used to calling himself that name would take some time. He idly listened to the maid as she led the way. He was simply relieved he didn’t have to host the girl somewhere and answer a series of increasingly awkward questions about accommodation and decoration choices.
He came across a humble abode, and it was fair to say, it looked bigger on the inside and far more luxurious. As instructed, he laid Raffie on the nearby chair and was about to leave as instructed until the maid was interrupted by the lady of the house. He raised an eyebrow to her about him running off with her daughter, and he didn’t take much convincing to help guide Raffie home. Though in hindsight, it wasn’t exactly wrong either, simply not correct. He ended up sitting down next to the girl as he joined them, albeit temporarily, to prevent an unintended slight.
Asier was certainly surprised at the idea of this woman knowing his mother, especially given he hadn’t revealed who he was. He questioned if it was some kind of intimidation, though he continued to act as if it was natural,
“We do have a sister; perhaps it is her you are thinking of.” He left it open for the woman to further elaborate on her statement,
“How do you know her?”“The kitchen was kept busy, and our table kept fully replenished. We were not left wanting for dessert during our stay.” He moved to indulge in a sip of the drink offered to him.
“And it appears that the excitement of the event was too much for some.” He gave a playful and knowing smile as his eyes moved to indicate the girl beside him.
“It was a pleasant afternoon together.”"Hmm. Perhaps my memory is going sooner than I'd hoped," she replied in good humour. "I've met with a great many noble families. Used to be quite the diplomat in my younger years. I never did give up travelling, though." She gently ruffled Raffie's hair, sighing contentedly. "Soon I'll be too old. Then, off to the long dream I go. It'd be nice to know that this girl won't be left alone when I do. I'm happy you made a friend, little one."
Raffie, still pretending to be asleep, looked like she might cry. It was no coincidence that, around the same time, the old woman put her back to sleep with a gentle but strong surge of chemical magic. "I'd like to thank you, Asier, for keeping her safe and well fed, but now I need you to go. I need to tuck her into bed before we
all get in trouble." She smiled tightly, and did not elaborate. She was still pleasant, but she was very much urgently shooing him out the door, leaving him to speculate on Raffie's family circumstances.
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