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(day after escape)
Ryker quietly left Ayla’s room, casually walking through the halls of the castle. He was on his way to go speak to Ritza now for the first time in quite a while. He had absolutely no idea what to expect from her at this point. He hoped she was in the mood for talking, but he knew better. He wasn’t sure if she knew that Fenros was alive or not. And, if not, she was bound to be very, very angry.

Ritza was in the Vanguard's common area in the castle, throwing daggers at a spot in the wall. She was currently the only one in the area, since everyone else was outside training. Her eyes were dark and focused, imagining the king's head as her target. First her father, now Fenros; she was done with important people disappearing from her life. Even more so with the man behind it all.

Ryker walked first to the training yard, checking for Ritza there. Not finding her, he decided to check in the Vanguard barracks. Spotting her throwing knives, he had to take a moment before approaching her. Ritza with just fists was dangerous but Ritza with knives was a death wish. He slowly and cautiously came up behind her. [color=slategray]”Hey, Ritza? Can we talk?”[/color]

She would recognize that voice anywhere. Her fingers tightened around the blade in her hand as her eyes narrowed even more. Letting out a slow breath, Ritza kept her eyes on the wall in front of her. [Color=red]”What is it, Ryker? Gonna tell me someone else I love died?”[/color] With a quick snap of her wrist, the knife shot out of her hand and landed firmly in the wall.

[color=slategray]”Haha,”[/color] he replied, sarcastically. He stood behind her, watching her as she threw the knife. [i]At least it wasn’t aimed at me.[/i]

[color=slategray]”I want to talk to you in private, if possible.”[/color] 

Letting her eyes slide close for just a moment, Ritza clenched both hands into fists. She cleared her throat when she realized her hands were empty- no more knives for her to throw. Having a feeling this had something to do with Fenros, she gave a small nod of her head. [Color=red]”Fine.”[/color] 

She opened her eyes and headed over to the wall before yanking the knives out. Gripping her left hand around them, she turned and walked off towards her quarters.

[i]Fuck, she’s bringing the knives…[/i] Ryker thought to himself before following along with her. After working in the Vanguard for ten years and as a mercenary before that, few things scared him as much as this woman with weapons.

Once they were back to her quarters, he made sure the door closed behind him before speaking up again. [color=slategray]”I imagine you’ve heard about Fenros,”[/color] he began vaguely to see what she knew.

As they walked, she could feel the tension in the air. She smirked at the thought of Ryker being very well aware of the knives in her hand. It was good to have a man exactly where she wanted him.

They soon entered the room and she dropped the knives onto the table. Folding her arms across her chest, she went to turn to face him. She stopped when he began talking. Ritza cleared her throat before glancing at the door. Lowering her voice, she looked back at him. [Color=red]”You're his best friend, so I'm only going to say this once.”[/color] She lowered her voice even further as she watched him. [Color=red]”He's alive. He escaped.”[/color]

His eyes widened briefly, although he really shouldn’t have been surprised. He wasn’t sure how she learned about this, although the fact that she had been Eleanor’s bodyguard might have had something to do with it. [color=slategray]”I know,”[/color] he spoke, matching her voice level. He paused a narrowed his eyes. [color=slategray]”How do you know?”[/color]

Her jaw clenched as she watched his face. She shouldn't have disclosed the information she had learned directly from Fenros. Last thing she needed was their affair out in the open. Ritza needed to keep her feet on the very fine line that was left.

She looked away as she spoke to him. [Color=red]”I went to the dungeons to free him.[/color]

[color=slategray]”So...you succeeded then?”[/color] he wondered aloud. It was slightly surprising to him that she would risk herself to save him. He never expected Ritza to be the type to do such a thing.

Ritzas hands clenched into fists against her chest. Her eyes narrowed at the slate gray wall she was looking at. If she had been sooner, she would have saved him. Would have happily handed him over to his darling princess. She looked back at his face, her eyes searching his. [Color=red]”No. I didn't. Someone else got to him first. Don't ask me who, cause I have no damn idea.”[/color] There was no way she was mentioning the strange woman to him.

Ryker’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. If it wasn’t Ritza who saved him, then who? [color=slategray]”Huh. That’s….strange.”[/color] His eyes wandered to the ceiling as he stood, deep in thought. Other than Eleanor, himself and Ritza, he wasn’t sure who else was close enough to Fenros to want to free him. But then again...he had sent news to the Ouroboros the day of his arrest. Maybe they had something to do with it? Maybe a trip to see Zeresh was in order.

He returned his gaze back to Ritza who seemed as agitated as ever. [color=slategray]”Do you have any idea where he is now?”[/color] If it was the Ouroboros, he didn’t expect her to know, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

Keeping her eyes on him, she raised a brow as she studied him. He knew something. The man knew something and he was hiding it. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. Finally his attention came back to her.

Ritza gave a small smirk as she tilted her head in thought. There was only one way she knew how to draw information from a man without making him bleed. Taking a step closer to him, she dropped her arms to her sides. [Color=red]”No…”[/color] She ran her eyes over the length of him before looking back into his face. [Color=red]”But I think you do, Ryker.”[/color]

Caught off guard by her sudden change in demeanor, he tilted his head slightly to the side. [color=slategray]”I...what? No I don’t. That’s why I’m asking you.”[/color] He seemed a little flustered now, trying to figure out what she was up to.

[Color=red]”Uh huh. You're asking me to find out how much I know.”[/color] She took another step towards him until she was practically in his face. Glancing up at him, she smirked and raised her brow higher. Ritzas eyes went to his lips as she placed her hands on her hips. As she spoke, her voice took on a husky tone. [Color=red]”I think you know something..and you're not telling me, Ryker.”[/color]

Ryker’s stomach fluttered briefly at her close proximity. What was she going for? He had an idea but, still...He hadn’t spoken to her in years and this is how she responds? He didn’t quite understand her.

[color=slategray]”I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know anything. I wanted….uh…”[/color] His eyes shifted as she touched him. He had been doing well up until this point, but now he couldn’t help himself. He cleared his throat and quickly lifted his gaze back to her face. [color=slategray]”I was just trying to figure out what happened.”[/color]

She was getting to him. Her smirk broadened before she slowly moved her hands from her hips, to his. Ritza looked down at her hands and glanced up at him from the corner of her eyes. With a small nod, her gaze moved to his lips. [Color=red]”Ryker..”[/color] she barely whispered his name.

His back was up against the wall at this point and he had nowhere to go. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go somewhere anyway. He blinked quickly, staring at her face, inches from his. His mind was going in a thousand different directions. Part of him wanted to run and part of him wanted to stay. [color=slategray]”Ritza….what are you doing?”[/color] was all he could manage to say. He was rigid against the wall, his arms at his sides.

Bringing her hands up from his hips, she was able to slowly trail her fingers up his chest. He was a lot more muscular than she remembered. Then again, armor hid a lot. Ritza caught her bottom lip with her teeth as she watched her own hands against his shirt. Sure, she wanted information. What was so wrong with releasing some tension at the same time?

At his question, she glanced up at his face and tilted her head. Her voice was still low as she glanced at his lips. [Color=red]”Tell me to stop...and I'll stop. Otherwise..”[/color]

[color=slategray]”No, I just…”[/color] He lost his words for a moment before pulling himself together. [color=slategray]”I don’t understand why you’re uh, so close.”[/color] He took a quick breath and slowly put his hands on her hips. This was one way to catch up with someone…

With another smirk, she glanced down at his hands. This was good progress. But...when was the last time this poor man had someone in his bed? He was acting as if this was his first time. A man built like he was definitely did not have a shortage of admirers. Ritza wasn't worried, though. No matter what, she always got what she wanted.

At his statement, she caught her lip between her teeth again. She made sure his attention was on them. [Color=red]”You don't understand?”[/color]

[i]Aw, fuck it,[/i] he thought to himself before he ran his hands up her waist and up to her face. Cupping her cheeks he leaned in and kissed her, roughly. She wasn’t letting up so he might as well get something out of this exchange.

He was a damn good kisser. As she returned his feverish kiss, she wondered how she hadn't done this sooner. Her fingers rushed to the hem of his shirt before quickly breaking the kiss to pull it off.

He let his arms lift up as she pulled his shirt up over his head. Once it was off, he shoved her with just enough force to push her towards her bed, but not so much to really hurt her. She was feisty and he was feeding off of her energy. He also knew she could take it after so many years in the vanguard.

At his shove, she couldn't help a smirk as a small gutteral sound escaped her throat. She fell onto her backside on the bed before quickly extending her arm. Her fingers found their way behind the top of his pants as she pulled him closer to her.

He placed a knee on the bed beside her before slowly slipping his hands under her shirt. He lifted it up and over her head before leaning down farther and lightly biting at her shoulder…

[hr]

Well. That was [I]definitely[/I] a lot better than expected. She was laying flat on her stomach, the sheets curled around her limbs. Ritza looked him over before glancing back at his face. With a tilt of her head, she watched him.

Ryker laid on top of the blankets, one arm over Ritza’s back. He could feel the teeth imprints he had left behind. A soft smile on his face. He hadn’t felt this good in a long time. He closed his eyes and felt every inch of his body relax into the bed. [i]I’m really glad she has her own room.[/i] He thought to himself. 

He had completely forgotten the reason he came to see her in the first place.

She watched as his eyes closed and her own narrowed slightly. Pursing her lips in thought, she glanced over at the side table. Ritza held the sheet to her chest before reaching over with her right hand. Her fingers wrapped around a lone dagger before bringing her arm back. Looking once more at Ryker, her eyes gazed over him before returning to his face. She extended her arm before touching the tip of the blade to his jaw.

[Color=red]”Ready to talk now, Ryker?”[/color]

The relaxation he had been feeling suddenly turned into tenseness as he felt the cold steel against his skin. His eyes slowly opened and shifted over to Ritza without moving his head. Was this her plan all along?

[color=slategray]”Ritza...what are you doing?”[/color] His voice was still calm, quiet. He had no doubt that she would actually use the blade against him, especially since she had him in such a compromising position. But he didn’t want to move much, or else risk the blade cutting into his skin.

There was no softness in her face. She watched him, unblinking. Ritza tilted her head just slightly, causing the hair on her back to cascade over the side of her face. The blade held steady in her hand as she spoke. Her voice was unwavering and devoid of all emotion.

 [Color=red]”You're hiding something from me about him. You're going to tell me what you know. I can be very creative with this blade.”[/color]

Ryker gritted his teeth together. [i]Damn this woman…[/i] He didn’t want to tell her about the Ouroboros. He hadn’t told anyone about that. She could easily turn him in and get him killed, or worse. He didn’t know her well enough to trust that she would keep it a secret. Maybe that wasn’t what she was looking for…

[color=slategray]”I really don’t know much,”[/color] he began, honestly. [color=slategray]”I was there when he was arrested. All they said was that he was a traitor. I don’t know what he could have done…”[/color] He paused. Maybe she didn’t know about him and the princess? But how could she not? She was Eleanor’s bodyguard, after all. [color=slategray]”Unless the King somehow found out about….he told me he is in love with Eleanor.”[/color]

Raising a brow, she watched him. Of course the idiot would tell him about his feelings towards the princess. It definitely would be a big thing to hide- and would explain Fenros's arrest. But then, did Ryker also know about their affair?

She continued to watch him for a moment. Rolling her eyes, she set the blade back on the table. Ritza sat up on the bed and crossed her legs, her left hand holding the sheet against her bare chest. She scoffed in frustration as she looked away from him. [Color=red]*I already know about his damn feelings towards Elle.”[/color]

As the blade left his jaw, he let out an audible sigh of relief. Leave it to him to get in bed with a crazy woman. He glanced up at her as she sat up, modestly covering herself. [i]There’s no need for that now...I’ve already seen everything.[/i]

He raised an eyebrow at her statement. Was that jealousy he heard in his voice? [color=slategray]”Then why are you asking me about it?”[/color] he wondered aloud. He slowly pushed himself up to sit beside her.

Running her free hand in her hair to push it off her face, she took in a deep breath. She had to tell someone. Anyone. Would make sense to unleash on Ryker- he was quite obviously afraid of what she could do to him.

But then again, he was a member of the vanguard. How much information could she trust him with? Her jaw clenched as she stared at the wall. He was one of the few that she actually had been close to before her father died. They had been friends, once. She was going to drive herself mad if she didn't speak. Clearing her throat, her left hand tightened around the sheet at her chest. [Color=red]”I need...I need to know that I can trust you…”[/color]

Ryker looked at her thoughtfully. She clearly had something she wanted to say but was keeping it a secret. This was a new side of her he hadn’t seen in quite some time. [color=slategray]”Of course you can trust me. Have I ever done anything to hurt you?”[/color] As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how she would probably perceive them. He wrinkled his nose before adding, [color=slategray]”I mean, besides telling you about your father. You know I didn’t enjoy that…”[/color]

She raised her brow and glanced over at him. Ritza couldn't help a small grin as he realized his error. Letting out a slow breath, she shrugged her shoulders slightly. She knew he wasn't her enemy. With everything now turning into chaos, she needed to focus on who her true enemy was. It was time to give the guy some slack. [Color=red]”I don't hate you, Ryker. You were the only one with enough balls to tell me.”[/color]

Looking down at her feet, she lowered her voice. Her hand was clutching onto the sheet with every ounce of strength she had. It wasn't that she was now being a prude- at the time, the feel of the wool was the only thing keeping her anchored. [Color=red]”What I'm about to tell you...if this gets out...I will be hanged.”[/color]

Ryker’s interest was piqued. What could she possibly have to say that was so dangerous and secretive. Although he had similar secrets, he hadn’t realized Ritza did as well. [color=slategray]”Ritza…”[/color] He spoke quietly, shifting closer to her. [color=slategray]”You can trust me. I would never betray you.”[/color]

As he moved closer, her eyes moved up to his face. She searched every line, every trace. Could she really do this? Her breathing became more ragged at the very thought of saying her secret out loud. To someone who could potentially turn on her. Ritza could feel the tears start to pool in her eyes before she quickly looked away from him. The last time she had allowed herself to shed tears was in front of this man, the day he broke the news. What was it about him that made her vulnerabilities surface?

Her nails dug into the wool. Grinding her teeth, her jaw clenched, she lowered her voice to just above a whisper. [Color=red]”I'm the real traitor to the throne. I plan to kill the king. To avenge my father.”[/color]

His eyes widened at this new information. He half expected her to say she was in love with Fenros or something, but not this. He sat in silence for a moment, taking in her words, thinking what it meant for them. He slowly pushed himself closer to her and brought his hand up to her face. He gently turned her face to his. His words failed him so he instead he kissed her gently. When he pulled away, his face just inches from hers, he looked her in the eyes. [color=slategray]”Ritza...you’re not the only traitor here.”[/color]

She expected him to react. When he moved closer and brought his hand towards her, she was expecting for him to grab her. Throw her over his shoulder, rat her out to anyone who would listen. She cringed at the thought- then he kissed her.

When he pulled away, her eyes opened slowly to find he hadn't really moved away from her. Then came his confession. Her stomach dropped. Suddenly, all the weight from holding in this secret lifted. Ritza searched his face before releasing a deep throaty noise. Releasing the sheet, she let it fall before kissing him.

He wasn’t expecting this much of a release after confessing his own secret to her. But it felt so good to have said it to someone. He hadn’t expected to find anyone with such similar feelings to talk to. In fact, he hadn’t planned on telling anyone ever. As she kissed him back, he reached his hands under her arms and up to her bare back. He clutched her close and pulled her with him as he let himself fall back into the bed. His one hand stayed on her back while the other one ran up into her hair. He let his fingers comb through her locks as he kissed her feverishly. There was some kind of renewed energy in getting this secret off of his chest.

[hr]

Ritza was absolutely getting more than she bargained for with Ryker. As she laid her head against his chest, she stared at the wall across from her. They both had just confessed truths that they could be ultimately hanged for. Only difference was that while she had explained why she was a traitor, he had not.

With a stretch, she turned her head to face him. Ritza rested her chin against his stomach as she searched his face. [Color=red]”What makes you a traitor?”[/color]

Ryker let out a sigh before looking down at Ritza. She looked so cute staring up at him now. He had almost forgotten the fact that she had threatened him with a knife just moments ago. [color=slategray]”I...uh, I have been in contact with the Ouroboros.”[/color] His rational mind would have told him that he shouldn’t be telling her that, but after two rounds with her in bed, his rational mind was not fully functioning. [color=slategray]”I have had doubts about the king for some time. Your fathers death started it all….I don’t trust him.”[/color]

Her eyes widened some at his revelation. He believed the king to be the cause of her father's death as well. But, the Ouroboros- how had they become involved? She knew all about the clan from stories her father had told her. While everyone else thought them mere myths and legends, Ritza had known them as fact. Could her father's connection to them be the reason for his death?

And then it hit her: the strange woman in the cell. The way the woman had known her name, knew what she was capable of. They had Fenros. She quickly sat up and slid out of the bed before hastily pulling her clothes back on. [Color=red]”I know where Fenros is.”[/color]

He was disappointed when she started getting dressed but then she spoke. [color=slategray]”You do?”[/color] He pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking at her expectantly. He swung around and let his legs swing off the side of the bed, his feet planting on the ground. [color=slategray]”How do you know? Where is he?”[/color]

As she was pulling up and securing her pants, she glanced over at him. She didn't know where Fenros was exactly, but she did know who had them. And who the woman was who visited her in his cell. With a clearing of her throat, she looked down at her pants to verify they were strung tight. [Color=red]”The Ouroboros. When I was in his cell, I think…”[/color]

Oh, she was going to sound insane. She finished with her pants before putting her hands on her hips. [Color=red]”I think their leader recruited me for some type of job. She said she would give Fenros back, if I used my skills for her.”[/color]

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Why would they contact her and not him? Maybe she was in the right place at the right time. Or maybe he would be more of a liability because of his position. It didn’t matter, though. He wasn’t the only one in contact with them, apparently.

[color=slategray]”What kind of job?”[/color] As he spoke, he stood from the bed and began collecting his own clothes scattered around the room. [color=slategray]”How exactly did she contact you?”[/color]

She couldn't help where her eyes ended up when he stood. Clearing her throat, she turned and finished with her boots. Ritza knew she could trust him now with the full story. Besides, if he ever turned on her, she had his secret as well.

[Color=red]”Um, well...she was behind me. In his cell.”[/color] How had the woman gotten behind her? She would have heard anyone entering that cell. With another shake of her head, she sighed. [Color=red]”She mentioned something about children. I had to watch them or...something. She knew who I was, Ryker. My father...I think he worked with them..”[/color]

It hadn’t occurred to him that her father may have worked with the Ouroboros. He slowly began to dress himself as he tried to come up with a plan in his mind for what to do next. [color=slategray]”I can go see the Ouroboros contact that I’ve been working with…”[/color] He wasn’t sure if she would have any useful information, or even if he could get the information out of her. But he could always try.

The thing about children...that confused him. What children was she talking about that Ritza should watch? Was she trying to find a motherly person to take care of them? If so, she picked the wrong woman. But that didn’t make much sense. Why would an Ouroboros find an outsider human to watch children. Something was off. He glanced over at her after pulling his own pants up. [color=slategray]”She must be speaking in metaphors. I doubt she would need a regular human to watch actual children…”[/color]

Blowing out a breath in a huff, she shrugged her shoulders. The entire thing confused her. Why would they need her skill set, anyway? She was a human and she remembered her father saying that the Ouroboros had magic. [Color=red]”I have no clue, Ryker, and it's annoying the hell out of me. But I was instructed to wait around until she called for me. Like hell that's happening.”[/color]

In all actuality, Ritza knew she had to stay behind. Once Elle received word that Fenros was alive, she would try to go after him. She ran both hands through her hair and scowled. Once Elle was gone, Ritza would be summoned to find her. And possibly reprimanded for losing her in the first place. She shook her head and looked at Ryker. [color=red]”Go to your contact. I have to wait in case the king calls for me to watch Elle or something. If I'm not here, he'll get suspicious.”[/color]

Ryker nodded, deciding that he would have to go find Zeresh. He walked over to Ritza and grabbed her arm. He pulled her into him again and gave her another kiss. He didn’t know if their activities together meant anything at all but he was going to take advantage of this now before she changed her mind. As he pulled away, he looked her in the eyes one more time. [color=slategray]”Be safe.”[/color]

He lingered a moment before slipping his shirt back on and heading towards her door.

She was a bit surprised by the kiss, however she did not mind at all. Hell, she enjoyed him pulling her around. Ritza had had plenty of distractions in the past, but they all treated her as a fragile woman. At least Ryker wasn't afraid to bruise her.

With a small nod to him, she watched as he walked to the door. She cleared her throat as she folded her arms across her chest. Would he be just another distraction, or more? Maybe it meant something that she was able to tell him her secret. And that he was the only man to make her feel vulnerable. She bit the inside of her cheek. [Color=red]”Don't get eaten. I rather enjoy you in my bed.”[/color]

He flashed her a smile before letting the door close behind him. He could easily sneak off to meet with Zeresh but he would have to find some excuse for his absence in case anyone noticed. Ritza would vouch for him, he hoped. After their heart-to-heart, he felt he could trust her.

He still had his sword from earlier. He briefly thought of getting his armor, but decided against it. It would only draw more attention to him if he was seen walking around in armor, plus it would make travel more difficult. He decided to simply set off with what he had, heading down the road leading out of the city…