Deep breaths, deep breaths.
He had said those two words to himself continuous during the thirty minute walk from his cottage to the massive estate where his father, Captain Duskryder and her brother, Raeynn Duskrose, and most importantly she lived. Raising his hand to the large wooden door, he hadn’t even knocked once before it swung open.
Before him stood nothing short of a vision, everything about her was perfection; her bouncing red curls, her emerald eyes, the stain that made her lips a vibrant red. Shaking his head a bit, he grinned stupidly before adjusting his collar. “Miss Elly…Y-you’re…” He couldn’t help scolding himself for the stutter, it always came at the worst of times.
“Handsome.” Elithiria Copperspark said, smiling back before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug, sending the bouquet of flowers he held flying off onto the porch.
He let out a laugh, sweeping her up for a moment before placing her back on the ground like she were precious china. “Well, I was going to go with beautiful.” Kneeling down, he scooped up a single daisy from the flowers and stood. Tearing the stem a few inches down, he tucked it behind her ear along with the meddlesome curls that obscured one of her eyes from him. He grinned as he admired her further.
“Well you ready to get going? The trip isn’t short ya know.” Elly had already taken his hand and was dragging him off toward her mechanohog. Jaen didn’t mind sitting in the cab car, in fact, he rather enjoyed it. It just meant he could watch her as she stared at the cobblestones intently, admire the way her forehead made those adorable little wrinkles…
“You’re still staring at me.” She giggled as they pulled to a stop, her laugh increasing as Jaen turned a violent shade of red.
“S-sorry.” Clearing his throat, he looked out at the buildings as she turned into Murder Row. They had barely passed the inn before a shriek caused Elly to break suddenly, nearly sending Jaen flying from his seat. “What was that?” He exclaimed, already swinging his legs over the side.
Elly had dismounted as well, her head nodding to a man harassing one of the street walkers for good time. Sighing, she moved to swing her leg over the seat again, “It’s not an uncommon thing to see around here.”
He looked back at her, “W-we got to help ‘er!”
Elly blinks at this, “Jaen, you’re as harmless as a kitten and I don’t have my daggers with me…I don’t think we’ll be much hel-” She hadn’t finished her sentence before he had already taken off down the street.
“YOU! GIT OFF HER!” He shouted as he approached the two. The man stopped for a moment, still holding the harlot’s skirt up with his fingers. From the looks and stench of him, he was little more than a common drunk- but that didn’t stop him from laughing right in Jaen’s face.
“Or what? You can’t do anything to me! Do you have any idea who I am?” The man sneered. His wardrobe was made of fine silks, like those that the more entitled members of society often wore. There was little doubt that the drunk often had his way.
Jaen’s brow sunk at this, his body instinctively moving closer to gently pry the woman away and behind him. His arms served as a shield as the drunk attempted to grab at her again. “What?! What are you doing, you idiot boy? I will have you locked up for this!”
“Locked up fer what exactly?” Jaen glared down at him, having at least five inches on the other man.
The drunk gulped at this, taking a step back for a moment before deciding that his best option was to throw a punch at the towering country bumpkin. Jaen took the punch, stumbling back a bit before regaining his footing and snatching up the man’s wrist. Giving his arm a good twist, he turned the man around and shoved him face first into a nearby wall.
“I thought so, now…” He glanced over his shoulder at the woman, who had run straight into Elly’s arms, gesturing for her to come closer before giving the drunk’s arm another twist. “You’re gonna say you’re sorry an’ mean it. Got it?” He didn’t release as the man gave a quick nod.
“I’m sorry miss! I really am…” He glanced back at Jaen again for a moment, “I won’t bother you again, Light! I will not set foot down this alley again!” The drunk closed his eyes as he began to mutter his prayers. The woman then spat in his face and stormed off.
Jaen held him for a moment longer before releasing him, a somewhat confident smirk tugging at his lips as the drunk ran off into the Court of the Sun. It wasn’t until he finally looked to his left that he caught the bemused look from Elly. “What?”
“Nothing.” She laughed and went to lace her arm around his.
Jaen gave a small nod as he led her back toward the hog, helping her onto her seat before sliding himself awkwardly down into the cab. “Now, where were we?” He grinned at her.
“You were just about to tell me how stunning I look in this dress.” She teased, laughing as if she had meant it as a joke.
“Oh, that’s right. Miss Elly, you sure are stunnin‘ in that dress.” His grin faded into a sincere smile, which she failed to notice. She simply laughed again and took off down the street, the roar of the engine silencing his added words of, “Real stunnin’.”
He had said those two words to himself continuous during the thirty minute walk from his cottage to the massive estate where his father, Captain Duskryder and her brother, Raeynn Duskrose, and most importantly she lived. Raising his hand to the large wooden door, he hadn’t even knocked once before it swung open.
Before him stood nothing short of a vision, everything about her was perfection; her bouncing red curls, her emerald eyes, the stain that made her lips a vibrant red. Shaking his head a bit, he grinned stupidly before adjusting his collar. “Miss Elly…Y-you’re…” He couldn’t help scolding himself for the stutter, it always came at the worst of times.
“Handsome.” Elithiria Copperspark said, smiling back before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug, sending the bouquet of flowers he held flying off onto the porch.
He let out a laugh, sweeping her up for a moment before placing her back on the ground like she were precious china. “Well, I was going to go with beautiful.” Kneeling down, he scooped up a single daisy from the flowers and stood. Tearing the stem a few inches down, he tucked it behind her ear along with the meddlesome curls that obscured one of her eyes from him. He grinned as he admired her further.
“Well you ready to get going? The trip isn’t short ya know.” Elly had already taken his hand and was dragging him off toward her mechanohog. Jaen didn’t mind sitting in the cab car, in fact, he rather enjoyed it. It just meant he could watch her as she stared at the cobblestones intently, admire the way her forehead made those adorable little wrinkles…
“You’re still staring at me.” She giggled as they pulled to a stop, her laugh increasing as Jaen turned a violent shade of red.
“S-sorry.” Clearing his throat, he looked out at the buildings as she turned into Murder Row. They had barely passed the inn before a shriek caused Elly to break suddenly, nearly sending Jaen flying from his seat. “What was that?” He exclaimed, already swinging his legs over the side.
Elly had dismounted as well, her head nodding to a man harassing one of the street walkers for good time. Sighing, she moved to swing her leg over the seat again, “It’s not an uncommon thing to see around here.”
He looked back at her, “W-we got to help ‘er!”
Elly blinks at this, “Jaen, you’re as harmless as a kitten and I don’t have my daggers with me…I don’t think we’ll be much hel-” She hadn’t finished her sentence before he had already taken off down the street.
“YOU! GIT OFF HER!” He shouted as he approached the two. The man stopped for a moment, still holding the harlot’s skirt up with his fingers. From the looks and stench of him, he was little more than a common drunk- but that didn’t stop him from laughing right in Jaen’s face.
“Or what? You can’t do anything to me! Do you have any idea who I am?” The man sneered. His wardrobe was made of fine silks, like those that the more entitled members of society often wore. There was little doubt that the drunk often had his way.
Jaen’s brow sunk at this, his body instinctively moving closer to gently pry the woman away and behind him. His arms served as a shield as the drunk attempted to grab at her again. “What?! What are you doing, you idiot boy? I will have you locked up for this!”
“Locked up fer what exactly?” Jaen glared down at him, having at least five inches on the other man.
The drunk gulped at this, taking a step back for a moment before deciding that his best option was to throw a punch at the towering country bumpkin. Jaen took the punch, stumbling back a bit before regaining his footing and snatching up the man’s wrist. Giving his arm a good twist, he turned the man around and shoved him face first into a nearby wall.
“I thought so, now…” He glanced over his shoulder at the woman, who had run straight into Elly’s arms, gesturing for her to come closer before giving the drunk’s arm another twist. “You’re gonna say you’re sorry an’ mean it. Got it?” He didn’t release as the man gave a quick nod.
“I’m sorry miss! I really am…” He glanced back at Jaen again for a moment, “I won’t bother you again, Light! I will not set foot down this alley again!” The drunk closed his eyes as he began to mutter his prayers. The woman then spat in his face and stormed off.
Jaen held him for a moment longer before releasing him, a somewhat confident smirk tugging at his lips as the drunk ran off into the Court of the Sun. It wasn’t until he finally looked to his left that he caught the bemused look from Elly. “What?”
“Nothing.” She laughed and went to lace her arm around his.
Jaen gave a small nod as he led her back toward the hog, helping her onto her seat before sliding himself awkwardly down into the cab. “Now, where were we?” He grinned at her.
“You were just about to tell me how stunning I look in this dress.” She teased, laughing as if she had meant it as a joke.
“Oh, that’s right. Miss Elly, you sure are stunnin‘ in that dress.” His grin faded into a sincere smile, which she failed to notice. She simply laughed again and took off down the street, the roar of the engine silencing his added words of, “Real stunnin’.”
