"I love you, Alistair."
Those three simple words rung loudly in his head for the next several days. After having saved Tamanari's life for a second time, they had developed a relationship. For the past week she had come sneaking from her room to stay with Alistair. When the sun started to rise, she would sneak back as if nothing had happened. He was always on her mind and he was always by her side. Eventually he had managed to earn the Master's trust and was granted permission to carry his weapon always. Arondight was extremely happy she didn't have to stay hidden in that box anymore.
That morning at the breakfast table, Alistair stood beside Tamanari. It was just the two of them alone once again. Even though Master Kawagami had allowed Alistair into the mansion and permitted him to serve Tamanari, he wished for nothing to do with his bastard son.
"Alistair. I was thinking today that I would like to walk by the lake." Tamanari maintained her distance and kept a distant tone with Alistair while they were in the presence of the mansion. 'The walls have ears if the old saying is believed to be true.' Tamanari thought to herself as she finished her plate.
"Allow me, my lady." Alistair reached down and removed her plates and glass. "If you wish to walk then of course I shall accompany you. After all that is the nature of my task as your protector. I will return these to the kitchen. Should I come to your room to fetch you?"
"That won't be necessary. Wait for me at the entrance. I'll be down soon." She looked to Alistair and smiled. He walked behind her and slid the chair backwards as she rose to her feet. "Thank you. I shouldn't take long." She left the dining room as Alistair bowed.
He waited until he heard the door click shut and exhaled slowly. 'Damn this is annoying.' Alistair thought as he slipped two fingers into the hole where the shirt squeezed his neck. He pulled it away a little and sighed softly. 'I figured he would continue to avoid me. That's fine. I wish for nothing to do with him anyway.' Alistair went to turn around as the door clicked and swung open. Alistair froze when he saw who had walked through the door. 'It's her...' Alistair's tail stood frozen and the hairs on his neck rose. "Ah, Lady Kawagami. I'm sorry, but you just missed Lady Tamanari." Alistair folded one arm across his chest and bowed his upper body to her. 'It's her. I have to leave.' Alistair bit down on his tongue hard.
"Oh, my. That's a shame. That means it's just you and me?" She questioned and a smirk graced her devilish face.
"Unfortunately just you, Lady Kawagami. I must take these dishes to the kitchen staff and return to my lady's side." Alistair did his best to maintain his composure. "By your leave, Lady Kawagami." Alistair stood up and straight and walked past the Master's Wife towards the exit.
"You sure have grown more bold. You've never dared look in my eyes before." She commented as he walked past her. "My, my. You look rather handsome in that suit. However, Lord Kawagami is here and it would be impertinent of me to strip you down right here. Count yourself lucky."
Alistair's pace quickened and he ducked out of the dining hall, speed walking down the corridor to the kitchen. After some distance had been gained, he stopped and leaned against the wall, sobbing quietly.
Tamanari walked through the halls, happily humming to herself. She reached her room and began to change into something more suitable for a walk. She ditched the high heels in favor of some flats, and a mini skirt that would make her walk more comfortable, plus it would show off her legs to Alistair. Blushing at the images playing through her head, Tamanari finished her task with relative ease and speed, not wanting to keep Alistair waiting to long. She took one last look in the mirror and used her hands to fling her hair backwards. The strands slowly returned to their place and she smiled happily. 'He really likes my hair so i want it to look good.' Tamanari grabbed the handle to her door and pulled it open. Three maids stood nearby on their break, huddled into a small circle. They were busy gossiping like old hens.
"...Alistair..." Tamanari froze when she heard his name and stopped just shy of stepping into the hallway. She leaned closer trying to hear the whispering maids.
"That's a cute young boy."
"Yes, and such a gentleman."
"I've seen the way he looks at Lady Tamanari. His eyes are so gentle when he looks at her."
Tamanari felt her heart skip a beat. 'They see the way he looks at me. That means I'm not just imagining things.' Her smile was wide and she couldn't stop grinning.
"It's a shame about Lady Kawagami. I've seen her take Alistair to her room for nights at a time."
That happy feeling she had just felt was gone in an instant. 'My...mother...?'
"No way. That poor boy."
"That's not the worst of it. Rumor has it his back is scarred all to Helheim. She avoids his face so he still looks handsome."
"I've heard that she uses them for all sorts of twisted fantasies until she breaks them. Then she tosses them to the side like garbage."
"That poor Wolfborn. I've even heard that Master Kawagami is his father, though I'm not sure there's any truth to that."
The three maids broke away from the group and returned to their work in silence.
Tamanari's heart sunk deep into her stomach. 'My...mother...and...Alistair...' She covered her mouth with her hands and shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. 'I have to see him!' Tamanari dashed off down the halls to the room leading outside.
She came bolting down the stairs and tripped over her feet. Down the stairs she fell and right into Alistair's awaiting arms. "L-Lady Tamanari?? Are you okay? What's the rush?"
"I-I'm sorry..." She gripped his shirt tightly and sobbed into his chest.
"You don't need to apologize, my lady. Come, some fresh air will do you some good. Forgive me for my next set of actions, my lady." Alistair bent down and slid his right arm behind her legs. His left hand moved to her lower back as he rose to his feet, scooping her up into his arms in a princess carry.
"Oh, Master. That's so cute. Why don't you ever carry me like that?" Arondight giggled softly.
"Arondight. We are inside. Keep it down a little longer." He looked down to the sword on his hip.
"A-Alistair...I-I..." She buried her face into his chest and sobbed louder, gripping his shirt tighter.
"Shh. It's okay, my lady. Just leave everything to me." He turned around and carried her outside, walking them away from the mansion and away from prying eyes. Alistair's long silver hair flowed behind him, tied back at the shoulder by a single thread. It gleaned in the sunlight and looked better then it had in years.
Tamanari's purple hair was even longer then Alistair's and hung down to his ankles as he walked. After half an hour of walking later, Tamanari had calmed down considerably but she still maintained her grip on his shirt. "We should fine now, love. Now what's wrong?" Alistair cooed and pulled her closer against his chest.
"M-mother..." Tamanari slid her hands under his shirt and ran them up and down his back, her fingers caressing the many scars. "She...she did this...didn't she?" Tamanari struggled to voice her thoughts.
"Tamanari you're best not knowing the answer to that question..." Alistair sighed and squeezed her gently. "She's still your mother. I don't want to corrupt you and turn you against her." Alistair shook his head. 'As much as I hate that woman...' He thought and looked down to meet Tamanari's gaze.
"Answer me, Alistair. Please? I must know." Her body trembled in fear of his answer. She had her suspicions, and the fact that he didn't deny her question spoke volumes.
"Most of them, yes. The others came from Master." Alistair sighed and looked at his back, her hands still caressed his scars. "Most people don't pay me no mind because I'm a slave, but if you look closely, I bare a striking resemblance to Master Kawagami. He is indeed my father, and I am his bastard son."
"H-how can that be, Alistair?" Tamanari was in shock. She reached up and cupped his face in her hands. "I won't let that happen again. I promise. I'll protect you. I don't care what happens, I just want you safe."
"Tamanari." Alistair placed his hand on hers and brought it to his lips. He planted a gentle kiss on the palm of her hand. "I wouldn't want to put you in harm's way just for my sake. Your safety is more important to me. I've dealt with this for years. Another few won't compare to my freedom."
"Alistair." She blushed when he kissed her palm. 'He is so gentle, despite years of abuse and torture, he still has such a kind heart.' Tamanari leaned in for a quick, gentle kiss. "I could say the same for you, love. I won't just sit on the sidelines while you are treated so poorly. I promise, I won't let her touch you again. Put your faith in me, Okay?"
"Tamanari..." Alistair leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers, and sighed softly. "I just can't win with you, can I?" He closed his eyes and held her close.
"Nope. The only thing you've managed to win so far is my heart." She teased and nuzzled her nose against his own.
"Then I count myself the luckiest man for such a feat." He joked back as his tail swung back and forth rapidly.
"Oh, my, Alistair. Such a romantic." She blushed and looped her arms around his neck. "I think I'm the lucky one. Now, let me stay like this for a moment, please?" She buried her face into his chest and closed her eyes. "I want to be able to do these kinds of things without sneaking out every time." She whispered into his chest.
"I know, Tamanari. For now, this is the best we can do until we can change things for the better." Alistair walked a little further from the mansion before he came to a complete stop. "Okay. Ready to go for that walk?" He reached his enormous hand out towards her and bowed forward slightly.
"It would be my honor." She reached out her tiny, delicate hand and slipped her fingers through his thick callused fingers. "How can your hands be so rough yet so gentle and soft?" She pondered as the two of them slowly strolled through the garden nearby.
"Haha. I don't find them particularly soft myself, but I couldn't hazard a guess as to why they feel soft for you." Alistair shrugged.
"Hehe. Yeah, it's a mystery alright." Tamanari giggled and leaned into him as they walked along for awhile. "What level have you reached? I don't want to peek without your permission anymore." She closed her eyes and desired to check his stats. 'How much has he grown?'
"What level?" Alistair looked at his status screen. He opened his skills page and with one hand slid some of the skills from "on" to "off" and then pushed his screen towards Tamanari. "Take a look for yourself."
"Hm." Tamanari eyed him like a hawk as he moved his fingers on his screen before sliding it towards her face. 'What...?' Her mouth dropped as she looked at his status page.
Alistair Silver - Knight Sorcerer
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Level 12 - Experience 0/10,500
Health: 6,600
Mana: 1,910
Strength: 1,000
Constitution; 520
Dexterity: 250
Intelligence: 470
Wisdom: 375
Charisma: 715
Passive Skills: Keen Hearing (2x Sound), Keen Sight (2x Vision), Keen Nose (2x Sense of Smell), Alert, Second Wind, Medium Armor Proficiency, Great Sword Proficiency, Hide Stats, Hide Skill/Magick List, Fake Out
Weapon skills: Twin Slash, Knock Down, Dazed Hit, Earth Shatter, Armor Break, Gale
Magick: Fire Lance, Stat Enhancement, Double Stat Enhancement, Triple Stat Enhancement, Speed Boost, Double Speed Boost, Invisibility, Rain of Fire, Tremor
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"A-Alistair..how? I thought you were only supposed to go to level 8? What happens if Father sees your level 12?" Tamanari panicked slightly and checked his stat values. 'Strength....1,000?' Her mouth dropped even lower. "Those numbers are insane! How are you hiding these from people?"
"With these." Alistair pointed to two new, recently acquired passive skills. Fake Out and Hide Skill/Magick List. "These two I received for reaching level 8. Fake Out let's me hide or alter my level. I could appear to be level 8, but in reality be Level 16. Then this skill..." He points to the other new skill. "Let's me hide my skills and Magick lists so people can't examine my powers." Alistair turned the skills back on and closed his status screen. "Now, look again."
Tamanari nodded and peeked at his status. "You're right. All your numbers and skills are hidden and your level comes up as 8. That's...incredible..." Tamanari was stunned. 'Just who is...this man?' She shook her head and pushed the thought from her mind. ' It doesn't matter. I love him.' She leaned up on her tippy toes and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.
Alistair blushed and placed a hand on the spot she kissed. "What was that for?" He grinned and look down at the short angel beside him.
"Because I can." She shrugged and giggled shyly. "Hey...Alistair..?" Tamanari paused and removed her hand from his and pushed her pointer fingers against each other shyly. "Would you...um...." She chewed on her bottom lip nervously.
"What's wrong, Tamanari?" Alistair watched her chew her lip. "It's okay. Just calm down, sweetie. It's me. You can be yourself around me." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"I know. This is just hard to ask." She smiled when he grabbed her hand. "I want you...to.." Her face turned red and she covered it shyly with her free hand. "...stay in my room tonight..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but with his ears, Alistair heard every word as if she were speaking normally.
"W-what...?" Alistair's face turned bright red to match her own. "S...stay in your...room..."
"I-I'm sorry. Just forget it. It was a stupid idea." She turned around and put her back to him, sniffling softly. 'I shouldn't have asked that yet. I know what he's been through. I'm just being selfish.' She sobbed silently but stopped when she felt masculine arms wrap loosely around her neck. "A..listair..." She looked up as he rested his chin lightly on top of her head.
"I'm sorry, too. That was insensitive of me. I won't forget what you asked me and if the offer is still on the table..." He kissed the top of her head gently before speaking again. "I would like nothing more than to spend the night with you in your room." His face was entirely red at this point. Tamanari felt the heat from his cheeks on her head.
"I...I'd like that..." She reached her hands up and gently grabbed hold of his wrists. She leaned back into him and closed her eyes, her bangs hiding her beet red face.
Alistair held her like this for awhile before finally pulling away against his will. "We should head back now." He said reluctantly.
"Mhmm. You're right. Plus, I need to think of a way to get you inside tonight." She turned around and smiled sweetly, face still tinged a light red. "I'm so happy." She kissed him sweetly one last time and jogged off toward the mansion giggling happily.
Alistair chuckled softly and shook his head. "What am I going to do with her?" He questioned rhetorically and started walking after her.
"She is something else, isn't she, Master?" Arondight chimed in and giggled. She had finally decided on a gender and chose the female voice.
"That she is, Hina." He smiled as he watched Tamanari smell some flowers and pick a few from the ground. "That she is."
"Hina..?" She puzzled over the name for a moment.
"Yeah, I figured I should give you a proper name. It means 'Star'. Do you not like it?" He looked down at the blade attached to his hip.
"Hina. Hina. Hina." She repeated the name over and over several times out loud. The blade began to glow and forced Alistair to look away. When he looked back, the name Hina had been engraved into the blade, right near the guard.
"Hina. What just happened?" He pulled the blade into his hands and held on tightly. 'It feels...different...'
"You've named me, Master. Which means now I am bound to you until your death. Nobody can wield me except you and nobody can claim me so long as you live." She explained the specifics of the soul bond. "Hurray!" She exclaimed happily and giggled.
"That's a neat little trick." Alistair replaced Hina on his hip and continued after Tamanari. "My lady, shall we head back now?" Alistair returned to his professional guardian routine.
"Yes. That sounds lovely." Tamanari held a flower in front of her face, twirling it around slowly. "Come along, Alistair. Dinner should be ready before long. I would like to freshen up. Please accompany me to my room." She motioned with her finger for him to follow.
"As you wish, my lady." Alistair followed after, maintaining a short distance behind her. 'This is kind of fun.' He chuckled softly to himself.
Along the way they passed several nobles coming and going from the Kawagami Estate. "Oh, right. Tonight's the Local Lord conference. They'll be going all night with boring politics. Thankfully, I won't be required to attend." She smiled as they enter the Estate. Alistair followed her up several stairs and down several hallways before she came to stop. "Here it is." She opened the door and stepped inside. Alistair stood by the door and waited. "Alistair. What are you doing?" She poked her head out the door and looked at him.
"Waiting for...you?" His statement turned into a question when she reached out and grabbed his arm. "My Lady...?" He was pulled into the room and the door was shut and locked behind him.
"Good. We're alone now." She whispered softly so her voice didn't carry. She started to undress shyly as she walked to the bathroom. "I'll be out shortly. No peeking." She teased and stuck her tongue out at him. She disappeared into the bathroom and the sound of running water filled the room.
Alistair blushed when she started to undress and looked away shyly, trying to avert his eyes to no avail. He watched her walk into the room and sighed heavily. "This woman is gonna make my heart go out one of these days." He sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed once more. "What am I even doing?" He opened up a status screen that read: Relationship Levels. The only name on his screen was Tamanari and there was a long bar next to her name. She was just over the 'like' line and moving into the red 'Love' section. 'So she really means it.' Alistair smiled wide, his tail wagging back and forth happily. He let out a soft yawn and slid fully on to the bed. He rolled over on his side and closed his eyes.