I wish I could describe his eyes in better terms than just 'red' but I really don't have the vocabulary.
My mom always used to tell me that 'eyes were the key to the soul' and that you could tell a lot about a person from their eyes, however, those eyes were bright red yet completely blank. He was stiff and static, and for a moment I wondered whether he was alive or not because his eyes were so glazed over. None of his thoughts were getting through to me and I had no idea what he was thinking.
"This is High Lord Galan Ansel Fenrys. The top ranked adventurer in Girannon and in all the kingdoms." Alice smiled brightly, putting on her fitting noble voice, a shift in her tone that tuned in when talking to important people, like the Royal family or the other first ranked nobles.
Her voice broke me out of my stupor, and I remembered that I was supposed to curtsey when I was introduced to other people. So I did, using my primmest voice and being as polite as possible. While I did so I tilted my head forward so that my hair would fall in front of my face and act as a kind of veil between me and Mr red eyes.
It really sucked that the guy I had run into was someone important and well known in Gismead, because it meant that he was in a place where he could easily expose me for being in Azmeth that night. I knew that I hadn't done anything wrong, but Red-eyes probably thought that I was trying to steal water magic from the pipes. That was probably the most logical solution that came to his mind.
As I peaked a look up at him from in between my dark hair. I saw that that half of his face was covered in a thick leather mask. From his nose down, a black leather mask concealed his mouth and jaw.
It was so strange. I hadn't seen anyone wearing anything like that. I wondered what it was for... my first guess was that he had been injured while on an adventure since he was an adventurer, it was possibly a horrible scar gotten from battling some demonized creature, or maybe I was just overthinking it, and leather masks were becoming the new 'thing' for men in Gismead, But I doubted that because I hadn't seen anyone else wearing such a thing.
When I realized that I had been staring I straightened up and cleared out my throat.
"High Lord Fenrys, this is my dear friend Lady Riley Delton." Alice introduced us, smiling brightly, a little too brightly... something was fishy.
"Well then, I should leave you two alone to get to know each other. Please excuse me." With that Alice quickly turned on her heel and dashed off into the crowd. I tried to grab her hand to make her stay, but I only caught the air as she passed me by.
I was dumb, I knew what she was trying to do, it was fairly obvious actually, ever since her mother had mentioned finding me a husband at the Von Esterheim soirée, Alice had brought the issue up with me a few times, asking me what kind of men I liked and what kind of personality I found most endearing. Most of the time I was able to brush her questions away, but when she was really persistent and wouldn't give up, I ended up giving a few of my personal preferences away.
I remember, I had told her that I liked 'striking eyes'. Which Red-eyes over here obviously had. I told her I liked 'long hair', something I noticed Red-eyes had, his shaggy warm brown hair was laid loosely around his wide shoulders. He was very muscular and I could see his well toned form wrestling to break free from the rich garments he was wearing.
Although it was nice of Alice to try and set me up, it was just my luck that she would set me up with a man that could potentially put me out to society as a water magic thief if he recognized me from last night.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Fenrys..." I smiled awkwardly trying to remain calm.
"Was it really You last night..."
I deadpanned. He recognized me. Dammit!
"I... Uh-I don't know what you mean." My stuttering incriminated myself.
He gave me a serious glare that told me to just tell the truth. It seemed that I wouldn't be able to convince him that it wasn't me, so I just looked up at him guiltily.
"At first I had thought the girl I had seen hovering over the pipes was a common water magic thief," his voice was quite deep and stern, just how you would expect the top ranked Adventurer in Gismead to speak. "But after you flew away on your artifact I checked the pipes and saw that nothing was wrong with them. No magic had been taken from them..." He said staring down at me, waiting for me to tell him what I had been up to.
When I didn't answer he seem to get irritated as his glare got harsher and he clenched his fist.
I could tell him that I had actually spent that time pumping my own water magic into the pipes in order to fix them, but the chances that he would believe me were pretty slim so I decided to just keep quiet.
"Please excuse me High Lord..." I Said. I gave him a quick curtsey and then turned on my heel, but before he could get away, he grabbed my arm painfully and pulled me back to him. His large hand completely encircled my forearm as he squeezed it tightly.
So tight that it made me wince and pull away, only for him to squeeze harder.
"Tell me." He ordered with a kind of desperation in his eyes that I had never seen in anyone before. Why was this so important to him?
But the pain searing through my arm shut off any thoughts in my mind of me telling him what I had actually done with the pipes.
"Let go of me." I seethed quietly so that the other guests wouldn't notice.
"Tell. Me."
His tone also changed. It was much more vicious now. It really frightened me and I was even thinking about crying out for help, when in a quick flash my arm wasn't in Red-eyes's grasp anymore. Now my arm was in a much gentler hand. Still a man's hand. That was decorated with golden rings.
I looked up at my savior and my heart skipped a beat.
"Your Highness!" I gasped as I stared up into his beautiful golden eyes and perfect royal face. A sense of relief and excitement washed over me because of him.
"Lady Riley." He nodded greeting me. "I've been looking for you." He told me in such a soothing gentle voice that my whole body relaxed.
"Oh really... why?" I asked. As I was looking up into his face, I noticed that his eyes brows were the same golden color as his hair.
"To congratulate you of course..." he had a playful smirk on his plump lips as he placed my arm in his and lead me away from the High Lord Fenrys and the crowd and into my library, a few guests had also dispersed into the library and were quietly chatting alongside the shelves, so Prince Geoffrey lead me further into the library and into the following room, a drawing room.
We were all alone together. The thought of that made my heart rate increase and I bit down on my lip nervously.
Geoffrey, however, seemed completely relaxed and unphased as he let go of me and walked over to one of the large windows and looked out at the lush green fields that surrounded my mini castle. The warm sunlight filtered in through the windows and illuminated his handsome face. His sharp jawline, his smooth skin, his golden eyes, his ridiculously perfect build.
"Tell me..."
My breath hitched when I heard him say this to me. Had he heard my conversation with Red-eyes. Was he going to make me tell him what I had been doing last night.
"...Are you and Lord Fenrys so close that you permit him to touch you?" His expression seemed cold as he stared blankly out the window. I was pretty taken aback by his question though, I don't know if I was imagining it but had I sensed a bit of jealousy in his tone.
"No. We just met actually..."
"Then you shouldn't be so friendly with him." He cut me off before I could say anything else. It wasn't like I was being friendly with him, he had grabbed my arm and refused to let go.
I didn't reply to him so there was an awkward silence before he spoke again.
"Come here." From the way he talked to me, it was evident that he was used to ordering people around, probably because he had done so his entire life, being a prince and all.
I approached him slowly and carefully, I didn't know why, but I felt like I was approaching a wild animal and that any sudden movements would set him off. Nevertheless I stepped right up to him and looked him straight in his eyes.
"Your Highness." I murmured softly but even that felt too loud.
He was wearing a thing black cloak with golden trimming as well as a black and gold suit underneath. He reached down somewhere into the folds of his garments and produced an elaborate golden key.
The finger length golden rod was crafted with an intricate little golden dragon curling around the key. At the end of the key was a crystalline gem, glistening beautifully in the sunlight.
Geoffrey placed the key in my hand and said, "this is for you."
"What does it open?" I asked curiously, admiring the stunning craftsmanship of the key.
"Your new guild."
I looked up at him frowning.
"Guild...?"
"After the Mage exam, I have come to see just how talented you are. I've bought you this guild so that you can make more artifacts for me."
"Just for you?" I arched my eyebrow at him.
"I suppose you could sell the ones that I don't want..." he chuckled with a sly grin on his face.
"Thank you." I smiled as I started thinking about all the cool artifacts I could make. "But you really didn't have to buy me a whole guild."
"I'm investing in you Riley, because I see you reaping great profits for Gismead. And myself."
He took a step closer to me, I automatically took a step back, just to feel the wall an the window pane push against the back of my corset. I couldn't move back any further.
He took another step closer. My gaze immediately went downwards and I looked at the floor as I didn't know what to do with myself. All I knew was that I couldn't move. I didn't want to move, away from him.
He was so close that I could hear him breathing. I could feel his breath fan my cheek.
His fingers reached down to my face and they stroked my cheek ever so softly, gliding smoothly from my cheek bone down to the corner of my mouth. They sensually slid off my bottom lip and the path they traveled seem to burn my senses beautifully. Enough to make my breathing heavier and my heart thrum inside me passionately. His fingers then slipped down my lips and over my chin until they settled beneath it. With his fingers he pulled my chin and tilted my face upwards, so that I was forced to look into his glowing eyes.
He slowly reached down and placed a feathery kiss on my forehead, he was connected with me for a moment, completely still and content.
It was beautiful.
After the moment was up he released me, took a step back and stood for a moment looking at me. He then retreated from the room without saying goodbye, leaving me there all flustered and bewildered, and secretly longing for more.
It took me quite a while to get my composure back, but when it was restored I returned to the party and carried on greeting my guests.
Happily Augustus, Rudyard, Auberon and Bard started bringing out platters of food for the guests to feast on. All the food looked really great but for some reason I just wasn't really hungry, so I steered clear of the food. Also when I scanned the party for Red-eyes, I couldn't find him, so that was a relief.
As soon as the guests started tucking into the food, the room was filled with moans and sighs full of culinary bliss.
"My goodness Riley, you're chef is truly amazing!" Mumbled Arcadia as she chewed hungrily on a fried shrimp.
"I've never tasted anything so delicious!" Arcadia's bright eyes were now fixed on a platter of corn dogs.
"Well eat your full, knowing Augustus, he probably made food to spare." I giggled.
"Well don't mind if I do..." she said picking up a plate and starting to pile on the food.
I chuckled and left her to her munching. I actually was hoping to escape to the quiet of my bedroom, but every step I made a new person would come and introduce themselves to me, they were all very polite and charming but I knew it was probably all fake. Now that I was a second rank noble, I was somebody really important, especially since I didn't have a strong family or support structure, they probably assumed that I was an easy target, a person who they could easily take advantage of. Already a few 'gentlemen' had tried to push me into signing some business contracts and other random things.
The party was coming to a close and people had already started to leave. I was excited to have my house to myself again, go to bed and have a good rest. After all there were many things that I wanted to do tomorrow.
The Marcellus's were the last to leave. I gave Alice and Cornelius hugs when they left and sent them home with a cake for little Tyrion and Audrey.
After they had left, I was so happy to take a nice long bath in my luxurious tub. Especially since Edna and Mellie had prepared rose oils for my tub so I smelt really great afterwards.
When I had finished they helped my into my silken nightgown and settled me into bed. Agnes came in as they were leaving to tell me the news about the safe house.
She told me that she had managed to fill up the entire house, and sadly there were quite a few women who had put their name on the sign up list and couldn't go to the house because there wasn't enough room.
I was happy that the safe house had been filled up, but I felt really bad for the Ladies who couldn't make it into the house.
Depending on wether the guild that Geoffrey had bought me was big enough, I could possibly employ some of the women there as well. Not to mention that I really wanted to get started on building my school.
Ahh so much to do...