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January 9, 1172
"God, I just can't understand it." Florian finished what was left of the bottle's contents and placed it side-down on the counter, earning a disapproving glare from that insufferable Seoth. "After all these years, you finally get a chance to be your own man, and only nine days later, you're getting married again. I don't get it."
Shrugging, Falidor took a last sip of the goblet in front of him, then handed it back to the innkeeper. "You don't have to get it--although it's not that hard to get, really. I love her."
"Yes, but... nine days?" These nine days had been the only glimpse of bachelorhood poor Falidor had been granted since he was a boy of sixteen, and there was no way a man gave that up so easily--no matter how in love he was. Florian had to get to the bottom of this. "Look, you can tell me: is Raia's father making you marry her before the baby comes?"
On the groom-to-be's other side, Aldhein bowed his head and groaned; Falidor nearly choked. "Uh... what?"
Florian rested his elbow to the counter surface and leaned toward his friend, perhaps a little perversely triumphant--after all, he must have been right. "He is, isn't he?"
Falidor sighed. "No, he's really not."
"Err... Falidor?"
It was the baker, whom none of them liked, but who seemed unaware of the fact. Florian pulled himself back upright; he normally enjoyed tormenting Roveln, but on the eve of his friend's poorly-timed wedding, he was a little preoccupied, so he tried to ignore him. Falidor, on the other hand, decided to be polite. "Yes?"
"Uh, well, now that you're divorced and getting remarried again," the baker began, his hands fidgeting as his eyes fell to the floor, "I just figured I should tell you that I'm sorry for sleeping with your first wife."
Quiet--then, as if startled by his own daring, he took a few hasty strides toward the door and vanished from the range of the window.
Florian snickered. "He actually said it to your face? What a--"
"You know what?" Cutting Florian off, Aldhein pushed back his pint and turned to face Falidor, a resigned, tired sort of look in his eye. "Maybe that was stupid, but it was also rather noble. Falidor, I'm sorry for sleeping with your wife too."
Well... that was news to Florian. If Falidor's cocked eyebrow was any indication, this was the first he'd heard of this too. "You slept with Ailede?"
Grim, Aldhein nodded. "In my defense, though, this was before I met Alsina and it only happened the one time."
"All right..."
"Falidor?"
Seoth crossed to the other side of the counter and took the empty barstool to Florian's left, then looked past him and locked eyes with Falidor. "I'm also sorry for sleeping with your--"
"Oh for the love of God!" Florian slammed his fist against the counter with a force that rendered the entire inn mute. This would probably be the only bachelor party Falidor was ever going to get and he'd be damned if it was going to be ruined by someone other than him! "Am I the only person in this room who hasn't had sexual intercourse with Ailede Wythleit?"
Never before had he been forced to endure such an awkward silence. "Well then..."
Aldhein sniffed. "'Well then' indeed."
Florian cast a glare around the room, making sure that every soul in the room was aware of his annoyance before finally turning to Falidor--poor, embarrassed, laughingstock Falidor. "So... are you going to pound the stuffing out of all these sluts, or what?"
Falidor glanced toward Seoth, then Aldhein, then back to Florian. His head shook; his lips formed an odd shape, almost like an ironic sort of smile. "No--why bother? I'm happy now."
NEXT CHAPTER:
February 4, 1164
The inn was not as busy as Evaleith might have hoped, but at least it was not empty. An unoccupied place did have its advantages, especially when one knew that one would have to sleep there that night, but she could not pay for a bed on her own. She would have to get a different way--the same way she had fed herself for years, the same way she had always bounced between buildings from night to night, the same way she had put herself on that ship and made it all the way to Naroni.
The innkeeper met her gaze and frowned. "A little cold to be out without a cloak, wouldn't you say?"
Evaleith shrugged. She had traded her cloak for some bread about half an hour prior, but he didn't need to know that. "I'm fine."
He appeared unconvinced; hastily, she looked away. "Can I help you with something?"
"Seoth!" scolded a mildly drunken man from the table by the stairs. "Your wife's just in the next room, you bastard!"
The man's friends began to laugh; the innkeeper's blue eyes narrowed. "I can throw you out of here, you know!"
"Can you throw me into your wife?"
"Shut up, Florian!" he spat, before turning back to Evaleith. "Now, do you need something, or...?"
She silenced him by pressing her finger to her lips. "One second."
Ignoring his marked confusion, she took a moment to study the inn's patrons. From what she could see, the men at the loudmouth's table were rather better-looking than the ones at the other table, but to her dismay, the two dark-haired men and the blond all wore wedding bands around their fingers. The auburn-haired one did not; she started to approach him, but it wasn't long before one of his friends inquired about his daughter. Anything that could be asked about a child--name, favorite color, general health--provided ample opportunity for conflicting accounts, and that was one thing she did not want to risk. Resigned, she looked to the other table.
Two of them wore rings. Of the other half of the party, one was rather old and did not look the type to go along with such things. The other, however, met her eyes and sent her a wink; he would have to do.
"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing!" the man chuckled as she strode toward him.
Evaleith sniffed. "So I've been told."
"I'm sure. Now, what can I do you for?"
She peered down at him, arching her brows and widening her eyes; she figured she might as well be direct with him. "I need money for a bed tonight."
The man frowned. "What's in it for me?"
"You can share it."
Sending a parting gesture the way of his fellows, he pulled himself to his feet and brushed past her, pressing some cold metal coins into the palm of her hand. "Meet me upstairs," he whispered. She felt his fingers spider their way up her side until they reached her thigh, then he removed his hand and proceeded to the staircase. Somehow, she doubted he had much experience; she may have just earned herself a long, painful night.
Ah, but she could not dwell on such thoughts, she realized as she approached the innkeeper and shoved the coins into his fist. "One bed, please. Forgive me for making you wait, I just needed to talk to my husband."
"Husband?" the innkeeper repeated. "I didn't know Roveln had a wife."
Damn--the man was a regular. Hmmm... "I don't leave the house very often, and he's quite private about his personal life, you know."
"That also explains why you want a bed here when you have a house a minute's walk away."
Did he? "Oh, well... we just want a change of scenery. You know how it is, right?"
The innkeeper rolled his eyes. "Well, you certainly chose the right place for scenery."
"My husband likes this place," Evaleith insisted.
"I'm sure," he sneered. "Look, I'm sorry if you're down on your luck, but you have to understand that I'm trying run a clean establishment here, all right? I don't want the beds in this inn being used for any funny business."
He'd hit the nail right on the head; it was imperative that she didn't let him know that. "I don't like what you seem to be implying, sir."
The innkeeper sighed. "If I'm much mistaken, then I'm sorry, but you really can't blame me for finding this scenario rather odd. Now, run along, before I change my mind and give you back your money."
Nodding, she scurried up the stairs and made her way into the bedroom. She would have to warn the man to keep it down.
"What took you so long, girlie?" he teased as she stepped inside. "Old Seoth giving you grief?"
Evaleith closed her eyes. "If he asks, you're my husband."
"And what would my wife's name be?"
"I'll leave that up to you," she muttered as she released her curls from her braid. "Can you untie my dress for me?"
He smirked. "Don't think I won't."
She turned around and allowed him to lay his eager hands upon her. His clumsy fingers fumbled with the strings--even more reason to suspect he didn't have much of an idea as to what he was doing. If the bed wasn't warm and comfortable, she would know she had been cheated.
Finally, the dress fell to the floor; the man's hand, however, hovered over her back. "So beautiful," he breathed into her ear. "So magnificent..."
She didn't know how much more of this she could take.
Eager to get it over with, she turned on her heel and put on her most charming smile. "Let's just... proceed to the fun stuff, shall we?"
The man emitted a wicked laugh--this was really getting to be too easy. "Can't say 'no' to that now, can I?"
"Can't imagine why you would."
With all the giddiness of a boy half his age, he dipped her in his arms, planting kisses on the front of her neck, drumming his fingers against the small of her back. The glide of his tongue across her breasts sent a familiar tremor throughout her skeleton; that path had been trodden many more times than she herself had years.
Finally, a distinct hardness pressed itself against her thigh; she giggled throatily, then pushed him to the bed and slid herself between his open knees.
"All right, Tiger--time to take off those clothes and get your money's worth!"
NEXT CHAPTER:
