Comparing Loveapples and Oranges (Athena, 4/6)

[Conall Bladesworth]

So. There was a killer in the castle. Conall was intrigued. One of his buddies in the guard had told him about her pretty much as soon as he had gotten back to the Castle from visiting his folks on the farm. They were so proud of their knightly son. To have risen from a lonely loveapple farmer. They couldn't stop showing him off to their friends. They showed those uppity Carvells down the road a thing or two.

But back to the killer. That wasn't really what had made his friend tell him about her though, and while it was intriguing, it wasn't really why Conall had tracked her room down. The reason he had done that was well...

He heard she had a nicer ass than Maggie in the Kitchens, and a better bosom than Aileen, the gardener's daughter. He just had to see that. So he knocked on the door to her room.

[Athena]

Athena had just finished dressing, prepared to go down to find Rowena. She knew Arryk would be out with the men training and preparing to leave for war, so she would have to find time to kill until his return. Sliding her foot into her slipper, she perked up when she heard the knock on the door. It couldn’t be Arryk, so she assumed first that it was Rowena. After all, who else would come and call on her.

She crossed the room to pull the door open, and though she was surprised by the stranger that stood before her, she did not let her smile falter.

“Hello?” she said happily. “Can I help you?”

[Conall Bladesworth]

Well. She was quite cheery for a killer. But Conall supposed the same could be said about him. Though, he wasn't supposed to be the sneaky-quiet kind of killer. He cleaved men in two, while roaring at the top of his lungs. But that wasn't why he was here. He glanced down quickly, with all the practice of man who's spent most of his time trying to bed women. She certainly did have a good body. Not quite what the guard had told him it was, but he should have known he was exaggerating.

"Yes! Ya can, m'lady." He said while he moved to wrap an arm around her shoulder. "See, I'm Ser Conall. Bladesworth. That's not 'erribly 'mportant, mind ya. But I've 'een ask'd ta make sure yer not bored tuhday. So if'n you'll follow me, I've got some great idears in mind."

[Athena]

Athena paused, her guard rising immediately as this strange man moved towards her. She looked up at him first, but her head slowly turned to look at the offending hand on her shoulder. She did not like to be touched without permission, whether verbal or implied… She did not believe she’d given him either. “Greeting, Ser Conall,” she said, her voice slightly more terse. “Oh, is that so?” she asked, raising a thin, dark brow. “Now, who might have asked you to do that?”

She stepped over the threshold, out of his reach and turned to look at him again. “So, what ideas do you have in mind?”

[Conall Bladesworth]

Conall realized she didn't want to be touched. That was fine. He put up his hands to indicate he understood. And then smiled. An assassin who was afraid of contact. Crazy times, we lived in.

"Oh, Jaeryth. I'm kinda 'is go-ta guy, ya know. But as fer mah plans, I'd rather keep 'em secret, as ta not 'poil the 'urpise. Cuz wot's life 'ithout a 'ittle mystery?"

[Athena]

She appreciated that he seemed to get her message, and her smile relaxed into an easy one.

“Oh, okay,” she said, as if that was enough to automatically trust this stranger. “Life without surprises? I suppose one could call those well-organized, but who am I to judge? I don’t tend to like going into a situation blind and dumb, but if you say you’re Jaeryth’s go-to guy, then I trust you not to lead me into danger.”