I'm A Man Of Wealth And Taste (Kadrin and Sweetnecter)

It was a wild night, and the whole day had been building to it. The old men of the village had sat at the inn all day, discussing in dour tones what the weather meant as an omen over beer and mutton stew. "Hellhounds abroad, by the wind," one of them had said, shaking his head darkly. "There'll be children missin' by tonight, you mark my words." Another had said that the children were safer, because witches don't fly in rain. This had provoked firm discussion before the man remembered he'd been thinking of bees. As the sun had started to set, they'd gone to their home, the village's workers coming in to drown their sorrows and sing badly. When the bells chimed eleven, though, even they had headed home, leaving only the aging hedge knight by the fire... and he'd headed up ten minutes before the midnight chime, leaving the poor overworked daughter of the tavern keeper time to clean up after them.

Still, it was at the moment the bells struck midnight, as the inn's cat raised her head and scampered upstairs, as lightning split the sky open and thunder rang out at the exact same moment, that the door opened. The handsome man on the other side wore rich clothes, silks and velvets, that by sumptuary laws marked him as a rich man - perhaps a merchant, or a guildmaster. But his body and his walk marked him as a warrior, and when he spoke, it was in the honeyed tone of a nobleman.

He approached the girl with his confident, steadfast walk, and gave her a fraction of a bow. "I had hoped to make Steadshire tonight," he said, with half a chuckle, "but this is no weather for a man to be outside. I know it is late, but I hope I can trouble you for a mug of ale and a room for the night?"

While not of noble birth Angelica was quite a sight. then again so was her father when he was younger quite the charmer too until he got a letter saying he had a five year old daughter and the woman who had birthed her was dead. then his ways changed, he was no longer a conman stealing from the rich and spending all his money and time on cheap whores. After one last jobe he took his daughter and made was for a small town, bought a large bulding got himself set and opeend his inn. He was well know at the chirch as well, giving money and time Sunday.

"Aww Sooty don't leave me alone." She sighed first the black done left then the small cat. Then the door opeend, which scared her more than the lightning she jummped then stood. She had been on her hands and knees trying to getthefloor scrubbed clan. "You need to talk to my father about that Sir." The thin pale young woman told him. She started to nervously play with a stray black curle that had fallen into her pale face, her thick raven hair was often hard to controll.

"I mean we have rooms, but would you have not beenbetter off staying one town back> They have a nice inn for people such as yourself." Not that her father's inn was bad. he just got more middle class people than the inn in Whalers they were a better off town as a whole.

The handsome man raised an eyebrow. "Your father? The goodman isn't asleep? Now, that is an impressive dedication... still, let us not bother him. For now, might I trouble you just for the drink? I promise my gold is good." His smile was enough to bring angels tumbling down from Heaven and to make a saint swear off chastity forever, and he flashed it to her for just a moment before taking a seat at the bar.

"I didn't pass through Whalers," he said, steepling his fingers in an odd pattern, turning them around, and wrapping them upon themselves before - with the kind of stage magic a bard would be proud of - producing a heavy gold coin from his sleeve. "I've been keeping off the roads, I'm afraid. A long and wild journey... I had thought I'd reach Steadshire by now, but time makes fools of us all, yes?"

He set the coin on the bar with a heavy clunk. It sounded louder than other coins, as if the gold itself was paying homage to its quality. With that, the man drew his hands carefully away from as much money as she'd make in a week's work... as if it was any other copper penny.

"No, there was a bit of an issue between two of the men, you know how tongues loosen after a few drinks. Well it seems that a young man slept with a young lady and her Father just found out tonight because he ehar the young man talking to his friends. My father helped the boy to the doctor." She explained with a soft smile. She nodded at his request for a drink and vanished bedind a large door. In a few moments she was back setting the full glass on the counter.

"oh no Sir. really I can not take that much, that is more than your room would cost." She said her cheeks a bright pink as she turned to wipe doen the counter trying to not look at him. Looking, no there was nothing worng with looking at such a handsome man, but why set herself up for disaster by allowing herself to take interst in him.

She gave him a small meek smile then went back to polishing the wood her brigth blue eyes fixed upon her work trying her hardest to do a good job and please her Father.

"Is it, truly?" the man said, looking truly surprised. "Well, then, I'd do well to place another for my room, wouldn't I?" Another heavy clunk, and he set another, identical coin atop it. No magic trick to produce this one; he simply reached into his coin pouch, and there it was. This man, obviously, had no shortage of money. "Consider it," he said, with another flash of that supernaturally charming smile, "my fee for the opportunity to look upon pure and true beauty."

He tipped the brim of his riding hat to her, and took up the glass, draining a quarter of the ale at a long swallow. "A magnificent brew," he said, softly. "My compliments to your father. He must truly be doing well for himself, to afford this inn, and this wonderful beer. But then, an honest man always finds his success in the world, yes?" Could there have been a slight emphasis on honest? Surely not. "For we are, after all, governed by the will of the Almighty."

He set his glass down, folding his arms on the table. "The boy will be all right, I trust?"

Angelica looked up at the second clink, "Sir I really can not take your money. It would be wrong to do that, my father would only give the extra to the church, he would not accept it either. Really please just keep what you have and pay only your room fee along with the cost of your drink." Her cheeks were pink, a blush creeping over her face from his words and charming smile. She looked down and bit her lower lip.

"I am sure he will be fine, just got hit in the head with a half full glass of ale." she said quietly. She looked back up at him, "My father's nephew rund a brewery, he charges a little less to my father.' She explained with a small grin, the man like her father was kind, and onlyabout five years older than her. "He only started recently I will have to write him to tell him that he has pleased.... Oh I am sorry, I have been so rude. I am Angelica. May I ask your name?"

"There's no way I could encourage you to keep it for yourself?" the man asked, with a warm smile. "Think of it, with that money, you could hire a seamstress to sew you an intricate gown of wool, bedecked with copper jewelry... well within the sumptuary laws, and yet, you'd be beautiful enough to outshine a princess." He laughed, and the sound was more intoxicating than any of the wine behind the bar. "As if you were not already! Still, I will leave the money there; if you must give it to your father, then he may give it wherever he wanted, and I will admit I will be disappointed. A lady like yourself deserves more than she has, yes?"

He took another long swallow of the ale, setting it back down. "Aym," he responded, lightly. "My name is Aym. I think we can do without titles when it is just the two of us, yes?" A wave of his hand illustrated, quite clearly, that they were indeed alone in the common room... that whatever happened would have no witnesses, no prying eyes.

Angelica's face only seemed to grow more and mroe red as the man spoke. she shook her head, "No Sir, I will have to give it to my father if you insist upong us having it." She said quietly. she looked over then as her father came in his white shirt covered in blood, it looked like while busting up the fight he had got a good strike to his eye. He paused seeing the well dressed man at his bar and looked to his daughter.

"This is Sir Aym, he would like a room." She took the two coins and rushed to her father's side, "And he won't take it back even though I told him it was to much." She told her father. the man smiled at Aym then kissed his daughters cheek whispering to her then he left again.

"I am to show you to your room." she told him ,"After you hve finished your drink, there is no need to rush." She explained looking away feeling embaressed.

"It seems that he came off worse in the struggle," Aym said, musing over the innkeeper. "Poor man; still, what was it the poet called sleep? 'Tired Nature's sweet restorer'? I am sure by morning he shall be so much the better, and meanwhile..." Aym looked down, so that the red flame that danced in his pupils when he worked his magic would be hidden. "Meanwhile, he shall sleep as if he had no worries nor cares, and no noise shall disturb him 'til he is ready to wake."

When he looked up, his ice blue eyes were just as plain as any other's, and he looked innocent enough that surely he hadn't swept his eyes over her sweet cleavage. "Would you wish my assistance with the cleaning?" he asked, sipping again at his beer. "I wouldn't like to interrupt you. It would be best if you could show me to my room when you've no more responsibilities for the night."

Angelica shook her head and looked around. Chairs stacked nealy against the wall, table tops and bar cleaned, floor cleaned."I am done thank you for your kind offer though." she sat behind the bar on a stool, 'when you are ready I will show you to your room." She said looking out the window watching the storm.

A loud hiss broke her thought, the cat having come to get food was hissing like it had been cornered by a rabid hound, it's fur stood on end and it swiped at the man before it. 'No.no bad bad." angelica scoulded the animal and quickly scooped it up and locked the cat in the kitchen with the dog, the two were friendly so that would cause no harm. "I am so sorry I do not know why she would behave that way."

"What can one do with animals?" Aym asked, with a shrug of his shoulders. "We humans are gifted with the power to think, reason, and rationalise, but our pets - though much we love them - are not. She'll cause no trouble back there, I am certain."

He leaned back on his stool, sipping again, making his beer last. "I must be very boring company," he said, with a laugh, "and I am sure I am keeping a girl so lovely from an assignation? A secret tryst with one of the village boys? Or something of the like? Youth does as youth will, after all..." He shakes his head. "I will endeavour to speed myself to bed, shall I?"

Angelica blushed maddly and shookher head, "I just reached the age to marry today. My father will start to see suitors tomorrow." She said her face beet red. "And it would be wrong to be with any man other than my husband." She was still red in the face her eyes fixed upon the wood floor uner her feet.

"If you need anything during the night my room is on the top floor." She told him her head rising to hesitantly make eyes contace with the heart breakingly handsome man before her. She gave a small smile rather taken by his looks, no man in the village was as handsome as he was.

"Is that so?" Aym said, sipping at his beer. Strangely, there seemed to be more in it now than before that first swallow. "Well, maybe I should wait around, postpone my trip to Steadshire a few more days. If I presented myself to your father, Angelica, do you think he would consider my suit, to entrust his daughter unto me?" He spoke easily, lightly, as casually as if he was discussing the weather.

"I'm glad to hear it, at any rate," he said. "I may need something during the night, after all, and I will be glad to know how to call you." He kept eye contact with her, unbreaking, keeping his blue eyes on hers.

Angelica's own blue eyes went wide, "That would not work Sir. with you of such a high class and myself being but an inn keeper's daughter you would be looked down upon for taking a lower class woman as your wife." Not that she thought her father would say no, a rich man like this could take better care of his daughter than any man in town.

"Yes well, if you need an extra blanket they are in the closet in your room, I will how ever get you drinks or any book we have in the house or heat you some tea..." She trailed off still thinking about what he had asked. "Did you mean that?" She asked quietly her voice just above a whisper.

Aym shrugged. "Did I mean what?" he asked. "Did I mean I might need help in the night? I'm sure I might." He darted easily around the subject with the grace of an acrobat, and drank the rest of his beer at one long swallow, setting the empty glass down on the table.

He looked at her, then. "Do I look," he asked, in a sincere sounding voice, "like a man who would lie about so important a subject?" And this wasn't an answer, but perhaps such a young and naive girl would not recognise that, easily.

Dismissing the subject, he stood, and held out his hand to her. "Please," he said, in a deep, warm voice; "guide me to my room."

Angelica nodded and stood walking around the bar, she reached out and took hishand after looking at him for a moment. Shelead him to the second floor and opened a door to reveal a fairly nice sized room. "here you are." She said softly still thinking about what he had said. If he did ask her father he would more than likely say yes, and this man seemed kind as was good looking so she would probebly be happy.

"Well, goodnight." She moved past him and started to move past him clearly heading for the stairs at the end of the hall. She was confused, but happy. She half hoped he would ask her father now that she had thought about it.

With a word, Aym stopped her. "Wait, my dear Angelica," he said, and stepped toward her, closing the room's door before her.

And with that, he began to act, to dissemble, to feign another nature as brilliantly as only his kind could do. He moved in close, sounding almost fevered, as if his emotion had taken over his nature. "Since I saw you you have consumed me, my very heart and soul," he said, with an all but undeniable passion. "I have longed for you already. I think we must have known one another before we were born, and that I have spent my whole life roving, looking for you, incomplete without you. I can feel your absence already, and even a moment without you would tear at me, would drive me mad with grief. I know now that I will ask your father for your hand tomorrow but even now my passion wounds me and the night will be so long I will die of want... knowing my pure intention, I know that the Almighty would forgive if this one night, we were to act as man and wife."

It's only the fact that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a thousand years away that Aym did not receive the Oscar then and there. His face was earnest, sincere, desperate with passion, and inside all he was thinking was that he would have a cambion child in her by the end of the night.

Angelica shook her head though she was very deeply moved by his words. almost to tears and that could be seen by the look on her face. "I am flattered that you feel so strongly about me. But until we are wed I can....will not give my chastity away." She said quietly, but also firmly her mind would not be changed.

She would have made her father and everyone at the church very proud then. She ofcourse would be happy to lay with them once they were wed but no sooner. She leaned up and kissed his cheek softly, closing the little space between them, "Good night Aym, please try to sleep."

Ah, well. Inwardly, Aym sighed. It was a good thing, really, that her chastity was so confirmed; making a potential saint into a mother of demons was a pronounced irony that demons loved. Still, if she'd been a little more wanton, his honeyed words would surely have convinced her.

He swept his arms around her, instead, pulling her close, masking it still with a flood of passion. One hand on her hip, the other up between her shoulderblades, he pressed her sweet breasts to his chest, and kissed her lips, forcing her mouth open with his own. His almost-all-feigned hungry passion (with a spark igniting in his infernal heart at her nearness) burned against her, drawing her body entirely too close to his, no propriety in the press of her chest to his.

Angelica pulled away and slapped him across the face not caring if he was a higher class or possibly her husband to be. She straighted her dress a bit and looked up at him giving him a cool look while tears came to her eyes. She opened the door and walked into the hall looking up at him.

"Well then, I am sorry for hitting you. Goodnight." Seh said her tone colder her eyes no longer on his but on the floor. She left the door open, he could shut it himself and started to walk quickly down the hall. Not tha the kiss was bad, it was the way she had only dreamed of being kissed but there was something wrong she could feel it in her heart.

And here he hadn't been able to hold her still; the Duke would laugh at him when he returned to Hell at this rate. Aym whispered a little, red flame burning in his eyes, and made himself invisible and intangible with a word. He shut the door as he entered the hallway, the loud thump sounding like Aym had retired to his own company, and moved after Angelica, watching her as she walked away. He would see, he thought to himself, what she was doing tonight, and perhaps give her some company in her room.

After all, she had invited him.

Angelica went to her room and changed into a simple night dress that was a soft cream colored. She then got on her knees beside her bed and started to pray before bed. She finished her prayers and climbed into her small bed closing her bright eyes and falling asleep. she looked angelic as she slept her dark hair in curles around her pale soft face, her pale face off set by rosy cheeks and dakr full lashes. truely she was far more beautiful than most mortals.

Aym grinned to himself, unseen and unfindable in the little room - a beauty, and a devout one at that, young and sweet and seemingly made for his purposes. Now, her father was ensorcelled asleep, she was unaware, and Aym's magic prevented any sound from leaking out of the room. With care and grace, he pulled the blanket away from her, and took the hem of her nightdress in his hands, shifting it slowly up her body, still not to be seen nor heard.

The blanket had been thick and wam, so angelica noticed when it was gone. She shifted in her sleep then felt something sliding up her legs. What on earth could it have been? Not one of the pets, they were put away down stairs. Slowly her eyes opened and she saw her dress moving up with no one touching it and screamed scrambleing back.

"Now, now," Aym said, in his true voice - which sounded almost entirely unlike his human voice, lower, with the growl of magma and a hint of fire, brimstone, and the screams of the damned. Still, there was a trace - just a trace - of that human's voice underneath. "There is no one listening, now, so it would be best you remain quiet."

He caught hold of her legs, keeping her still, and spread them apart as far as he could.