(( This post contains some suggestive language, but I would not consider it NSFW. ))
Continuing from here
Coatleque sat in her office as was typical of her these days, going over incident reports from the Brass Blades. A new assignment she has been shirking as she preferred being out in the Palace or the training yard. The Captain had insisted, though, with the recent influx of recruits. She could not help but feel he was just pushing off his own work onto her though.
There was a light rap on the door frame as a man quiently entered. She did not hear him approach, so engrossed was she in her work. "And there she is. Resplendent in silver'd mail, as rumor oft said."
She almost started and looked up to see Jameson Taeros standing there. A quick exchange of smiles and she found herself suddenly worried about her appearance as she brushed her bangs out of her eyes only to have it fall forward immediately afterword. "Well, this is a first." She remarked as she felt her cheeks flush to match her hair. "Have you ever seen me in uniform even? I do not reacall..."
He moved quickly around her desk and leaned closer to place a chaste kiss on her cheek, to which she smiled and leaned towards him even. "Oh, I've seen you. You just did not see me."
"Hmm... sneaky." she quipped.
"On occasion." he purred.
Suddenly feeling quite inadequate in her these current surroundings, she gestured to the surrounding walls. "Sorry for the meager accommodations. I'm not quite that important for a full office."
Jameson smirked faintly, remaining close to her. "I have every confidence that you will one day ascend to that imbecile Jenlyn's position. How can you not?"
"Imbecile? Come now. He is my Captain after all. I'll not speak a word against him. I had a wonderful time at your Starlight party, even if it was all business."
Jameson gently tugged at the fingers of his gloves, removing each one in turn with slow, exacting pulls. "I jest, of course. Jenlyns is naught but the most even-tempered, level-headed man on the Hustings." He said as they both shared a smile.
She could not help but laugh at this. "Perhaps to you, but I report directly to him."
Jameson fussed with her tabard seemingly to straighten it. Whether it was truly crooked she could not tell as there were no mirrors available. She only sighed contentedly and looked forward again to the report on her desk. She had been going over the recent events of a firefight in Pearl Lane just before Starlight that had put the entire palace in lockdown at the time.
He murmured so as to avoid being overheard by the guard just around the corner in the hall. "You think little of yourself sometimes." His pale eyes flicked to hers. "And other times too much." He added with a smile. "Do not think I would have stepped into the public light with you had I not every conviction of your potential greatness."
She slowly turned back to face him with her own soft smile. "Potential, Master Taeros? Is that all I have? ..."
He brushed her cheek with his bare hand, growing bolder now that he was sure the guard could not see them. Scandalous to take such liberties while she was on duty! His voice remained low. "I would hope neither of us yet reached our full potential. We both began with so little, but perhaps you know most of that tale." His expression carried an odd look she had rarely seen yet.
Coatleque lowered her own voice now to barely a whisper as she felt herself leaning into his touch. "Perhaps I do, of my own at least. My, but you have grown bold..." her eyes darted to the door as if to be sure nobody could see them now.
"Bold? My carriage driver implied the same thing just three days ago." He turned away idly to glance over the papers on her desk but seemed rather disinterested in them as his hand continued to caress her. She shivered slightly at her own memory of that night. Turning her head away then, she tsked at him. "I hope he is paid well enough not to say so much to others."
"I ensure that those in my employ are motivated most of all by the coin I can afford them. What would he have to gain by breaking silence? Well, most of them. Why just today I learned that Gideon --" he was cut off by a rather scoffing remark.
"What indeed? there are those who would gladly try to ruin me simply for the sake of doing so."
"Because they hate their betters, my dear.", he replied with odd amusement.
She rolled her eyes with her own amused smile.
"The world is filled with lazy, bloated fools who like nothing more than to make excuses for their personal failures, hating those who have risen above them. They hate us most of all. They understand a young lordling, silver spoon affixed to mewling mouth. This is the natural order of things to them." His keen gaze was fixed straight on hers now as she listened.
"Perhaps. At least you are not charged with protecting such fools."
His voice lowered once more with an intensity she did not expect. "They do not understand men like me, or women like you. We who are their betters. Protect, no. To guide. But I would not trade positions with you for all the coin in Ul'dah." He said shaking his head.
Coatleque shifted slightly at his intensity and implication. "Y-yes... of course. But, there is a reason for that is there not?"
"A reason?"
Her eyes remained fixed on his, almost imploringly now. "Aye, a reason we have such station over them. That the Twelve placed us here with such a blessing."
Jameson blinked once, no more, before a placid look drifted across his features. "The Twelve. Of course." He glanced away. "But which one? Surely not all thirteen in concert?" His expression slowly curled to one of amusement once again. "Are we blessed by Rhalgr? That sounds like fun."
"We?" She asked curiously. "Hmm, perhaps Menphina? Though I've never had her favor for long in the past. You certainly do have enough enemies to catch Rhalgr's attention." With that she leaned into him playfully with her shoulder causing him to look down at her once more.
"Did any answer your calls in the carriage? I wondered", he teased.
Her eyes went wide. "Jameson!", she hissed before covering her mouth quickly hoping that nobody heard from out in the hall. He laughed. "See? Clearly that was Rhalgr." All she could do was blink as she considered the ramifications of the god of destruction watching them that night. Her hand slowly lowered. "No... certainly not!"
While Jameson was seemingly unconcerned over any gods' regard for him, Coatleque grabbed one of the folios off her desk to fan herself and regain some of her composure. "Surely there was a reason you came all this way so late? It could not have been just to see me here." She leaned forward and away from him slightly to try and peek out into the hallway. "If the Captain catches you here..."
"I was at the Royal Apothecary, actually. Ambassador Summerford has been mewling again about the cost of various alchemical exports, so I needed to do some fact-checking of my own. I've no other feet this day. Which reminds me, I don't suppose you've seen my valet?"
"Mister North? No, I've not seen him since..." She paused suddenly as she remembered their promise not to bring up the card game they were both tricked into attending. She cleared her throat. "... since your Starlight Party."
Jameson slipped a hand around her back. "Alas, Captain, you know not what you miss." His fingertips traced the spine of her armor, though she could not feel it through the thick scales, his hand's journey was still apparent. She gripped the edge of her desk with one hand. "Ah, a little birdie told me he was seen galavanting at the Mandercrown Manse just last night. Imagine." He continued with a smirk.
Coatleque managed a smile finally, albeit a strained one this time. "Was he? Trading services with Lord Mandercrown perhaps? That servant girl of his could use a break I think."
Jameson pursed his lips. "Yes, I do not quite recall her name, but it appears she suffers the fate of girls much more attractice. To have their lord's hands upon them, I mean. Shrewish thing." His hand continued its journey as she found herself admiring his amber eyes briefly before stealing another glance out the door.
"How ever does she manage? I could not imagine."
"The oafish fool sometimes makes me rue my Monetarist loyalties. He approached me for a joint business venture. I could tell in half a sentence it was doomed." He tsked. "But they affix themselves to their cousins' hips like a suckling pig to teat. I don't imagine it thrills the Mandervilles either. Though..."
"Mmm... hopefully not something involving pant."
Jameson seemed lost in thought for a moment before murmuring. "With that family-- Well put. he claims to have once been a great warrior. I rather doubt it."
"The Lord is quite forward about a great many things when deep in his cups. I was worried to leave your side all night."
Jameson laughed. "Am I his type, you think?" His voice lowered again. "I suppose anything is."
She blinked in slight disbelief before tsking him. "Honestly! You recall his proposition at the ball?"
"I can't say that it did thoroughly blend with every other proposition flung at me wholesale and happenstance that eve. What was it again?"
"Suffice to say I'll na'er let him touch me. Not that you would consider such a trade."
He laughed once more.
Her voice took on a rather worried yet stern tone. "... correct?"
Jameson looked at her with what could have been seen as fondness before reaching his hand up and brushing that lock of hair out of her eyes once more. "Those days are no more for you, Coatleque. Never again. They are all beneath you now."
She relaxed greatly at his words before her own sly grin finaly returned. "Good, because I've no intention of sharing you with another."
His brows both raised at that notion. "I see. Marking our territory are we? I was told at a young age that noblewomen did as their noblemen bid, and that noblemen did whatever they willed. Are you boldly challenging that fine tradition?" he asked her amusedly.
"Far be it from me to deny tradition, though I am not entirely yours yet to do with as you please, am I?" He returned a sly look as he considered his response. She continued to retain a modicum of pride, though just barely. Eventually he simply smiled.
"We shall see indeed where this journey takes us. Our first hurdle was leapt, and finely so. Let us not assume that all will be tolerant of the Monetarist and the Sultansworn. I look forward to see what challenges arise." he replied with some eagerness. Cupping her cheek one more time, she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand before he turned and made for the door.
Her eyes opened and she watched him step away. "Look forward to? Is it wise to invite such challenge openly?"
He murmured back to her. "I have not always made wise decisions. My choice in valet for one. I assumed it was a stellar one, but I have... questions for the man."
Coatleque sighed then before speaking up. "Have you spoken to Miss Callae?"
"I've not, no. Perhaps I will summon her forth. She does not reside with me however. And anyway, I doubt she could answer my most recent question. Surely he can."
He moved to leave once more. Coatleque set her jaw for a moment before standing quickly almost knocking her chair back. "Jameson? I would speak to her first."
He glanced back one last time with a smile just short of predatory. "I assure you, she will not know. This involves a sum of money that has... flown to greener pastures, so to speak. Brynnalia Callae has not been in my larder."
She opened her mouth, then closed it. Then opened it once more. Jameson bowed to her slightly before turning once more and was gone. Coatleque sighed before taking her seat again in thought. She could not let Mister North take the blame for what she had done, but this was not the place for such a confession. Her gaze fell to the corner of her desk where something had appeared that was not there before.
A silvery key which matched a set she had seen him use before. Curiously she stared at it as the weight of his words sunk in before slowly picking it up. Leaning back in her chair she twirled the stem between her fingers, watching the bow spin. After a moment she pushed her thoughts off and pocketed it for safekeeping before attempting to focus on her reports once again.
Continuing from here
III
Coatleque sat in her office as was typical of her these days, going over incident reports from the Brass Blades. A new assignment she has been shirking as she preferred being out in the Palace or the training yard. The Captain had insisted, though, with the recent influx of recruits. She could not help but feel he was just pushing off his own work onto her though.
There was a light rap on the door frame as a man quiently entered. She did not hear him approach, so engrossed was she in her work. "And there she is. Resplendent in silver'd mail, as rumor oft said."
She almost started and looked up to see Jameson Taeros standing there. A quick exchange of smiles and she found herself suddenly worried about her appearance as she brushed her bangs out of her eyes only to have it fall forward immediately afterword. "Well, this is a first." She remarked as she felt her cheeks flush to match her hair. "Have you ever seen me in uniform even? I do not reacall..."
He moved quickly around her desk and leaned closer to place a chaste kiss on her cheek, to which she smiled and leaned towards him even. "Oh, I've seen you. You just did not see me."
"Hmm... sneaky." she quipped.
"On occasion." he purred.
Suddenly feeling quite inadequate in her these current surroundings, she gestured to the surrounding walls. "Sorry for the meager accommodations. I'm not quite that important for a full office."
Jameson smirked faintly, remaining close to her. "I have every confidence that you will one day ascend to that imbecile Jenlyn's position. How can you not?"
"Imbecile? Come now. He is my Captain after all. I'll not speak a word against him. I had a wonderful time at your Starlight party, even if it was all business."
Jameson gently tugged at the fingers of his gloves, removing each one in turn with slow, exacting pulls. "I jest, of course. Jenlyns is naught but the most even-tempered, level-headed man on the Hustings." He said as they both shared a smile.
She could not help but laugh at this. "Perhaps to you, but I report directly to him."
Jameson fussed with her tabard seemingly to straighten it. Whether it was truly crooked she could not tell as there were no mirrors available. She only sighed contentedly and looked forward again to the report on her desk. She had been going over the recent events of a firefight in Pearl Lane just before Starlight that had put the entire palace in lockdown at the time.
He murmured so as to avoid being overheard by the guard just around the corner in the hall. "You think little of yourself sometimes." His pale eyes flicked to hers. "And other times too much." He added with a smile. "Do not think I would have stepped into the public light with you had I not every conviction of your potential greatness."
She slowly turned back to face him with her own soft smile. "Potential, Master Taeros? Is that all I have? ..."
He brushed her cheek with his bare hand, growing bolder now that he was sure the guard could not see them. Scandalous to take such liberties while she was on duty! His voice remained low. "I would hope neither of us yet reached our full potential. We both began with so little, but perhaps you know most of that tale." His expression carried an odd look she had rarely seen yet.
Coatleque lowered her own voice now to barely a whisper as she felt herself leaning into his touch. "Perhaps I do, of my own at least. My, but you have grown bold..." her eyes darted to the door as if to be sure nobody could see them now.
"Bold? My carriage driver implied the same thing just three days ago." He turned away idly to glance over the papers on her desk but seemed rather disinterested in them as his hand continued to caress her. She shivered slightly at her own memory of that night. Turning her head away then, she tsked at him. "I hope he is paid well enough not to say so much to others."
"I ensure that those in my employ are motivated most of all by the coin I can afford them. What would he have to gain by breaking silence? Well, most of them. Why just today I learned that Gideon --" he was cut off by a rather scoffing remark.
"What indeed? there are those who would gladly try to ruin me simply for the sake of doing so."
"Because they hate their betters, my dear.", he replied with odd amusement.
She rolled her eyes with her own amused smile.
"The world is filled with lazy, bloated fools who like nothing more than to make excuses for their personal failures, hating those who have risen above them. They hate us most of all. They understand a young lordling, silver spoon affixed to mewling mouth. This is the natural order of things to them." His keen gaze was fixed straight on hers now as she listened.
"Perhaps. At least you are not charged with protecting such fools."
His voice lowered once more with an intensity she did not expect. "They do not understand men like me, or women like you. We who are their betters. Protect, no. To guide. But I would not trade positions with you for all the coin in Ul'dah." He said shaking his head.
Coatleque shifted slightly at his intensity and implication. "Y-yes... of course. But, there is a reason for that is there not?"
"A reason?"
Her eyes remained fixed on his, almost imploringly now. "Aye, a reason we have such station over them. That the Twelve placed us here with such a blessing."
Jameson blinked once, no more, before a placid look drifted across his features. "The Twelve. Of course." He glanced away. "But which one? Surely not all thirteen in concert?" His expression slowly curled to one of amusement once again. "Are we blessed by Rhalgr? That sounds like fun."
"We?" She asked curiously. "Hmm, perhaps Menphina? Though I've never had her favor for long in the past. You certainly do have enough enemies to catch Rhalgr's attention." With that she leaned into him playfully with her shoulder causing him to look down at her once more.
"Did any answer your calls in the carriage? I wondered", he teased.
Her eyes went wide. "Jameson!", she hissed before covering her mouth quickly hoping that nobody heard from out in the hall. He laughed. "See? Clearly that was Rhalgr." All she could do was blink as she considered the ramifications of the god of destruction watching them that night. Her hand slowly lowered. "No... certainly not!"
While Jameson was seemingly unconcerned over any gods' regard for him, Coatleque grabbed one of the folios off her desk to fan herself and regain some of her composure. "Surely there was a reason you came all this way so late? It could not have been just to see me here." She leaned forward and away from him slightly to try and peek out into the hallway. "If the Captain catches you here..."
"I was at the Royal Apothecary, actually. Ambassador Summerford has been mewling again about the cost of various alchemical exports, so I needed to do some fact-checking of my own. I've no other feet this day. Which reminds me, I don't suppose you've seen my valet?"
"Mister North? No, I've not seen him since..." She paused suddenly as she remembered their promise not to bring up the card game they were both tricked into attending. She cleared her throat. "... since your Starlight Party."
Jameson slipped a hand around her back. "Alas, Captain, you know not what you miss." His fingertips traced the spine of her armor, though she could not feel it through the thick scales, his hand's journey was still apparent. She gripped the edge of her desk with one hand. "Ah, a little birdie told me he was seen galavanting at the Mandercrown Manse just last night. Imagine." He continued with a smirk.
Coatleque managed a smile finally, albeit a strained one this time. "Was he? Trading services with Lord Mandercrown perhaps? That servant girl of his could use a break I think."
Jameson pursed his lips. "Yes, I do not quite recall her name, but it appears she suffers the fate of girls much more attractice. To have their lord's hands upon them, I mean. Shrewish thing." His hand continued its journey as she found herself admiring his amber eyes briefly before stealing another glance out the door.
"How ever does she manage? I could not imagine."
"The oafish fool sometimes makes me rue my Monetarist loyalties. He approached me for a joint business venture. I could tell in half a sentence it was doomed." He tsked. "But they affix themselves to their cousins' hips like a suckling pig to teat. I don't imagine it thrills the Mandervilles either. Though..."
"Mmm... hopefully not something involving pant."
Jameson seemed lost in thought for a moment before murmuring. "With that family-- Well put. he claims to have once been a great warrior. I rather doubt it."
"The Lord is quite forward about a great many things when deep in his cups. I was worried to leave your side all night."
Jameson laughed. "Am I his type, you think?" His voice lowered again. "I suppose anything is."
She blinked in slight disbelief before tsking him. "Honestly! You recall his proposition at the ball?"
"I can't say that it did thoroughly blend with every other proposition flung at me wholesale and happenstance that eve. What was it again?"
"Suffice to say I'll na'er let him touch me. Not that you would consider such a trade."
He laughed once more.
Her voice took on a rather worried yet stern tone. "... correct?"
Jameson looked at her with what could have been seen as fondness before reaching his hand up and brushing that lock of hair out of her eyes once more. "Those days are no more for you, Coatleque. Never again. They are all beneath you now."
She relaxed greatly at his words before her own sly grin finaly returned. "Good, because I've no intention of sharing you with another."
His brows both raised at that notion. "I see. Marking our territory are we? I was told at a young age that noblewomen did as their noblemen bid, and that noblemen did whatever they willed. Are you boldly challenging that fine tradition?" he asked her amusedly.
"Far be it from me to deny tradition, though I am not entirely yours yet to do with as you please, am I?" He returned a sly look as he considered his response. She continued to retain a modicum of pride, though just barely. Eventually he simply smiled.
"We shall see indeed where this journey takes us. Our first hurdle was leapt, and finely so. Let us not assume that all will be tolerant of the Monetarist and the Sultansworn. I look forward to see what challenges arise." he replied with some eagerness. Cupping her cheek one more time, she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand before he turned and made for the door.
Her eyes opened and she watched him step away. "Look forward to? Is it wise to invite such challenge openly?"
He murmured back to her. "I have not always made wise decisions. My choice in valet for one. I assumed it was a stellar one, but I have... questions for the man."
Coatleque sighed then before speaking up. "Have you spoken to Miss Callae?"
"I've not, no. Perhaps I will summon her forth. She does not reside with me however. And anyway, I doubt she could answer my most recent question. Surely he can."
He moved to leave once more. Coatleque set her jaw for a moment before standing quickly almost knocking her chair back. "Jameson? I would speak to her first."
He glanced back one last time with a smile just short of predatory. "I assure you, she will not know. This involves a sum of money that has... flown to greener pastures, so to speak. Brynnalia Callae has not been in my larder."
She opened her mouth, then closed it. Then opened it once more. Jameson bowed to her slightly before turning once more and was gone. Coatleque sighed before taking her seat again in thought. She could not let Mister North take the blame for what she had done, but this was not the place for such a confession. Her gaze fell to the corner of her desk where something had appeared that was not there before.
A silvery key which matched a set she had seen him use before. Curiously she stared at it as the weight of his words sunk in before slowly picking it up. Leaning back in her chair she twirled the stem between her fingers, watching the bow spin. After a moment she pushed her thoughts off and pocketed it for safekeeping before attempting to focus on her reports once again.
