[Zamira is not going to dinner. EVER AGAIN. At least not until after her cousins wedding and certain people are no longer there.] -10:16 Jun 07
[Rainer has a no-show fiancee for dinner, a sore neck, and one hell of a brewing bad mood. Not that he’s confused or anything like that.] -10:18 Jun 07
Zamira: Skipping dinner was wretched and she was so very tempted to sneak out for something in the kitchen. …but even sneaking around in the halls resulted in to accidental run ins and Zamira couldn’t deal with it! Despite her cousin’s over-joyed reaction to Zamira’s angry confession about consummating with her fiance, Zamira was pretty sure that was a huge mistake. A huge… confusing… mistake. -10:22 Jun 07
Rainer: Okay, so she was being a twit about what happened. It was… probably not the smartest thing they could have done, considering how they didn’t want to get married. But it had happened and she wasn’t the only one feeling awkward and it was damn rude of her to hide herself away and leave him to do all of the explanations. Scowling and rubbing at the back of his neck, he marched up to her chamber door and gave a solid knock. It was too late for such things as propriety now. -10:34 Jun 07
Zamira: Zamira almost answered it. Almost. With her hand on the knob, she realized it might not be someone she wanted to speak to. She could pretend to not be there, or to be asleep… But Goddess knows, if it were Rainer he’d probably bang on her door all night. “Who is it? I am ill…!” -10:36 Jun 07
Rainer: “It’s me, Princess.” He tried to keep polite, really he did, but he was just so damn disgruntled that it came out in his voice. How did she get under his skin so easily? “We need to talk.” -10:39 Jun 07
Zamira: Why did HE sound upset? She was the one seduced in an open hallway, totally incapable of getting an annulment now, and probably gossiped about thanks to Drita. Zamira was much better at sounding completely nonchalant. “I told you, I am ill. You’ll just have to come and see me tomorrow. Maybe…” -10:42 Jun 07
Rainer: “You’re not ill,” he snapped. Did she think this was just going to go away if they ignored it? “Open the damn door!” -10:43 Jun 07
Zamira: “It’s so kind of you to make such assumptions about your fiance, and I am so sorry I can’t join you this evening!” A wide, grin spread across her face. It was, at least, a small victory to irk him in this one small way. She wasn’t coming out and he couldn’t make her! “Goodnight, Rainer.” -10:46 Jun 07
Rainer: “You-” Rainer stopped short, pressing his fingertips to his temple and taking a deep, measured, painfully slow breath. She wasn’t going to respond to him barking orders at her; she never did. Why was he even trying? He was off of his game tonight… today, really. “…Look. I know you’re hungry. Let me get you something to eat, at least. You can’t just sit in there starving yourself.” -10:50 Jun 07
Zamira: Zamira leaned against the door, narrowing her eyes a bit. A change of tone? Did he really think he could lure her out that way? “Maybe I am simply not hungry and wanted to sleep early tonight? I could go and fetch something to eat myself if I needed to.” She ought to leave it at that and ignore him! Instead she was pressing her ear against the door. -10:56 Jun 07
Rainer: “You could, but I’m offering to fetch it for you.” It was more than that; he was extending an olive branch here. He didn’t want to squabble, and he didn’t want her wasting away in her room like an idiot, afraid to show her face. They needed to talk about this. And… he didn’t like that she didn’t want to see him. It was… insulting, somehow, as if he were some kind of brute. He- Damn it all, he really hoped she would just let him do this one thing. “Are you really not sorry for missing a meal?” -11:02 Jun 07
Zamira: “Everyone is excited about Drita’s wedding, I sincerly doubt anyone has noticed me missing.” Outside of him. Of which she could wish was endearing, but he was more than likely just worried about his reputation than a missing fiance he didn’t want in the first place. Zamira scowled at the door before she finally turned the knob and swung it open. “I suppose you will stand out here all night if I refuse food?” -11:08 Jun 07
Rainer: He flashed a stubborn grin. “I think you know the answer to that, Princess.” Of course, they both knew that if she ordered it directly, he would have to leave. They also both knew she wouldn’t do that. “I had to make your excuses, you know.” -11:16 Jun 07
Zamira: “Fine. Then you can fetch food and I may or may not be here when you return.” Her response came with a perfectly ‘innocent’ expression and the crossing of her arms. Zamira wished he wouldn’t grin like that, it was a little distracting and all too reminding of a few hours prior. -11:28 Jun 07
Rainer: “We really ought to talk about this, you know,” he argued, crossing his own arms over his chest as if in answer. “Sooner rather than later would be better. This changes things.” -11:33 Jun 07
Zamira: By the look on her face it was obvious that she was seriously thinking backing up in to the room and slamming the door in his face. Zamira seemed to mask that quickly, though and returned to that cool, slightly irked frown. “There is nothing to discuss. You’re my fiance, I plan a wedding… unless you are going to break all tradition and call the entire thing off.” Which would be… Zamira didn’t even know what to think about it now. She didn’t even want to have this conversation! Her head tilted as she glanced back over her shoulder, the thought of slamming the door in his face returning… -11:39 Jun 07
Rainer: That was what pushed his last nerve over the edge, and he was suddenly planting a hand on either side of the door frame and leaning in, eyes narrowing. “Is that what you want to do? Call it off?” Because that wasn’t acceptable. The moment he’d come to his senses after their reckless little rendezvous in the corridor- In the corridor, where anyone could have seen- Rainer had realized one thing immediately. He had to marry Zamira. To do otherwise at this point would make him the worst kind of man, and that wasn’t who he was. Did she really think so badly of him? -11:46 Jun 07
Zamira: Zamira leaned backwards just a fraction, scowling at him in return. Did he think after all of the time and effort and pure faith she put in to their traditions, that one little interlude was going to scare her away? …granted, she had immediately ran and locked herself in her room! But that didn’t mean she was going to back out of a wedding that, as accidental as the engagement happened, was fated by a technicality whether she liked it or not. Now if she could put that in to words. “If you try, I will quite happily send the rest of the guard out to bring your mauled body back. You aren’t free of me so easy!” -11:52 Jun 07
Rainer: “I’m marrying you.” His voice was clipped, his lips pressing together into a thin line as he stared at her own infuriatingly sneering pair. No matter what she might think, Rainer was no blackguard despoiler of women, not even snooty princesses with attitude problems. He was a man of his word, and he made a vow of deadly serious import to her now. “I’m marrying you whether you like it or not. I will drag you kicking and screaming to the altar if I have to. Are we clear, Princess?” -12:00 Jun 07
Zamira: Zamira actually looked surprised! Dropping her arms so she could give his shoulder a rough shove. “Whether -I- like it or not? ME?” She might have slapped him too, but settled for trying to shove him out of her door frame. “I am not the one who was against this entire thing from the start, mewling about his lost Aimee and saying I was the last person in the world he wanted to marry! So perhaps you ought to be leashing yourself!” -12:09 Jun 07
Rainer: “Me?! You’re the one who keeps sulking around as if someone died, acting like it’s somehow all my fault that you decided to take a tumble off the roof, all the while making doe eyes at that sot Malkellen! Would you rather I let you break your silly neck?!” Rainer demanded, not budging an inch. In fact, he was wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her still, because he just knew she was going to duck away from him in a moment. “I’m sorry that it’s such torment to marry me, but I think you’ll manage.” -12:20 Jun 07
Zamira: “Did you think I were trying to fall off the roof on purpose?! Believe me, had a choice in who I landed on, it wouldn’t have been you!” Blast it all. She had been two seconds away from slamming the door on him, and now she was pushing against him and trying to pry his arm off. Of course he had to mention Malkellen. “At least he doesn’t make me want to scream and pull out my hair, or strangle him and drown his body in the nearest moat! I tried to be civil about the entire thing and you have been nothing but a confusing, infuriating, pain in the ass! -12:26 Jun 07
Rainer: Civil? She thought her passive-aggressive harassment was civil? “He’s a conceited, spoiled playboy and you should stay away from him. He doesn’t care about trifling with the hearts of… delicate ladies such as yourself.” -12:33 Jun 07
Zamira: Oooh. She’d show him a delicate lady. Zamira twist to give him a good kick to the shin, before shoving at him again, and looked all too triumphant about it! “Malkellen has been nothing but a gentleman with me, and regardless of US being married, you have no say in who I make acquaintances with! Unless, of course, you are going to refrain from running wild with pretty blond twits..” Why, WHY did she even throw that in there. And why was there even a twinge of jealousy?! She didn’t care! -12:40 Jun 07
Rainer: Unfortunately for Zamira, he caught it. “…You don’t want me running around with ‘pretty blond twits’, huh?” He drew her back in, as much as that kick smarted, and took hold of her chin. “Why? You worried I’ll get them alone and share a moment like the one we had today?” His face hovered inches from hers, as if he were about to kiss her at any moment, and he was going too far again with teasing her but he wanted to hear her admit it. -12:50 Jun 07
Zamira: She flushed, and she hoped her expression didn’t betray her thoughts. …then on a whim she threw that worry right out the window. Why not let him have it? If he was going to be her husband he would be her husband and Zamira wasn’t going to accept anything less than perfection! “As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I am concerned about.” she spat back. “No husband of mine is allowed to go traipsing around with silly bimbos, leaving me home and ignored and wondering what harlot he’s bedding!” -01:01 Jun 07
Rainer: She wanted his attention? Fine. She had it. He’d pay her so much attention that she’d beg him to leave her alone. “As Your Highness wishes,” he bit out, bristling, and closed the distance between them in a possessive, angry kiss. It lasted only a moment, but he was winded by the time he pulled away from her. -01:10 Jun 07
Zamira: “What do y-!” She hadn’t realized what he meant until it was too late. Her breath held and hands up ready to strangle him, yet that was the last thing on her mind when he pulled away. Zamira was never going to understand how one kiss could get her so befuddled that she’d forget every angry word and curse that she wanted to throw at him. She was left with her eyes closed and an irritatingly wistful look on her face, and had she seen it she might’ve slapped herself. “…That’s a weapon and it’s unfair…!” she finally growled out. -01:21 Jun 07
Rainer: “Does that mean you want me to stop?” he asked, unable to take his eyes off of her. Something about her made all of his common sense go out the window the moment she opened her mouth… or the moment he touched her… or whenever he was around her at all. “Go on. Tell me to leave.” The pad of his thumb traced over her bottom lip. -01:34 Jun 07
Zamira: Zamira was going to. …maybe. …Apparently not. This was exactly why she immediately ran to Drita before and why she hadn’t wanted to see him at dinner. For some reason all he had to do was kiss her and she was done in. That should be a good thing with your fiance… if it weren’t so terrifying. “I want you… stop being so… so you.” How frustrating that just a soft touch from him had her forgetting words! -01:42 Jun 07
Rainer: “I’m afraid that’s the only way I know how to be.” She felt so good, crushed to his front, and Rainer had to stop and ask himself what he was doing. It was like trying to shake off a thick, sluggish fog, and before he knew it he was kissing her again, nipping at the corner of her mouth. It took him far too long to remember that they were in the hallway- again– and to reign himself in. “You don’t help things, either.” -02:04 Jun 07