"You'd better." Niklas laughed quietly, and then wiped a tear she'd missed. "I think you should enjoy yourself. Just . . . don't get too comfortable." Kissing the top of her head, the elf moved away from the table with his plate. "I think it's time for some sleep. I haven't really been resting too much." With a laugh, the red-head winked at Vinty. "You'll say goodbye to me when you leave, won't you?"

((:rofl: I'm so sorry!! I forgot . . . I've been SO busy!!))

Vinty smiled and nodded. "I will...actually I think I'll go now...I want you to get some great rest okay Niklas...and I'll be back quickly...I won't be gone for too long." she saaid and smiled as she sniffled and smiled at him. She was so happy to have found her long lost friend.

((It's okay friend, I've been busy too!))

Just before Vinty left again, Niklas intercepted. Scooping her up into a brotherly hug, he whirled her off the floor before letting her feet touch the ground once again. "Travel light and may the path be kind to you." Tugging a lock of her hair into place to hide her pointed ears, the male chuckled. It was a traditional elven farewell . . . and the scooping hug was one that he'd given her ever since they'd first met. He was definitely playing the part of a big brother.
Bidding her farewell once again, the tall male yawned and made sure the door was closed behind her. It was time for a good night (and perhaps a good day) of sleep.
-

"That isn't correct."
Lyle Da Vinci slowly set the pen down. "I am well aware of that." His icy blue eyes were glazed with repressed anger. This scholar was really starting to hit the nerves that Lyle didn't know he had. . . .
They had started talking about the right and wrong efforts that Da Vinci had put toward the legal rights of supplying the town with food. Lyle was a noble, and the young lord took it upon himself to take care of the city he lived in. There were many jobs supplied by his choice to open up a new mill for the grains, and an inn had been opened for the weary travelers that passed through town. Da Vinci had been paying for a few families to get back on their feet, and for a few refugees to recover from a battle with a neighboring kingdom. But, despite his own signature on the documents allowing such things, this scholar was really beginning to torment Lyle. The worst of it all was when the man pestered something that Lyle treasured: his friendship with Dar'ian.

"He isn't nobility. It isn't proper, M'lord." The scholar adjusted his glasses before sniffing in disdain.
Lyle took a slow breath before looking up at Dar'ian. The musician was leaning against the desk where the young lord sat across from the scholar. "What was your name again?"
"William, serrah."
"William. Have you ever had a conversation with Dar'ian?"
The scholar blinked in startlement and straightened in his seat. "Why, I suppose-"
Da Vinci cut him off with an irritated flick of his hand. "Have you ever listened to his advice? Or, perhaps, heard his wisdom?" Looking across the desk, the dark-haired youth sighed and rested his head in his hands. "I know you haven't. I have chosen Dar'ian as my closest friend, William. I will stand by my decision, no matter how often you pester me about how wrong it is."
There was a moment of silence before Dar'ian's soft smile made William uncomfortable. "I-I suppose I should attend to my duties," he stuttered, practically running from the room. He headed for the front steps of the estate, where he allowed himself to breathe for a few moments. Dear goodness. There was most definitely something wrong with Da Vinci's mental health - he shouldn't be allowing commoners and entertainers to shape his rule as lord.

Vinty laughed and hugged him back. "Thank-you Niklas. Sleep well." she said to him and kissed his forehead before skipping away and to the estate. It was a scary thing to walk alone to the estate once it was beggining to get dark. "I wonder if the young lord and sir Dar'ian will have any time for me to be here today...." she said as she walked over to the front steps of the estate. She saw a male but didn't think too much about it walked right past hi and inside the estate. "Now, where is he?" she thought aloud to herself.

William's gaze caught on Vinty as she strode right past him. Now who is she? Curious, the scholar slowly followed. As they entered the main hall the male cleared his throat. "Where is who, M'lady?" Willam's tentative smile spread over his face as he hurried to fall into step beside the woman. "The lord of the estate, perhaps?"
Clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses Willam offered a small bow as they stopped for introductions. "I am William, the scholar on duty for Lord Da Vinci's estate." Which made it particularly odd that he didn't know who Vinty was. . . .
"Might I ask your name? Perhaps a bit about your business here?"

"My name is Vinty Sir William..." she said and curtsied. "I'm looking for M'lord, I want to speak with him only." she said to this curious male. Her ears became attentive and she looked at him curiously as well.

"Vinty?" William blinked in surprise. He'd heard about her, but Da Vinci and Dar'ian never told him who she was. Perhaps she was of noble blood. . . .? "I have heard much about you, miss. It is good to finally put a face to your name." Bowing his head in respect, the scholar offered another smile. "I will show you to where Lord Da Vinci is currently." There was a pause as they started walking down one of the longest halls in the building. "I will warn you: he is in quite the mood today. I fear for his mental health of late."
Leading the woman through the hall, he finally stopped at a side room: it was a mere sitting room. Inside both Dar'ian and Lyle sat together speaking in quiet tones. The moment William's voice was heard, they silenced. It was rather dramatic, honestly.
"Here they are, M'lady."

Lyle stood with a strained smile on his face. "Vinty. It's good to see you. Please, come sit with us." Offering his arm, the young noble was sure to shut the door in William's face promptly after getting the elf inside the small room.

Vinty smiled in return and followed him to where the young lord and Dar'ian were both. She smiled at them both and thanked him. "Thank-you Sir William for being my escort." she said and frowned when the young lord closed the door in his face. "That was not nice M'lord." she said and sat down with them both. "I just came for a visit is all...." she added.

Both men seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "We've missed you, Vinty." Lyle stroked the elf's hand before helping her sit in a chair beside Dar'ian. "I apologize for the . . . harsh actions I took against William, but he is . . . unwanted here." The young lord smiled a bit before taking his seat across from his friends. "I wish he would leave, but someone of higher power placed him here to watch over me."

"He tends to . . . get in the way." Dar'ian gave Vinty a smile before looking back to Da Vinci. "He'd been bothering our friend here ever since he walked in."

"He won't leave the estate!" Lyle said suddenly, his voice rising a bit. He looked desperate to be rid of the scholar. "Nothing I do will change his mind. He makes everything so . . . difficult." The male's dark hair flit away from his eyes as he groaned in exasperation. "I don't want him anywhere near you. He isn't . . . good."

Dar'ian nodded and muttered his agreement. The musician continued casting glances Vinty's way - though he didn't notice. It was hard not to look at the elf while she was beside him. They hadn't spent much time together ever since she'd helped the prisoner get away. "We are grateful for your presense," he said, brown eyes filling with care. He still loved Vinty, though he wasn't about to get between her and Lyle. Dar'ian turned his gaze back to the door as a knock sounded. William's voice came through sounding muffled.

"I must insist that you don't hole away with your guests, M'lord. It gives the wrong impression."

Another groan slid from Da Vinci's lips as his hands came up to press against his eyes. "That . . . man."

Vinty couldn't help but laugh some. "I see what you mean M'lord...Sir Dar'ian...but what can we do to get him out. And why did he come her in the first place. What happened that made someone place him here?" he asked both men and smiled at them both. "I missed you both very much to be honest even though it wasn't that long." she said and sighed. She didn't want her friend Niklas to leave at all...and she was going to make sure he didn't.

"I believe he heard the mentionings of an elf on the estate. I suppose it was your friend, but I didn't want anything to threaten you." Lyle sighed. "I am a young man. Someone older and higher up sent him here to keep an eye on me and my health." He smiled wearily. "I am going to become unhealthy if he doesn't stop."

Dar'ian spoke then. "We've tried to make him leave, but the king is the one who sent him. He thinks Da Vinci is an elven sympathizer, but we can't prove otherwise without causing harm." The musician chuckled. "You know as well as I that he sees your kind differently now."

There was another knock on the door but it was swiftly ignored.

((:XD Sorry it's so short.))

Vinty listened and sighed sadly. "I see...." she said and began to think. "I guess that the only way to make him leave is to prove to him that you're fine without him...but how to do that?" she asked aloud and began to think again. What would happen if the young lord got ill....sir William would stay...would he leave once he got better or would he still stay longer? she thought to herself and sighed mentally. This was a challenge.

((It's okay...as long as you post something. ^_^ ))

"I can tell you what he wants," Da Vinci leaned back in his chair, linking his hands behind his head. "He wants to see me do something drastic. Something that proves I hate elves just like the rest of them." The young lord wrinkled his nose before scoffing. "They'll stuff me away for being crazy if I don't change, I suppose."

Dar'ian bowed his head and nodded. He'd known a young princess who fell in love with an elf . . . and she was found dead not long after she announced she would be marrying. It was a tale that was sung and resung in many lands, and of course the musician had learned it. It was a true story, but it had taken on quite the fanciful twist. It was said that the elf had seduced the woman so that she would force peace upon the land and give the elves a chance to attack. Dar'ian seriously doubted that there was any truth in the male's tactics.

Yet another knock came, though this one was far less loud. "The doctor is here to see you, M'lord." William's voice was even, albeit still muffled through the thick wood. The news made Lyle groan and slump in his chair. The inspections had been happening for the past few days. These people were going to force him to crack: he couldn't keep lying forever.

"I see...well then why don't you lock me up? I'm sure that will prove to them that you hate elves..." she whispered. "Have your guards capture me and throw me in the dungeons...sentence me to death I don't care...just do something that will prove to them that you still hate elves." she whispered quietly and revealed her elf ears. "No matter what I say when we do this, keep going with the plan." she added gently. All she wanted to see was the young lord happy and free of this sir William.

"To death?" Lyle reached across the table to cradle Vinty's face gently. "I will concider all other options before that one." Not even he could take back an order such as that: there were people who would enforce it. The young noble shook his head. "I would rather be locked away for being thought insane than know you died because of me."
Da Vinci sighed as William repeated that the doctor had arrived. "I love you. I will not endanger you any more than necessary, Vinty." He ran his thumbs over her ears gently before releasing her, fixing her hair over her ears and heading toward the door. "I would hide from these people. You don't want them prying into your secrets."

Dar'ian smiled grimly as Lyle left the room. He was immediately hounded by William as they went toward the front lobby. "Are you sure you want to endanger yourself like this?" The musician's brown eyes were on the elf once again as the sounds of the others faded. "You know he will do anything to protect you."

Viinty looked at the young lord and nodded. "Even to death M'lord..." she said and wanted to kiss him once he said those three words, but controlled herself. "I love you too M'lord...and that is why I want you to do this...I want you to be rid of those you hate..." she said gently and quietly. When he left, she looked at Sir Dar'ian and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure Sir Dar'ian. I want the young lord to be at peace in his own home..." she said to him and smiled lightly.

"Peace doesn't always require the sacrifice of a maiden," Dar'ian smiled a bit before standing. Motioning for Vinty to follow him, the musician stepped toward the main hall. "Let us hole away somewhere out of sight. I don't want William and his like sniffing you out." With his brown eyes filling with a playful affection, Dar'ian gave in to the urge to link his arm with Vinty's.

They walked through the hall without worry: the entire entourage of doctors and inspectors were downstairs with Lyle. Dar'ian cast a few glances to the elf's features before finally speaking once again. "There will be a way to do this without you dying, Vinty. Neither of us will let you fall for the sake of peace." What he meant was rather blatant: he wasn't going to let Lyle harm the girl, just as the young lord wouldn't let Dar'ian harm her. They would never let the other cause harm.
They strolled up a few staircases until they got to the library. It was always quiet there, and William (though he was a scholar) was far too busy to spend much time there. Bringing Vinty into a small nook where they were surrounded by musty-smelling tomes, Dar'ian couldn't help but smile.

"How is your friend? I take it the two of you had a safe journey?"

"Well then...what are some other ways? I can't think of any..." she said and sighed. When he asked about Niklas, she smiled. "Oh yes, we did get home safely." she said and looked up at Sir Dar'ian's eyes. "When we got there I told him to get some rest...but first we ate and talked...." she said and got tears in her eyes. "Then he said that he wanted to leave...like travel to other places. He doesn't like to stay in one place too long...and I know that." she said sadly as she tried not to cry and failed. "I don't want him to ever leave now that I found him...but I can't force him to stay either." she added softly.

"Oh, Vinty," Dar'ian pulled the girl against him and stroked her hair, trying to comfort her as her tears fell. It was friendly affection . . . but the kiss on her forehead seemed to linger a bit longer than completely necessary. "Some people can't be held to one place. It doesn't mean he doesn't care for you."
The musician himself didn't know how it felt: he enjoyed traveling but was always looking for a place to call his home. He only switched towns when he eventually grew bored of the current one . . . which was rare. The Da Vinci estate seemed more like a home than any other place Dar'ian had visited in many years. Vinty was part of that home.
Trying to imagine what it would be like if one of their group (Vinty, Lyle and Dar'ian himself) were to leave, Dar'ian shuddered. It would be terrible. Perhaps that was what Vinty was feeling for her friend.

"You'll see him again. It seems like Niklas makes his way back to you." Just like the rest of us. A slight frown marred his features, but Dar'ian kept his arms wrapped around the elf. Though he knew that Vinty loved Lyle it was difficult to forget his own feelings for the girl. The musician's brown eyes closed for a moment before he let his friend go. "It seems inevitable." Though his last words were muttered, his gaze was . . . difficult to describe.
Lingering on the brink of indecision, sorrow and desire, Dar'ian cleared his throat and blinked his expression away. "Please don't cry. Lyle will think that you're weeping about his current state of affairs." The very fact that the man had dropped Da Vinci's last name and title when he spoke of his friend showed how far they'd come: they were close friends now. The only thing that could ever cause issues for them was the one thing they both loved: Vinty.

Vinty stayed in his arms as he hugged her, and looked at him as he spoke. She nodded and wiped away her tears as she looked around and wondered when she would see Lyle again. "Sir Dar'ian...I don't want him to leave though!" she cried and crossed her arms across her chest. "I trust that he'll be careful...but what if he is caught again elsewhere and then killed?!" she asked. "I don't want to feel that it was my fault Niklas died." she said and began to cry again.

"Your fault?" Dar'ian swiftly pressed a hand to the elf's cheek and wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Vinty, why would it be your fault if he was the one who chose to leave?" The musician pressed his forehead to Viny's for a moment and sighed quietly. "People stay true to their nature. Niklas needs to roam, just as some of us need to stay in one place."
For a moment he looked tortured: he wanted to kiss her so bad it hurt. Vinty's tears made the male frown as he tried to comfort her. "Perhaps you can ask him to return." Both his hands cradled the girl's face now, and he brushed her tears away caringly. Lyle, you should return before I do something foolish.

"It would be my fault because I didn't force him to stay...THAT'S why it would be my fault." she said to him and looked into his ayes as his hands cradled her face. "I don't want him to roam...he's going to get hurt...someone might capture and kill him or torture him and make him a slave!." she said and shook her head. "Oh I can't bear to think these things...but they just come to me in situations like this." she said and looked at him as she cried softly.

You make this so difficult, Vinty. Dar'ian's eyes lingered on the elf's tears as they dampened his hands. The male shushed Vinty, his forehead pressing against hers. "Is there anyone who can go with him?" he asked quietly, forcefully yanking his thoughts away from Vinty's lips. This wasn't the time! She had come to him with tears and asked for comfort: he should give it to her without pressing his own feelings upon her!

Practically begging Da Vinci to return swiftly, Dar'ian felt his thumbs wipe away the elven girl's tears once again. "Nothing like that will happen to him."

Vinty looked at him and shook his head at his question. "I would go with him...but I want to stay here with you and M'lord." she explained and frowned. She knew that she was acting childish, but this was her best friend they were talking about. "How do you know nothing will happen to him?! You wouldn't know...the world is a dangerous place for us and you know it Sir!" she said to him and cried silently.

Dar'ian fell silent as her words filled the silence. She was right: who was he to say what would or wouldn't happen to Niklas? There was no saying; no way to accurately predict the future. As he cradled Vinty's face, the musician slowly lifted his forehead from hers and tried to back away a bit. He failed: he was just as close as ever.
"If the world is so dangerous, then we should try to change it. Lyle wants to make things better for your people, not go along with what everyone else tells him to do."
The male's long hair flit away from his face as he frowned a bit. "If we . . . get rid of you, then all will see Lyle for a monster, just like the other monarchs and authorities." We can't let that happen. They needed to make a stand.