Miara backed away from the sitting room into her chambers. "Come in" she called.
Cade turns the knob and enters the room slowly and carefully, so as not to startle Miara. "Your escort is waiting, ma'am." He says. She peeked her head around the door of the bedroom and said, "Hello darling, just a moment." She shut the door between them. Cade paced back and forth, and looked at the position of the sun to judge the time. The hour was growing late... Behind the door, she sighed her relief. "Burn me!" she thought, "he is attractive!" She paced the room for five minutes. The world waited for her, and as much as she wished differently, Cade was no exception.
Cade thought, “we'll have to hurry if they wished to remain punctual...” At the end of the five minutes, she checked her smile and emerged yet again with a flourish of the door.
Cade looks over...and his jaw hits the floor, just like it always does. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. What do you think? Will it do?"
He hesitates... "The HAIR, Cade, the HAIR!" and says..."Certainly, M'lady"
"Its Kaila's newest style. It'll shake the Houses!"
"Your hair has the beauty that a thousand kingdoms could not match with all of the attempts of their best attendants" Cade quickly recovers and rushes over to take the lovely lady's arm. "Shall we?" She took his arm, hoping he wouldn't wear his emotions on his sleeve all night. Giving him a pointed look, she said, "Let's play."
"Wait, wait! Stop this is wrong!" She stopped him.
"What is it, ma'am?"
She ran around to his other side, taking his right arm. "Yes, much better."
“Oh, of couse! How silly of me!"
"Definately a better impression, don't you think?"
"Of course! We wouldn't want to offend the upper classes by using improper ettiqutte,
right?"
"It has nothing to do with etiquette. I wanted you to have your sword arm free."
"I must confess, I feel a bit rattled by your beauty. I can use them both equally well.
Anything less would be beneath you."
"Why Cade!" she murmured.
"Well, I merely speak the truth of your beauty, m'lady."
She smiled, sweetly she hoped. "Shall we?"
"All of the escorts there shall be jealous of my mark for the night...”
"Hopefully, that will reach the king's son."
"Let us go, for the night is drawing near, and we have a ways to travel."
She tilted her head in agreement.
He opened the door for her, and showed her to the carriage. She slid across the carriage,
making room for him to sit next to her. If he had been anyone else, she would have allowed him to walk around the carriage. Cade paused. He's unsure of what to make of
this. Usually, he walks around to be a gentleman, but this time...he doesn't he gets in and
sits next to her. As she looked at him, she found herself genuinely smiling. "So, what did
you do while I was preparing for the evening?"
He feels a rsh of adrenaline, because he's unsure how she'll react to his improper behavior. "Oh, well, you know, ummm" He looks over, "Bathed, combed my hair..” For a few hours, he thinks. “And I had my uniform pressed and cleaned.
"It looks nice. Very nice." She said, not really meaning the uniform.
“You obviously went through a host of trouble to look this enchanting!"
"Oh, it was no trouble."
"Did you have any thoughts on strategy this evening?"
"Well, I figure that we could mingle about a bit at first, and you could work your! charms
on all of the higher-class nobles, where as I could impres s the lower class nobles with the
best of The House of Rakar's Army. I hoped that we could... Perhaps..."
"Yes?" she interupted him.
"Dance occaisionally? I've been taking lessons to try to look better for you."
"Of course we can dance. That is very sweet of you."
"What is an escort that can't dance, right?"
"Someone to test the food for poison," she responded dryly.
Cade just smiles. A big, comfortable smile. One that shows he is genuinely happy.
He pauses. He was doing it again, she thought. Oh well.
"If you want, I could do that for you as well.."
"I do not want you to test the food. You are much to important to me for that. I'd much
rather have my host test the food."
Cade laughs.
"Yes!"
"I think we should leave before dinner." She changes the subject. The thought of him testing her food sent shudders ! through her. “Ok.” He replied. "Well, maybe not. I hate this uncertainty! Let us see who is there."
"As you wish."
The carriage pulls up to Lady Ingall's mansion.
At the exact same instant, Miara and Cade said "It seems we have arrived" and "Well,
M'lady, we seem to have arrived." Cade hopped out and ran around to the other side of
the carriage to open the door.
"Your destination, madam."
"Thank you sir." She accepts his help down from the carriage. The moment that their
fingers touch, Cade feels a brief moment of joy. He helps her down, and takes her arm.
The doorman opens the door, and Cade tells the doorman his title, and his lady's title, and
waits for the announcement. "Lady Miara, Headmistress of the House Rakar, and her
personal bodyguard, Capt. Cade Bankhrah of the Rakarian Guard." says the doorman.
A slight hush goes over the crowd.
Lady Miara Rose, Head of the House Rakar
Capt. Cade Bankhrah, Person al Bodygaurd to Miara
Cairihein
