Courting Trouble

Remorse.

Alone in the Lenton receiving room, Duke finally had time to reflect.

He thought on the words that his mother said, on his own guilt and Remorse and was inundated with  much grief as he finally realised the profound repercussions of his little mind games.

This time he had taken it too far and now Malisha was paying for it. Not only with her reputation which was of utmost importance to a lady in Veterum, but also with her family and her father who was now punishing her for it.

You see, the General was hard man. His days in military service had made him that way for to control such a vast army as the one of Veterum, one not only needed guts, but cunning as well as her hand of steel and Duke knew this only too well. Had he seen it in his own father and in the other five high generals of Veterum? Hadn't he also been trained to be somewhat that way? His training was probably not as grueling, or maybe it was but the fact remained that he knew what Malisha's predicament was now that she had crossed the line.

With the memories of the last few moments still fresh in his mind, Duke embarked on dreaming up a gimmick, one that would be so great that it could compose a way out, even as he waited on his host to make a second appearance in order to put a plan in motion. Not very long after, his patience was rewarded and he finally heard the steps of a person approaching. Duke rose up to his feet and sauntered over heading to the hallway as a plan began to take form in his mind.

It was the General just as he had expected. The two walked towards each other and for the first time Duke noticed how the General was now regarding him.

“I want to see her.” Duke said addressing the man who despite his rank was now exuding a most tense and nervous mien.

"What?" The surprise and confusion swimming in his eyes was unmistakable. "But sir..." the older man started again, but Duke cut him off with a displeased look that never reached his eyes.

"To be a leader, master your emotions, make your words few and always remain  unpredictable. Leave them to wonder what it is you are thinking."

“General, ” Duke paused as he recalled and put his late father's teachings into action. Effectively, the General nodded in submission, turning round the way he had come in order to lead him back to Malisha.

" This way my lord." He then proceeded to lead Duke down hallways and into an elevator which they rode up all the way onto the second floor. They then took a flight of white winding stairs with painted wrought iron grills and a wooden rail, before coming to stand on a wide landing before a heavy mahogany door.

“The attic?” Duke asked blasély.

“Uhm...not really,” the General stuttered staring back at him with an uncomfortable look, but Duke remained skeptical. “It's actually a spare room, and although we have used as a storage space in the past, we found it an excellent place to isolate her that is until she behaves herself by getting back in line.”

"In line?" Duke thought wishing that he had not just heard those two words. They were the same that had once been used on him and hearing them now used on Malisha made him smart as guilt mingled with bile rose up within him and threatened to overwhelm him as he finally recognised his full role in what was happening here. Not only had he been so thoughtless in dealing with the woman, but he was now also probably the biggest reason why she was now segregated and possibly imprisoned in her very own home. He was a scoundrel, Duke had to admit to that and as the General turned the knob on the wooden door, it creaked open revealing an open plan room with a slanted ceiling on one end and an old queen bed on the other. Numerous boxes stacked high filled up most of the space. They blocked the view of the walls and any window that would bring natural lighting inside the room. Instead, a single overhead lantern functioned to chase away the darkness, leaving the room so dim and so full of stale air for the lack of a ventilation system.

“Where is she?”  Duke demanded as his eyes continued to roam over everything taking in every detail includinh a door that was standing at the end of the room which probably led to a balcony or a bathroom area and the white tiled floor that continued from the stairs to inside of the room.

“Malisha! Malisha!” The General barked again, this time quite loudly as he shook a sleeping form that was lying in the middle of the queen bed. He did it once more and with so much force, that it made Duke winced in pain.

“Let her be General. I think I will handle it from here.” Duke told him, this time intervening where he had failed to do so before.

The General looked hesitant and for a moment Duke felt a need to fix him with one of his own famous glares. However, the General finally conceded saving younger mab the trouble of having to throw around his own rank in order to have his way.

“Very well then, sir.” The General nodded as he turned to walk out of the room. 

The door closed behind him and the breath he had not known he had been holding finally escaped from his lips. He had so much to say to Malisha, but he preferred to say it when there was noone, when there was no audience who would play witness to his extreme awkwardness.

Convinced that the General was now gone, the man walked over to the foot of Malisha's bed. He reached out a hand and touch her form before calling out softly, calling her by her childhood nickname. It was simple and soft, unlike the severity of its full forms which sounded much harsher especially when spoken in anger.

“Isha?" The girl's form shifted beneath the covers, but she did not respond to voice. So he was forced to call out again. "Isha. Can you hear me?” he tried again.

“Go away! Leave me alone!” A little most brittle voice said and he almost smiled at how childish it sounded.

“Come on Malisha. I promise you I come in peace... ”  he drawled out as he lost himself in his words.

"Peace? What does he know about peace?" Malisha's body stiffened, then she jerked up, rashing out as she turned to take a swipe at him.

“Wasn’t it enough for you that you ruin my life? You had to come back here and rub it in? ”  the girl hissed, sending her small fists flying and almost touching his left jaw with the skin of her right knuckles. Luckily for him, Duke's reflexes saved him. He jumped back ducking, even as he flinched mostly due to her cold remarks and partly due to the sharpness of the tone of her voice.

Malisha seemed to notice this and for just a moment, her features softened as her brain wallowed in cofusion attempting to decode this reaction.

Foolishly and rather wrecklessly at that, the man smiled at this reaction. Instantly, the confusion left Malisha's eyes and was now replaced by the anger that turned her features, hardening them even as she glared back at the atrocious man with her murderous intent burning in her eyes.

"Hey girl, I do not if you are listening but, don't kill us yet. We still have a long life ahead of us." The voice beseeched her and for a moment she chose to  considered it,right until the open his mouth again and made another blunder.

“Look Malisha. I’m sorry. I really am. I know this time, I took it too far so I apologise.”

"Oh dear." the voice groaned as it relinquished it hold on Malisha's thoughts and Malisha lost it for a third time, albeit this time, in a much weirder fashion.

“Too far? Too... far..?” She asked falling into a fit of manical laughter, so wild that her eyes danced as they glinted with a hint of danger. “Where are the cameras, uh? Did I miss the memo?" She screamed as Duke looked around nervously, worrying that the General or even one of the guards would hear her and burst in at that particular moment and ruin everything. "Is today prank disappointing, disgraceful irredeemable, infidel...”

He do not let her finish. In one full sweep, Duke stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flash against him as he brought his mouth crashing onto her lips in what could only be described as a searing kiss.