French Fantasy 1x1 Anna and Echo

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

OOC: Ouch.

Ashr nodded. "Of course you can. You can sleep in my room. I want you to be comfortable." He gently rubbed her back, holding her close.

[AnnaCat17]

Fleur nodded and leaned in towards him, hugging him tightly as she buried her face in his neck, allowing his scent to calm her down.

-few days later-

Lucien tried his best to ignore the sounds of Delphine preparing for her new years party as he focused on reading the letters from Callias. He had promised himself that as soon as he had read through them all one last time he would burn them all so that if something ever did happen to him it wouldn't ever come back to cause trouble for Callias since, based on how often he said they were going to get married in the letters, it sounded like they must have when he came to visit in England. The closer he got to the end of the stack the slower he read, terrified of missing a single word, but he was having to face the reality that before midnight they would be burned.

Fleur watched Gale get ready for Delphine's party, smirking as he struggled with his tie. "Excited to see Ilaria all dressed up again?" She teased him.
Gale smirked at her in their cracked mirror. "I barely got to spend any time with her on Christmas eve, I fully intend to spoil her tonight and kiss her at midnight, as is customary." He went back to struggling with his tie but eventually gave up and tossed it aside. "Are you going to be ok alone when midnight hits?"
FLeur blushed and focused on smoothing out her new dress Lucien had gotten her for Christmas, admiring the embroidery and smooth fabric so she wouldn't have to meet Gale's eyes. "I might be getting a midnight kiss too, you know. Ive... Ive sort of been seeing someone." She didnt have to look up to know Gale tensed up or to see the anger in his eyes.
"Oh really. Well Im going to have to meet whoever this person is and make sure tey understand some group rules about beign around you, startign with no kissing."
Fleur rolled her eyes. "Its Ashr, Gale. You liek Ashr. he isnt going to hurt me." She said but he was already upset. poor Ashr didnt know what was coming.

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Callias knocked on the door to Gale's and Fleur's house, hoping that they were both inside. He would talk to Delphine and Lucien after he was done here. He waited patiently for someone to get the door, glancing behind his shoulder at the guards who waited with him.

Nadia knocked on the door to Delphine's house, excited to see Mimi (I think that was her name?) as well as the others. She waited for someone to open the door, ignoring the guards that were with her.

[AnnaCat17]

Fleur gratefully accepted the excuse to get away from Gale's sur mood and went to answer the door. Her jaw instantly dropped open as she saw the king standing at the front door, causing her to take a moment to remember her manners and quickly curtseyed to him. "Your highness. It is an honor to have you at our home." She quickly moved aside so he could come in. "May I get you anything?"

Gale walked out of his room to see who was there but when he saw the king step inside he hung back, watching nervously as Fleur talked to him and wondering which of them was in so much trouble the king was coming to handle the matter in person.

Minnie opened the door and smiled as she saw Nadia. "Nadia! This is quiet a surprise. What are you doing here?" She asked as she pulled her into a tight hug. The sounds of Delphine singing along to the record player in the parlor drifted through the house and reached where the two woman stood along with the Belle's laughter as she helped Delphine decorate for the party.

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

"Thank you," he said, entering the house. "Yes. I would like to speak with Gale, if that is alright." He smiled at Fleur, seeming to be in a decent mood.

Nadia smiled happily, hugging her back. "I'm here to see you and Delphine. I have a message from the king for her, and I wanted to visit." She giggled as she heard Delphine's singing, amused. But she also felt a bit sad because she wasn't a part of it, like she would have been in she still worked for Delphine. But she was a duchess now. She didn't work for anyone.

[AnnaCat17]

Fleur nodded and gave a worried look to Gale before going into ehr room so they could have some privacy.

Gale swallowed nervously but walked over to Callias, giving him a bow. "Yes, my lord?" he muttered, his gaze staying fixed on Callias' shoes.

Minnie smiled. "Oh, Delphine will be so excited to see you. She has been driving us all crazy with how much she talks about you, especially Mr. Lucien. He has threatened to push her out a window if she doesn't stop whining." Minnie lead her inside and to the dining room so they wouldn't get in Delphine's way. "Can I get you anything? Someone in your state should be travelling much." She said as she noticed Nadia's pregnant belly.

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

"It seems like I owe you for saving my life as well as Lucien's. I want to offer you two choices. I can give you the title of a duke and everything that comes with it, or I can offer you a position as one of my guards. Whichever one suits you the best." He watched him, a slight smile on his face.

Nadia blushed, flattered that Delphine had been talking about her. "I'm alright. The king made me travel in a carriage even though I insisted that I could walk." She was happy to see her friend, and even more to hear that Delphine would be excited to see her.

[AnnaCat17]

Gale blinked in shock and looked up at him stunned, not believing his words. "I... Your highness, I was just doing my duty as one of your citizens." He nervously scratched the back of his head as he looked at Fleur's room worriedly. Both options involved him leaving her behind. She would be fine, though. She could take care of herself, right? He looked back at Callias as he struggled to think. "I... I like to work, your highness. If you are being serious I think I would prefer to be a guard. I don't need all of the frills of being a duke and I don't think I'd be very good at it anyways. Thank you."

Minnie smiled and sat with ehr at the table. "That's great. Will you be attending Delphine's party tonight or does the king have special plans for the two of you?" She said, clearly searching Nadia's hands for an engagement ring as she folded napkins while they talked.

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

"If you have not arrive when you had, Lucien would have been dead and I would have been in a much worse condition if not dead as well. No one else was coming for us." He nodded, understanding. "Very well. Would you like me to offer anything to your sister?"

Nadia blushed at that. "I don't know yet. He is letting me decide what we shall do." She looked around the kitchen, missing this place.

[AnnaCat17]

Gale blushed a bit and looked at the bedroom door again. "I dont know. I dont know what she would even want and, no offense your highness, I dont think she would accept anything from you. it took quite a bit of arguing as is for Lucien to get her to accept the dress she is wearing and that is without her being scared of him. She is of you."

Minnie frowned a bit, confused, but didn't push the subject as Delphine entered the room with Belle, both carrying baskets of decorations. "- which should hopeful go well with the wine and potentially.." She trailed off and stopped walking as she saw Nadia sitting at the table. "What are you doing here?" She asked, ehr voice colder than she meant it to be but desperate to hide the small ray of hope that bloomed.

"She came to visit me, Miss. She said she also has a message for you from the king." Minnie said happily, not noticing Delphine's expression grow sad for a moment.

Delphine adjusted ehr hold on the basket. "Well, then I will hear the message and then leave you two to continue socializing. My apologies for interrupting." She said stiffly, avoiding looking at Nadia.