Mei and Aridel walked back while holding hands. Dusk was fast approaching and both servants and guards were making preparations for their night duties. Today had been very eventful with all the visits and the ceremonies.
-Aridel-Mei called his attention when they left the vault and started on the path to their personal pavilion. He stared at her and saw her eyes were a bit red but no tears or sadness remained.
-I am not usually so, well delicate-she explained-
-I know-he cut- We both are warriors and have done and seen ugly things. But we are also humans and can still feel, same as everybody else-
She smiled a sardonic smile.
-Dont tell me-she said while shuddering- My world was beautiful but people could be real beasts and I had to take down many myself-
-Your people transformed into beasts?-Aridel asked.
Mei noticed they were speaking about an important topic.
-In the end they did- Aridel helped her more attentively at a couple of stairs that led to their quarters. A pair of young servants, a boy and a girl were there already to open the doors for them. Mei observed that both had a stricking resemblance to the Fu couple and surmised they were closely related. She waited until the doors were closed again and Aridel had performed his silencing enchantments to speak again- But before that, humans fought against our own kind.
-You had no real beasts in your world?-Aridel could not conceal his awe at that, despite his effort to not show much emotion. Mei noticed that he let go of her hand as soon as no one was looking and she had to honestly say that she missed his warmth. It was true that you got used fast to good things.
-We had plenty of beasts and animals- she sat down in the chaise and observed how Aridel began to shed his outer robes and left them hanging in a bar carefully. She liked that he was a considerate man that did not leave dirty clothes strewn around.- Believe me, we worked real hard to preserve as many as we could when humanity realized we were killing off too many. And once in a while some morons still tried to go into the wild unprepared just to end up eaten. But the reality is that we had the planet for ourselves and no other species could compete with us.
Aridel could not believe what he heard. He could also feel her eyes on his body. He had left on only his innermost robe as he prepared to take a bath. She did not even blush at seeing his chest or collarbone, as if watching so much skin on a stranger was a normal thing in her world. There was real appreciation in her gaze but no shame or discomfort.
-How many naked men have you seen before?- He blurted. He did not expect that she started to laugh at him and he blushed slightly.
-Thousands...-she answered truthfully and her gaze became very lustful as her eyes roamed in his chest- You rank first so far, specially as you are mine and I may finally get to touch...
Aridel turned and finished getting into the bathtub. The water was still warm but it felt cool against his heated skin.
She kept silent. It was so much fun to tease him, but she realized this was a very conservative society and her husband could be shy despite not being any virgin. She would have to keep the teasing for when they were alone but it could be an intimacy that helped to bring them closer.
While Aridel bathed, she looked around their quarters and noticed some booklets and scrolls lying in a table near the chaise that had not been there before. She did not know if it had been at the Hall of the Celestials or at the time Aridel performed the soulbinding and she received the ring, but since entering this new world, she had been able to understand, speak and read the new language as if it had been the most normal thing. If she had to be honest, having this knowledge made it easier to deal with things compared to having the memories of the late Lady Mei.
The topmost booklet was a treaty about magical beast hordes, complete with drawings and descriptions of animals. The next one was filled with maps and seemed very new compared to the first one. She guessed, Aridel had brought these to begin her instruction for real. She took the one with the animals first and sat down in the chaise.
When Aridel appeared again, properly dressed and finishing with the combing of his long black hair he found Mei reading and her eyes held a mixture of wonder and anticipation he had seen before in the eyes of little kids that dreamt of becoming monster slayers.
-Our world is filled with many kinds of dangerous and powerful beasts that have brought empires down time and time again-He intoned- We have fights among humans too, sure, because there is always some stupid people who think power only means luxury and excess with no responsability.
He sat down beside her in the chaise and began to explain. Mei felt she was a cadet all over again but right now, that was good. It brought her a feeling of being reborn and also a purpose. She had now a new mission in life and Aridel would be both her guide and her partner.
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