Private Tales Temptation

[Lottie Beaufort]

He almost sounded like he cared. Almost.

Lottie shook her head at his question and the smile began to grow.

"Oh no. Very much in favour still; Daddy was always a smooth talker and after all, it was my sisters not I who are the problem. There is a chance in his eyes he can still have the prize."

 

[Raziel]

"Because you have more sisters to be sold off or because he wants you back? Oh shit that wasn't supposed to be a guess."

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

"Because he wants me back to sell off; my older sister is married already and my middle sister is err... questionable. I'm sure it will be no surprise for you to hear I was the favourite. Three questions left," Lottie beamed.

 

[Raziel]

"Three questions, not that many in favour to the level of courting the Prince. Need to cut them down. Does it start with a letter between M and Z?" he asked. If felt like a cheap question but he had lost one to foolishness.

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

"The surname is, yes," Lottie clarified. She could have answered differently to throw him off the scent but she was more curious about where his next two questions would go.

 

[Raziel]

"Do you have any brothers?"

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

"No. Final question," she smirked, confident.

 

[Raziel]

"What, if anything, is the family most known for?" Raziel asked. Last question and then he had to guess.

Whilst he was no expert on the political situation he had a remarkable memory for details.

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

The smile faltered a little and she pressed her lips into a thin line. A good question. The million gold coin one in fact.

"Wine," as she unconsciously covered the bottle she held right now.

 

[Raziel]

"Mmm," he went, drumming his fingers thoughtfully against the corner of his jaw.

"The Rockwells or the Hastings?" he asked hopefully.

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

A slight relaxing of her shoulders and she shook her head twice.

"Last Guess."

 

[Raziel]

Raziel walked around in a circle, tapping at his jaw to a quicker cadence. He looked truly flummoxed.

"How am I going to guess that you're from the Montcroix family without any more hints eh?" he muttered to himself as he went.

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

For a brief moment she truly thought she had won this game and she rose the bottom to take a long celebratory sip when he ruined it all. The sly way he slid it into conversation made her pull a face. Though, technically, he hadn't given her her fathers name. Merely her family name.

"Half a win, you didn't give me his name, merely my families name," she tapped her fingers against the branch in slight irritation. A technicality but she would stick to it. Still, Lottie leaned down and passed him back the bottle they were sharing which had her family name emblazoned in gold across it.

 

[Raziel]

"I was stringing you along then, but to be honest I did not actually realise what brand we were drinking. And I normally pay so much attention to my wine..."

He took a long swig of wine, never taking his eyes off of her.

"So...we don't get to play another game then?" he asked.

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

The implied compliment she was enough to take his mind off the wine won him an amused look before she leaned down and reached for the bottle from him.

"I suppose, we can play, but as you only half won I get to choose if I want to play or not," she canted her head to the side.

 

[Raziel]

"How about...you get to postulate something about me in return. If you're wrong I get to tell you to do something. No touching, no hurting, no torture. And if you get it right..."

Raziel trailed off and gave her space to suggest something in return. Despite what she had been through, he could not help but wonder how well the almost-princess could take instruction.

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

"If I get it right I get an extension to our blood deal," she leaned back a little, eyebrow raised. It felt like a big ask but it was a good bargaining chip. His parameters were also curious ones and she could see no harm in them so she didn't protest them. He couldn't kill or torture and he had ruled out touch. What other things he could think of she wasn't entirely sure and half of her wanted to find out.

 

[Raziel]

"How much per question?" he asked.

He didn't know how observant she was, but a few easy ones could extend the pact a very long time if her let her have this too easy.

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

"A year," she said it casually and offhand like it was nothing at all. Truthfully a part of her half hoped he wouldn't come after her even when the blood pact was done but it was good to have insurances.

 

[Raziel]

"A year each?" he asked incredulously. He narrowed those golden eyes once more and let the seconds tick away.

"Fine! But no stupid observations like 'you were born a tiefling' or such nonsense," he snapped. He mimicked her accent rather perfectly.

"Come on then, first question."

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

Lottie gave a noise of excitement when he agreed to her terms and began to swing her legs back and forth with a smug look akin to a cat who had got the cream. She took some time pondering over her first observation, though for his mocking of her voice she was half tempted to indeed give the obvious facts. She thought about what she knew of him; the glee in torturing, the mage hunting, the tumbling of kingdoms. Whilst he claimed to do it on his own there had to be a way to get in contact with him, an organisation people knew through which to reach him.

She tapped her fingers against the branch.

"You are a part of... a guild? An Assassins guild?"

 

[Raziel]

"On occasion, yes. That does sound awfully cliche now doesn't it. Another year onto the pact. We will finish that trivial matter once we have totted up all the years I suppose. Next question."

There was a flicker of annoyance that the first question had been on the mark, but he literally waved it away with one hand.

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

"Trivial?" Lottie gave him an indignant look but she agreed it would be easier to cash in all her years at the end of it. How interesting, an assassins guild. She paused and thought some more. What other things did she know and could guess to win herself some more years?

"You... killed the Empress of Firiel?" A horrible rebellion in an Empire near the Steppes which had seemingly come out of nowhere by the people, but more importantly the middle classes who had benefitted the most from her blood demise.

 

[Raziel]

"I did not, no. Though I was heavily involved in the region. It was a very enjoyable few months."

Raziel laughed as he stalked below her on the ground.

"Let's see how well you like being given orders mmm? Drop down from that branch now and back to the tree," he snapped. "No illusions."

 

[Lottie Beaufort]

Lottie didn't like being given orders at all as it turned out. She watched him stalk beneath her like a shark circling its prey but he had said no torture so...

She dropped to the ground on bare feet, for she had lost her shoes at some point during the swinging of her legs. It didn't seem to bother her though and the forests carpet was soft at this time of year. She seemed more impressed at herself for not spilling the bottle still in her hands and she walked back to the tree he had torn a chunk off with all the grace and dignity of a princess. She leaned against the trunk.

"You know, if you just wanted me in touching range again you could have just asked," she took a sip of the bottle with a smirk. Then she was thinking of her next question, her brow marred with the thought.

"You have...." she drummed her fingers on the glass causing it to ring softly. Her eyes ran over his body, narrowed a little. Almost a hopeful grin now. "A tattoo?"