Private Tales The sweetest smiles hold the darkest secrets

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Samara felt Raphael’s fingers on her hand but it was when he took her hand in his that she smiled again. It was a small smile but a smile none the less. She did not realize that her mood shift had been so evident because she was usually good about hiding her emotions. Raphael just caused her to let her guard down and she didn't mind. She liked it even.

As the two fae came closer to the adorable little inn, Samara's smile grew. She could easily seeing herself sitting outside the inn with a cup of tea and her sketchbook. It was peaceful here even in the middle of the city. Raphael had hit it spot on with this inn.

"Oh, Raph, it is beautiful. Much better than those stuffy high fae inns," she squeezed his hand and smiled. Her mood back to its normal odd-for-a-shuck disposition.
 
Raphael flashed her a grin which revealed those dimples for just a second before he turned and tugged her towards the door.

Nobody paid them much mind as the fae gathered outside ate and drank and enjoyed the warmth of the late afternoon sun. Inside the inn was just as quaint though less busy. Wooden chairs and benches lined either side of the large common area and there was an unused stage area at the far end with a stool sat ready for its first patron.

"'ow can I help you both?" a small pixie appeared, floating at eye level with the both. She had on a tiny little piny which she wiped her blue hands on.

"We'd like two rooms for the night, if that's possible," Raphael asked and the pixie nodded.

"Of course, for the one night with dinner and breakfast that'll be three silvers and a copper foxhead. JAYNE!" a fauns head popped out of the kitchen. "Show these two to the Blossom and Ivy rooms please."
 
Samara hadn’t even seen the rooms yet and she was already in love with this inn. She wanted an inn like this in every city she traveled to. Small, quaint, quite, and friendly. She enjoyed those things. She was simple and easy to please on most things.

Jayne came from the kitchen and grabbed ornate keys from a holder behind desk area.

“Right, this way then,” she said as she started to walk. “Ya sure you don’t want just one room?” Her eyes lingered on the clasped hands of her guests.

Samara smirked but just shook her head in answer. She had promised to be good on this trip. She was working. As much as she would like to cuddle up with Raphael, she wouldn’t.

“If ya say so,” Jayne shrugged and started towards the back of the inn.
 
The innkeeper caught the slightly horrified look on Raphael's face at the suggestion and when Jayne's back was turned the motherly pixie gave him a light pat on the cheek before darting off. He wondered if she still remembered him from when he was little more than a boy grown being brought here by Lorcan's mother. She certainly hadn't changed a bit from what he could remember of her. Slowly he followed the faun to the end of the corridor and the two adjacent rooms.

"Here ye go," she said with an over the top flourish. The two rooms looked like a mirror image of one another, beds pressed against the same wall and a small basin, fire, and writing desk arranged neatly. "If yer need anything just call," she gave the pair their keys then left them to it.

"Is there a particular one you like?" he asked. The only difference he could see was one followed a green colour scheme and the other blue.
 
Samara looked into the two rooms and seemed to debate his simple question for longer than was needed before she finally shrugged.

“It really doesn’t matter. I will take whatever one this key belongs to,” she held up the key for emphasis.

And for the record, it was the blue room.

“How do you know this place?” Samara asked before she walked into her room to drop her bag off.
 
"I've been here a few times," he answered before disappearing into his room to dump his small bag down on the side. He would be lying if he didn't say he was looking forward to real sleep and not an odd snatch here and there when they stopped to rest. His wings ached a little and his stomach gnawed at him. The smell of food wafting down the corridor only made that worse.

"The first time was after Midir found out what was happening to me back home," he said upon entering her room. "But it was Lorcan's mother who brought me here the most, she liked to accompany us back and forth when we visited the Tribe to train. Food?" he asked with a quirked brow.
 
Samara was often reminded that there was so much of Raphael's life that she know or understand. She knew that his tribe had treated poorly but she had never found out the extent. She never wanted to push the topic with him. Hearing that Lorcan's mother would bring him along with presumably Lorcan and Sid to that same tribe to train made her frown. Why would they go their to train if he had been treated so poorly? Was Lorcan's mother part of the tribe? There were so many questions she had now.

She would ask him once they had food. She was starving so she knew he was too. They had both traveled far and hard today.

"Yes, food," Samara answered as she stepped out of her room and locked the door once Raphael had exited as well.

"I am pretty sure I could eat an entire side of beef at this point," she said with a wistful smile. That side of beef would be raw and straight off the cow. She did not want to gross out Raphael though so she stuck to cooked normal food around him.
 
Raphael chucked at the image.

"Best not to tarry then," he offered a tiny smile which creased his eyes and made them dance in the light. He led them back the way they had come but instead of sitting inside where it was quieter he lead them out into the courtyard where others were gathered to eat, enjoying the warmth of the summer evening. He held out a chair for her then sat down himself.

A slender nymph appeared almost immediately.

"Today's specials are roast boar with sage and honey; rainbow trout fresh from the river in garlic butter; or we have a roast goose just being glazed."
 
Samara loved when Raphael smiled. It was a rare joy that she wanted to bottle and hold onto forever.

She followed Raph out into the courtyard and she just smiled as the sun hit her face. It was the perfect evening. She thanked him as she took her seat and scooted in.

"Today's specials are roast boar with sage and honey; rainbow trout fresh from the river in garlic butter; or we have a roast goose just being glazed."

Her initial thought was to order one of everything then look like an absolute animal when it came. Luckily, Samara sometimes thought before she spoke or acted.

"I think I am going to go with the roast boar. That sounds divine," she told the nymph with a kind smile.

"What are you going for, Raphael?"
 
"The same for me," Raphael said with a nod and glanced to the waitress with a small nod. "Along with an ale please," he didn't often drink and especially not on the job but it felt fitting for where they are. It might also help settle his nerves enough to sleep before the journey onwards. Their next destination filled him with dread and a deep sense of loathing.

When the server had both their drinks and food orders she whisked away to the kitchens.

"I've always had fond memories of this place even when we stayed here with the Erlking," he mused, staring off into the square. "It was the first time I realised life wasn't always fighting and killing."
 
Samara smiled at the server as she disappeared to put in their orders. She was quite fond of this place even if the rest of the city gave Raphael looks that made her want to strangle them all.

The shuck chuffed when Raphael used the words fond memories and the Erlking in the same sentence. Those were things that did not usually go together.

"First off, imagining anything mixed with the Erlking being described at fond is very strange." Samara said with a small smile.

She had a healthy fear and respect for the King. She was sure that the male did not know how to smile though. No...that was not true. She had seen him smile before and that was even more disconcerting than any scowl. She had only seen that smile when he was on the verge of ripping off some heads. It was that type of smile.

"Second, I am glad you could learn that. It is a hard lesson for sure. It took me many many years to realize that. You have helped a lot," Samara looked down at the table with a shy smile now.
 
Raphael chuckled and nodded his thanks to the waitress who returned soon after with their drinks before vanishing back to the kitchen. He took a sip of the cool ale and then relaxed back into the chair, letting his wings drape over the crescent moon cut outs designed for such a purpose.

"Compared to my life before this one, the Erlking seemed like a saint," even now he would leap to choose his life as an interrogator and instrument of fear for the King rather than a slave and source of amusement at the hands of his tribe-brothers. His smile remained when she glanced away with that shy smile unable to meet his eyes.

"You shouldn't give me credit for what you've overcome on your own. Though I am glad to have helped in some small way."
 
Samara absently reached over and set her hand on his.

"I do not know much about your life before the Erlking and your brothers but I know enough to want to murder every single person who every hurt you..." Samara gave a half smile.

She could be quite protective of the things (and people) she loved. Part of her wanted to know his entire past but the other part knew it would not end well for anyone when she went full shuck on an entire tribe of puca.

Samara took her reassuring hand back as the server appeared once more with their food. The roast boar smelled as amazing as Samara thought it would and she happily began to eat before responding to Raphael's next statement.

"I was not giving you that much credit. Don't go getting a big head now," she teased him before growing a little more serious. "Really though...you have brought a new kind of joy into my life..."
 
Raphael's wings rustled at her proclamation.

"That would be a lot of people," he gave a tight-lipped, small smile. Most of his tribe in fact apart from the females who were too powerless to do anything in their society. "But I've made... peace with my past," his return visits since his youth had proven not only to himself but his old bullies that he was far stronger than any of them could have imagined him to one day be.

"I do find it funny, however, that the Torturer of Autumn would bring joy to someone's life," he chuckled.
 
"Then I shall not kill them," she said with a mischievous smile, "yet..."

It was a tease but there was an undertone to it that said she would not hesitate to kill them for any new grievances against Raphael. He was stronger than he even realized or gave himself credit for. He was one of the good ones and somehow he had become a torturer. It was a cruel really.

Samara smiled at his chuckle. She loved his laugh and his smiles. They never got old. She took another bite of her boar before she spoke again.

"You are the Torturer of Autumn and I am the Huntress of the Sluagh. We," she gestured between them, "do not have normal lives so, therefore, the joy we bring to each other is not normal."

"Do you think the Erlking will go to war for Lorcan and Maeve? Well...the war would be lead by Lorcan but Endora does not have the military for such a thing." Her voice was more hushed now with that question.
 
Before Raphael could respond the waitress returned with their orders. The puca gave a tight-lipped smile to the woman and a murmured word of thanks then waited for her to be out of hearing range before answering.

"Yes. The Erlking is many things but mates... mates are a sacred thing amongst the fae. Even to him," in his time spying he had come across information about the king. Information that was not public knowledge and never would be thanks to his efforts in erasing all evidence of it. He used the pause to take a mouthful of food which made him groan.

"I'm going to miss proper food until we get back," he lamented.
 
Samara nodded at Raphael's assertion. It was nice to know that the Erlking had some kind of heart. She had never thought about him thinking anything besides balance and the list were sacred. She learned something new everyday apparently.

The shuck chuckled at Raphael's pleased groan and nodded in agreeance as she shoveled another bite into her mouth. It was fantastic. She could cook basic things but nothing like this. She made a mental note to learn about seasonings so she could cook for Raphael at some point.

"One perk of being a shuck is that I can eat my food raw," she said with a wide smile.

"I will try to suffer with you," she sighed dramatically. "Out of solidarity and everything," she laughed now and took a sip from her ale.
 
Raphael's lips quirked into a smile before turning his attention primarily to the food in front of him. Whilst he enjoyed cooking it was always nice to have someone else cook for him and perhaps because he understood how time consuming it could be at times - or even tiring - he was more appreciative of it too. It helped, of course, that the plate of roasted meat was mouth wateringly tender and spiced just right.

It wasn't long before he was moping up the last bit of gravy with a slice of thick bread.

"We've got a nice bit of blueberry pie with thick cream if you still have room," the waitress commented as she filled both their jugs once more with ale.
 
Both Samara and Raphael had cleaned their plates completely. She was pretty sure that the plate was cleaner now than it had previously been even before the food. She sat back in her chair with a happy sigh. That was delicious and she wished she could eat it everyday. Too bad actual life called them.

"We've got a nice bit of blueberry pie with thick cream if you still have room."

Well...it hadn't fully called them yet.

"Oh yes!" She answered without a second thought or asking Raphael if he wanted some. She just assumed that he did and her answer would suffice for both of them. "Two please!" She added with a wide smile.

Samara would eat his if he didn't want it. That whole suffering out of solidarity thing again.
 
Raphael laughed under his breath but he didn't correct her; the pie from memory had been exquisite last time he had been here. His wings shuffled as he settled back to enjoy the fresh ale and the warmth of the sunset on his leathery scales.

"I don't share pudding, as a fair warning," he said over the rim of his cup before taking another sip and giving an appreciative sigh. "It's where I draw the line," it was a little known truth, and one his close friends found rather amusing about the Autumn Courts chief torturer. His sweet tooth was his weak point.

"Thank you... for coming with me Samara. I know this was a lot to ask."
 
Samara smiled at his comment about sharing.

"Good," she replied, "because neither do I. I have also been known to eat mine and then anyone else's who is silly enough to not want sweets. Savages," the shuck shook her head with a laugh.

"It is good to know that I can bake you things as a way to your heart," a wink from her grey eyes.

His appreciation caught her a little off guard. Of course she would come with him. He was her friend but she also liked him. She trusted him and he (she assumed) trusted her. How could she say no...

"Raph, I will always be by your side when you need me," she reached across the table to take his hand in hers for a moment. "You mean a lot to me."
 
Raphael looked at their joined hands and brushed a rough thumb over the backs of her knuckles.

"You mean... a lot to me too. That's why I didn't want to ask, and yet why I am also grateful you came," he laughed awkwardly, his face a picture of discomfort. He wasn't used to these emotions for anyone other than his brothers and their relationship was not... well it was nothing like this. What he had with Samara. Whatever that actually was, it made him want to wrap her in wool and keep her safe.

"I don't know what we'll find in Summer... we're just looking for information at this point but if the wrong person catches us poking our nose in," he grimaced. They could start a war with the wrong move.
 
Samara smiled as her rubbed her hand. There was something about his touch but she could never put her finger on it. It didn't matter how big or how small, she felt how much he cared for her every single time.

"You mean... a lot to me too."

Those words caused her heart to skip a beat or two. Like his touches, his admissions of feelings were precious as well. She knew emotions made him uncomfortable and she had decided to take things (whatever things were) at his speed. She had pushed him to far in Endora and she would not do that again.

"If the wrong person catches us poking our nose in, I can make that wrong person disappear, Raph." There was a new seriousness in her voice now. The shuck, the Huntress of the Sluagh, was talking now. She would let no harm come to Raphael, his family, or the Autumn Court.
 
Raphael chuckled at the not-so-veiled threat behind her words.

"Making people disappear causes people to ask more questions. We can't leave a trace of us being there. I'm going to have to teach you how I hunt," his lips quirked into a half smile. The Slaugh were fearsome warriors but there was no need for them to be subtle. They thrived off their prey knowing they were coming and knowing there was no way to avoid them. Raphael on the other hand had to be a shadow, a trick of the light, something people only saw out the corner of their eye.

Two steaming bowls of blueberry pie and thick cream arrived and the waitress set it down on the table in front of them.
 
Raphael wanted to teach her how to be stealthy? Oh that would be fun! She had a grin that was a mixture of mischievous and giddy now curving her lips. She had no need to be stealthy in her work but learning a new skillset (and spending time with Raphael) was definitely something she was excited to add to her repertoire.

"I cannot wait to be extra deadly!" She said in an excited whisper.

Any further conversation was put on pause when the bowls of pie were delivered. Samara found herself practically drooling as she forced herself to wait until the waitress had left before she dug in. A good bite of pie with the perfect amount of cream were on her spoon within seconds of them being left alone.

"Gods...this is amazing!" She said in absolute delight.
 
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