A Scarred Woman and A Hardened Man(Nikolai, Lyric)

[Desperanza]

Nikolai gazed upon Lyric now but not as a guard any longer, but as a woman. Here in the slivers of moonlight and the lantern that was lit within the stable that set off the tan of his skin and the beautiful silver of her pale blonde hair. Her light blue eyes seemed to sparkle softly in the soft light of the lantern and showed him the soft pink of the slight blush that touched her cheeks now. He smiled softly at the sight and fell silent now as he listened to her words, watching her thoughtfully now as she drew closer which pleased him now as he looked down at her thoughtfully. He took in a slight breath and felt a stir of desire within him as the silk danced about her slender form as she drew closer and he felt the itch to reach out and touch her once again and when she drew closer, he did. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with stirring desire for the woman now as his dark eyes sparked eagerly and he offered a grin, nodding slowly to her question as he rested his hands at her hips gently for a moment, “I joined the guard to carry on my father’s name. I joined the guard because of my brother. My father was killed in the line of duty as a guard and my brother joined soon after and I took a few years to myself to enjoy my time and then eventually I joined myself. I’m here now for honor, for the fact that I fight for the rights of Ellsinora despite the fact that I think that the royals are idiots. I haven’t heard a word from the castle in ages but that matters little at this moment, doesn’t it?” he muttered with a slight smile as he looked down at her thoughtfully now.

As the man stood there, gazing down at the sight of the woman before himself he grinned slightly again, sighing vaguely as he lifted his left hand to rest it at her cheek instead. He felt the heat that radiated through her cheek from her blush and chuckled softly as he looked down at her thoughtfully. He curiously thought of children of his own now with a long look as he closed his eyes slowly for a moment with a soft sigh, thinking silently to himself before he glanced back to her again with a small nod as he watched her thoughtfully for a moment, “Yes, yes I do want children of my own. I want a few children indeed. I just haven’t found a woman that could hold my heart longer than a few nights of my life. I’m looking for that perfect woman for me and yet most women I meet only want me for their bed and not for life. The whores.” He muttered with a roll of his eyes as he sighed and straightened, glancing out across the field for a few long moments before he turned his gaze out across the field thoughtfully again before he sighed vaguely. A few years earlier he had enjoyed the women that he could take to his bed. He had enjoyed taking them to their bed without having to offer them that emotional connection that a few had wanted because he hadn’t been ready to give it. All through the years he had been growing into quite a handsome man and the women had always seen it. He had used to enjoy the night life when he could find women for the night before moving on but as of late he had been seeking that connection with a woman, that one woman that would steal his heart and hold it forever. Sighing, he glanced back to Lyric once again with a slight smile once more as he nodded slightly to her once again, falling silent for now as he met her gaze and once again rather considered her true beauty now that she stood before him as a woman.

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[Deidra]

A soft sigh escaped her as she stood so near this man. He was utterly making confusion of her feelings now as she felt a wide range of unused emotions that this twenty-two year old had never even dreamed of feeling. "These feelings are so new to me for I have surely never felt this way in the presence of a man before, you are doing something to me Nikolai and for once in my life I can't stop it. For two years I have lived among men turning my eyes and keeping myself away, doing a mans job hiding among y'all in hopes to avoid y'all. But you, you have in one night broken down my walls. I never would have thought that possible but here you have done it. You have turned my fear and anger into something I don't quite understand and this scares me for I do not know how to act on it. But I do know that I cannot simply walk from these stables and forget these feelings they have stolen too deep inside me to do that now." Her voice was shy and full of confusion as she spoke. She shook her head and looked down at her hand on his chest and sighed again before she added just as shyly "You are making a mess of me Nikolai, but I can't say I hate it for it isn't an unpleasant feeling." Lyrics fingers twirled in light circles about his skin and she stood thoughtfully now with this man she was finding herself beginning to like or rather more than like. Her heart was quite literally falling for Nikolai and she stood there she let that thought wash over her before looking back up into his face once more curious of how he might respond to her words now.

[Desperanza]

Nikolai stared down at the woman thoughtfully with a bit of a grin as he watched her with interest. His dark eyes stared down at her thoughtfully for some time before he nodded slowly in reply. He let her speak, letting her words work their way through his mind thoughtfully now as he gazed across the stable aisle for a moment before meeting her gaze once again. His right hand drifted upwards to trace her collar bone and down along her shoulder, brushing at the edge of the sleeve to her dress before sliding it down along her shoulder a bit with a slight smile. He took a breath and nodded slowly to her words in reply before he inhaled slowly and released it once again. Her words washed through him and he felt a bit strange, but in the best of ways. Her beauty was evident here in the slivers of light from the lantern as well as the moon and when she spoke, he smiled. He typically searched for women that were confident with themselves, that were not afraid of taking care of themselves as well as their future children and those that were bold and could love him without fear but her shy nature was amusing him and drawing him closer for he knew what flustered her, and he was quite aware of that stir of emotion and desire within himself. He inhaled slowly, a new heat creeping through his skin now as he watched her thoughtfully before he lowered his head quite suddenly, his right hand lifting to cradle the back of her head as his lips met her own once again and this time he broadened the kiss eagerly, He offered her an opening, a doorway to something further whether it was a toss in the hay at night or a bridge opening up between their emotions he wasn’t sure but something enticed him to kiss her now and when he pulled away, he took a sudden breath and gave a smile, sighing vaguely as he straightened again with a small nod, “Yes I understand your words.” He muttered gruffly for he did. He took a breath and his fingers played within her pale blonde hair. His dark eyes scanned her features for a moment before he sighed and lifted a hand to rest it over her own that rested against his chest. He lowered his head and traced a kiss to her cheek before he came to meet her gaze once again with a flicker of a smile before he sighed, “Could you let yourself fall in love for once though? For the first time in your life could you love uncontrollably and whole heartedly without fear?” he inquired gently to her as he stroked her cheek before lowering his hand again with a grin as he awaited her reply once again.

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[Deidra]

She felt the warm heat of passion bubble up inside her at the touching of their lips. Her other hand found its way up to rest on the side of his hip for a few moments and then as he pulled away she breathed in sharply before exhaling slowly and looking back up into the handsome face of Nikolai. Lyric would be lying if she said that this man was not easy on the eyes, in fact in was more so. His tanned skin and muscles ignited a fire within her but that wasn’t what was getting to her now, no it was the way he talk, the way he looked at her and how he wouldn’t except half answers her way of avoiding the truths she tried to hide. She found her left hand reaching up to gently touch his cheek thoughtfully as he asked her if she could ever love him and her eyes peered into his as she pondered his question. This man he was gentle not rough and he had already touched her heart in no way any man had and now she tried to imagine her life if she had not run into him this night and, she couldn’t. It was almost as if Nikolai had snipped away her only disguise and now in her eyes he was a true man. He was not one of evil or malicious tactics and she knew she could let her heart go to Nikolai and trust that he would keep it safe. Yes she could love this man and that was when she finally answered him simply and for the first time with complete confidence. Her eyes looked into his “Yes Nikolai, I could.” She said simply before she gently pulled his face towards her and kissed him gently pulling herself a little closer to him at the same time.

[Desperanza]

The soldier took in a slight breath, almost a gasp. He grinned briefly and lowered his head to stroke the cheek of the woman before himself with a grin. He took a breath and ran his fingers through that pale blonde hair. His fingers traced those delicate feminine features and the bright blue eyes that met his gaze caused him to smile. Sighing softly, Nikolai grinned vaguely to the woman as he waited patiently for her response, the one response that he waited for. And she finally offered it to him. He smiled gently and nodded slowly in reply as he wrapped his arms around her for a moment. The sleeve that he had pressed towards the edge of her shoulder exposed a few more scars and the edge of her breast and he huffed softly, gazing at her porcelain skin for a few long moments. His fingers traced the soft contours of her body for a moment with a desirable brush of his rough hands. His hands brushing over her gently for a few moments before he sighed softly and rested his hands gently at her hips instead. Taking a breath, he held it as she bent forward and met his lips with her own. Grinning, he broadened the kiss rather quickly and his arms wrapped around her as the night melted away around them. His fingers splayed at her back and he held the kiss for quite some time before pulling away slightly for a moment with a soft sigh, his forehead coming to rest against hers as he gazed into her eyes thoughtfully with a smile as his right hand drifted forward to stroke the skin at her right arm, his body relaxed and inviting to the woman but he contained himself tonight for tonight was different then the other nights. Tonight he did not plan on simply sleeping with this woman and then moving on again in the morning. She was different. Sighing, instead he straightened with a slight nod to her, glancing out to the morning sun that was beginning to rise. The day of the hanging of the criminal, he sighed, straightening as he glanced back to her again with a slight grin as he straightened and glanced back to Lyric once again as he leaned forward and pressed another kiss to her before he straightened again, “I believe that on this night we have made beautiful progress. Perhaps very soon in the future we may act upon our actions tonight without delay but today is a rather big day and I must say that this indeed is something that I am not ready to give up just yet, lady Lyric but the men will be up very soon and you should return and change before bad things happen.” He muttered thoughtfully to her. He was reluctant to let her leave his hold but eventually, he did so, straightening again with a soft sigh though he smiled at her, “Good day now, Lady Lyric.” He muttered softly to her as he met her gaze once more before he turned and strode off across the field once again.

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