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“I care for you, Rook! Deeply. But there are such years between us, I shouldn't heap you with that burden.” He looked down on her, his hands pressing on each other with more strength than necessary.
"You are breaking my heart by worrying." At Rook's chest she felt a pain never experienced, a pain she was not ready to endure.
He was her first romantic connection, how does one endure such a thing?
"Darling, I didn't - I only wish to be fair to you."
"Emmrich, I know what I'm getting myself into."
"At your age?" Her mouth was open, it had no words, again something pained her chest in a way never imagined.
So that was the arrogance he was hiding from her? Now she was the immature one. Now she was wrong for choosing him over, anyone literally.
"Don't start." It was screaming inside her how much she wanted/needed him to stop, it took so long for her to trust anyone.
"We must consider this." His voice was louder with authority, but she would not back down.
"You're overthinking it, and It's not the time." To think she went there to look for some time of comfort.
"One of us needs to consider my mortality."
"Because you're worried about me, or insecure about you?" All that pain from the talk, the pressure of the situation, just took over Rook's. She regretted the moment she saw his face, but she wondered if he regretted his own words. "I should pack, we face a god in two days."
"As you say."
A single tear rolled from Rook's eyes, a pinch of black because of her charcoal makeup, he never felt he was a monster until now. Rook turned around to leave, to find Harding in the hallway she was holding a basket of apples, probability for Emmrich. In her face it was clear he heard the role thing, but she let Rook go, and decided to put the apples in the kitchen.
It was Harding’s idea, to make sure everybody lets off steam, drinks a bit and enjoys urban life. But it was Lucanis decision to take everyone to Treviso. Now looking at Emmrich, he looked like he ate 7 lemons at once. Rook was a wreck as well, he thought it was because of the pressure. Now he was not sure anymore.
And Emmrich's perspective, well…
Rook's laugh was pleasant and as charming as ever, Emmrich watched her every step all night. The agitated charming music was playing, and she was dancing as if, or maybe better them an antiva woman. Those hips, as he knew very well, moved very provocatively when she was simply walking, imagine now.
Viago and Teia were taking turns dancing with her, touching the back of her neck, her waist, hips holding her thighs to their hips everytime she leaned back.
And he neve felt so stupid...
“Rook is enjoying herself.” Neve commented, her voice had a pinch of curiosity and worried. As far as they knew Hook and Emmrich were committed to each other.
“That is not like her... Although she dances really well.” Lucanis made a discreet toast with Neve.
“She may be having lots of raw emotion since I ended our companionship.” Emmrich put his hand together to speak, as usual. But the reaction was not what he expected.
“You did what now?” Neve choke on her good quality wine.
“It’s due to our age differences and-” Emmrich tried to compose himself, explaining everything.
“Are you fucking stupid?” Davrin looked back with the indignation of a thousand wardens when a blight started. Harding pretended she didn’t know everything already, Taash was purple because they really wanted to laugh at the fact her gossip girlfriend had told everything.
Emmrich realised he wasn’t the only one that looked at himself as a foolish man.
“Emmrich, she is dancing with Viago and Teia... By the looks of it she might end up in their bed tonight.” It was a correct assumption. “Especially with that trick.
Viago and Teia were talking about something, it must have been quite something because Rook laughed so hard that her head tilted back. The detail was that there was a candle right behind her, Viago held the back off her neck pulling her away from the flame close to his chest white then blew the candles.
That made everyone blush. The crows hands went straight to her waist pulling her closer after that, Teia was watching the very pleased with what was in front of her.
“Oh dear.” Emmrich said in a nearly desperate voice. He was definitely not willing to lose her, spirits he was so stupid, such a fool, how could he do that. She was a blue diamond, he could not find someone like her anywhere that easy.
“Good for her.” Taash finished her brandy holding Harding on her lap.
“Alright, Emmrich. I'm gonna do that for you, but you better fix this.” Lucanis called one of the serving ladies, to send a mensagem to Viago that he and Teia needed to go to their Villa.
They would figure it out once they got there, that nothing was wrong. But it would be the perfect time to take Rook home. The worst thing for Emmrich. He could not even say she was drunk, the only thing she drinked was cold tea.
Manfred hissed, please with the crow attitude. As they returned home, at the crack of dawn, Rook was talking to Bellara and Davrin about the time she spent in Antiva City, so that is how she learned to dance like that. Emmrich was silent the entire way back home.
“Don’t screw this up again Emmrich.” Neve stayed behind as everybody left the Eluvian room. “Other people will not live your life for you, and your fears will make sure you won’t live yours as well.”
“I was… not kind to her, Neve…” He looked like a puppy in the rain.
“Them be kind.”
“She will mourn me, Neve.”
“Emmrich, her Dalish friends said the same to her… Her answer…” The beautiful woman paused with her hands on her hips. “To mourn deeply is to have loved deeply.”
“She 's brave.”
“Too brave for her own good, that is why she needs you. Stand by her, always.”
And he would.