A Tryst Is A Date ll

We both picked the clothes we liked. She now wore a long mantle that trailed behind her and underneath a black tunic, form-fitting and pleasing to the eye. I chose a loose gown, strikingly red with golden threads binding my sleeves together.

I twirled around. "Hmm, I really like it." The low cut of the gown emphasized my nape.

Raya adjusted her mantle. She let it hang low to reveal parts of her shoulders. At the same time, she kept fidgeting around. "This is wrong."

"You think so? The gold might seem agressive, but I am feeling confident I can pull it off."

"No, that is not what I meant," she grumbled and reached inside her clothes. "Why do I have to carry our clothes?"

"Well, someone's got to do it, and it sure won't be me."

"That is unfair," she shouted.

"Try winning the card game next time then."

"Fine, I am not going to waste time arguing with you." Raya sighed. "Let's go," she said and hooked her arm around mine.

"Where to?"

"I heard there was a very good play in the capital. What was it called—" She held her head, thinking hard. "—Ah, yes, The Lordships Grace. Let us go watch it, I am sure you will like it."

Agnes also nodded. "ɪ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴ."

"Well, what's it about?" This might come to a surprise, but I wasn't particularly fond of plays either. So, if I was going to waste my time on them, at least it should be a good story.

"A loyal Enderian General falls in love with the princess from a enemy country. Thus, the man is thrown into a dilemma of choosing between what he holds dear—his homeland or the love of his life. The story is spectacular because for the first time, it was not about the church."

"Hmm." Now it was my turn to think hard. "Sure, why not?" This seemed like a story where I could learn more about the world. "Which enemy country," I asked her, as I thought that may be interesting info.

"I forgot. But what does it matter? The story takes place a few hundred years ago, right before the Era of Dawn. At that time, Enderea had a lot of enemies. Who knows which one it was. We will find out in the play."

She took my hand again, and then smiled at me (a rare expression from her, and she knew it too, since she immediately retracted it and pretended to frown). Without any words, she paved the way, while pointing at everything she found interesting. We wandered the roads, the glistening lights shining behind us. Our new clothes made us particularly charming, catching the eyes of any passerby's.

I was led to a small amphitheater. Many people had already assembled—mostly nobility, wearing colorful clothes, most of them of young age. They gave us a quick glance, before they ignored us, since they saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Looks like we came at just the right time," Raya said and quickly urged me to pay the fee.

We took a seat in the middle. Personally, I liked the front more, because there were less people, but Raya was the expert, and I had no choice but to trust her judgment.

"It's beginning, it's beginning," Raya shouted, excited, and pulled my arm.

The introduction started with a choir, silencing all the chatter in the theatre. For me, the medieval play was a jarring experience. The structure from the beginning was all over the place, characters disappeared without notice—and most importantly—the narrator recounting everything that was happening annoyed me to no end. Still, when I looked at Raya and her entralled eyes, I convinced myself to watch a little bit longer.

I don't remember much of the story. However, there was one part in the climax where the general was separated from his love that remained in my mind.

I watched Raya, whose hands were clasped between her thighs, as she concentrated on every movement of the actors, fearing to miss a single thing. Her blue irises glimmered with curiosity and she held her already bated breath. At that moment, the girl looked the most enchanting—Not that I found her beautiful or anything. Yes, yes. Because I didn't like people with innocent or gentle faces. Only her body was great. Especially her butt. Yes.

—That was close. She almost bewitched me. I gripped my chest and calmed my heart and mind. Agnes looked at me, and I looked at her. She grinned mischievously while sticking her tongue out. Yes, that girl was the true beauty here.

The ending came closer, revealing why the play was named The Lordships Grace. The general, struck with grief, offered to sacrifice his love for his country and won the war. But the twist came, as he forewent his honor and riches to flee with the princess in his arms and live a secluded life. Many years later, the king who heard his noble actions, decided to grace him with what he had rightfully deserved.

Anyway, it was a rather boring story, with an even more boring ending. I could tell Agnes shared the same sentiment from her disappointed expression. Were it was up to her, she probably would have killed the princess and made the general commit suicide due to his guilt, or something like that. She liked tragedies after all.

Well, it mattered little what we thought. It was Raya who wished to see the play and when I saw her excitement I didn't think of it as a waste of time anymore.

By the time we walked out the amphitheater, the sun began to slowly descend. Raya walked in high spirits, almost frolicking around. "Where to go next, where to go next," she sung.

"I have a place," I told her.

"You do?"

"Yes, follow me." I grabbed her hand and squeezed tight. She stared at the ground and silently leaned into my arm, for the first time, with no complaint.

The plaza was where I wanted to go. I had been there in my second day too, when I bought a baked potato and listened to the idle gossip of the vendors.

"Do you wish to eat again," Raya asked me.

"I do. But that wasn't why I was here." I searched through crowd. Only by comparing could one tell the impact of the festival. The atmosphere was completely different from the first time I arrived. It was hard for me and Raya to even see through the rows of people, let alone walk.

Thankfully, city life had prepared me for this kind of situation, and I weaseled my way through, with Raya tightly glued to me.

I brought her to a smaller crowd. The people were building a circle around an older guy sitting on the ground. In front of him, three cards were neatly arranged on a small carpet and he switched them around while people placed bets on them.

"Since you showed me how you have fun, let me show you my way," I told Raya and pushed through to the front.

"What is that," Raya asked me. She gazed at the cards, brimming with curiosity.

"It is a game, within the three cards one is marked, and while he swaps them around, you have to guess which one it is. To play, you bet your money. If you win, you get some more."

"Oh, that sounds fun. I didn't know there was such an easy way to earn money in the capital." She stared at the marked card and followed it with he mind. Her eyes darted around, not missing a single detail. "It is the right one," she said with confidence

Many people agreed, but when he turned the card, it was blank. The people who bet on the card walked away dejected.

"Huh?" Rayas eyes opened wide as she watched the guy collect his winnings. She was dumbfounded by her wrong assessment. "Ah, I see! It is a scam isn't it?"

"You catch on fast. I guess that is how you earn your bread."

"My magic and this low-level parlor trick is different," Raya immediately interjected.

"I think it is called Alterea. Oh, whatever." I shrugged my shoulders. "Anyway, your magic can create cards, right? Can you recreate the ones here?"

"You think I can activate my magic whenever I wish to? First of all, there has to be a contract, which both parties agree on. Then, we need blood, a very important step, or else my magic wouldn't be called <Blood Oath>. Another thing is that—"

"Raya, create a marked card."

"As I said—," she grumbled, but stopped mid-sentence. Suddenly, right in front of her, while no one had been paying attention, the air twisted, sucking in the dust, dirt and dreck to assemble a small card, resembling the ones on the floor. Her words were caught in her throat and she stood in place, stunned.

"It would seem that I even have complete control over your magic," I said, "worthily my favorite pet slave."

Raya ignored my words and grabbed the card. She examined it and realized it was identical. The fading color, the bent rim—even the scratches were plausible, as if it had been used for a long time. "What the hell? Isn't that unfair? No, it definitely is. Not even I have such control over my magic," she whined.

"Don't sweat the details," I said and walked to the guy with a bag full of money. At the same time, I took the card of her hand.

Raya pulled my sleeve and tried to dissuade me. "Are you planning to join the scam? You will lose all your money! How will we pay for our expenses?"

However, the game had already started. The guy gave me a quick glance, before he pretended to lose interest, but I saw his gaze ever so slightly shifting to me, just like how the cards shifted around the small carpet.

Raya, full of worries, peeked over my shoulder. When she saw the pile of coins, she turned pale. In contrast, the viewers around us were all excited. The scene strongly reminded me of the card game I had played with her.

I placed my hand on my choice, and I saw the elated smile on the guy (of course, he tried to hide it, but no expression could escape my eye). He leaned forward preparing to collect the money, but when I turned the card, he froze.

I faced Raya and grinned, as I showed her the marked card.

"I won, run!" I shouted, and quickly collected all the coins. I stuffed them in my dress, some coins even falling out, but I had no time to mind it. At the same time, I grabbed Rayas waist and carried her away.

"Agnes, not so fast!" Raya, even though still confused, kept up with my pace, stumbling at first, but slowly regained her balance and in the end even over taking me. "What did you do," she yelled.

"Only a sleight of hand," I told her, "keep going!"

"Geez, my clothes don't support that kind of activity!"

"Save your breath."

We ran for a while until we stopped at a crossroad. Rayas legs slowly gave up and she supported herself on a wall, before she slid down. Her heavy gasps cough the attention of any passerby. I arrived soon after, promptly collapsing into her arms. I rested my head on her rising chest and heard her palpating heartbeat.

"I am sweating," I complained.

"Where did you learn these despicable tricks," Raya asked, her voice thin since she was out of breath. "Agnes, you idiot."

I grabbed her shoulders to pull myself up, embraced her neck and stared at her face. Our eyes were interlocked, our nose almost touching. I watched the sweat running down her immaculate face, enhanced by the sweet glow of the evening sun. "But it was fun, right?"

Her eyelashes fluttered and she moved her red lips: "It was not bad." She then laughed; first a chuckle, but it grew louder, until it filled the streets. As if all her worries broke free, and for the first time, I heard her unburdened voice. She realized the attention she got and soon stopped. "Where are we," she asked and turned her head away in embarrassment. "Oh, that is the Statue of Origin!"

I followed her gaze to see a grand statue, made out of white stone. The statue depicted a man, valiantly charging forward, in his hand a big flag. However, that man was overshadowed by the giant woman floating behind him, her arms gently embracing him. The woman had long hair, almost hiding her whole body, but she could not hide her ethereal beauty.

"Legends say about 300 years ago, it was an immortal that helped establish the country. Our ancestor, who would later become the first king, was chosen by that immortal woman. She guided him into a barren land, and with only her breath she created bountiful forests, blue lakes and beaming rivers. Thus, Enderea as we know it was born," she explained, "on the Day of the Lord, if you perform a Blessed Ceremony, the immortal will grace you with fortune for any plans you have."

"Hmm." I looked around while I hugged Raya tightly. "That couple over there, are they performing a Blessed Ceremony too?"

"Ah, they," she turned bashful, "they are completing something else. That is a Blessed Love. If you give an item to whom you hold dear, whatever beginnings you have planned, they will be by your side. I hear the commoners love these types of sentiments." The girl covered her eyes. "I never thought I'd see that in person, how improper."

"Oh, but isn't it cute though," I said and reached for my dress. "Almost like a proposal."

Raya who was still not looking replied, "not at all. Aren't they just showing off? Wait a moment, what are you doing right now," she asked me since she felt me rummaging around.

"Open your eyes."

She uncovered her face and her eyes immediately fell on my hands. "That is—"

"I found it at the shop. I was also very surprised, you know?" I touched her face and gently carresed it.

"That is a collar!" She growled. "Why do they even sell such dubious things?"

"Do you like it?" I smiled innocently. "Let me help you put it on."

"Wait," she crossed both her arms, "I am not going to let you talk me into this."

"Relax, you will look good in it. Take it as symbolism, for how we are bound together. Isn't it simply perfect for a Blessed Love?" I unbuckled it like it was a leather belt.

"Urgh," she wavered. "F-Fine. But if I don't like it, I will take it off." She lifted her hair, revealing her white skin.

"Good girl." I placed the collar on her neck. "Is there anything else needed for this Blessed Love?"

The girl blushed and twirled her fingers. "According to the legend, to bestow power, the immortal placed her head on his. To establish the blessing, we would have to do the same."

"How innocent," I mused.

I touched her forehead with mine and when we saw each other, we realized how close we were. Her breath tickled my nose, and I inadvertently giggled. She shyly wrapped her arm around my waist, and I reciprocated her action by pressing my chest against hers.

In an unnamed crossroad we held each other while time slowly passed. But we didn't feel it, as if it was still, and everything stopped around us.

"The gathering has started."

"They can wait."

The sun soon vanished behind the horizon.