12 Protecting Her Once More

The sun had set and Aaron sat down on the bed that he would use in Selene's room. She was wearing an evening gown and had her hair undone, he had rarely seen her like that, "You are really pretty, you know."

"You tell me that a lot."

"But I mean it, you know."

"Rules, you can't go into my bed, unless I allow you, you can't go through my things, and, um, that's it, okay?"

"Yeah, I wasn't planning to do that."

"Good, you better not have," She didn't seem too confident.

"I hope this will be a good summer."

"It will, I think my parents like you, for some reason, my father said you looked like a brave knight, willing to defend anyone."

"Your father asked me about me and you," He said, lying down, "So I told him the story of my scar."

"Oh, that's why."

"Yeah, well, your sister loves to tease me."

"She teases everyone," She lay down and then blew the candle next to her bed, "Goodnight, Aaron."

"Goodnight," He yawned, "I didn't sleep last night, I am beat."

"Then just sleep, the beds are better than the school beds."

"Yes, that is absolutely true, it is so comfortable."

"What did you do all day?"

"I was walking around, nothing much, first day, nothing planned, so I just did," He said, rolling onto his side as if to look at her in the dark, "Your parents are nice."

"I know, they are very kind, they were a little worried about you."

"Do they know about Rebecca's book?"

"Rebecca's book?"

"You don't know about it?"

"No, not really."

"She writes down the names of the boys she has been with, like a trophy collection," Aaron explained, "But at least I am not on it."

"You better not be."

"If I am on it, she is lying," He laughed, "Well, good night, Selene."

"Good night and stay in your bed."

"I will," He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

The sunlight broke into the room and he slowly woke up, his vision slowly cleared and he felt something on him, "What is this?" He moved back and then sat up, seeing Selene sleeping on top of him. His eyes slowly widened and his cheeks began turning red as she began waking up, "G-Good, m-m-morning, Selene."

"Aaron? Huh? What are you doing in my bed? Didn't you tell me that you wouldn't?" She looked up at him and seemed angry, "Aaron, you better start explaining yourself."

"I don't need to, this is my bed and that one is yours."

"What? No, I didn't go into your bed, you must have moved to mine," She got out of his bed, "You are tricking me."

"I am not," Aaron sighed, "That is your bed, this is mine, that is it, you did what you didn't want me to do, just accept it, I don't care."

"You don't?"

"No, I don't care, I just find it annoying that your always act so proud, let yourself go a little," He sighed, "You would feel much better if you could relax more."

"Do you think?"

"Yeah," He got out of bed and began getting dressed, "What do you want to do today?"

"I don't know, what do you want to do, Aaron?"

"I don't know either, I am not used to having so much time."

He walked with Selene in the small town that her father was the guardian of. They walked together, nearly quietly as people were busy with their lives. They stuck out, seeming richer than most and their clothes were of higher grade. Selene took Aaron by the hand and pulled him into a street, "There is a nice little inn here, we could eat there, what do you think?"

"You'll have to save that idea for another day, lovebirds," Selene and Aaron looked around as five armed men surrounded them, "You look rich, how much do you have on you?"

"I am a Grand, you can't touch me or you will die."

"He isn't, so we'll make sure to kill him, not you, but if you fight, you die too," Aaron looked at Selene and pointed at her blade.

"Give me your sword, Selene, I'll need it to show these guys that you can't just take on a knight and expect that being a bandit will save you," She drew her blade and handed it to him, "Now, let her leave, kill me if you will, but not her," He drew his blade and held both in front of him. He looked at the men as they drew blades that seemed that they would snap if they collided with another blade. He chose one and dash at him and used his blade to slam his blade into the floor, and as he expected, the hilt broke off of the blade. He spun and brought the sole of his foot between the man's legs, making him crumple to the floor. He turned around and blocked another blade as Selene looked on, not wanting him to have to deal with the men targeting her. He spun and used Selene's blade to slash at the man's leg, cutting it above the knee, making him stumble as he placed that leg on the floor. He jumped and slammed his knee into the side of the man's head and his body hit the floor, limp, unconscious. He glared at the three other men, "Take them and leave, if I get a whiff of you, you are going to suffer much more," The men picked up their two fallen comrades and then fled. Aaron put his blade back in it's sheath and then pulled out a rag and began cleaning Selene's blade before handing it to her, "Thank you, Selene."

"How did you not ace the tests?"

"They considered my technique lacking and so despite strong being a real style, they didn't accept it, that's all, so that inn."

"Yes, just down there, I hope that this will be a great summer."

"It probably will be, Selene," He kissed her cheek and then she pulled him back and their lips touched as she held him to kiss him.