Questions

Lyonis smiled as a flurry of emotions cascaded over Cordelia. Despite her collected and stoic appearance, he could tell there was a whirlwind growing inside her. The small changes in her expression and posture gave her away. She refilled her glass, stopping at the exact spot it had been filled just prior. He watched her as she mulled over the question she wanted to ask him.

"Any time noww…"

She cut him off, waving her hand dismissively at him, "I'm thinking." He took a sip from his own glass, watching the thoughts come and go across her face.

"What… is your favorite food?" Cordelia took a sip from her glass and set it down on the table before leaning forward to prop her head up with her hand on the table. Lyonis noticed she did that a lot.

"Of all questions, that's the one you go with?"

"Yes. What of it? Are you scared to answer? No passes. Remember?" She wagged a finger at him.

Lyonis laughed, "Roasted wild boar. Back in Gresas, we would go hunting as children for the wild boar. They grow fast in numbers and make a mess of farms. After we snagged one, we'd wrap it in big leaves and roast it in the dirt underneath a large fire. There was nothing more satisfying than eating something killed and prepared by your own hands."

He could tell she had more questions, but she stopped herself and took another drink. Her glass was already half empty. He downed his glass and refilled it. Cordelia didn't seem nervous. It seemed like the wine had relaxed her a bit.

"How old are you?"

"How old do you think I am?" She tried to get out of it and tested him.

"That's not part of the game, Cordelia."

She smiled softly at him and sighed, "Two hundred seventy-four."

"No lying."

"I'm not. At least, that's how old I think I am. For the first 50 years or so, I didn't keep track of my age all that well. It's a rough guess." She watched his face as she took another drink, this time finishing it. Lyonis was ready and poured her another glass.

Cordelia was 274 years old. Yet she looks no older than 25. This didn't really surprise him, but after knowing the number, he suddenly had more questions. Their waiter came into view holding two large plates of food. He placed them in front of them, setting utensils down and refilling the water that they barely touched.

"Anything else at the moment, sir, Madame?" The young man said in a flurry.

Cordelia shook her head, smiled, and waved him away. He scampered off like a scared bunny. Cordelia crushed the top of the pie crust that encased her meal. Steam poured from the center, exposing a creamy mush flecked with chicken and vegetables. She brought a mouthful of food to her lips, blowing on it before placing it in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed; a satisfied look grew over her face.

"Is it good?" Lyonis asked, and Cordelia stared at him, pointing at his glass with her spoon.

"You haven't finished your drink yet." He laughed and cut a piece off the juicy steak in front of him. "Did you have a happy childhood?" Cordelia asked before taking another drink from her glass and another mouthful of food.

"For the most part. I never knew my mother, but my father was a good man, and I lacked for nothing. He passed away when I was ten. Everything changed after that happened, and life was a lot harder." His past flashed in his memory. His father was lying still on the white marble floors, the red blood pooling around him. Soldiers had grabbed Lyonis and hit him unconscious before dragging him away.

He took a big drink and finished his cup. Cordelia was ready and poured him another glass. The bottle was already half empty.

"Where did you live before you moved to Ville Marais?" He asked her. Cordelia looked at him questioningly, curious as to why he knew she hadn't lived in Ville Marais. But she sighed and nodded. People talked. She knew that.

"Lots of places. I lived in a green valley somewhere deep in the Dragit Mountain when I was a small child." Cordelia seemed to stare off into nothingness at the memory, "Then I lived in the Flore Tundra for, I'm not sure, maybe 30-40 years? Then I moved to the capital of St. Rese, the Royale City. From there, I moved all over the continent for the next 200 years or so. I visited almost every corner of the continent before finally settling here."

"That's a lot of traveling," Lyonis responded. He knew the challenges and hardships of traveling so much. It was a taxing and exhausting life. He wanted to know more about what she saw and why she traveled. Cordelia nodded and took another sip of her wine. Lyonis downed his glass again and, despite throwing him a subtle annoyed glance. She refilled it.

"Why did you travel so much?" He asked her another question before placing a large piece of steak in his mouth.

"My employer sent me on lots of errands. It's not something I really wish to talk about…." She took a drink from her glass and placed another spoonful of food in her mouth - she wasn't going to elaborate. Lyonis filled his glass and took a large swig.

Cordelia finished her glass and looked at him. Her cheeks were flushed from the wine, "What's it like living on the ocean?"

"Peaceful and thrilling. It is inherently dangerous, but I enjoy it. It beats being stuck back in Gresas, talking to old men every day, going over the same old problems. At least out at sea, I am free to make my own decisions." Cordelia nodded as if she knew from experience what he was talking about.

Lyonis downed his glass again, "Who was your employer?" He was being greedy, and he knew asking her that was risky, but his curiosity won. He wanted to know.

Cordelia stared at him, her eyes glazed over as if the questions were conjuring old memories she had stuffed away. She had a faraway look on her face, and he could feel her close off to him as she stiffened her posture. Fear and anxiety glinted in her grey eyes. Lyonis felt bad and immediately regretted asking her, "I overstepped. You don't have to…."

"The emperor. I worked for the empire." Cordelia interrupted him, finished her glass, and took another bite. She stared down at her food, not bothering to look at him. There was a lot of shame in her quiet response. Lyonis felt his insides crawl at her curt response that was filled with pain. He may have poked too far.

"Why are you so curious about my past?" She finally asked after a long stretch of silence fell between them. Her tone was mildly threatening, and it cut him like a knife. Why did his simple questions make her feel threatened? It was obvious that she did not want to talk about her past. But why? What was she hiding?

"I'm just curious, that's all. You are an exceptional woman. The more I learn about you, the more questions I have." Lyonis rubbed his neck with his hand, "I'm just curious. I only wanted to know more."

She scoffed as if she didn't believe him. There was anger written all over her face. She looked at him. "Don't lie to me."

It dawned on him that maybe she thought he was trying to get information from her with nefarious intentions. The walls she had built around her were high and thick. It would take more than a little game for her to drop them. He was a stranger, and she didn't discuss her past with anyone, not even those close to her. So why would she want to share it with him? He had been insensitive, and now he was paying for it with her hostility. He kicked himself. She was just starting to warm up to him, and he went and spoiled the good mood.

"I'm not lying, Cordelia. I swear it." His eyes looked into her piercing grey ones. He could feel her anger on him like flames licking his skin. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I shouldn't have pushed it. You did say you didn't wish to talk about that, and I chose to ignore it. That was unacceptable, and I apologize." Cordelia went to refill her glass, but only a splash was left.

"Doesn't matter. The game is over anyways." She picked at her food as if her appetite was lost. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand and looked out into the sky. She sighed sadly and closed her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed from the wine, making her look like she was blushing. Her porcelain skin glowed in the moonlight. A gentle breeze made the loose black strands of her hair flutter around her face. She didn't bother tucking them behind her ears and let the wind do what it wanted. At that moment, Lyonis couldn't help but notice how sad she looked. It was as if the wind was taken out of her sails, and she had nothing left to move her forward. Like a ship trapped in a still and quiet sea.

She tapped the table with her free hand. Lyonis couldn't help but reach out to carefully slip his hand into hers. She flinched at the unexpected touch but did not pull away from him. He pulled her hand towards him and ran his thumb over her knuckles. Her hand reminded him of the white porcelain cup she had handed him in her apothecary weeks ago. Delicate, like it may break at any moment under his rough touch.

But he knew that porcelain was crafted with bone ash and fire - and while it appeared delicate, it was actually quite strong.

"Cordelia… I promise. I had no ill intentions with my questions. I apologize they were so triggering for you. I should have taken the hint and dropped the subject. That was heartless of me, and you did not deserve that." He tried to pour sincerity into his apology. Hoping that it reached her through his touch. He couldn't help but notice how warm her small hand was.

Cordelia opened her eyes and looked down at the table, where he held her hand in his. Her chest lifted and raised in a deep breath before speaking, "I apologize, Lyonis, I overreacted. I think the wine is making me feel a bit emotional and sensitive… It's been a while since I've drank like this."

Her expression softened, and she smiled up at him. Placing her other hand over his.