A Surprise at the Market

Eldunar nodded and smiled, "Yes," he answered, "It is meat, best in the Fire Nation--sorry, Vermilion Dragon Empire now. I can never get used to that..." Eldunar ended his sentence in a whisper, as he realized he had begun thinking out loud. He simply went back to eating, and occaissonaly sipping his wine--or pouring more when he ran out. The meal went silently, and Init had eaten quite a bit, as expected, she was hungry from lack of food. But the meal had just begun, and Eldunar hoped she would have room for the rest.

It wasn't until Init asked for his name, that Eldunar spoke again, "Oh?" he asked, swallowing his food with a gulp of wine, "Eldunar, my name is Eldunar." Eldunar looked at Init, and it was then he realized she had been watching him the entire time. Eldunar had a feeling it was because of the offer he mentioned to her, the one he still had yet to tell her.

Eldunar smiled, and laughed, "You're still going to have to wait until after to hear my offer," he said, "But if you do, I promise you you will have nothing to worry about again. Trust me." Eldunar left it at that, he wasn't going to say anymore, he didn't NEED to say anymore--as in, if he did he would spoil the surprise, and that was something he wasn't going to do just yet.

Init frowned and tried to finish her meal as soon as possible. The meat was absolutely delicious, she had never eaten anything so wonderful. She ate as quickly as possible while stealing glances at Eldunar. She found it an intriguing and beautiful name. It fitted the man well.

When she was finished eating she simply laid down her chopsticks and crossed her palms underneath her chin. She looked at him with her pale gold eyes, filled with expectation. " I'm done." She simply said, to state that she was still very curious about the offer. " You said I would have nothing to worry about anymore, that is hardly imaginable for someone like me."

It was a strange thing, she felt curious and delighted, but strangely she was nervous. Init never was nervous. She was curious, nervous and at the same time strangely comfortable around him. She had never felt such a strange combination of emotions, it was not a whirlwind or a storm, but it was there, and it was hard to ignore as she tried to keep her cool in front of him.

Eldunar rested a bit further in his large stone chair, it seemed uncomfortable to most, but it was perfectly comfortable to Eldunar. His family had been sitting in stone chairs for centuries, the throne was made of Stone even. Eldunar then looked at Init, looking her straight in the eyes, and as he did he felt a swirl of emotions inside of him, but he kept them under control, or at least as best as he could. He couldn't remember feeling this nervous in front of one of his subjects.

Eldunar inhaled, kept calm, and spoke, "I suppose you are interested in my offer now?" asked Eldunar, "Yes, well, I did promise to tell you after the meal. Here is my proposal: you seem like someone you knows your way around the darker parts of the Empire, and my brother wants to organize a special army task force that would help eliminate crime."

"But that is not the only thing I will ask you far, I also want you to show me the....lower income areas of the Empire, so that we may help them--all of them. I told my brother there could be a cheaper alternative to a large military task force...and I have just found it. Should you accept, I will give you my family's spare villa on this island--yours to keep for the rest of your lie, and do with as you please--and make sure that you have a full staff of people to attend to you, a fortune from which to start a new life with, a steady pay to keep that fortune going, and anything else you should ever require."

Eldunar sat back, "All I ask in return is your help," he said with a small smile, "So, what do you say? If you accept you will never again have a care in the world, and I am more than willing to share the wealth, you deserve it after all. Everyone in your position does."

She was just taking a sip of her wine as Eldunar told her his offer. She almost spat out her wine but quickly managed to control herself again. " A villa, servants, for my help? " That was too much. She thought about it for a second, tapping her fingers against each other. " I'll help you, but I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life only surrounded by people crawling for me. Give me a room here, and let me make use of your servants, and the monthly income and I'll do it."

That seemed pretty fair for her, she would mind letting other people crawl for her, because she had always refused to crawl for other people. But this man offered her money, and with money came power, something she had always dreamed off. She thought about everything she would be able to accomplish for herself. Everything she could still achieve. She slightly grinned.

" And besides. " She nodded, " I think you could use the company too, everyone gets tired of those dull old generals once in a while." She gave him a smile, a rare smile, one that she saved for special occasions. When she smiled at him she felt this strange sensation, almost as if she could feel herself get lit by fire. She noticed that her natural heat, coming from her gift of firebending, was getting slightly warmer. It was a strange feeling indeed.

Eldunar's mouth hung open for a second, and froze just before sipping his wine. How...she had pretty much read his mind, word for word of what he thought before. It was...interesting, that he had a connection, like this, with someone he had just met. At the same time, it was very fitting, someone like this--who made his emotions jump and swirl in the way they did. Eldunar then sat back and smiled, "Yes," he said, "Yes, you're very right."

Eldunar took a sip of wine, and then placed it back on the table lightly. "Very well," he said, "I accept your offer, but I will be generous with your room. I will give you the Royal Room across from mine. Owlan and Naina usually sleep in the room when they visit, as it is a replica of the rooms from the palace, and they find it awkward sleeping in a room they're unfamiliar with."

"Is that fine with you?" he asked calmly, hoping she would say yes. He offered her this room for two reasons, one because he would like the chance to get to know her, and being each other being the first things that the other saw in the morning while they walked down to breakfast would be perfect. Plently of talking time from the hallway to the dining hall. If anything, Eldunar wanted to get to know her so he could explain this feeling...but also because he felt he could use a few more friends.

" It is more than fine, thank you." She smiled, this was all too perfect. A home. She had a home, she realized. And what a wonderful home. " So I guess, I'll be moving in here. You don't have to worry about my stuff, since I don't have any." She said this with a slight hint of pain in her voice, more than she wanted to sound through.

She looked at him again, studied him more closely. For a minute, when she said she wanted to stay here, he had looked completely flabbergasted, as if he had found it strange that someone wanted to live here, with him. She liked the company of this man, he was smart, fast, controlled. And mature, most man were still kids. He of course was no ordinary man, he was Royal, and she probably got as close to Royal as she could get.

"What a day," she remarked, granting him her trust for a small tiny bit. " You wake up as a poor lonely person, stealing food, and now I'm sleeping at he palace of Ember Island. " She stopped for a second and couldn't really decide whether she could now make a very inappropriate joke. But, if he wanted to live with her, he would have to deal with jokes sometimes. " So, are you cold at night, 'cause I'm a firebender you know." She grinned, she really was warming up for him, and she hoped he was doing that for her too.

Eldunar couldn't hold it in, he let out a laugh and wiped his mouth--a little wine had spilt out. "Forgive me," he said, "That was actually very amusing. If I may say though, if I do ever get cold at night, you are more than welcomed to demonstrate your...fire bending, as you call it." Eldunar let out a small chuckle and a wink, and sipped some more of his wine.

As he reached forward for another rice ball he realized, that joke he had just made in retaliation to Init's may not have been a joke...not completely anyway. It was with that joke, and possibly through hers--though Eldunar was never truly sure of a woman's feelings, especially one like Init. But Eldunar knew that he may have feelings for Init...which would explain his emotions and his generosity.

"If that joke was out of line I apologize," he said, not wanting to offend her. Not matter how he felt for her, he couldn't be sweet on her if she didn't feel that way. So until he was sure he would have to apologize for even the slightest of dirty or sweet comments, "I just felt it would be an appropriate response." Eldunar sipped his wine again and smiled.

" Ah well, " Init responded with a big smile. " It was an inappropriate joke too."
Init doubted though, had it been a joke for sure? She wouldn't mind probably, she hated those lonely, lonely nights. She always started thinking, and then she couldn't fall asleep.

" I have an annoying question. I would like to buy some clothes more suitable for Ember Island, since I'm staying, but I don't know where I can find any." She smiled. She would buy herself a nice gown, and a nightgown, and comfortable silk clothes for during the day. She never had pretty clothes. And she still was a woman after all, so she liked clothes. Maybe he could make a retailer come to the palace, she really didn't want to leave the intimacy that this palace gave them. She really wanted to get to know him better.

She chuckled, a sound she was very unfamiliar with " You do know you're the man I might spend the rest of my life with right now." It was an extravagant idea, but it was nothing but the bare truth, and it sounded so delightful to her ears. Just like his laugh. When he had laughed, she felt a slight tingling in her stomach, almost like a butterfly, flying around. She blushed a little bit when she thought about this strange feeling.

"I have a tailor here," smiled Erolass as he stood up and walked towards Init, " She will make you whatever you desire, free of charge. Would you like me to show you to your room for now? It is getting late." Erolass began to walk towards a hallway to the left of the room when he froze.

Eldunar heard the words "spend the rest of my life with," and he tingled. He felt butterflies in his stomach, he felt a warm feeling crawl down his throat and make it hard to breath. His stomach and cheeks felt warm and he felt...happy and content. He didn't mind that she had said that, intact he wouldn't mind if that were true.

"Could you really see us together?" he asked with a laughed as he kept going, leading her down the hallway, "It's just down here, the room, in the left wing. I'm sure you'll love it." Eldunar fiddled and fidgeted around with his hands. He was so nervous, and realized his breathing picked up, and he had no idea what he was thinking or doing anymore. Everyhting was a confusing mess, that rushed by a light speeds. He was in love....it was official.

" Well, you're stuck with me anyway." She nodded. Of course she saw them together. Well, not 'together' together, after all he was Royal and she still was a rat coming from the festering slimy pits of their Empire, although she was now a rat coming from the festering slimy pits of the Empire with money, and a decent home. Although she didn't really mind the idea of that at all.

She saw him fiddling with his hands and realized he was nervous. He? Nervous? In front of her, how extremely intriguing. She smiled at him, a real, honest smile skipped in front of him and stretched her hand towards his. " Calm down please, why are you so nervous?" She asked carefully. Could it be that maybe he felt the same swirling of emotions. She had never felt something like this. She wasn't familiar with it at all. She had heard the tales, of people falling in love, the butterflies, yes, she surely felt those, especially when he laughed. His laugh was like a ring of pure crystal to her, although she couldn't imagine how pure crystal would sound like when rang. He made her feel warm, and cozy, and fluffy inside, like a big balloon had inflated itself inside of her.