The Seduction Plan Ch. 02

"He's... determined to make up for the horse. It was his fault that thing was there -- spell gone wonky. Anyway, he feels awful about it backfiring on his loyal servant. You don't have to worry about him and me. He's... been waiting on me hand and foot this entire month."

-Not entirely true, but close enough.

He hadn't waited on me. He had just been... unnaturally kind to me. I mean, I guess he had always been unnaturally kind. --But before the accident he treated me like a buddy he could count on to clean his room. In the last month, he had seemed concerned about how I felt. --Even, at times, whether I was happy.

Bolthos sat back in the bench appraisingly. Sweet! He was caught. "Maybe then, you can seduce him."

"No," Saymar said, "She already told us it was off the table."

"But he clearly cares for her," Bolthos argued.

Saymar shook his head. "If anything that means we should just take her now. If he cares for her, he'll come even if he hasn't had her yet."

Uh oh. --And, eww?

"We're not ready now," Bolthos answered. "We need time to prepare. None of the men would know the plan is still on."

"Also, guys -- I'm not exactly at 100% yet. I could use some rest before this all goes down," I added.

"Then you'll do it?" Dartix asked.

"Sure," I said.

Bolthos and Dartix looked excited; like they finally had a plan that would work, like they were going to win their war.

Saymar stared at me, his green eyes seemed darker than normal. Something about the line of his mouth made me feel uneasy. Usually I just thought of him as an attractive, intelligent guy. But there was something angry inside him now, and it wasn't an easily spotted danger. --Just danger.

"What's your problem?" I asked.

"You were so against it, before," Saymar replied, almost accusatory. I thought he had partially guessed the lie. I held my breath, waiting to hear it. Bolthos looked between us, eyes darting between our faces.

Then Bolthos began to laugh, "When we all thought you were dead, everyone sang your praises, and Saymar regretted you. He thought he was falling in love with a ghost, and now you are alive!"

Saymar punched Bolthos suddenly. I barely saw him move.

"Excuse me, Dor. I have to prepare for Gravlor's Peak," Saymar said, before leaving.

Oh crap.

Bolthos rubbed his jaw. Then he looked at me seriously. "Next we see you, you let us know if the Master of the Realm is really besotted. If he is, we'll kidnap you sometime before the next moon."

Bolthos got up to leave.

Dartix took my hand. He didn't look me in the eyes. "If you're the Master of the Realm's woman... when he dies, you'll be his widow. There's no sin in being a widow. --No matter who she was with."

Oh geez.

"Thanks, Dartix."

They left.

Okay. Well, damn. The Seduction Plan was on after all.