Before Bubbles' appearance, Venger had been rather impressed with the caliber of the performers in Rose's troupe. He had actually chuckled aloud for the first time in centuries as Iris did bad imitations of the kids in their less heroic moments, retelling one of their lesser-known adventures (a rescue of a disgruntled hippogryph that resulted in the accidental destruction of an entire town). His laugh was as deep and rough and unused as his smile, rumbling out of his chest like a reluctant series of coughs."Well done, Bard," he said heartily when she bowed and stepped back, highly amused. Perhaps he would command this one to perform again later...
He settled back comfortably on the imposing trhone, the tough leather of his armor creaking a little as his guards, all of whom were rosy-cheeked with spirits and boisterous, cackled and hooted and hollared their appreciation of Iris's songs. In an extremely rare moment of generousity, Venger decided to let them have their fun this eve, instead of blasting them all on the spot for daring to get out of hand with their drink. Even drunk they would still be formidable should trouble arise, and HE did not sleep.
A hush fell as Bubbles was announced, and all but Venger leaned forward with anticipation. Venger showed no sign of overt interest other than shifting a little impatiently at Rose's melodrama. When the seductively clad girl drifted out of the smoke and began her equally seductive dance, Venger found, once her eyes had met his, that he could not look away.
She moved as if her spine was liquid, the graceful line of her body undulating to the tune of the reedy flute. Her movements emphasized her curvacious figure, her tiny waist, her supple muscles under the sleek pale velvet of her skin. But her eyes...fixed on his, half-lidded with the pleasure of her movements, gazing at him with a ferocious intensity that made his own eyes widen with astonishment.
The aura of sexual tension that flared between them was palpable enough that even the henchmen that surrounded the group could sense it, drunk as they were. Each of them in turn felt a stab of lust mingled with danger, as each of them wholeheartedly wished to be at the receiving end of her intense gaze, and each in turn felt a mortal terror that they should be, for then they'd be utterly lost. The stared at her in rapt silent attention, their worshipful gazes carressing her roughly, but while her attention was on their master, none of them dared to try putting their thoughts into words. For Venger....was responding to her.
It was barely visable, but his left fist clenched, so hard it seemed his talons had cut his own hand, his unblinking gaze meeting hers, an expression akin to unsmiling anger on his face. His right hand clutched the throne so hard that a piece of bone cracked from it, drifting to the floor in a flutter of dust.
Bubbles' smile momentarily reflected her triumph, before she turned into herself and freed Venger of her enchanting mirror, and he felt as if something inside him was suddenly cold, yet burning, all at once. It was a proud, ferocious feeling, mingled with fury that a mortal girl could conjure such confusion when he had put aside such weaknesses of the flesh centuries before. It made him want to hurl fire at her, as he should...he would...he must....how dare she have the temerity to...?
But his hand remained clutching the arm, the other fist clenched, and he didn't move until the smoke had swallowed her up. He was deaf to the noise now clamoring about him, drowning out most of the music as the soldiers now felt free to give voice to their feelings. Most of their cries were wordless hoots and hollars of appreciation, slurred demands that she do an encore.
Rose was talking to him now. An entire army could be storming the castle, passing through the wards, and Venger wouldn't have noticed.
A dozen conflicting thoughts blazed through his mind, each one contradicting the one before it. I will kill her, kill them all, including the guards who witnessed this....I will command the dancer to dance again....I will take the dancer and break her to my will...I will send them all out of my sight...I will keep the dancer here....
Consequently, there was a long silence after Rose's question, during which time he found himself eying Bubbles again before forcing himself to focus on Rose. More than anything now, he wanted distraction of a lighter sort, before he grabbed the girl and took her, here, now, before them all. "Another story, Storyteller!" he commanded, the anger in his voice barely contained. "And then you will retire...."
His voice trailed off as he found his gaze fixed on Bubbles again. She would pay for her teasing torment of him, whether she willed or no. He did not smile, and hoped she would see it in his eyes, and fear him.....and a faint bit color rose to his pale cheeks when he saw the insolence in her eyes as she gazed back with her half-lidded gaze, twirling a bit of hair about her finger again.....
Click here to visit our sponsor