Ranger's Apprentice: The Tantalizing Tales

Cheddar cheese and apple pie

In which Horace and Cassandra share a kiss that tastes of what they were eating. Requested by anonymous.

DISCLAIMER: There's a rather,,,, mature joke near the end that I just *had* to keep in there lmao. Nothing really weird, or graphic, or explicit, but if sexual innuendo isn't your thing, maybe skip it. 

~~~

Some nights, when Cassandra was still out late having a meeting, and Horace was doing some paperwork in their quarters, he could barely hear her return. The soft leather boots, elegant walk, and overall silent movement that one of the Rangers must've taught her, could conceal her approaching, keeping her hidden from his ears until she opened their door.

Tonight was not such a night. Tonight, Horace could already hear his wife approaching from several metres away. He had just enough time to close the lid of his inkpot before the door separating the hallway from their quarters flew open and a heated Cassandra stormed in.

"Those bastards!"

The elegant and dignified crown princess was fuming, any already weak restraints on her language use melting. She simply stomped through the room, past Horace, and practically threw her papers on the table. The inkpot wobbled dangerously, its hastily screwed on lid keeping the insides from spilling over.

When she saw Horace, however, the rush in her cheeks slowed. Her jaw unclenched itself. She cooled down a little. The knight tended to have that effect on her. Now, he smiled at her.

"It was a productive meeting, I see?"

In between sorting her papers, Cassandra shot him a dangerous look and he knew better than to continue teasing her.

"How did Crowley take it?"

Tonight's meeting had been between the Crown, the Corps, and the Barons of several neighbouring fiefs. Duncan was abroad, so Cassandra had filled in for him. Unfortunately for her, the biannual triadic meeting was not among the most... exciting ones. Usually, they were filled with complaints about taxes, complaints about regulations, and, not infrequently, complaints about the Rangers of the respective fiefs.

Cassandra sighed. Two more small piles of paper were sorted through, then pushed to the side when she didn't find the sheet she was looking for.

"I think he was trying to drown himself in coffee when I left."

Horace nodded. He had little trouble imagining the redheaded Ranger Corps Commandant downing several cups of coffee within a few minutes as he attempted to sort out the paperwork that the "complaints" about his men undoubtedly carried. (Of course, it was debatable to what extent the complaints about the Rangers had any merit to them, but they had to be heard and somehow acted upon nonetheless.)

The knight leaned forward over the table and grabbed the princess's hands. He knew that whatever file Cassandra was looking for, she wouldn't find it tonight. Tomorrow morning, however, when the initial annoyance had faded, and there was more light, sorting papers would be a lot more productive and yield a lot more satisfying results.

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

Pushing his own paperwork to the side - and making sure the inkpot was out of reach - he pulled her towards him. After an initial hesitation, Cassandra let him. She sat down on the edge of the table, reversing the height difference between them, albeit it for a few mere centimetres. She looked down at him, the only man who could calm her down and yet would never do it to keep her down. Her hands lined his face, stroking the strong jaw and the smooth skin. Her thumbs traced the lines of his mouth, which was pulled into the goofy grin she adored so much. Tilting her husband's chin up, she too smiled, before pressing her mouth to his.

The kiss was gentle, and yet full of energy. Energy that was quickly redirected. The softness and tenderness disappeared when Cassandra jerked back. Her hands remained on either side of his face, still gentle, but Horace could feel the hotheadedness return.

"Horace Altman. Did you have a second dessert?"

Horace sighed.

"I've told you before, Cassie, it's not a second dessert, it's a powersnack."

"So while I was enduring the endless grumbling of spoiled middle-aged men, you were up here having a tea party with apple pie?"

The annoyance in her voice wasn't directed at him, Horace knew. Cassandra simply needed to blow off steam. And he was happy - more than happy - to help her do that. Just not by being scolded at.

He leaned forward - and a little up, actually, sitting as she was a little higher than him. His own hands moved up to her face, over the heated cheeks, and into her hair. She wore it up, tonight, but throughout the years, Horace had gotten quite skilled at untangling the intricate updo's. As his hands started to pull out some of the pins that kept the unruly strands in place, he kissed her nose, then her mouth. Before the kiss could turn into something more intimate, however, Horace pulled away. He too left his hands exactly where they were. Still--

"Wait a minute--"

He licked his lips.

"Did you take a detour through the kitchens before coming back here?"

Cassandra's cheeks reddened, but she didn't dignify him with a response. So Horace got one himself. He leaned forward and kissed her again, briefly this time. After breaking the contact between their lips, he looked up to her.

"You scold me for having a midnight snack with the same mouth that has the taste of cheddar cheese still lingering in the back?"

Cassandra's cheeks reddened a bit more.

"And you didn't even bring me any."

The crown princess seemed to have found her tongue again and said, challenging him: "I brought you me. And there's many more things that this mouth can do."

Horace's cheeks flushed but his grin widened. Their mouths met again and this time, they took the time to let the flavours mix. Cheddar cheese and apple pie. Perhaps not such a bad combination after all.