Timeless

3

"He's about even with the table now and the table is about three to four feet away from the wall." Ariele explains.

Grey decides it must be another one of the illusions that only she can see through. He goes up to the table. "I'm going to need your help with this. To me the table is set flush with the wall."

Ariele goes over to him and sets one hand on his and the other on the table and together they send it crashing into the man that was creeping around behind the illusory wall.

"Take me through the wall please," Grey asks and Ariele obliges.

Grey grabs the man that is screaming in agony and Ariele walks them both back through the wall. Grey takes the man to the door. He makes a note to himself to assign guards at the door as well. He hails a passing servant and asks her to please send for some of his men.

The poor girl runs off with the screams of the miscreant in her ears. "Oh shut up." Grey is starting to get a headache from the man's screaming and moaning. When the man doesn't shut up Grey leans down close and whispers something in the mans ear. The man shuts up real quick after that.

Ariele kneels down beside the hurt man and offers him a cup of water. Before Grey has a chance to do anything the man has Ariele with a knife at her throat. Ariele doesn't even blink.

"Really Grey I would've thought you'd have searched him by now," Ariele says calmly.

Her calmness is freaking the would be assassin and Grey out a bit. Then before either of them can move she has the knife in one hand and the arm of her attacker twisted away from her. "Just because I couldn't defend myself Grey doesn't mean I didn't know how."

"I wasn't allowed to protect myself and they could counter my defense, not to mention they usually came at me in packs." Only now does the reaction set in and she starts to shake.

Grey is torn. He needs to hold onto the miscreant but he feels the need to hold Ariele as well. He mutters a spell and the assassin sits frozen. Grey takes the dagger from Ariele before she hurts herself and he pulls her into his arms and just lets the reaction run its coarse.

"Hey, Ariele. Shh, listen some of my men will be here soon. Do you think you can pull yourself together until they leave?" Ariele nods and Grey helps her to her feet and to the bench that lines the table. He pulls the table back out when Ariele sets her hand on it.

Grey straightens things up so when his men finally show up nothing seems amiss other than the frozen man sitting on the floor with a scream of agony on his lips.

"Sir, you need us?" The guard says crashing into the room without knocking.

"Yes, but there is no need to lack basic manners. Knock next time. This man tried to kill Lady Ariele. Take him to the dungeon. I'll interrogate him when I find the time. In the mean time send in commander Taren." Grey says more than a little annoyed with the guard that entered so dramatically.

"He thought you were in danger Grey. I'm sure he wasn't informed as to what kind of problem you faced and was trying to help." Ariele felt bad for the stricken guardsman as he walked disconsolately out of the room.

Grey goes and sits by Ariele. "I know, but he scared the daylights out of me when he charged in here like that. I very nearly spitted him with my sword. He's lucky he's still alive."

Ariele lays her hand on his arm in consolation. "Can you hold it together just a little longer? If not I'll keep Taren closer to the door if you wish to go lie down," Grey asks solicitously.

"I'm alright now.  Well for the most part I'm all right. When we no longer have visitors I might lose it but for now I can deal. It's just like at home. I waited until I was safe before I could lose it. Weakness invited more of the same. I learned quickly to hide my feelings. I was watched all the time. If I was lucky I could evade or outrun them, but always others were waiting." Ariele stops talking abruptly and starts shaking.