Timeless

18

Grey gets Ari's cloak. The storm will have made the castle cold and the dungeon will be the coldest of all. But Ari shakes her head.

"I won't take that to the dungeon. It's too nice and the smell will never come out." Ari is adamant. She'd rather go and be cold than ruin the lovely cloak Grey had made her.

Grey sighs and makes a more utilitarian cloak, just as warm but less pretty for her. Ari allows him to put this one on her. Then the three leave the room.

Alexis wipes her eyes. "Hey, what are those tears for Alexis?"Jeshua asks handing her a cloth.

"Thank you." She says as she wipes the tears with cloth. "It's stupid I know, I cry over the stupidest things. It's just, I can see how much the commander, I mean Lord Grey cares for Lady Ariele. It's obvious that he would do anything for her. I... it's stupid but I've always dreamed of that for me. But who am I kidding? I'm nobody and after my last employer, well no one will want me now." And so saying she starts crying in earnest.

Jeshua feels awkward trying to calm the girl down. "Hey, give it some time. Not everyone wants the same thing. You know why Lady Ariele is so protective of you? She knows exactly what you've been through. I don't know details but we were all warned to keep our distance when she came because of it. And Lord Grey, he's been looking a long time for someone. Sometimes all it takes is time. So don't give up. There's someone out there for you."

Alexis just shakes her head and although she isn't done crying gets back to work. There are still a lot of flowers to take care of.

Once the door is shut and she's sure that Jeshua won't hear her Ari starts laughing. Grey sighs as he takes his wife's arm and escorts her down the hall towards the dungeon. Taren still in the dark keeps pace with them but keeps glancing at Ari and Grey.

Grey finally gives in when it's obvious that Ari isn't going to explain. "I think Ari is playing matchmaker. She's made sure that Jeshua will be around Alexis as much as possible and Alexis is now protective of Jeshua. She's jumped to his defense fast enough, even terrified she defended him."

"Jeshua, loves women. People like him are suckers for women in distress and Alexis is distressed." Ari explains happily.

"So is that how you caught Grey?" Taren asks slowly putting two and two together.

Ari loses her mirth at that. "I hadn't thought to catch anyone. I was hurt and lonely, scared out of my mind. Truth to tell Grey terrified me at first. And he didn't like me. I just badly needed a friend. That Grey wanted more, well that shocked me more than anyone. No, it's because of Grey that I say this. The Aelven didn't love. They used, abused and threw away. Grey taught me that love isn't the same."

"No, Ari you taught me what love is. Being so forgiving after everything you've been through. Helping me even though you knew I didn't like you. Jaded though I was you were able to find my heart." Grey stops as Ari turns white and he fears that she's going to faint.

"Taren can do the interrogations, we'll stay in our room." Grey says and starts to turn around, but Ari won't let him.

"No, you promised Anna you would do this and I can be of some help. I'll be alright as long as you stay close. The smell hasn't changed any and it just takes me a bit to adjust to it." Ari has many memories of the dungeon she was sent there many times that first year for fighting away her rapists. "Just don't use any of the implements and I'll be fine."

Grey frowns, "I hadn't planned on using the implements. I'm just fact gathering right now, the instruments will only be used if necessary. I think that people will say whatever they think we want to hear just to stop the pain."