k a l o n.

t w o

"I told you we should have left tomorrow, Ambrose. Now it's going to storm and we're miles away from home! What are we going to do now, idiot?"

"Calm down, would you? We can just walk a little more and see if we find anyone kind enough to take us in. Now stop whining and pick up the pace!" he said sternly, half joking with his light haired friend.

"It wouldn't hurt you to be a little nicer, you know? This is exactly why women are scared of you," Arlo patted Ambrose's shoulder and looked into his face, "You're an ass."

"If you don't shut the fu-"

"Look! I think I see a villa over there. We can stop there for tonight if we get lucky." Arlo pointed a few ways in front of them, completely cutting off his friend.

☾ ☾ ☾

Arlo striked his fist against the door in a little rhythm. The two men waited patiently, fatigue weighing down their bones from a long day. After a few minutes, they saw a petite woman peeking her head from behind the door, soft candlelight in the background.

"Salve, how may I help you?" her eyes running through their forms in curiosity.

"Salve, I'm Arlo, and this is my cousin Ambrose," Ambrose murmured a small greeting in return. " We have been walking all day and were hoping we could find a place to rest for tonight, or until the storm passes. Any chance you could help us, beautiful?

Arlo flashed her a charming smile, looking deep into her eyes with his own twinkling ones. He clearly had an effect on her as her cheeks took a pink hue.

"Uh, one moment please. Let me get the mistress. In the meantime please wait in the atrium. I will be right back." Melissa walked off rather quickly keeping her head down in an attempt to hide her flustered face.

She walked up the stairs and stood in front of her mistress' door. She patted her cheeks and took a deep breath before raising her fist and knocking on the wooden door. After a few seconds, the older woman opened the door with a glass of wine in her left hand.

"Yes?" the older woman asked, her eyebrows raised and an annoyed look crossed her face.

"Sorry to bother you, domina, but there are two men waiting in the atrium as we speak. They said something about being caught in the storm and needing a place to stay."

"They're waiting in the atrium? Do we know them? What have I told you about letting strangers in the house? Did they say who they were? Are they handsome?" the mistress asked various questions, pulling down the bust of her dress towards the last one.

She didn't wait for Melissa to respond and made her way to the stairs. She heard a door open behind her and turned around to see her niece looking out of her room.

"We will talk tomorrow, Aruna. For now, stay in your room and don't come out!" she ignored the questions of her niece and flew down the stairs, the servant behind her. The eccentric woman handed the wine glass to her servant and started touching up her own hair as best she could, considering she was still speeding down the stairs.

Once they reached the atrium, the woman caught sight of two handsome young men, engaged in a hushed conversation.

"Hello there, gentlemen. To what do I owe the pleasure of having you here?" she asked, making the men abruptly end their conversation. Their eyes looked her over with little interest, but she didn't notice, too busy admiring what was in front of her.

"Salve, madam. We are terribly sorry to disturb you at your home at such a late hour. My cousin and I have been traveling the whole day and we saw the storm clouds, so we hurried to find shelter. Would it be too much trouble to let us stay until the storm passes?" Ambrose asked her with a small frown.