Not-so-secrets

A few months after the group's arrival, Yvan was finally free to walk around the place a bit, but his leg was still deemed too weak to allow him to travel in the wild on foot. Not that it bothered anyone: Valdyr was finally able to take some free time to work on watches again, much to Sakrish's pleasure, which was offering to sell some of them for him. And, on the other side, Carleen could still spend some much-appreciated time with Horknath, which she had quickly fallen in love with. Not that she regretted it one bit, oh no. Well, her father was oddly trying to have her meet alone with Yvan as often as he could, but she had taken that opportunity to ask one member of the group more questions about his beloved, which she did not regret either.
What she regretted though, was the fact that she couldn't come with any good excuse to Delilah for what she was about to ask her. She knocked on her first maiden's door, biting her lips nervously.

Horknath had hopelessly fallen in love with his princess - which he kept calling princess anyway -, and his lovesick and adoring, stolen peeks at Carleen anytime he could had became an habit that, weirdly enough, no one of his friends had noticed. Well, except for Yvan. Serah, on the side, was just as desperate and pissed off as someone dropping hints like they were Hansel and Gretel's bread crumbs could be with someone who can't see anything aside from his own nose. Namely, Valdyr.
Delilah raised her head from the sword she was examining - her own personal one. It had gotten a bit off balance -. She looked at the door, perplexed. "It's open", she just answered, looking back at her sword. She was presentable enough for anyone.

Carleen entered. "Delilah," she greeted her, as she closed the door behind her carefully. She had already seen her at their training an hour before, so she didn't bother much with pleasantries. "... I need your help. And your discretion."

"Geesh Serah, it's clearly eating you. I mean, I still don't get why you would be having a crush on someone so dense and so... well. Valdyr." Yvan smiled to Serah, sitting next to her as she was probably just minding her own business.

Delilah smiled when she saw Carleen at her door, opening her mouth to greet her - only to abruptly close it when she spoke those words. She frowned slightly. "... I don't like those words, coming from you", she warned her carefully. "But, by any means. I am listening." She never bothered much with the formalities, when they weren't in public.

Serah made a startled noise when Yvan dropped by her side, her dagger falling from her hands and almost hitting her foot. "Shit man, the hell! Do you want me to end up in the infirmary too?", she snapped at him. Then she piched the bridge of her nose with a groan. "Who knows why. I just know I damn need some rest. I am getting so jumpy it's not even funny anymore!"

Carleen took a deep breath. "Oh, it's no big deal," she said, walking around, pretending to gaze at the decoration of the room. "... I would actually need some more of your, erm, you know, special brew," she said in a low voice. And yes, she was talking about that special brew Delilah had gotten her so she wouldn't get pregnant from the first Romeo climbing through her bedroom window.

"... Indeed. You're so lost in your thoughts you didn't even hear me come," Yvan chuckled kindly. "I mean. Do you want me to talk to him? Maybe I could finally know what he thinks of you, and then you won't have to torment yourself anymore!"

Delilah glared at her, squinting her eyes. She kept that grimace for a solid minute before asking, with a deep sigh, "Carleen. Again?" Then she took on an almost scandalized expression. "I had left you a lot!"

Serah looked at him, a doubtful expression on her face. "And you would do that, why", she asked. "Be honest, you're totally enjoying the telenovela aren't you." Still, she was totally interested from the offer. Even if it smelled like something a middle schooler would do...

Carleen felt her cheeks flush from embarrassment. "I know, I just - I've been... using quite a lot these last few...weeks," she said, leaving a BIG clue as to WHY.

"Actually, I need to tell at least SOMEONE about all the telenovela going around and trust me, you don't want it to end up being Lord Sakrish," Yvan sighed dramatically. "So just giving up a tiny bit of information would relieve me of my burdens. Zzz" he said, insisting on the plural.

Delilah opened her mouth, if anything looking even more scandalized. Thay was NOT how an heir of a noble family should behave, by the love of the Gods! Then she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Well. I guess at least this time it's not something totally wrong", she forced herself to say. She was obviously thinking about Yvan.

Serah tilted her head. "Burdens? You mean you're the gossip-keeper of the palace now?" She rolled her eyes. "Listen. If you will do this thing, there is no way - and read my lips well when I say NO WAY - that you are going to spill the beans about me. If you ask him what he thinks of me, you are going to be discreet, or I'll make sure you end up in the infirmary. Again", she told Yvan, pointing her finger to his nose.

"... You're not going to pester me trying to find out who he is?" Carleen asked, turning around to face Delilah, confused.

Yvan smiled, and shrugged. "Alright. Well then, I need to relieve myself of another secret, mmh, let's see," he pretended to think hard. "Horknath's girl is beau-ti-ful," he whispered to Serah, before he stood up.

It was Delilah's turn to be confused. "Well... I mean, isn't that clear? You are passing a lot of time with him, after all, since he got on his legs again. It was kind of bound to happen." And she couldn't really not be salty about it because, well. Yvan was totally cute. And her type. And why else in the heavens was Carleen spending so much time with him, if not for that!

Serah blinked confusedly, staring at him for a second - before jumping to her feet to keep him from going away. "BIG BOY'S GOT A WHAT-", she shrieked, then having the good sense of lowering her voice. "Who is it! From how long! I want to know all the juicy details!", she whispered, bouncing excitedly.

"..." Carleen burst out laughing with all honesty. "Oh, sorry Delilah, it's just- Yvan?" She laughed again. "Don't get me wrong, he's fun to be around, but... I'm actually spending much time with him to get more informations about my..." She sighed, lost in her thoughts. How should she call Horknath, anyway? The man she loved? Maybe too straightforward, even for her first maid.

Yvan laughed again, and poked her side. "Hey I'm not giving that away out in the open! Listen, how about we take a walk down to the city, that way I'll be able to tell you without anyone hearing," he whispered to her ear.

Delilah blinked, now more confused than ever. "... wait, if not him, then- who is it!" She straightened up, pointing at Carleen. "Tell me!"... even though, if she thought about it for a second, it was fairly obvious. "... oh Gods, it's the half-orc. It's the half-orc, is it?"

Serah huffed, hands on her hips. "Well, whatever I guess. Maybe changing place will do me good", she sighed. "And besides, I am all too curious."

Carleen's smile went more shy, and she played with a strand of her hair, looking away. "He's very sweet, you know. Gentle. Kind. A musician, and a great reader." Yes, she was in love.

Yvan laughed again and lead her out of the palace. He waited for them to be far away from Sakrish's domain and from any curious ears to turn to her. "Our friend Horknath is sleeping more on lady Carleen's bed than his own ~"

Delilah groaned. "You say the same thing every time, and every time it ends with you crying your heart out because you gave it to complete douchebags. How do you not know he's playing with you?" She looked at Carleen, clearly not enthusiastic of having to remind her about all of those bad experiences. "... wait, he is a musician- what."

Serah shrieked a loud "NO WAY" before clasping her hands over her mouth. "I mean, the- the daughter of our host? How? When- and how do you even know about that? Tell me EVERYTHING", she asked imperiously as she followed him, bouncing nervously.

Carleen sat down by Delilah's side, guiding her to join her. "Trust me, Delilah. He's much kinder than any man I've ever softened to. And he's incapable of lying. The only reason we haven't been discovered so far is because I'm making sure no one might ask him embarrassing questions," she said with a smile.

Yvan laughed yet again. "Well. Apparently she grabbed Horknath by the jewels and asked him for fun times. But then they fell in love. Well. That's what I guessed from talking to both of them," he chuckled. Horknath thinks she's the prettiest goddess who came down to Earth, and Carleen thinks he's THE one perfect man the world can hold."

Delilah sighed. "Well, I can't really stop you from meeting him, can I. You never do", she reproached her lightly. "From how much time you've been seeing him, by the way? He doesnt strike me as the sneaky type."

Serah laughed. "Aw. Well, that's... that's precious! Hilarious, but precious. She is the kind of woman Horknath needs. They just have to hope that Lord Sakrish won't come to know their dirty not-so-little secret."

Carleen cleared her throat. "...Since the moment they arrived here? I mean, a few days later," she lied.

"Well here's the problem. Apparently he's betting all of his wealth on the fact that I'm going to marry his daughter," Yvan said, with a shrug. "I don't even get why."

Delilah almost choked on her own breath. "That's- how did you even manage to hide it for so long is BEYOND me", she just said. "But now I see why you need my brew. Have you been meeting with him every night? ... and seriously, he is a musician? I thought he was a warrior?"

Serah tilted her head. "... weird, true. Well, that would upset someone else, though", she thought out loud. It was true she hadn't been her usual observing self in the last weeks, but she had noticed all too well how the first maiden of Carleen looked at their magician friend.

Carleen laughed kindly. "Well, he plays an instrument. Only did it for me a few times, though," she said, still playing with a strand of her hair. "But he's mostly a warrior, yes."

Yvan arched a brow, trying to think this through. "You mean Horknath?" he asked, clueless.

Delilah felt a smile rise to her lips. She tried in vain to repress it. Carleen was clearly fond of that man, and it was cute to witness it. "He only has to write you a poem and recite it under your window on a night with a full moon now. Then I will give you my blessing for the marriage", she chuckled.

Serah laughed. "Please, from what you said it's pretty clear you have no place in his heart for now. Nah. I am talking about a woman. ... It's not me, before you try to guess", she rolled her eyes.

Carleen chuckled kindly. "Do you want me to arrange that, and you to watch so that it's official then?"

"... You mean I could get lucky?" Yvan smiled, pretty interested. "With who? One of the servants?"

Delilah snorted. "No offense to your lover, my friend, but I don't know if he can write poems. He is already a musician, how many talents could he have?"

Serah hummed. "Hmm. Higher than a regular servant, I'd say. She always looks at you with... yearning. I think she finds you very cute." She grinned at him. "You're curious?"

Carleen stuck out her tongue at Delilah, then smiled. "Maybe he does. Who knows!" She took a deep breath, though. "... You're still okay with getting me that brew without anyone knowing about it?"

"... I'm quite curious, yes," Yvan replied, amused. "I've only been spending time with either you, Carleen, or Delilah, so there's no way I could know that someone is actually interested in me!"

Delilah wanted to tell Carleen about her father's hopes. She really did. But her friend was looking so blissfully happy, and she had laughed so hard at the perspective of having an affair with Yvan, that she decided to bite her tongue. Lord Sakrish wasn't going to know about this anyway, and she preferred Carleen to be happy. She looked at her and sighed. "Alright. But I am warning you - the first wrong step he takes I am going to be there out of your room to chop off his balls."

Serah looked at him. For a while. Then she rolled her eyes, snorting out a laugh. "Men, I swear. You are so blind! You passed time with her and you didn't even guess?" She punched Yvan's shoulder playfully. "Duh, I am talking of Delilah of course, you dunce!"

"He won't hurt me," Carleen replied with confidence, smiling fondly. "He won't." Whenever she thought about Horknath, where whole face seemed to soften. She was truly, desperately in love.

"... No way." Yvan was beaming. Almost litterally. "I mean... I mean we've been flirting, sure, but I thought she did that more as a joke or something!"