Atlantic Roleplay Community Boards

[Arcana]

---

The cool sea breeze wafted in from the balcony, rustling the vines that obscured the opening and gently blowing a lock of golden hair across the sleeping woman’s bare shoulder. Awakened by the small tickle, Arcana’s eyes fluttered open. She couldn’t help but grin as she remembered the previous night with Arlin, now equally bare and sleeping on his back beside her, snoring softly, with one large arm snugly around her waist.

Arcana quietly began to get up, hoping not to wake him. However, she found his arm as immovable as stone. She nudged him gently. “Arlin, let go.”

Still deeply asleep, Arlin mumbled semi-coherently, “Don’ worry… never lettin’ you go, Arcy…” He rolled over onto his side and snuggled her closer, wrapping both his strong arms securely around her.

Arcana sighed; this would have been rather pleasant if she hadn’t had the urgent need to visit the privy. After several minutes and additional (unsuccessful) efforts at waking the half-ogre, she managed to extricate herself. She brushed her disheveled hair and slipped on a robe before padding quietly downstairs.

In the early morning, Riverrun was just beginning to come to life. As she sipped her tea and watched the sun rise over Vesper, Arcana listened to the peaceful sounds of home. The birds singing, the lapping of the water, the horses down at the stables anticipating breakfast… the sound of breaking china and the chambermaid’s shrill scream… Arcana paused with her mug halfway to her lips. Running footsteps and the slamming of a door followed, then the sound of Arlin’s muttering and stomping around upstairs.

Arcana sighed for the second time that morning and resumed drinking her tea. One would think, she reflected, that given the continual parade of dragons, hellcats, and nightmares that her cousin brought home, one half-ogre would be of little consequence. She hoped she wouldn’t have to hire a new maid… the poor woman’s nerves just hadn’t been the same since Arcana and her cousin had raised that litter of orphaned hellkittens.

Arlin soon appeared downstairs and joined her, looking surly and out of sorts, but brightening significantly at the sight of both his breakfast and his lady-knight.

“It would appear you've met the help,” Arcana said with an amused expression.

“Meh,” was Arlin’s reply, clearly offended that the sight of him fresh out of bed in the morning had sent a lass running screaming in the opposite direction.

“I’m sure she was just startled to see a stranger in the house, is all,” Arcana said, hiding a smile. She made a more serious mental note to remind her household that the infamous former-mercenary she was smitten with had now changed his ways. Well, at least some of them.

She was interrupted from further bemused speculation as Arlin nudged her gently and handed her a periodical that had arrived in today’s mail – the Humanis Voice.

“Heh, this is always good for a laugh,” Arcana said, smiling. Arlin reached over and flipped to a page for her. He gave her a serious look, decidedly unsmiling.

Arcana quickly scanned the page. The… article… if such slanderous trash could be called such a thing… was about her. And Arlin. In a decidedly unflattering light. Gods, they wrote about him like he was some kind of animal! Filthy Humanis scum. She crumpled the propaganda in her hands and tossed it across the room.

“Who writes this filth?” she asked rhetorically, almost speechless with fury. “I’m…. I’m…. I’m canceling my subscription!”