midnight munchies

[ollie]

[/size][/justify][/ul]

[dede]

Berlus had never been a heavy eater, or a normal on one at that, considering the stringy quality of his stature. On most occasions, he survived on his breakfast and morning tea for most of the day, and a small, lean meal for dinner. But he had hardly touched his usual bread and cold cuts earlier that day, nor had he sampled more than a respectful spoonful at dinner. So by the time he was tucked and squared away into his guest room, his stomach was mewling pitifully, begging at least for a light snack. And, for some particular reason, his appetite was single-mindedly focused upon carrots. Berlus, feeling that it would be a bit pretentious to bother someone for a request as menial as carrots (carrots… why carrots, he bitterly asked himself), he hailed a groggy servant after pattering out into the hallway in his leather boot and received directions to the kitchen.

Since had nothing more sacrificial than that unfortunately panache outfit he wore when he first arrived, he was forced to roam about the darkened corridors in his scarlet pants and ungratefully cheerful coat. While buttoned up, Berlus still felt indecently exposed, and passed quickly through the silent halls. Once he reached the kitchen, not without tugging on the sleeves of his coat at sudden onslaught of the subterranean chill, he shuffled past the sinks and the cutting boards, straining his eyes against soft darkness and sudden slices of moonlight. After contemplating the veritable, yet uninteresting and wholly carrot-less contents of two cupboards, Berlus quietly shut the door to a third and was about to forgo his midnight quest altogether when he froze. Looking about the darkened kitchen, he half-expected a cat to jump out of one of the awaiting pans or come scuffling across one of the low tables. Or possibly a rat, but he held the Reginien castle in higher esteem than to have rodents roaming around. Though, that would certainly explain the muffled cry he thought he had heard- or the slightest of thumps coming from what looked like the pantry, or a cooler door, according to the spray of silvery moonlight light etched across the grain. Eyeing the vegetable closet uncertainly, Berlus cast another glace around before inching towards the plain door. Grasping the handle, he pulled, preparing for the sight of a mangy rat or a scruffy, calico kitty. But as the door swung wider, allowing for a bar off light to cut through the dark, to his great surprise, the source of the noises was neither rodent nor feline. “M-Miss Odette!” Berlus yelped, tossing up one of his hands to shield his eyes; there had been enough light to catch a glimpse of her sleeping wear. And ever the gentleman, he was frightfully embarassed for finding her in such casual attire.

[ollie]

[/color] and sounded awfully surprised, that was for sure. Well, no one really expected to walk in on a woman finding snacks for the night, but the fact that his hand went straight to his eyes stunned her. Why would he do that? Was she monstrous?

Oh, right. Most of her arms, chest, and legs were showing, as well as a lot of other skin (though, not the indecent parts; mostly just filler). Since Berlus simply had to be a gentleman, she sighed and stood, pulling on her cloak. The heavy material covered her skin, or at least, almost all of it; it hung open in the front, like the dress before, which gave view to her long legs. Just one of the many blessings she had been given that she’d had to hide due to these stuffy fashions. Ah, bother.

“I’m not nude, Prince Berlus,” she said, pulling her hair out of the collar of the large garment, “so there is no reason for you to be covering your eyes. They are only my nightclothes, not a bedspread.” She swiped crust from her eyes quickly, before he dropped his hand, since her mother would have some sort of fit if she found out her daughter had let the sleep in her eyes stay in front of a man. A handsome man, Odette decided as she studied Berlus, barely minding his attire. It was almost cute, the way he was dressed – very cheery, whereas her mother would never consider putting the Reginien colors on her daughter. That would make Odette average, and not even begin to help the cause of wedding the prettiest of her family. Sometimes it made her mother feel damned that her prettiest was the brashest.

Sweeping most of the fruit and vegetables she’d picked into the pockets of her cloak, she approached the door, stopping only a breath away from him. She smiled, playfully almost, and leaned up on her toes. “I’d grab whatever you’re looking for quickly; this door locks, and I don’t plan on holding it open long. Though, you’re welcome to join me by the ovens; it’s much warmer there, and I always eat my midnight snacks there,” she said quietly, that tone of just you and me know back in her voice. She stepped back on her heel, putting her hand against the door. So, maybe it would be interesting to play with the graying prince. He was a different kind of man, of course. And he wasn’t Adalia’s favorite anyway, right?

So why shouldn’t she take advantage of her time alone with the prince? He was probably one of the few men that would be gentlemanly to her… not that she wouldn’t like to see him with more – what was the right word?

Passion.

[/ul][/justify][/size]

[dede]

When he reluctantly curled his hand away from his face, he nearly tossed both of them back up in submission. Odette was… dreadfully close, even as she settled onto her heels with that infectiously intimidating smile of hers. And was that, lavender, he smelled?

A small voice stirred quietly at the back of his mind. Mmm. Not fair, it pleasantly rippled.

How wonderfully foul it was that Odette had chosen to replace the stench of equine labor with something as tasteful as lavender, especially when it was a personal favorite of his. While it was not exactly a proper topic for young men of the court to banter on about favorite aromas or what plants one was partial to in the garden, Berlus still harbored his love of the scent in multiple lavender bushes found about the grounds of the Helios castle, which he himself planted for his own enjoyment.

And he was not exactly blind, either; he could plainly see what skin exposed by her nightwear that culture and custom dictated he should never gaze at or certainly, if grudgingly, admire the way its paleness sparkled against the stark moonlight, or how the shadows that curled appealing around shape of her legs…

He snapped his wandering blue eyes upwards, returning his fearful gaze to Odette’s irritatingly cool expression.

Berlus then swallowed, and forcefully drowned the slithering thought back into his subconscious, replacing it, along with the whining emptiness in his belly, with a leaden sensation of apprehension and… dread?

“Uh, as tempting as that invitation is, Miss Odette,” Berlus managed a broken smile as tried to edge away from the, now noticeably, small confines of the vegetable closet. “It seems I lost my appetite, on the, ehm, way here.”

[ollie]

[/color] she said and added her comment with a sweet, innocent smile. She was nothing of the sort, but he didn’t have to know that. She rummaged through her pockets, and pulled out a mixture of vegetables and fruits – a banana, an apple, a carrot, and a stick of celery – and held it between them. Very forbidden fruit-ish, was this situation not?

“I think I heard your stomach speaking for itself, Prince Berlus. Couldn’t you at least stay awhile and see if you change your mind? I wouldn’t go in by myself, anyway, since you can easily get locked in. I would know.” she said, pocketing everything except the carrot and waving it in his face. Even though there was very little light, the flashing orange vegetable was starkly visible, and she slid past him, taking a bite out of it as she headed to the ovens, hips swaying on purpose. A temptress Odette could be, when she wanted. She grabbed a stool and took a seat, and somewhat late to the party, one of the royal cats crept up to her, rubbing against her toes. She pulled it onto her lap, scratching behind its ears. Animals were somewhat a given part of Odette’s every day life – ever since childhood, they’d been attracted to her, possibly because of her wild nature.

She looked back at Berlus, the sweet smile still on her pink lips. “Stay a while, Prince Berlus,” she said, “and rest your feet.” She took another bite from the carrot, seeming unbothered by eating in front of the prince. She’d already caught him. Now she could do what she’d like – which would probably be embarrassing for the poor prince.[/size][/justify][/ul]

[dede]

Berlus watched the meaningful rhythm of her shapely hips as she glided past him, his mouth slightly agape. For the second time, he had to force his eyes away from her inviting figure and fix them on her clever face. “N-No, Miss Odette. That is quite alright.” He eyed the vegetable closet again before shaking his head. The way she was unabashedly teasing him had altogether stolen away his appetite. For carrots at least, anyway.

Berlus bit his lip, insecurity and worry creasing his brow as he glanced back at the darkened doorway at the end of the kitchen, and then back at the waiting Odette.

Perhaps for the first time since before his hair had glazed over with silver (he lost a good deal of willing affection with his blond locks), he faced with an issue on which he was fully divided. He was not inexperienced, to put it in such terms, with matters such as these. Despite his aged appearance, he was still quite young, and knew rather well of the intentions that might be brewing within the young lady’s mind, if is suspicions formulated in mere few seconds were correct. Consequently, half of his own intellectual being urged him to make for the halls before it was too late, before he completely overstayed his welcome in the Reginien kingdom for the remainder of the century. Odette was most probably a wicked philanderer bent on sullying his reputation; an imp not to be trifled with.

However, his other half could only manage a passive and all-too-accepting shrug. A tempting devil of a woman Odette might be, but Berlus had to give her credit- she was exceptionally good at it.

“I suppose, for a few moments can’t hurt.” He decided aloud, giving Odette a weak smile. Slowly, he copied her and found himself a chair, setting it as far away from the young woman as he could without being considered too purposeful or rude. Berlus was not particularly intent on being near the cat, either. He had always been more of a man for dogs, and not much of an animal person in any other category. It seemed to Berlus that most felines found his ungainly, and, at the present, probably a bit too flustered and nervous.

[ollie]

[/color] He seemed to be deciding right there, as he said it, but she didn’t mind his indecision. He would be hers yet, and hers to give to the princess – even if it might hurt to let go such a sweet man as Prince Berlus. She smiled at him as he took a seat, almost hurt that he put such a distance between them, but she would fix that. She could fix anything with a man, if you gave her the time and patience. Not everyone did, unfortunately, as Odette often wore out her welcome – but with Berlus, she intended to be as sweet as humanly possible. Still scratching the back of the cat’s ears, as if to help her think, she barely noticed that she finished the carrot. She was hungry at the oddest of times, especially this night – she’d skipped dinner.

Licking her lips, she studied Berlus, as if she was picking him apart. “I think your gray hair suits you,” she said boldly, without a smile, but when she met his eyes she did smile, “as I don’t think you would be as… striking without it. Much more common if you were… you were blond before, weren’t you? I believe I remember you from my childhood. I was always kept around Adalia, as a child – we grew on each other without any chance to resist.” That was true – and as a child, when Odette had realized this was her father’s plot, she’d resisted as best she could, dragging her feet when brought to see Adalia and feigning illness whenever possible (which usually made the adoring princess and whoever she was with come to her bedchambers as she lie in bed, grudgingly stuck). But eventually, she’d come to adore and admire the princess as much as the princess adored and admired her, and what Odette lacked in sweetness and charm for the most part, Adalia usually made up, and so on and so forth for most of their lives together.

Realizing she’d drifted off into thought, she shrugged as if there was something to shrug about and shifted her legs, which made the cat run off. With a free lap and therefore free movement, she scooted her stool over so she was facing Berlus, knees very close. She smiled, invitingly, and curled her toes as if she was the girl from long ago. The one that hadn’t been hardened by all the suitors coming due to her father. And in some respect, she did feel like that girl – something about Berlus and his sweet personality drew that girl out of her, that sweet part of herself that was often dormant.

That didn’t mean that Odette had a hook, of course. And here was her hook, coming back for more. “Were you different before your hair grayed? More flirtatious, maybe?” she wondered, foot reaching out and brushing his leg as she leaned forward, grinning like a little girl thinking of an adventure.

Yeah, she’d been the Odette she was now most of her girlhood, too.
[/size][/justify][/ul]

[dede]

Of all things Berlus had expected her to sink her lovely claws into, her vehement complement about his gray hair managed to catch him off guard. While he was used to the general array of listlessly cheerful and empty, offhand compliments from maids or servants, no one had ever told him his premature hair color reinforced his individuality and that she honestly appreciated him for it. Odette could have been lying and still Berlus would have been caught off guard.

His amazement continued when he was both extremely surprised, and frankly, impressed, to hear that she could even remember him from some forgotten encounter, especially since she looked at least three or four years younger than himself, and whatever image Berlus could conjure of Odette as a child was indistinct and unrealistic. Besides, he had still been awfully young when they had probably met, meaning his attention had not been focused on her girlish charm but rather on fishing in the magnificent puddle behind the archery range, or searching for gnomes and trolls in the garden with the cook’s son.

With increasing curiosity, as he watched Odette thoughtfully relate her relationship with Princess Adalia, Odette’s attempts at reeling him in did not as much increase the Prince’s attraction towards Odette’s artfully frame, but rather, it piqued his interest for a different understanding of this young woman. A connection that would not result in what Berlus was desperately, and with reinvigorated inner-fortitude, trying to avoid.

But the sudden hope for a quaint chat over tea or a perfectly mundane and completely non-erotic walk on the grounds was hopelessly trampled as Odette moved closer.

“Were you different before your hair grayed?...”

Berlus's blue eyes widened as he pressed himself as far as he could into the back of his chair, wondering how on earth the ovens were kept so hot this time of—

The briefest moment of contact between Odette’s bare foot and his pant leg sent him into frenzy of wheeling limbs and one brief, excited yelp as he tried to jump out of his chair and simultaneously disappear through the back of it all, which resulted with his chair tipped rakishly on its side, Berlus’s legs caught over the seat and his gray head pressed the brick mortar.

However, as his vision stopped spinning and the back of his head began to achingly protest against the relatively cold floor, his attention was still wholly focused on Odette. “F-flirtatious? Whatever would give you that idea?”

[ollie]

[/color] she said, though she was still smiling at him when she sat back.

“Now, please do me a favor and don’t cover your eyes or look away from me when I do this,” she said as she began working at the tie that kept her cloak around her shoulders, “because I do not find any sort of… indecency with what I wear. I don’t mind you seeing my legs, or… or my knees and shoulders, as long as you do not have sight of my breasts.” She pulled the cloak off her shoulders, and spread it out on the ground, sitting on it. If you noticed, there was just a bit room left… just enough for a grown, lanky man. Hopefully, he wouldn’t scurry out now that he’d already fallen. Was touching his leg so scandalous?

She smiled sweetly at him, and leaned over to swipe some of his hair out of her eyes. Well, if touching his leg was scandalous, she might as well damn them both, what with her cloak off and her touching of his hair. Mutely, she tucked away the fact that his hair was soft – gray, but very soft. She’d like to hold it some time. “Why don’t you sit closer, handsome man? It’s pointless to be in my company if you sit that far away,” she said, voice sweet and seductive, like a cat’s purr. So maybe, she might be laying it on thick, but was there any other way with Berlus?
[/size][/justify][/ul]

[dede]

He guessed it was out of pure terror the of what Lady Odette might do to his hand, if he dared to disobey her, that kept his fretful eyes uncovered.

Well… partially pure terror, at least. For while his eyes freely traced every singular movement Odette made, from the dainty flutter of her nightdress when she sat, to the way she tucked her beautiful legs casually beneath her shimmering night gown; memorizing the agonizing lack of hesitation as she undid her cloak, and the sensual design of her lips as she leaned closer to brush aside the hair from his face (which sent such a shiver down his spine he nearly shot back up again), his hands did eventually creep to his head once more, but stopped just below their customary mark to rest limply on his cheeks, already rough with new hair, while his middle and forefinger drowsily massaged his brow.

If only he had actually done just as Odette had said; killed himself by tumbling off of a chair. An ignoble and embarrassing death, and, he supposed, not fit for a royal Prince , but if it did the job…

Everything about this situation was exceedingly wrong; he should have left before she could have gotten too close, he should have left her in the closet, he should have just nibbled on his bed sheets, for anything could have been better than the position he was in now. Whether or not he wanted to take Princess Adalia’s hand, Berlus felt that this was already breeching that vow of faithfulness he would one day take, be it with the Princess or with some other hapless suitor his father threw at him.

As Odette spoke again, her voice exceedingly luscious and wanting, Berlus blinked, slightly nonplussed. And then, quiet unexpectedly, he laughed. He could not help himself. Now, of all the things she had said and done that was a bit… too much. He would have honestly preferred watching waltz through the kitchen again.

His laugh was breathy and weak with exasperation, and it made the kindling pain in his head bite warningly, but the loose, tired smile it left on his face, was easily the most sincere expression he had given her that night. “Now, Miss Odette, you… you do not have to patronize me quite like that.” Berlus grunted as he propped himself up with his elbows. “You will have to help me over there, though.” He offered her one spindly hand, his fingers curled slightly.

[ollie]

[/color] Then, he was moving up on his elbows and reaching out his hand, and she took it carefully before pulling him up into a sitting position. Patronize him? Was that what he believed she was doing? She sat in silence with him for a few moments, eyes flickering around the kitchen rather than him, but when she began to speak they slowly moved back to him.

“Prince Berlus,” she said, sounding serious and almost hurt at once, “I am not patronizing you. Is that what they do back at Helios? Patronize you? Because I certainly am not patronizing you; I am being heartily honest when I call you handsome, because you’re one of the few men at this castle at this time that I believe to be handsome, exceptionally so, and with a good heart to boot.” When she finished, she had that girlish spark in her eye again, the one that made you wonder what in hell Odette had been doing as a girl to earn her such a look. But then she smiled again, slow and steady, as if she’d gotten a new idea in her head, which meant it was obviously going to be voiced.

Well, not exactly. “Will you take me seriously, from now on, Berlus? And can I call you Berlus? Titles are so stuffy… I call the princess Adalia, and if I am to get any more acquainted to you and you to me, I believe we should just call each other by our first names,” she said, and laughed softly before continuing, “the Prince Rian practically ruffled like a bird when I called him Rian. It’s so silly, getting all bent out of shape about titles. In the end, we’re all simply human, aren’t we? That is, of course, if you are human to begin with and not a… a hunting dog or something, but that’s beyond the point.” She crinkled her nose, one of the few gestures she hadn’t done in so long – a gesture that showed she was very comfortable in her place, enough to do such an unbecoming thing.

Odette stretched, rolling her ankles to keep them from falling asleep, and ran a hand through her hair, moving it out of her eyes. Yes, she was very comfortable around Berlus, which was odd in itself. Was this what Adalia felt like when she was smitten with someone? No, probably not – Odette had seen her get so anxious when she found a man attractive, as if she were walking on glass. Was that why Berlus was acting so strangely? Or was he always like that?

(ooc) pssttt. he's got no chance to get her off him now.
[/size][/justify][/ul]

[dede]

The slight pain in her voice as she reprimanded the battered Prince Berlus once again caught him in his unawares. It seemed that, Miss Odette, or now, just plain Odette (when she certainly was not plain, Berlus added mentally) really was quite adamant about the verity of her words.

And as he realized that, Berlus also considered that it was probably no longer in his favor to flee with his tail tucked between his legs, like the mere, incomprehensive hunting dog he certainly felt like he was at the moment. His internal scales of charity and chastity, the balance tipping dangerously in favor of wanton charity, might as well have simply tumbled off its stand, glittering with careful practice and avoidance. He wanted to call that precise moment of forgoing that constant maintenance of his personal justice something along the lines of the “point of no return”, when he jumped off the side of reason into the gaping hole of subjectivity. But that sounded far too negative and painful.

Accepting a personal invitation from a young woman as beautiful and, surprisingly, comprehensive as Odette was anything but negative and painful.

… To think he came to the kitchen looking for carrots, of all things.

So instead of gawking at her like he was, head cocked slightly to the right as he eyed her with an expression caught between suspicion and blunt bewilderment, Berlus shook his head. Sighing, he imitated her again and made himself a bit more comfortable on the make-shift blanket, extending his legs until the soles of his boots pressed against the brick hearth of the nearest oven. “I apologize, Odette. And I hope that you will forgive me.”

He attempted another smile, but it crumpled miserably under the scarlet blush spreading over his face. Berlus had never been very good at giving out compliments to those who truly deserved them. “It is just that, I am not fortunate nor very used to happening upon such… if we really are to be frank, beautiful company.”

[ollie]

[/color] he said, blushing scarlet, and she blushed just as well, almost all of her face turning crimson slowly. She looked down at the ground, her hair somewhat falling towards her face, though it didn’t come close to covering her blush. Berlus hadn’t been the only one caught that night.

“I, um… I-I mean that is very sweet of you, Berlus.” she said quietly, looking up at him almost shyly. So Odette was smitten. What an odd occurrence – and, yes, maybe another first. She was about to say something else when there was a warm glow towards the front of the kitchen, and the patter of feet. Someone else? Her eyes widened, and she peeked over the ovens – oh, crap, it was someone else! She squinted, studying them, and quickly recognized them as one of the maids that cleaned her mother’s room… and gossiped with her mother regularly, consequently.

“Damn! I mean, um…” she ducked back down, and practically tackled Berlus in her attempt to hide them, basically pinning him to the ground. “I-I’m sorry that I have to do this but one of my mother’s friends is in here and she can’t see me. Or us, for that matter. My mother would have a heart attack if she found out I was stealing into the night, it’s very unladylike in her opinion.” she whispered very quietly, and adjusted herself so she was lying down now, on her stomach, crossed arms on Berlus’s chest. Lying her head in her arms, she smiled. “Well, now we have no choice but to get acquainted, hm, Berlus?” she breathed, laughing softly.

Of course, there was no reason for her to be lying on him, but the fact of the matter was that the closer she was to Berlus, the far happier she was. And, hopefully, if she assumed correctly, he felt the same about her. “I-I’ll move when she leaves, I promise,” she whispered, and raised her head to glance over her shoulder when she heard the pitter patter of small feet. “Damn, why does that woman always have to bring that godforsaken cat with her?” she hissed, seeing the little cat paws stalking through the kitchen. She put her head in her arms, looking back at him. “I know this seems silly. I just… you really don’t want to be found, Berlus. That would be bad for the both of us, especially when you’re a guest at the castle.”
[/ul][/justify][/size]

[dede]

While Odette was not a woman to carry around extra weight, the unexpected force of her pouncing upon his body and, after a second of keen dizziness exploded from established pain at the back of his head, the sudden realization that she was now making herself perfectly comfortable on top of his chest nearly sent his heart into a violent spasm. Whether out of overwhelming fright, or something non unlike satisfaction, he could hardly decide as he listened to her hurried apology and condemnation of the newcomer.

“I know this seems silly. I just… you really don’t want to be found, Berlus. That would be bad for the both of us, especially when you’re a guest at the castle.”

If it was not for the pestering maid and her feline counterpart drifting not-so-noiselessly through the kitchen, Berlus would have groaned aloud. Do not remind me, he begged her silently with the somewhat pained roll of his eyes.

However, regardless of whether they were discovered in this rather too friendly position, his reputation was somewhat preserved by the fact that he was a man; and a Prince, at that. He would still maintain his royal title and rights, and for a somewhat scuffed self-portrait, he could easily continue wielding whatever powers he had now. But for Odette, because she was a woman, as he was now more than ever kindly reminded of, even with her own father’s power to protect her, the stigma of her… loose actions seducting a possible king-to-be of the Reginien kingdom could possibly condemn her for life. Berlus was certainly not prepared to carry that sort of guilt.

If he could manage it, they might as well take the fall the together, flames and all… If they were caught, of course.

Berlus shifted underneath her, gently pulling on her upper arms until they were nearly nose to nose. As the cat gave an impatient yowl somewhere beyond their sheltering ovens, he stifled a very un-Berlus-like laugh, one that would have sounded full, unprepared and for once, thoroughly happy, and pressed a finger carefully against Odette’s lips, which were even more soft and lovely as he thought they must have been from all the time he spent staring at them. Glancing past her into the darkness and severed bars of moonlight upon the floor, he grinned back her. And to his delight (and possibly sheer panic), he noticed that the tantalizing and unholy scent of lavender still wafted from her dark hair.

“Well, as they say, what is done, is done… and well as what will be done, I suppose.” He whispered carefully, before replacing his finger with his own pale lips in an uncoordinated, rather forward, but nonetheless heated kiss.

While her lips had been rather nice to the touch, they were not solely there for tactile admiration, were they?

[ollie]

[/color] She almost began to reply, but—

He was kissing her! Prince Berlus, the gentlemanly prince of Helios, was kissing her. And while it was clumsy at first, it was notably heated, and she froze for a moment, eyes wide, before they closed and she somewhat melted against him. She vaguely heard the cat mewling, and then the woman mumbling something about going to bed, and the light was gone and it was just them in the middle of the night, kissing behind the ovens.

Now that they were alone, and he’d already kissed her, she straightened up, sitting beside him with her fingertips resting against her lips in surprise. She looked around before back at him, knowing full well that she was blushing like some lovesick girl. How embarrassing, that she was bold every other time, and then he – he kissed her (it seemed so unlikely she still couldn’t get over it) and she flushed like a child! Then, a little more gradual than she had tackled him before, her hands cupped the back of his head and she raised his head from the ground slightly, meeting his lips with her own again. Without thinking about it, her fingers threaded into his hair, and she got her wish to hold his hair from earlier that night.

So this was what it felt like to be infatuated. Indescribable.
[/size][/justify][/ul]