5. A Good Start #3
“I Suggested El. Publicly. That’s a war crime, Noble.
” Aria lifted a spoon and watched it dangle from his fingers idly, like he'd just needed something to occupy his hands.
The silverware had gold leaf accents that matched the painted foliage that surrounded the patio walls.
Floating candles overhead bobbed gently in the breeze with magic sustained by the elven chef themself.
As the sun reached towards the horizon, their warm glow kept the patio beautifully lit, and their round table had a crisp white tablecloth suggesting the level of dining they could expect.
Expensive and quite fine. Noble couldn't recall the last time he'd brought someone here.
It must have been before he met Virginia.
Aria added, during Noble's prolonged silence, “Even if I wanted to work as an adame again, I’ve no doubt Ellor has warned off every nobleman in New Hieroph.”
“Hm. Surely he deserved it.”
Aria pinched his brows together, still watching the spoon.
“No one deserves to have harmful magic flung their way. That sort of behavior is why elven and human friendship had been forbidden for centuries. That sort of behavior risks everything. The peace between our peoples. The unity of the kingdom. You, as a member of The Crown, should have me arrested, or exiled, or worse, for admitting I did it.”
Noble reached across the table to stop the swaying of the spoon, to force Aria to meet his gaze.
When he did, Noble said, “You want me to pass judgment on you, but I still know not what happened between you two. Tell me.” And then added, thinking better of it, “Unless you'd rather avoid the topic entirely. As I said.”
Aria released the spoon into Noble's hold, blue eyes unwavering. “I can speak of it. I was telling Romy earlier—I truly feel fine. Ellor and I were done long ago. It just took until now for it to…stick.”
“Then…"
“He was having an affair. The truth of it is greater than I believed. He had several partners I knew nothing about. Two women within the guild. Lind, Abecka. And then a man who worked in his office. I've never met him, but now I know that Ellor fucked him almost every time he went to work. He never meant to wed me. He’d kept me as an adame. I was nothing but a magical battery he got to fuck.”
Noble’s anger flashed in him—an empathy that he hadn't expected.
“Prick.” Why would Ellor do such a thing?
He could have fucked anyone and everyone he wanted without stringing Aria along cluelessly.
Noble himself had a voracious sexual appetite, and never once had he turned away from Virginia like that—
He pushed Virginia out of his mind. Her presence was not welcome here.
Aria smiled that prim non-smile again. “Many have called him prick, yes.
That's what I should have said—just shouted that he was a prick, and walked out of his life. Instead, when I walked in on him and Lind…” He gestured in the air and said, “He tried to hold me back, get me to stay, because I think he knew what I would do.
We were at a party at the guild hall. I marched out, to everyone enjoying their night, and told them what I'd uncovered. And to my humiliation—” His voice caught on the word, but he covered it swiftly with a laugh.
“Everyone knew. Everyone. I wanted to expose him, make him feel shame for what he'd done, and instead I made myself look a complete fool. Terribly naive.” Aria pulled the spoon from Noble's fingers and began to swing it like a pendulum between his forefinger and thumb.
“When Ellor came to address the crowd, and looked charming and unaffected and better than me, I… "
“What did you Suggest him to do?”
Aria said, “I told him not to touch me.”
Noble tilted his head. “How did that send him down the steps?”
Aria hummed as he realized he'd left out part of the story he told. “He'd his hands on me when I said it. And I cast it out with such force that he went running. Anyone would have. I'd really gone overboard.”
But he hadn’t. Noble’s anger turned to curiosity. How could Aria not see the truth? Noble tucked a hand under his chin and stared at Aria's impassive face. “You'd told him not to touch you? Before, when he was caught?”
Aria scoffed, “Yes. He and Lind had this strange ploy, where they pretended their fucking was for my benefit, and asked that I join them. I told him to keep his hands off me. But downstairs, when he hugged me like that, in front of everyone, I just snapped.”
A silence fell between them. The waiter, who had no doubt been waiting at the window for a lull in the conversation, swiftly stepped out. “Good evening. The chef has sent a bottle of his favorite red for you two, if you'd like?”
“Please,” said Aria, the word emphasized and breathless.
“You like red wine, too?” said Noble, grinning. He gave the waiter a nod as he poured two glasses.
“It’s the only wine I drink.”
Noble chuckled and said, “Same.”
The waiter bowed at the waist, stepping away from the table. “I'll bring out the prix fixe menu for you two, if you’d like?”
“Are you still vegetarian?” asked Noble.
Aria’s mouth formed a little surprised oh. “You remembered.”
“There are a great many things about you that will stick with me for life, I think,” said Noble. He and Aria laughed.
Aria met the waiter’s stare and said, “I am. If it’s not a problem? I can eat the meat course if—"
“No, no,” said the waiter. “We’ve a full vegetarian fixe. I’ll bring it for you.”
“Me too,” said Noble, “If you please.”
“Of course, my lord.”
“Please, you can call me Yves.”
The waiter bowed before disappearing through the kitchen door.
Silence fell upon the table. Noble took a sip of his wine and watched Aria avoid his gaze.
“Hm. Well. I have to say, the full story is damning, now that I know all the details.” Aria's eyes widened marginally, but he didn't look up from the glass he had within his grasp.
Noble continued, swirling his wine, “A man in his station fucking the bards at a guild that he funds? A flagrant misuse of power. A man who had been told to stop touching someone multiple times? Duke Ellor certainly behaved in a way that is not befitting of his title. An elf using their Elys-given gift to protect themselves from an unwanted advance is not illegal, my friend.” He took another sip of his wine.
Aria's mouth pursed in thought. Still, he did not meet Noble’s assessing stare. Had the last ten years really taken from him the fight he used to give Noble at every turn?
Noble was surprised to find he missed it. The cruel sass. How odd.
Maybe Noble had changed for the worse, too.
Noble said, placing the glass on the table, “Your actions firmly fall under what lawmakers call the Spirit of Law. Certainly, Suggestion is banned against sentient men. It is not banned against sentient aggressors. You did nothing wrong.” And he wasn’t just saying it for Aria’s benefit.
Noble spent his university years studying law and knew this particular case would be closed within the hour of opening at court.
Aria smoothed his petite, elegant hands across the already-smooth tablecloth. Then, he looked up, and his blue eyes were enormous and arresting and shining with unshed tears. Noble wasn't sure how anyone could ever stand to see him cry. Ellor had truly been a monster. “Thank you.”
Noble gave one nod in acknowledgment, temporarily unable to speak for a reason he couldn't quite identify between his anger and sympathy and—ah, hunger. Yes. He was starving. He lifted his wine glass and took another drink. Then he said, “And, for what it's worth: he did certainly deserve it.”
“If you say so. I think maybe I’m less…virtuous than you believe.” Aria looked into his wine glass and said, “I’ve already lied to you once. I’ve been eating meat.”
“What?”
Aria winced. “When I was with Ellor, it was too difficult to prepare us separate meals every time. I started to eat a diet of fish, chicken, and duck. I don’t know why I said I was vegetarian now. It was a lie.”
Noble blinked a few times. “Do you want to tell them to serve us the regular course?”
“No. I just did not want you to…” Aria’s hand trembled on the glass. “You’re being so kind, and I was dishonest.”
Ellor had to have spent the last ten years telling Aria he was wrong. There was no other explanation for it—for this beautiful shade of a man sitting across the table. Noble said, picking his words with care, “The chef here cooks amazing food. The meatless fixe will be delicious either way.”
Aria drank from his wine and said, “I don’t even know what I want anymore.”
Noble remembered the certain, earnest version of Aria from their youth.
And then thought of his own cocksure, womanizing self.
“We’ve come quite far from the first time we met, haven’t we?
Built up these whole lives in the city and lost them, all at the same time.
” Aria peeked up from the edge of his cup.
Noble wanted to keep his gaze this time, and so he raised his glass. “I propose a toast.”
Aria hesitated before lifting his wine.
“What was it V. Rose said in The Bard Bride?” Noble grinned until Aria had no choice but to smile in return, and then he said, “To those of us starting again.”
ARIA
After four years at university with a schedule that began at sunrise sharp, Aria's biggest hurdle upon arrival to New Hieroph was waking up mid-afternoon, working through the evening and most of the night at pubs, and going to bed after the sun began his climb.