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“Maya, my lady! You look as ravishing as ever, glistening with the sweat of labour and the blood of thine enemies!”
It was not the first time her name had fallen so sweetly from a lord’s lips, but this lord was altogether different than the rest. Haurchefant stood and leaned over his desk to appraise the hides she had gathered for him, practically climbing upon the surface to be nearer to her. A small hum of approval rumbled out of him, his eyes flicking between the hides tossed over her shoulder and the taut arms that held them in place.
“Splendid! Absolutely marvelous! Fine work as ever, my lady!”
“How much for the lot, my lord?” she asked, hefting the load at an unwitting soldier passing by. He caught it - with some effort - and seemed surprised at her wink at him. Maya turned to find Haurchefant watching the exchange with a sharp tinge of interest, clearing her throat to get him to answer her.
“I-I’m sure you’ll find this amount more than enough,” he finally managed to say, sliding a sizable bundle of gil her way. As her hands cupped it, she could feel it was definitely double - maybe triple - what she would normally get for a simple hunting request.
“This is way too much, I couldn’t possibly-!”
“I insist , my dear! Not only have you brought hides for my men, but I happened to catch sight of you felling a few of the foul creatures whilst on my morning rounds and it was quite the show!” He flashed a dazzling smile at her. “Consider the extra coin a tip for the experience.”
Maya eyed him warily. Again she palmed the bag of coins, feeling the heft of it. She shrugged.
“Well, thank you kindly, sir.”
She moved to pull the bag towards her only for her hands to be caught under the Elezen’s firm grasp. It was a bit surprising to feel the strength in them compared to how delicate his face looked, but he was a knight after all, she supposed.
“Please, never hesitate to grace us with your presence,” he said softly.
It was a bit forward for her liking and much unlike the attention she was used to getting. As the Warrior of Light, Maya very much enjoyed the late night company to be had at a bar or inn or even within the scant shelter of a cliffside against the wind, but it was always very clearly sexual and nothing more. There was curiosity and intrigue in the Elezen's gaze and he watched her eyes just as much as he looked at her body. The way Haurchefant regarded her left her feeling flushed and it was completely alien to her.
Her fingers curled onto the heavy bag of gil as she once again marveled internally at the amount she had gotten in return for her work. It was quite a lot…
“I’ll see that I make more trips to your welcoming hearth then, sir,” was as good as she could reply before scooping up the coins and waving her farewell.
Haurchefant sat back down heavily and watched the door swing closed behind her, taking a rather mischievous bit of glee from peeking at her backside as she left. He had already been quite taken by her appearance when they had first met, but seeing her prowess as a conjurer set something aflame within him that no other captivating adventure had stirred before. A deep sigh escaped him as his chin came to rest on his palm.
“Oh...please do.”
-----
Try as she might, a habit was clearly forming in her. Maya found that if she had any spare ore or hide or even exotic meats and vegetation, her mind wandered to Camp Dragonhead. She had gone back several times since the initial visit, sometimes on some sort of side quest or errand for someone else, but every time, she tried to have something to offer Lord Haurchefant for his soldiers. Every time, he offered praise and gil by the bucketload. It was to the point where she ought to feel guilty about it. The only thing staving it off was the heavy weight of coins every time she left and, surprisingly, the small boost of confidence in her step.
“Got business at Dragonhead again?” her Lalafell companion asked. She startled and nearly dropped the apple she had just plucked off the branch from her grip.
“Whatever makes you say that, Gyome?”
“You’ve stopped at every tree to and from Sweetbloom Pier collecting apples and you only ever gather that much food when you’re planning to travel there. Unless, of course, you’re planning to feed a stable,” he chuckled. She tossed a fruit at him with a laugh of her own, feigning disappointment as he easily caught it in one hand.
“I’ll have you know, good sir , that the lord is quite generous with his gil. Perhaps you ought to take a shot with him, he’d probably fawn all over you as well, handsome as you are.”
With a wet crunch, Gyome took a bite of his apple and shook his head. “Nope, he gives me the same payouts I might expect from any merchant or waresman. Mighty friendly though.”
“Hm…” was all she could think to say. At least with an apple in his mouth, Gyome was unable to speak and she could gather the food in peace.
-----
“Apples! What a treat, dear friend!”
Haurchefant was his usual bubbly self, especially at the sight of enough fruit to provide ample succor to his comrades. It was nothing to make a meal of, but with the visions of gray sky and cold snow, a sweet bite to eat did much to soothe a knight’s heart. Truly, it seemed as though his soldiers’ morale had steadily improved with each of Maya’s gifts and he was sincerely indebted to her. He told her as much, a beaming smile playing on his lips.
Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, the Warrior of Light examined Haurchefant as he set to work counting out gil to pay her for her “troubles”. She could not deny that he was infatuated with her and she also could not say for certain how that made her feel. A dangerous sort of curiosity gnawed at her, something she recognized as the drive that pushed her headlong into tight situations. However, she knew she would be unable to process it at all if something didn’t change between the two of them.
Clearly he was interested in her. He constantly commented on her body, praised her for her adventures he had heard through traveling bards, and even had made an effort to touch her hands in some small way each time they met. Oh yes, Haurchefant was very loose with his wallet and easy with his words, but only when it came to her, it seemed, if Gyome had been honest. She was drawn out of her trance by the familiar sound of gil in a sack being pushed across the desk towards her. This time, however, she caught his hands upon the money, earning a surprised sound from him. She put that sound deep within her mind, to process at a later time in order to understand how it made her feel, before saying what she had been planning since she left Thanalan.
“Lord Haurchefant, if I may,” she started, pushing the coins back towards him. “I think I would much prefer to sup with you tonight as payment for these apples. Maybe see what your cooks might do with them. Is that a suitable request?”
The speed at which colour shot up his neck and into his face was almost as though she had said something absolutely lecherous to him. To his credit, he was quick to overturn his hands, catch her palms, and smile with the joy of someone presented with the most fantastic gift.
“O-Of course, my lady! We’ll have a grand feast, enough to feed all of my men-!”
Maya’s grip tightened and tugged him forward. She did her best to ignore the stares of the other soldiers in the room as well as her growing shyness.
“Actually, my lord...I was hoping to enjoy the pleasure of just your company...alone this evening. Would that be too much to ask?”
Haurchefant made a strangled sound, meekness choking him, before clearing his throat and shaking his head. He pulled her hands as well, practically putting them nose to nose.
“Not at all, my dear. It would be my absolute pleasure and it is the very least I could do for someone as generous and wonderful an adventurer such as yourself!” She could feel Haurchefant’s breath on her lips. A wave of desire burned through her, strangely different than any she had experienced before. “W-Would...two hours from now be alright?”
With a sudden grin, Maya pulled away entirely, waving as she went.
“It’s a date.”
-----
Romance was not her strongest skill, but seduction was an absolute snoozefest of ease as far as Maya was concerned. As she straightened out her evening wear, some fine slacks and a form-fitted black blouse, she shivered into the small coat wrapped uselessly around her shoulders. She was absolutely confident that she would be ending up in Haurchefant's bed before the night had truly begun.
And then what?
The self-imposed question left her feeling barer than she already did without the safety of her conjury robes and staff. Still, it seemed an important one to answer. Try as she might, she could not produce one. Why did she want to test the waters so badly? She could have her pick of any fish in the ocean, certainly a fish without any sort of... emotional hang ups. She could even find people who would want repeat visits who did care for her, but did not want her in that way. For perhaps the thousandth time, Maya was thankful for Thancred Waters and his ability to separate work and pleasure.
There was a heaping helping of fear that came with becoming close to someone. What was the use of becoming infatuated when there were so many things that could happen, especially when she had her duties to uphold? Would Haurchefant tire of her constant comings and goings? She was not one for settling, not in one place and not with one person. Then of course, what of him? What of his safety, being attached to her so? He was a knight, but her enemies were many and powerful. Could she risk him being lost? Could she risk him coming to harm?
And selfishly, could she risk her own heart if such a thing should come to pass?
"My lady!" a voice bellowed across the encampment, full of bubbling joy. She looked up in shock to see Haurchefant running through the snow in full military dress, hand up in greeting, shiny black shoes slipping in the snow. He was all smiles even as she ran up to him, catching him in her arms before he fell. "Oh! You look rather dashing this evening! I have never had the pleasure of seeing you out of your robes!"
"You're too kind," Maya huffed, pulling away to straighten out his suit jacket. Her cheeks heated under his softening gaze. "You have gone to equal measures with your appearance, it seems. You look...quite handsome."
He caught her hands up and brought them both to his lips, pressing kisses to her knuckles. Seeming to feel the chill in her fingertips, he breathed warmly upon her skin, rubbing her hands in his. She shivered.
If she chose to be with him, would the silver lining in all the fear be the act of love itself...?
The intimacy of her thoughts and his ministrations shot through her like a knife to the gut and it took all of her strength to not rip her hands away. He was too nice, too much, too good for her. Instead, she slowly pulled out of his grasp, taking up his arm to lead him into the building.
The man had pulled out all the stops. Candles and platters of food and bottles of drink and fine linens, all for a meal with her. He dutifully led her to a chair, pulled it out for her, and tucked her in as if she weight nothing at all. Right as she was about to thank him, deft hands slid in between her jacket and blouse, working the sleeves down her arms, before tugging the whole coat away with a flourish. Haurchefant gave her a cheeky grin that she returned with a playful swat at his retreating form. He plopped down right across from her, tangling his legs with hers under the table, before offering her the first glass of wine of the night.
As the evening progressed and they spoke more with one another outside of the restraints of adventurer and contractor, her heart fluttered. Haurchefant was charming and sweeting, regaling her with tales of Ishgard and giving her a small taste of what he thought it meant to be a hero. He spoke of his duty, of his men, and, most of all, his curiosity with her. Apparently she was famous, but not truly known, something Maya had never thought about. He made it clear in every motion that he was heavily invested in who she was and longed to know more. Each lingering glance, each "accidental" touch of fingers, each nudge of his legs against hers. He was pouring attention upon her and she did not know how to react, even as she bumbled through their conversations.
At some point, he had take one of her hands and refused to release it, rubbing his thumb over the back of her wrist. He drew heated circles that pulled goosebumps up the length of her body. It was pleasant, domestic even. A part of her relished in it. Another, however, desperately wanted to be in familiar waters again.
With practiced ease, she brought her foot up to brush against his inner thigh. His eyes flashed to hers in an instant, desire plain in his expression.
What did she think of this man? What did she want him to think of her?
She felt his fingers at her ankle, slipping up the hem of her slacks to tickle at her skin.
We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.