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"Those are lovely, are they for Signore?"
"Absolutely not, she would end my life if I wasted her money on flowers for her. These are for Sariah," Illario inhaled the scent of the tulips, smiling at August.
"Umm," August recalled a screaming match the two "lovebirds" had about her favorite flowers.
"Go on, what is it?" He didn't sound as condescending as usual, maybe August was imagining things.
"Miss Vasquez hates tulips,"
"I know that, I want to see what will happen. Will she be grateful that I got her flowers at all, or will she be mad that I got the wrong ones?"
"Two things can be true, Sir," This was shaping up to be a bad week for August and it was only Monday.
"Either way, today is the day. I'm breaking up with her, for real. Not going to cave again, I need to spend more time on my craft,"
"And what craft is that, Sir?"
"I. What? Assassination! What craft...very funny," He couldn't decide if it was a joke or not as August had long ago perfected the stone straight face needed to be a servant, "Come along, we are going to her shop," August did grimace at this.
"We, Sir?"
"Don't sound so concerned, what if I decide to go out afterwards to the other shops, who would carry my parcels?" August couldn't say no and keep their job but couldn't seem to move their feet to follow after him into the hornets nest he insisted on whacking, "All right, a bribe. I noticed your sketch book is almost full, I'll get you a new one, come on," They sighed deeply and managed to get one foot in front of the other.
"Sir, how did you know I needed a new one?"
"Obviously I look in them, you really should hide them better if you don't want me seeing them," Long ago August had given up on privacy, but they'd at least hoped he would be more up front about his snooping.
"So you saw... everything?" The pair exited the grounds and made their way toward the banking district.
"Yes, of course, you're rather gifted,"
"It's not a gift sir, I practice and," they swallowed audibly, "Everything?" He turned around and grabbed their face, squishing their plush cheeks in between his fingers.
"When we get home, I have several questions on where you learned such lewd positions," He smiled brightly but spoke as though it were a threat.
"Yeth Thir," He chuckled and patted their cheek before turning away to hide his own light blush and continuing their journey. So cute. He pushed open the door to Vasquez's Garments, several of the young ladies shopping audibly gasped at their luck that Illario Dellamorte had graced them with his presence.
"Welcome in!" Jarin Felini, Sariah's apprentice, called out hearing the door open, but not seeing who had entered the shop. Not that she needed to speculate much as the women gathered around him to ask about the flowers. He smiled and answered as many girls as he could before Sariah entered the room. Her light skin betraying her Antivan heritage, she stood out among the young hopefuls surrounding Illario.
"Girls, please, he's a customer too, get back to what you were doing," She made her way toward him and as the crowd thinned, Illario turned to August.
"I love an audience," August felt like their throat was going to close and wished that they had known about his plan earlier so they could have warned Jarin, she didn't deserve what was about to happen, "For you, cara mio," Sariah took them from him in a way that seemed like she liked them, but did not say anything. She took a deep breath of their scent and smiled at him. Illario didn't faulter in his face, but August knew that this is not what he wanted or planned for.
"I have something for you too," She disappeared into the back room.
"Do you think it's a bomb? Perhaps a jar of bees?" He whispered. August gently rubbed their temples and finally made eye contact with Jarin. She came over to the pair.
"Master Dellamorte, August, what brings you by?" August was trying to tell Jarin that a terrible situation was about to unfold with the desperation in their eyes alone, but she didn't seem to be picking up on it.
"He came by because it's our anniversary, honestly I thought you'd forget," She handed him a small flat box. He opened it and pulled out a handkerchief with the initials LD on it. August wasn't completely certain they understood what was happening, but they saw the wind leave Illario's sails, "Mama will love the tulips, I hope Lucanis likes the handkerchief. I wracked my brain about what to get Signore Caterina, but I didn't want to offend her by getting something she would hate," August stared at the two.
"Oh, you're not Antivan August. For your second anniversary it's customary to get gifts for your beloved's family." Jarin smiled cheerfully, none the wiser of Illario's ill timed plan.
"As you can see, I'm rather busy, perhaps you could come back tomorrow?" Sariah walked her fingers up his chest and put her pointer finger under his chin.
"I'll make tomorrow a date you'll never forget," She squealed a bit and Illario bolted from the shop almost flatening August in the process.
"Sir?"
"Please, just don't," August was stifling laughter, but really did think he needed to end the toxic relationship he had with this woman. However, this interaction had been a microcosm of how plans Illario made played out. A fully thought out plan, perfect execution, but he always seemed to miss one important detail that would send things spiraling out of control. He sulked all the way to the marketplace and handed August a sovereign, "Go get your damn book, I'll be at Pietra's."
"Sir, I can just get it another time," They were more than happy to get him back home where he wouldn't cause more turmoil.
"Absolutely not, this outing cannot be a complete waste of everyone's time," August nodded as the two headed in opposite directions.
"Well, well, Maid Cadash, don't tell me you're through another sketchbook already?"
"Just about, Master Dellamorte took me on a fool's errand today, so he's paying," They looked through the many bound books for one that felt right.
"What happened? He planned two dates in one day?" August snorted, he'd done that twice. They saw one with a deep blue cover and pulled it out.
"Something like that. Would a sovereign and a half get me two journals?"
"You want to spend more time away from me?" The stall owner frowned to get his point across.
"I was thinking I should keep a calendar for Master Dellamorte with dates only he would care about and not the whole household." They flipped through the pages on the notebook, thinking that a lot of misunderstandings could be avoided.
"Now there's an idea, you're really too good for him,"
"I'm really not, but thank you for saying so," They pulled a green journal from the bunch as well and paid the man. Illario had his head in his hands when they arrived and sat with him, "Ta da!" They gave him the notebook.
"A good color, my favorite in fact," He thought it was remarkably similar to his favorite waistcoat.
"I know, I'm going to put a calendar in it for you," They slid his cup towards themselves and took a small sip before returning it to him.
"That money was for your sketchbook," He was going to take them by the hand and drag them back to the vendor. He would not listen to arguments, he'd put them through enough already today.
"I got one too, don't worry, Sir, but should I put in your anniversary with Miss Vasquez so as not to forget next year?" He groaned.
"You got me a gift."
"I got you two thirds of a gift, you bought some of it yourself," He pulled a small box from his pocket and set it in front of them.
"When did you have time to get Miss Vasquez a ring?" August felt their cheeks redden as something akin to rage and despair filled their chest.
"What? No, it's for you, open it." August stared at Illario in confusion. He swirled his hand in the air to indicate they should get on with opening it. They pulled the box closer but kept it on the table. The box popped open and in it was a gold brooch with a large green stone.
"Sixth anniversary is crystal, but I thought you'd like the green," They fiddled with their fingers a moment, not really sure what to say. It was real gold. A gift like this for a maid of all things.
"You hate it," He sat back in his seat and huffed.
"You know I don't, Sir. It just seems like a little much, I'm just doing my job," They were suddenly unable to make eye contact.
"Well, your job is dealing with me," He pulled the box toward him and pulled out the brooch, crooking his finger at them to scoot closer so he could pin it at their collar, "And that alone gets you a bonus. But you deserve to be treated well," He slid a finger behind their shirt at their throat to keep from accidentally poking them while he pinned it, "Compliments your complexion perfectly, I've really outdone myself this time," He took a long sip from his coffee cup, deliberately holding it along the rim and not the handle to place his lips where theirs had been.
"Thank you, Sir," He hummed a bit in response.
"That won't do, Thank you Illario, go on,"
"I'm not calling your by your first name, Sir," There were only so many boundaries they could cross before they were jobless, out on the street.
"It's a special occasion, come on, for me?" He rested his elbows on the table and his head on his hands looking at them softly.
"Thank you...Illario,"
"Ah, much better, put your work anniversary on the calendar, it's tomorrow. And your birthday."
"Sir," They were getting aggrivated with his behavior and aggrivated in how they reveled in it.
"This is a calendar of dates that are important to me, yes?"
"Yes, but-"
"Then you fill it out how I want," He took another sip.
"Yes, Sir,"
"Good, come on, there's one drawing in partcular I'm very interested in asking you about, it's the one with the the naked woman bathing in blood? Where do you come up with these ideas?" He got up and started to head back toward home.
"Where indeed," August whispered to themselves, shooting the rest of his coffee and chasing after him.