Exhausted

Liandra had never felt so tired.

Of course she had studied before, but never before it was so demanding, After studying the reports she had to write shorter summaries that would be distributed to key personnel. Dagor simply ripped apart her first draft, pointing to errors and ambiguity. He explained to her why it was important to have everything exactly right, Liandra tried again and this time he approved it "And now I need sixty copies of it. You can start now" She took nine hours to finish them

And that was why her wrist hurt so much, her vision was blurry. Maybe it was a bad idea, maybe she should give up. She was laying on his bed, and felt sleep overcome her.

Liandra didn't know how much she slept, but he was still working when she woke up. There was a plate of food and a goblet of wine next to her, and she was starving. She forgone all manners as she ravished the much needed nourishment. The wine was specially good, so she refilled the cup a couple of times.

"How is your wrist?" he asked as he sat next to her. She felt her heart quicken "good" she didn't trust her voice to say much more, and she chided herself for not swallowing before speaking up.

"That is how it should be. The magic protects you. How does the food taste?"

"Delicious" She replied politely, but it was a lie. It was bland. "Don't lie to me, Liandra"

"it doesn't taste like anything."

"How about the wine?"

"the wine tastes good"

"Now you understand the danger of the amulet. Don't over indulge. Men and women do stupid things when they are under the influence of ****." Liandra didn't understand her yearning, and mistaken it for gratitude and admiration. But she heard his advice.

"Tomorrow we will have much work to do. There is a visiting Nocterian dignitary, and I ought to talk to her before she is granted audience with the king. You will be there with me" She must be doing good things if Dagor so readily trust her. So she smiled.

"Be careful. She is very dangerous. I understand she is a master of shadow magic. Do you know what that is?" Liandra shook her head "it is an unholy art, it means she uses the shadow realm to fuel her arcane arts. Many shadow mages gain their knowledge by bargaining with demonic lords." Sounded very dreadful.

"So go back to your room, you need to rest. You did good today" he stood and offered the princess a hand. She accepted it, but her legs felt wobbly when she began to stand, and she fell. But he caught her in his strong arms, and his perfume of cloves and mint. "Are you okay, princess?" he truly sounded worried, and Liandra hated herself for imposing so much on him "I am fine. Just a little dizzy. I think I drank too much wine."

"Be careful with it, Liandra" he caressed her hair, he had always been there for her

"Dagor?" her voice was quite frail

"Yes?" he leaned closer, to hear her

"I am about to do something stupid" and she held the front of his vest, and brought her lips to his. She held him with the desperation of a man clinging to life, her very first kiss, and with a man who was old enough to be father. She nimbled his thick lips, he tasted so good, and she was so hungry. She feels his hands trail her back, rest on her lower back. She imagines how it would feel if he slid them just a little lower, to her ass, and her grips falter. And she needs to breath.

"Liandra..." he was beginning to tell her something terrible, she knew it, so she spoke before him."I am sorry. I know it was stupid. Lets forget about it, okay?" He agreed, but Liandra felt deeply disquieted.