The northern gate.

Ariane wasn’t in the best mood that morning. The prank had cheered her up, but what came after upset her: Mira and Lex looked to be together. And even when they left the inn, her revealing clothes didn’t catch his eye, he only looked at the human swordswoman. Rationally, Ariane knew that those two had grown closer since they first met and that she never claimed Lex as her lover. A part of her was happy for them, but her pride was still hurt.

Like he had said at the cafe, Q’rin was waiting for the party at the northern gate, with Ser von Bismarck at his side. Ariane sighed, having to deal with the dark elf again.

‘Ah, good morning, you are all here, excellent,’ Q’rin said as they approached, ‘I hope you are all well-rested and had a good breakfast, because let’s not dally around. We are going to the north shore of the lake and then up the river feeding the lake by boat, that will be much faster than walking all the way around.’ Von Bismarck nodded to them in greeting.

Lex wanted to say something but didn’t, as Q’rin turned and went through the gate to a pier with several boats and the paladin followed behind.

Mira shrugged, ‘He seems like a nice fellow.’

Ariane frowned, ‘I told you he isn’t, he just pretends to be nice.’

They followed him to the boats. ‘We’ll take two boats, I’ll take the leading one and Ser von Bismarck will take the second one,’ Q’rin said.

Ariane sighed, ‘I’m going on the second boat, no way I’ll go with Q’rin.’

‘You sure that’s the reason? And not because the paladin is a total heartthrob?’ Khala giggled.

‘I, what?’ Ariane said, perplexed. As if noticing the paladin for the first time, she had a good look at him. Tall, short blonde hair, blue eyes, strong jaw-line. She had to admit, he was really handsome. Q’rin must’ve really rattled her if she had not noticed it. A smirk grew on her lips, a devious plan already forming in her mind.

‘Oh no, I know that look. I’m going with the dark-elf,’ Khala said and hurried to the first boat.

‘Me too, coming Lex?’ Mira said as she walked to the first boat too.

‘R-Right,’ the half-elf stammered as he looked at the water with fear, following after Mira.

Ariane adjusted her dress to show more cleavage and smirked, as she approached the paladin with a sway in her hips. He was quite a bit taller than her and she smiled up at him, ‘Ser von Bismarck, was it? I am Ariane, may I call you Otto?’ Her cleavage was clearly on display for him.

He didn’t pay much mind to her provocative dress and nodded, ‘You may, Ariane. You will be with me then?’ He climbed into the boat and waited until it stopped rocking, holding his hand out for Ariane, ‘Let me help.’

Ariane frowned a bit as he didn’t react to her enticing body at all, but then smiled as he offered his hand to her. She took it gladly and lowered herself down into the boat, ‘My, a true gentleman.’ She pretended to stumble and fell in his arms, her big breasts pressed to his plate armour, ‘Oops, I’m not often travelling on boats, my bad.’

The paladin chuckled but didn’t seem fazed, ‘No worries, it happens. But be careful, we don’t want you landing in the lake.’

The first boat set off, with Mira and Lex at the oars, while Q’rin and Khala relaxed.

Otto took the oars and Ariane sat down across from him. As they moved across the surface of the lake, Ariane continued to try and entice the stoic paladin. She fanned her cleavage and adjusted her dress, ‘My, it is so hot today, how can you even sit there in all that armour? I really need to cool off.’

‘I manage. Maybe some water from the lake might help,’ Otto said, not particularly interested in her burgeoning bust on display.

‘Hmmn, that’s a good idea,’ Ariane smirked and leaned over the edge of the boat, showing her ample butt to the paladin. She wondered if he was maybe an ass-man since he didn’t seem interesting in her tits. She scooped up some water and splashed it on her neck and cleavage. Making them enticingly wet and glistening, ‘Aaah~, yes, that hit the spot.’ Ariane moaned erotically.

Otto kept rowing and only smiled at her curtly, ‘Glad I could help.’

Ariane frowned, asking herself if he was a human-like golem. Nobody in the slutty elf’s life had ever resisted her charms like that, and it was making her mad and determined to get a rise out of him.