[RPG] [SL] Ariana and Morthwyl ~ A Sleepy Postlude

[Timothy Collett]

Morthwyl opens his eyes after having dozed off for who knows how  
long. He leans back a bit more in his chair and looks around the  
room. Two glasses stand on a small table by the fireplace, the dying  
embers still casting an orange glow on the stones.
He thinks back to the ball, the announcement. He thinks back to the  
dance that followed it, and smiles faintly, tired as he is. He  
shifts, causing the young woman in his arms to stir briefly. "What  
would I do without you?" he thinks as he gently runs his fingers  
through her hair.

"Mmm..." Ariana murmurs.  "Gods, Morthwyl, what time is it?"
"I have no idea" He mumbles, supressing a yawn.

Ariana starts to rise, but finds herself encumbered, both by  
Morthwyl's arms and by the many more drinks than usual that she drank  
earlier.  "Oh...oh, well," she says, and leans deeper into his  
embrace with a contented sigh.

Morthwyl smiles and softly kisses Ariana at the base of the neck.   
"We should really do this more often." He whispers.
"Mmm...yes..." she replies.  "But...you know, it *would* be somewhat  
easier if the arrangement were fully formalized."  She twists around  
in his arms so she can face him.  "My love, the sooner Palnasos is  
ours, the sooner we can be wed...should we not look to the  
accomplishment of that goal?"

"As always my dear, I am one step ahead of you."

She smiles.  "As always."

He yawns. "This is no time to think. Too late or to early, whichever  
it is..."

"I would quite agree, if I had any idea of what time it actually  
*was*..."

"Do you really care?"

"Weeelllll...." she says, leaning back again.  "Not really.  I  
suppose one day, more or less, won't make much difference..."

She yawns hugely.  "Or two days...."

--

"The only thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart."
  ~ Miles Naismith Vorkosigan