Post by Elena Sandoval on Jan 23, 2016 23:08:22 GMT -5
Her lips twitched against the obviously flattering remark, lashes lowering to conceal the humor gleaming in her eyes. To anyone who overheard many of their conversations, Niccolo must assuredly sound like the most arrogant, narcissistic man in Archades. Elena had swiftly learned that the majority of the time, her husband spoke merely in jest when it came to the praise of his virtues. And in turn, she had learned how to respond to maintain the spirit of playful teasing. "But of course, husband! How could you possibly commit such an oversight? You also neglected to mention the most charming, the most romantic, the best dancer, of course..." Her tone was slightly exaggerated with adoration, but that only made it more fun.
A brow arched at his suggestion that he'd impose a fee to share the wisdom of his experience, the better to continue building his coffers. Elena caught the wink, snorting out a dry laugh. "I'm sure we could work out some form of barter system in that case. A pearl here or there for clean sheets or a particularly good wine with dinner, perhaps?" Dark eyes met his, twinkling with humor and a touch of challenge then. No doubt the members of her family would be nigh astonished to see and hear Elena in this mood, a testament to the impact her marriage had upon her thus far.
Keeping close to Niccolo but not so close as to tread upon his heels, Elena's gaze swept the chamber and the doors assessingly. The concentric circles drew and held her attention, noting that the door was securely closed. She lifted her eyes to her husband's face for a moment, then resumed her perusal of the door knowing Niccolo did the same. There was a pattern, though Elena struggled with recognizing it.
She stepped out of the way when he moved to test his strength against it, watching Niccolo do his best to open the portal, only to be met with stony resistance. Elena picked up the lantern, intending to offer a suggestion when he altered position, taking a breath to lean on the door, only to startle them both when it swung open and sent him sprawling. She blinked, then hurried closer. "Niccolo, are you all right?"
Niccolo Montefiore