Fancy bumping into you here (Attn: Mors)

[Zygorn]

He couldn't help but smile at her giggle. Something about her made his day a little bit brighter, and a little bit, less dreary. Of course, Lavinya Sedai did that, in her own way. However, Alexis did not boss him around as if he were a slave. Yet. Hearing her words, his face lit deviously at her words about birching.

 

"If that is the case, I will gladly take the punishment myself, as it was my fault..."

 

Next Day...

 

Mors was walking to the Gardens, the same time he usually did, the time that Alexis should be there. he wondered about several things. One of them was, would he ever be a Warder? Another was, did people who flaunted the rules ever become Warders? Did Novices who did so become Aes Sedai? Would Alexis be Aes Sedai? Would he be her Warder? Mors did not often think on such things, but he did today, because, he had not seen Alexis in a while, and had gotten a bit bored.

 

As he walked into the garden, he recognized Alexis's backside. Not just her buttocks, as many guys would lay claim. But her form. He did not focus on a single aspect, he memorized the way she walked, the way she carried herself... Then again, he had little else to do besides train... and Mors did plenty enough of that already.

 

"Alexis...?" He said softly, not wanting to force her to acknowledge him if she did not wish it. Another test of his. If she truly wanted to speak with him, she'd turn. If it was a game she could not be bothered with any longer, she merely keep on walking. All part of the Great Game. Or at least the miniature Great Game that Mors decided to take up while in the lower echelons of the Tower...

[Rapture]

Alexis turned as she heard her name, and then peeked out at Mors from beneath her lashes. "Mors," she said with a hint of a smile in her voice, and started towards him. She stopped about halfway to him though, wanting to see if he'd come to her. Why? She didn't know, it just seemed the thing to do at the time.

 

He looked as handsome as he always did, despite the fact that his uniform had splotches of dirt on it, most likely from training. When stole a look at his face, she noticed a small bit of dirt on his cheek as well and she had to supress a giggle. As she looked him over, she wondered how he could not be nobility. She had seen him move and he certainly carried himself as if he were, and she thought that he most definately looked a noble. She stood and waited for him to approach, wondering why he just stood there like that. And what was with that grin?

[Zygorn]

Mors smiled to her, glad that she stopped. He smiled to her, his clothes and face dirty from a training spar with Master Orion...

 

He took the next few steps, drawing closer to the pretty, shy girl, looking at her intently. "Are you running late?" he asked,hoping she said no, so they could sit a spell and talk some more.

[Rapture]

"Late? No," she said and looked down at the ground, "I was early actually, but I was starting to think that you had forgotten about me or got caught up elsewhere."

 

She stepped away and towards a bench, meaning to sit down there, but changed her mind and sat down in the grass instead. "You look as though you've been busy today," she said, commenting on how dirty he was. She began to pluck a few long blades of grass from the ground and tie them together into a long string. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him sit down and begin watching her, no doubt wondering what she was doing. She said nothing about it though, and kept forming the string with different blades of grass, occasionally plucking a dandelion and adding it in as well.

 

"Did you take care of your friend?" she teased him, "The one that whistled loud enough for every Aes Sedai in the Tower to hear?"

[Zygorn]

"I said I'd make time for you Alexis... do you think me a liar?" Mors replied, slightly hurt that she thought so little of his honesty.

 

He sat on the ground with her as she moved, his motions deliberate, yet flowing. He watched curiously, paying equal attention to Alexis's actions and pretty face.

 

He smiled and chuckled at her question.

 

"Let's just say he got his in a spar soon after. Any whistling he does is through a split lip...." He looked to her again.

 

"Has anyone told you you are beautiful, Alexis?"

[Rapture]

"Has anyone told you that you are beautiful, Alexis?"

 

Her breath caught at those words. No, in fact. That was something that she had never heard. She felt her cheeks burning, so she dropped her head a little bit so that her hair would fall forward and hide her blush. "No," she said quietly, "I've not heard that before." She continued working on the chain, as she sat there trying to think of something else more to say.

 

By the time she realized that she had no words, she had finished tying all of the grass together and had formed a circle with it, with a few dandelions in it as well. She turned it over in her hands and then lifted her gaze up to him long enough to set the dandelion crown on his head, "I think you are nobility of some sort, whether you are rich or not. So I crown you, King of the Flowers." She hoped that he wouldn't take that as an insult, but instead realize that it was an effort to make him feel better about what had happened to him. Perhaps it would also make him forget about paying her compliments.

[Zygorn]

Mors had wondered what she was making, and when he saw, he smiled. He allowed her to crown him, as he smiled. "Nobility is not only money, Alexis... nor is it of lines, but few realize that. Nobility is a state of being..." He smiled gently to her, lifted her chin to look into her eyes again. "You are beautiful, Alexis... don't let anyone convince you differently... Inside, and out."

[Rapture]

She felt her heart flutter and a tingling sensation on her face. "That," she started and then stopped, "you're too kind, Mors," she said instead, and then, "But we should not be talking like this."

 

Alexis pulled away from him and then said, "This is trouble for the both of us, you know that, right? You want honor and respect and I'm afraid that if we continue on, neither one of us will have what we want." She sighed and ran her fingers through the grass. She knew that she was right, they shouldn't continue like this, but she really didn't want to stop. He was the first guy she had met that didn't send fear through her. But it was wrong.

 

She stood up and dusted off her dress, checking for grass stains and pleased to not find any. "I should go," she told him, both her face and tone revealing her displeasure with leaving. "You're right, nobility is not wealth or land or having servants or any of that. It is kindness, compassion, and respect for others," she said, backing away slowly, "You've shown me that you are the most noble person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I do not want to be the reason that you lose that honor or respect that you're earning, so regretfully, I will go."

 

She gave him a sad smile and turned towards the Tower to leave.

[Zygorn]

Mors smiled at her expression, at least, until she pulled away.

 

"Doing what? There is no rule I am aware of that prevents me from speaking with you, so long as I do not neglect my duties, Alexis..." His face was somewhat pained. "Alexis, how could having the affections, or even the conversation of a girl like you hurt my honor? So long as I do not abuse your trust, I could not lose honor... in fact, remaining loyal to our friendship would prove my honor far more than adhering to the rules you perceive placed upon me..." He caught her one hand, holding softly, gently. "Do not abandon me Alexis, we don't have to stop meeting..."

[Rapture]

Alexis stopped and turned back to look at him. "Mors," she said gently and then slipped her hand from his, "I do want to remain friends." Light! He was so beautiful.

 

She sighed, "I am not supposed to be talking with you. I am not supposed to, I could get a birching or worse, they could send me away to the farm as punishment. I don't like the rules, but they are there. I don't like that they tell me who I can be friends with." A sad look crossed her face and she added quietly, "I am growing fond of our talks, though, and I am growing less afraid of you."

 

She glanced towards the Tower and then back to him again, "I do have to go to class now, but I will see you again. We have to stop sitting so closely though, and you must stop touching my hands and face. Maybe it won't be as bad if we're at least being a little more proper."

[Zygorn]

"As the Lady wishes..." Mors replied, grinning. He did want to spend more time with her, but if it could get her hurt, he would not abide it. And so, he agreed fully.

 

"I don't want you hurt, Alexis, I'll do as you ask..." He caught her next, softer words. "I've always been fond of our talks, Alexis, I am sorry I was not more interesting originally..."

 

Hearing she had to go to class, he nodded. "If you are late, tell them I did something to hold you up. I'll take the birching for you, if you'll let me." He bowed again softly, smiling kindly to Alexis.

[Rapture]

She laughed a little at the thought of Faerzyne Sedai birching him. The poor boy has no idea what he is offering. I think she likes to hear the yelps. she thought to herself. Then she realized what he called her.

 

"Oh no, I am certainly no Lady and I will not be addressed as such," she said quickly. Really! That is just the sort of talk that could get one in trouble...pretending to be nobility, "Persistance is intresting on occasion," she said and tried to curtsey to him. Would she ever get the hang of that?

 

"I do need to go though. I'm not late yet, but I fear I will be if I stay any longer," she said before turning and walking off.

[Zygorn]

He chuckled. "What is a King without a Court, Lady of the Flower King's Circle of Advisors?..." He replied smoothly without a qualm or a hesitation.

 

"And, I look forward to that meeting, Alexis... until our paths cross again." he bowed politely as she turned away, whether she noticed it or not, he would observe his education.

[Rapture]

Circle of Advisors? Alexis thought to herself as she tried to decide whether she should avoid the gardens today or not. Mors would be there for sure and that would mean that she would have to talk with him. Light! But she did want to talk to him! He was just so nice. On the other hand, talking to him was eventually going to get her a certain punishment and she didn't want that either. How twisted it is that they will allow the boys to talk to the girls, but the girls aren't allowed to talk to the boys without punishment! It's almost as if they are trying to tempt you in this place! It would be rude just to run away from someone who is talking to you, but you get in trouble if you try to be nice. I just don't understand it.

 

Lost in her thoughts, Alexis found herself in the garden and face to face with Mors again before she even realised that she had come that direction.

[Zygorn]

Mors had been focused on his training, not wanting to allow thoughts of anything besides his end goal to interfere, though he still enjoyed spending time with Alexis. He walked into tha garden, a bit later than usual, afraid he'd miss her. However, his fears were allayed as she nearly ran into him again.

 

"Good day to you, Alexis..." Mors bowed slightly, smiling.