"You appear to attract trouble." Raphael closed the door behind them as he walked into Leyla's rented accommodation. The sounds of revelry continued from below and would likely continue well into the night since the Green King had declared he would pay for everyone's enjoyment in honour of the royal guests.

"It does seem like it recently," she agreed, still not quite able to believe he was here. Raphael, the arrogant Prorex, had not only appeared in Happy Time, he had insisted on staying in the tavern despite the Green King offering him rooms in his palace. "Why are you here?"

Raphael raised a royal brow, then moved to the window that looked out over the stage below. "Your direct manner is growing on me." After watching the merry makers for another moment, he turned to her with a smile. It was the second time she had seen him smile that way- a twist of lips that added a wicked charm to an already much-too-handsome face. It was annoying.

"I rather that nothing about me grew on you. Did your father send you?"

His laughter was genuine, making her feel like a prude. Why was she being so curt when he hadn't done anything wrong? Well, other than to announce to half the population of the Greenlands that they were engaged, when he should have ended that business already...

"The Leader didn't send me, although I'm sure he would have, had he heard you were being held prisoner for petty theft." He took the wide seat beside the bed and looked around the room as if he had never seen anything more interesting. "I understand that they like red around here, but aren't those bedsheets a little over the top?"

Leyla had thought the same, but that was neither here nor there. "How did you find out about the theft charge?" Even as she asked the question, she remembered the Light Guards they had left at the outpost. They said they would wait for her there, but had they been watching from afar? And yet, even if they had, how did the information reach the Land of Light so fast? She groaned as another thought occurred to her, "Does Michael know?"

Raphael tapped his fingers together, his attention back on her. "He had the most ridiculous reaction to the news. I had to threaten to lock him up before he gave up the idea of coming to save you."

Leyla blinked, suddenly realising why he was there. "Wait. You came to save me?"

Raphael's golden gaze was indecipherable, then he tipped his head to the side and frowned. "Are you intelligent or stupid? Why can't I figure you out?"

What in Diya was he on about? She was the one who couldn't understand him! "You came because you thought I was in trouble?" Suddenly remembering the priceless gift he had sent to get her released from the Healers clutches, her face coloured. He was right, she was being an idiot. What was wrong with her? "I've caused you trouble and acted ungratefully. I apologise, Prorex, I owe you -"

"Then repay me," Raphael cut her off as he swung out of his seat.

"Repay you?" She watched him take two steps towards her and had to fight the urge to step back. Why were her senses warning her of danger?

"Yes!" Raphael shrugged, moving closer. "I came all the way here to save you, and you feel bad for inconveniencing me. I'll give you a chance to repay me."

"Now?" His highhandedness truly had no limits! "You know very well that I have no money."

Only a step away from her, he came to a sudden stop, raised his brows, then laughed. "Michael was right, you really don't understand men."

That again? "If he doesn't stop saying that, I'm going to have to sew his mouth shut."

Raphael moved back to the window. "Michael's Asch notebooks made for a fascinating read. Did you learn those acrobatics there?"

His quick change of subject had her scrambling to keep up. "Yes." Knowing Raphael's highbrow attitudes, he had probably thought her dance vulgar. It shouldn't have bothered her, but she found herself explaining. "They called it sky dance, and performed it in the Jade Palace where Michael and I lived. I took him to see the performance on his birthday one year. There was a pretty girl who did the show. Michael was so taken with her he wanted to go back the next day."

"He wasn't taken with her," Raphael said softly. He was leaning against the window frame, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Leyla. "He noticed you liked the dance and wanted to ask the girl to teach you how to do it. It was supposed to be your present for getting promoted to head of security."

"My present?" Leyla frowned, trying to recall what had transpired. She remembered going to see the show for the second time with Michael and then having to leave for the Aquafarms with Jara on an urgent trip.

"Of course, my brother doesn't seem to have grasped how quick a study you are." Raphael went on as if he hadn't heard her. "You only watched that girl's performance twice, not even twice, considering you had to leave the second performance halfway through. And still you managed to copy it flawlessly in front of two hundred Greenlanders."

"Why would Michael talk to you about such useless things?" Leyla muttered, embarrassed.

Raphael was laughing again, "We didn't talk about any of it. You must take privacy very seriously if you never looked through Michael's notebooks. Book Keepers are meticulous note takers - his Asch diaries are full of his exploits with you."

Realising that the man in front of her had read who knew how much about her life made Leyla feel exposed. It wasn't only an uncomfortable feeling, but there was also a sense of betrayal. How could Michael write down and share so much detail about their time together with an outsider?

"You can't be angry at Michael." Raphael turned serious, his eyes searching hers as if he could read her mind. "He and I have no secrets. What he records through his infinite capacity for observation, I must learn from. That is the relationship between Leader and Book Keeper."

Leyla regarded Raphael's earnest face, trying to understand what he meant. It was difficult for her to imagine lives that were so intertwined, when hers had been spent mostly alone. Although in Asch, she had not been alone. In Asch, Leyla and Michael had weathered the loneliness together. "I can't say I like it, but I understand that Michael wasn't trying to upset me."

Raphael nodded, obviously relieved. "You know, despite all your arrogance, it is easy to see how much you care about him."

Leyla snorted, "And despite your high-handedness, it is easy to see you do too."

The Prorex watched her quietly, his lip twitching as if he was suppressing a smile. Then he cleared his throat and brushed invisible dust off of his coat sleeves. "I'll leave you to rest now, Lieutenant. Tomorrow the King will either show us those files you've been so desperate to see, or he will give us a wonderful excuse why it will not be possible. Either way, excitement awaits."

Leyla recalled the private conversation they had with the King, before the deceitful man left the tavern for the night. Once Raphael announced that she was his fiancé, the Green King changed his tune about the favour, droning on and on about how he would gather his council first thing in the morning to discuss the condition of the file rooms.

"You really don't have to stay here," Leyla said, feeling bad. "I'm not in danger of going to prison anymore and I promise I will not embarrass you now that you've announced your relation to me."

"Embarrass me?" Raphael appeared surprised.

"Yes. Isn't that why you are staying in the Greenlands? To make sure I don't drag your name through the mud?"

"Naive." He said the word as if he had found the answer to a solution. "You can't be stupid, there is too much evidence to the contrary, but you are ludicrously naive. Strangely, it's endearing somehow." He laughed, looking pleased. "Sleep tight, Lieutenant."

"Wait," She called out as he reached the door. "What about the engagement. Did you managed to end it?"

He turned back for a short moment, looking from her to the ring that had found its way on top of her clothing once more. "Let's get you your files, first. We'll discuss the rest later."

Watching him go with a sense of bafflement, Leyla pulled the curtains on her window closed, then threw herself onto the red sheets in exhaustion.

She was almost asleep when a sharp knock sounded. What now? Pushing up from the bed, she crossed to the door and opened it impatiently. "Did you forget something?"

In the light from the hallway, Alec's expression was carefully blank. "I'm guessing you didn't address that to me."

"No, I... it's just." She stuttered, feeling strangely nervous. She didn't do anything wrong although his tone certainly implied that she had. "Did something happen?"

"It better not have." Alec muttered, then he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "If that guy comes to your room again, don't open the door."

Her confusion must have shown, because Alec tried again. "It is too late to be opening the door to men. This isn't the Warrior Kingdom, people judge women differently here."

Leyla was too tired for this. "I honestly don't care if people want to judge me..." She stopped abruptly, remembering her promise to Raphael. Hadn't she said she wouldn't embarrass him? "By Tevvuk's beard! Fine. I won't open the door to men." She raised her brow at him. "And since you're a man, you better leave now."

Alec narrowed his eyes and pushed into the room. "There is something I have to check first."

"Check?" Leyla stumbled, and then she was being pushed back against the wall and Alec's mouth was on hers. She froze, unable to do anything but feel. His body was against hers, his fingers digging into her hair, forcing her face up to his. This was nothing like the kiss in the Giant Forest. There was impatience and anger and heat. So much heat...His mouth opened overs hers, his tongue licking at her lips, coercing them to part. A moan escaped her throat. A need was growing inside her. She felt like she was drowning. He lifted her up, pushing his waist between her legs and pinning her against the wall.

"Tell me," he said trailing kisses across her face as his big hands moved down to her hips. Leyla couldn't think. She couldn't make sense of anything other than his mouth, his body... "Tell me you belong to me."

One hand was on her calf, pulling at the hem of her dress as it trailed up over her knee. She grabbed at his arms, feeling like she was on fire. She needed... something. "Alec, please."

"Say you're mine." He breathed beside her ear, biting at the sensitive skin of her neck. She whimpered, moving her hips against his waist and balking at the intense feelings that accosted her. He grabbed her hips, stilling her movements.

"Alec!" She whimpered. Why was he torturing her like this?

"Shhh," he pressed his forehead to hers, "Shhh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, that was too fast."

The sound of her ragged breathing filled the room. A moment went by. Her heartbeat slowed. The slamming of a door a few rooms down made her jump.

"Put me down."

"Leyla-" he hesitated, his fingers tightening their grip on her waist for a moment before he lowered her legs and stepped back. "I made a mistake."

A mistake? She turned her face away from him, hoping he couldn't see her confusion in the darkness of the room. "I see."

"I-" he began reaching for her. Then he stopped himself and took another step back. "Don't open the door."

With that, he was gone, leaving her in the dark.