Blackened Heart

Zander tucked her in, being extra careful not to wake her. He then walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He sighed. She worked so hard to do everything, it was no wonder she was tired. He shook his head, making his way back downstaires, though what he planned on doing down there, he couldn't exactly say. He felt bad staying, and felt bad leaving.


Well... might aswell stay where he was presently, no use moving when he was already here.

Melina's brother had seen Zander walk downstairs as he smiles and speaks out as Zander is on the stairs. "My sister...shes something isn't she...? Shes been like that ever since dad took her in." He smiles. "Call me Ferro"
I'm her younger brother, and you are the famous Zander I pursume?"

"I see you know of me?" Of course he did.

Zander tilted his head. "Ferro, you say your sister is not of the same blood as you and your father? Not that you pose any sort of resemblance to her, but she seems not to take notice of this." He held up his hands. "But of course, it is no business of mine."

He smiles and shrugs. "Well no, shes not of our family's blood, but another's, were not sure who though, but of course this was before I was born, they told me my sister was left out in a fruit wagon at the edge of town just in the rain crying her eyes out with a high fever, it's a miracle shes even alive today." He looks at Melina's door as it was closed. " They said when they saw her after she had gotten better, it's as if an angel had touched her and blessed her with a healthy heart and beauty, so they called her Melina the goddess of good fortune and beauty, cause she grew up not knowing she was adopted my father and mother...I over heard them one night when I was a child talking about how they were so happy they have saved her before she died no one knows were she came from...but she has a strange birth mark on her hip, it looks like a burning iris flower." He chuckles.

"Course she would never let me see it, sense shes so covered up in so many layers, but mother said it looked like the royal family burn, but...it couldn't possible, I thought the king had a son. Theres no way he could of had another child." He shakes his head. "Forgive me, i'm babbling now."

He shakes his head. "Eh, no harm done. However, I do find it hard to beleive she is royalty. Definitely not the spoiled type. Don't find many like her, that is for sure." He looked back at door. Perhaps she was royalty, not that it mattered, she would probably never find out, and if she did, it probably wouldn't matter too much to her. Then again, she was easily excited.

He turned back to Ferro. "Oh, how rude of me, you're probably wondering why I am here, yes?"

He smiles and nods. "It does ponder my interest why a man such as yourself is walking threw a run down shack like this."

He scratches his head nervously, chuckling. "I would not have been so harsh." He looked at him. "Well, I was walking your sister home, since I was worried about letting her go alone with all this talk of dark mages. When we found your house, I was about to leave then a boy showed up, injured, no doubt you saw him resting downstairs. He was attacked by one such mage, and I felt it my duty to protect him. After dispatching the mage, it didn't feel right leaving your sister all alone with him, so I stayed." He smiled slightly. "I hope I did not intrude."

He chuckles heartly. " Course not,although are are the first of many to treat her with kindness...I hate men...they are low pigs wanting nothing but to have their way." He sighs. "I'm sorry...it just gets under my skin the way my sister is treated, she has so much to offer and yet to one wants to take it, men can get their way with her they treat her with violence... instead of taking no for an answer...I don't like her working at the bar, it's to dangerous, but she insists on helping out no matter what, she says she will feel useless if she doesn't do something to help out...but she strains herself..."

He nods. "I understand what you mean. It is a shame she must do that to feel useful. I apologize for making you upset, it was not my intent to do so." He bowed, one arm over his heart.

He rose. "Thank you for your hospitality. Is there some way I can repay you?"

He laughs. "Please, no need for the formalities, it is alright, just get worked up a bit easy is all, and if anyone you should be asking for a repay it's my sister, after all you are her guest." He smiles as he looks at Zander a bit jealous of his looks as he was very handsome and Ferro just looked so plain compared to him. " You have a face of a nobleman my good sir. I bet you attract the ladies as the light attracts flies." He chuckles heartly, I'm very envious I can't even get a girl to look twice at me."

He smiles a bit, nervously. "A nobleman? I wouldn't say that. But trust me when I say this, attractiveness only hooks the ones you don't want. Just think of your sister, for instance. She is beautiful, but she only attracts the ones wishing her ill. Do not think it is necessary, and perhaps you are wanting the wrong ones to look at you." He chuckles. "Look at me offering advice as if I knew what it was I were talking about. Nevermind my words, Ferro."

He smiles. "I have never thought of it like that...Well I just wanted to attract one woman really...I know shes way to good for me, she is a noble woman, shes older then me, about my sisters age...but...theres just something about her. although she only wants the best of things..." He sighs. "I am not even worth 2 dead flies compard to her...she comes to the bar almost every night with another man...she is the 4th heir to the throne...long way from ruling...and yet so much status. She only calls me serve boy, I have told her to call me by my name to be friendly, but she just scoffs and flips her hair at me shooing me away until she needs another drink."

"Well... as much as I don't know why you would want someone such as that, I am in no position to argue such feelings. However, due to the nature of the situation being status, I might be able to help you with that, actually."

It wouldn't be so hard to make this girl fall for another, if it was power she were hungry for. He smiled, and he couldn't see how this would in anyway tarnish his own image, so why not help out a bit? He had, after all, stayed in thier home. It right to offer some sort of compensation, and he knew they probably would not accept money.

He smiles in joyfulness. "R-Really you mean it?... Thank you!...and I have feelings for her, is because I know she wasn't always like that...I just hoped one day I could bring her old self back...she use to be kind and sweet and not like her other family members...years flew by and I don't know what happened...she just...changed..."

He flung his arm around the boys shoulder. "Well, if it can be helped, we'll have your bonnie lass back to normal in no time, eh? Who knows, you might actually make a good couple." He chuckled.

He moved his arm, looking at him. "In the meantime, I would like to repay your sister, but since she has not woke, perhaps you can just tell me what her usual business is around here, and I'll get to doing it, fair?"

He smiles. "You are most kind Sir Zander, and I would not dare have you do her chores, she pulls way more then her own weight around here, theres the plowing the cooking, and cleaning the house, also feeding the steed, the cattle, the chickens, so many things to do, and she also mentioned something about cleaning out the barn, we all didn't want her doing all this but she wants too...*sigh*"

"No matter. I'll see that it gets done, then in the evening, we'll see what we can do about your woman." Without a second word, Zander moved from the boys side, walking outside. He immediately got to the chores that Ferro had listed.

It wasn't like him to do such chores for other people, but he felt responsible for putting Melina in the exhausted state she was in, and would not allow it to happen again, atleast not while he remained near.

He removed his shirt, hat, sword, and gloves, and began working. He wasn't unfamilier to this kind of task, though he was a bit out of practice. He soon retaught himself and got the hang of everything. He was stronger than Melina, and while he had not done farmwork in a long time, made short of the tasks. However, it was no easy process, and would take long into the afternoon for him to make substantial progress in the chores.

Ferro had smiled as he saw Zander doing Melina's chores, he couldn't think that someone not even his sister can do all of it in one day, then Ferro's father had come out and patter Ferro on the head. "See boy, now thats how a man should do work, take note of that boy, you are growing and your muscles should be as well. Well don't just stand there boy you get to work too." Ferro had jumped and ran out to the field as he shouted. "Y-Yes sir!"

After doing all he could outside, Zander moved back inside. The boy was still sleeping peacefully on the couch. His wounds must have been fairly severe. Zander shook his head. Who would do such a thing? Yes, perhaps he was a souless, but it still didn't seem right.

Zander shook his head, clearing it. He still had things to do. He began cleaning the house, neglecting to clothe himself, since he was becomming hot, and he didn't think anyone would mind, seeing how he was working, after all.

Bodywise, though many would assume otherwise knowing Zander as a magician, he was quite musculer. He knew that magic came not only from the mind, but also from the body, and to keep it strong, he had to keep himself strong. That and it did help in traveling quite a bit.

He started by cleaning his own room, straightening it back up, then worked downstairs. He had not seen Melina all day, and wondered if she were still sleeping. Though, he was not entirely surprised. She didn't act it, but he betted the spell had wiped her almost completely out by the time she had gotten into the house.

By the time super had rolled around the evening, Melina had finally gotten out of her room as she was in a panic that the house would look a mess, but instead she found everything spotless, she sees the boy still resting on the couch, she goes down stairs and sees that that everything is cleaned, then she walks out side and sees the fields have been plowed. Who has done this?
She had thought to herself as she looks at in the kitchen and the croups from the farm where ready to be made into dinner, as she looks around. "Father, brother...? " She had forgotten, they have probably already left to open up the bar back at the Inn, she sighs as she starts to heat up the fire by the hearth as she starts making dinner, she had forgotten about Zander, she might have thought he would have left by now. She still continues to cook for the boy and extras for her father and brother, and left overs in case anyone wanted seconds.

Zander walked out of the bathroom, a towel on, drying his hair with another. He had heard someone moving about in the kitchen, and cut his bath short to investiage. He saw Melina preparing dinner, and walked up behind her. "Woke up just in time to usurp my position from me, did you? Just when I thought I was going to have everything done by the time you woke up, too."

He had forgotten how rude it might be to walk around a house not his own shirtless, but at the moment it escaped his thoughts.

She had jumped and shrieked by the the surprise he had given her as she turned around and had seen him shirtless and in a towel, her face glows crimson red as she quickly turned around and she started to chop the vegetables faster as she starts to studder. "S-Sire I did not know you were still here my apologizes!" She shuts her eyes from embaressment as she had then cut her finger. "A-Ah! "

He moves forward. "My utmost apologies, I did not mean to startle you." He didn't realize it was him shirtless the had her so flustered, or he would not have gotten so close, but as it were, it could not be helped.

He moved his hand over her's, a small light illuminating the crevices in between thier hands as he clasped his with her's, healing the cut. There was little time in which for her to react to move her hand from his. His were soft, yet strong. Like a nobleman's, only somehow more comforting to the touch.

Had he been paying attention, he might have seen her reaction to his hasty reaction to the cut, however, he was focusing on healing it. "Please forgive me, lady Melina."

She had flustered madly after has had held her hand and being so close to her as he was barely clothed, her heart was pounding like a beating drum of war, she had held her hand that was not cut to her heart and looking her her other hand that was healed, she had panted slightly, she was not startled my his surprise anymore, but his touch...his 2 second touch had such an effect on her, she whispers softly to herself "Be still my pounding heart..."
She had taken deep breaths as she had finally calmed down. She did not face him as he was still bare, but she spoke in a soft tone. "I-It is all right Mi`lord ...and please...the title "Lady" is to proper for a farm rat like myself...Dinner will be ready shortly, please, i-if you wish, get dressed and join me..."

He noticed how she did not look at him, and wondered if he had done something wrong. He bowed, not looking up at her. "Will all do respect, lady Melina, if not you, there is no one deserving of that title." He stood, walking back to the bathing room, so that he could get changed back into proper attire.

What had made her so embarrassed, he wondered. Most likely cutting herslf in front of him, he told himselfm though he did not beleive it.