Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 080 - Meeting Lady Hurem (Patreon)

“I’m not sure I can call you that,” Kaen answered, feeling his cheeks going red.

Bridgette and Ava both laughed at Kaen’s expense as they watched Kaen shift on his chair.

“If a lady tells you to call her by her first name, it would be considered rude not to,” Ava chimed in as she moved a tray of treats closer to Kaen.

“I guess…” Kaen replied as he glanced at Ava’s mother, still in disbelief that she barely looked to be above thirty-five.  “If you insist, Lady Bridgette, I will honor your request.”

Nodding her head, she picked up her cup of tea and drank it, keeping her eyes on him the entire time.

For the last few hours, they had sat in this sitting room, which was larger than the house he and Hess had shared in Minoosh.  Pictures, decorations, ornate wallpaper, and more, filled a room with just a few couches and this small table and chairs positioned right next to a set of massive windows that looked out over the inside city of Ebonmount.

“You will do fine tomorrow,” Bridgette continued, “as long as you remember to keep your head clear and make no promises or commitments.  Like we practiced, you must only commit to specific things.  King Aldric will not do anything mischievous as he is smitten with the story he expects you to tell him upon arriving.  Hearing you tell it now, I have no doubt he will enjoy it as well.”

Smiling the way he had been taught, Kaen nodded. He could not believe he had gained another point in his storytelling skill.  He felt he had been tame when he had told it to Lady Bridgette.  His shirt stayed on, and he did not lie on the ground, duplicating his previous renditions.

A servant popped in, walked over to where Lady Hurem was sitting, and whispered something into her ear.  Kaen watched as her face never changed or revealed anything the servant had said.

“I need to deal with something related to business,” she stated as she began to rise from her seat.

Kaen quickly jumped to his feet and moved around the table to assist with her chair.

“Allow me,” he said with a slight bow and smile.

“A quick learner.  You will be fine,” she stated, allowing Kaen to help with her chair.  “Now, you two enjoy the snacks, and I will see you tomorrow if I do not see you later today.”

“Thank you for allowing me to visit your home.  It is truly breathtaking, almost as breathtaking as your daughter is.”

Ava’s cheeks flushed for a second, and Lady Bridgette laughed how she always did when amused.

“Kaen Marshell, I heard you were quick with your tongue when it comes to women.  I would hope for your sake that you make sure to always be truthful with it.  Nothing is worse than a man gaining a reputation for leading women on and then leaving them after getting what they want.”

The intense change in her gaze as she said those words conveyed her seriousness.

Nodding, Kaen smiled and gave a slight bow.

“I mean every word I say.”

“Good,” she responded with a clap.  “Now, you two enjoy yourselves.  The life of one in our family is never dull.”

“You did quite well,” Ava whispered quietly as the two of them lounged on a couch, cuddled up against each other.  “My mother would typically not leave the room as she has done, with no servants to watch over me and another man.  It appears she must like you.”

Even though Ava was not looking at his face, Kaen ginned and felt her running her finger up and down the back of his hand.

“This is going to be a busy week, isn’t it?”

“It is.  I still cannot fathom how you have gained so much favor in this town,” Ava admitted.  “I was a bit intimidated when we danced, and you did what you did with me.  As much as I wanted to stay, I knew if I didn’t run away at that moment, I would be bound by whatever spell it is you must cast on all those you meet.”

Chuckling, Kaen leaned over and kissed her head.

“I will admit I cast no spell, and I am just as confused as to why everyone seems to want a piece of me.  I’m just a backwoods kid who wants to be an adventurer.”

Sitting up and turning to face Kaen, Ava shook her head as she playfully glared at him.

“There is nothing backwood about you, Kaen Marshell,” she informed him in a tone he had heard her mother use today.  “You seem to draw people to you.  Even if you are unaware of it, somehow you inspire and make others feel better simply by being in your presence.  You might not realize it, but you had my mother acting in ways I have not seen in years.”

Ava pointed a finger at him and wagged it in his face.

“I have danced with many men in my life at balls and other events, yet none swept me off my feet like you did that night.  So before you downplay everything, know you are meant for something great, and I am willing to tell you now I will always do what I can to help you succeed if you desire it.”

Reaching out, Kaen gently snagged her finger and pulled her hand close to him.

“I would promise something, but I am afraid you might attempt to use your skill and bind me to it,” he teased as he kissed her fingertip.

“Hmmm…” Ava muttered as she watched him lower her finger from his mouth.  “That actually sounds like something we should try and do.”

Leaning back a little, Kaen stretched his neck and glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.

“You want me to let you try and bind me to you?”

Bobbing her head side to side, she shrugged.

“Not like that, you fool!” she exclaimed.  “I would give you my word that I will not ask for anything and will release you immediately.  It would be more to show you the dangers of it and how to caution you against it.  We could come up with a specific promise and not one that will allow me to abuse before I bind you to it.”

“You have that skill? How is that possible?”

“I would prefer not to go into how it is acquired as it was not pleasant, but yes, I do have it.  As one in my family's position, it is required and will be used at some point.”

“But you are an adventurer.  How can you do both?”

Giggling a little, Ava smiled and pulled out her silver token that was nestled between her breasts.

“This is only for a while.  Eventually, I will leave the guild, keeping the contacts and relationships I have but also understanding why our family's potions are needed and how to best use them.  This was a decision I made, one my father supported after I told him why I wanted to do it.”

“Why did you want to do it?” Kaen asked as he saw the facade she sometimes wore falling away.

“Look at all this,” Ava responded as she motioned around the room.  “We have far more money than we need and the potions we provide have more use in the hands of adventurers on the front lines.  Why not find a way to help keep our kingdom safe?  Especially after all the horrible things that happened these past few weeks.”

Kan grimaced as he saw Ava struggle with that last line.

“There was nothing any of us could have done about that?”

“Was there?” she asked as she looked at Kaen.  “Perhaps if my family had sold potions cheaper or donated some they might have had the chance to keep fighting for a while longer and won.”

Reaching out, Kaen lifted her chin gently as she was staring down at her token.

“If that is how you feel, then you can make that change when the time comes.  You can make the difference you feel you need to.”

Ava nodded and grabbed his hand, kissing his fingers and smiling.

“Thank you,” she whispered.  “Now, let me help you see what you need to prepare yourself to defend against.”

After discussing things for a while, Kaen finally had his promise, worded precisely how they both felt it should be.  It sounded stupid, but he knew it would never be one he had to worry about breaking.

“I, Kaen Marshell, promise never to dump apple pudding on your head.”

Smiling, Ava grabbed his hand.

His lifestone surged for a brief moment.

[ Charm Resisted ]

[ Charm Resistance Skill Increased x6 ]

Kaen cocked his head and watched Ava as her face looked perplexed.

“Something went wrong, didn’t it?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed, glaring at him. “It said it failed! It never does that.  Let’s try it again.”

Kaen nodded as he fought not to smile.

“I, Kaen Marshell, promise never to dump apple pudding on your head.”

Ava still had ahold of his hand and squeezed tightly as he finished those words.

Once more, his lifestone responded as it had before.

[ Charm Resisted ]

[ Charm Resistance Skill Increased x3 ]

[ Charm Resist Skill Evolved ]

Shock overwhelmed Kaen as a chuckle escaped his mouth when he saw Ava’s face turning red.

“You know it’s failing, don’t you!?”

“I do.  I got a message, but I resisted it each time.”

“Impossible!” she exclaimed, and she growled in frustration.  “No one has ever resisted this, not even my father!”

“I don’t know what to say,” Kaen admitted, not wanting to share the truth that he gained nine points in his charm resist.  He would need to ask Hess about what it means that it had evolved.

“Stay here!  I need to figure out what is going on!”

She lept up from where she was on the couch, ignoring her dress and how it did not appear very ladylike as she dashed across the room to one of the doors, opening it and talking to the servant who was outside of it.

Once the door shut, she quickly moved back across the room, a little more reserved than when she first had left his side, red-faced.

“Is everything ok?  You seem really upset about this.”

Plopping down on the couch next to him, she let out a groan.

“You don’t understand.  This should not fail.  Either something is wrong with my ability, or you are indeed something special.”

“Peculiar,” murmured Lady Bridgette as she watched Kaen.  “It seems you are resisting every attempt I have tried, no matter how we word the promise.”

Kaen nodded and shrugged slightly.  He had gained four more points since the two of them had attempted to bind him to a variety of things.

“Do you know why neither of us can get it to work?” Ava asked frustration and concern filled her voice.

“I do not, but I will talk to Lord Hurem in private tonight,” she replied, never taking her eyes off of Kaen.  “As for you, do not tell anyone about this if you are smart.  If what I imagine is true, you are a wild card that could potentially resist the King himself.”

“Is that even possible?” gasped Kaen as he considered what that meant.

“Who is to say?  Regardless, I think this would be a fine opportunity for us to end this visit for the day.”

Ava started to speak before her mother’s glance cut her off.

“It is nothing to do with either of you or something wrong happening.  For now, Kaen needs to head back and prepare and rest for tomorrow,” Lady Bridgette informed them both.  “You also need to secure the supplies for your trip as well.”

“You are questing?”

“I am,” Ava replied as she tried not to groan at her mother's instructions.  “I will be accompanying Adventurer Selah on a quest after tomorrow.  I can learn a lot of things from her and practice some of my skills.”

“I’m glad to hear you will be in good hands,” Kaen stated as relief washed over him.  Knowing quests had been mislabeled in the previous weeks had left him not wanting her to take unnecessary risks.

“Until tomorrow then, Adventurer Kaen,” Ava said with a curtsey and a wink.  “I cannot wait to see what you wear when you meet the King.”

Unable to keep the groan inside, both women laughed when he let it out.

“Forgive my manners, but I’m more of a leather tunic and pants kind of guy.”

Both of the women nodded and smiled.

“That is what she likes about you.  The way you look in leather.” Lady Bridgette stated as she saw Ava’s face turn red again.