Where Viridis was surrounded and centered on nature… Aster was its complete antithesis. The cobblestone streets glistened with a recent rain, but instead of reflecting moonlight on the wet black stones, it reflected the artificial yellow hue of the gas lamps that stretched down the street. Jackalyn pulled her cloak closer and tilted her head down to hide her face from some passer-bys. Every time someone’s gaze lingered just a little too long her heart thumped loudly in her chest and she reached for the comfort of her sword hidden beneath the thick wool of her cloak. Her long blonde hair peeked out from beneath the bronze clasp at her neck. She’d… purchased a bit of glamour from some of the sprites that frequented the Quartrant camp and with it their silence. She wanted no one to know of her need for the glamour that would make her pointed ears appear like the soft, rounded ones of Magicians and humans.

Beneath the cloak, Jackalyn didn’t wear her customary armor. If someone were to be looking for a General hidden in their midsts they would immediately focus on the burnished leather armor or the glint of ceremonial metal armor. Instead, Jackalyn wore fitted riding gear. Her polished leather boots reached her knee, and the tan leggings stretched up to the dark jacket with its bright bronze double buttons. At her waist, the jacket pitched in to give her a decidedly feminine figure with a pinched waist and curving hips. She had given up her armor for this trip, but there was nothing in her wardrobe that could really be called… ‘girlish’ unless you counted her masquerade dress. That in itself would have drawn more attention than simply a woman in riding clothes passing through.

They had met up at the cabin where she had ridden to Dominic’s rescue and he had led the way to Aster. The city he called home. The idea of seeing a house that stayed in one place and which one called home was a foreign concept to her. Her entire life she’d been something of a nomad. She had a land to call her own, but each night there were new trees to become familiar with, new stones to gather for a camp fire, and new clearings to play in. Still, the ever changing scenery got old quickly. Jackalyn learned at an early age that home was not four walls and a bed. It was where family was. Where her heart was. This concept continued with her as she grew. Soon home became where Duhain was… had she had a home since leaving his fatherly embrace? She counted the war camp her ‘home’, but even there it was ever changing and reminded her of her nomadic existence as a girl. How would it feel to know that your home stayed in once spot?

She glanced to Dominic who rode his black mare beside her and gave him a hesitant smile. She wished once again that she could be the kind of woman he deserved. A woman who could appreciate everything he was sharing with her without the constant worry of someone getting too close and being a bit too familiar with her face. A woman who didn’t bring with her the burden of an entire War. A woman who was comfortable feeling like a home was four walls and a bed.

“It’s so different from Viridis,” she commented in a low voice as they stopped to watch a boat pass beneath the cobblestone bridge. Dusk was starting to settle and the gas lamps were being lit by men with special torches and top hats. It was as if a million giant fire flies began to glow at once and spilled their golden light onto the street. She knew that this place was supposed to be a technological wound on the land… that the smog and pollution was supposed to be horrible, but for now Jackalyn could only see the how… magical it was. Maybe it was love for the man who rode next to her that squarely placed the blindfold to Aster’s faults on the five star general. She was in enemy territory… surrounded by men and women she was supposed to be conquering and all she wanted to do was reach out and take his hand and watch the ships pass by. What foolish teenage fantasies! It made her angry with herself that at this juncture where the War was at its peak she could find joy in such simplicities and with someone who was supposed to be her enemy. But every day, with every passing moment in his company, he was seeming less and less like an enemy… and since their confession in the thieves den the day before; he was the farthest thing from a foe. It didn’t mean that he wasn’t the most likely person to hurt her, but she was willing to trust him.

When they finally reached his house she couldn’t help but laugh softly. It was a quaint house with shutters and clapboards. The dormers and colors making it seem to have a ‘homey’ nature already. Though she wasn’t going to tell him, his house was what you pictured when you thought of a Magician’s home. Well, not these days since they were painted in such a negative light. But, when Jackalyn was younger and they told stories around the campfires at night she had imagined the Magicians in the stories with houses just like his. Its unique architecture so different from the caravans, tents, and cabins that Jackalyn was used to. “It’s beautiful,” she said to him with a smile. She sensed he had such pride in his home… wanting to show it to her not only once, but twice. As darkness settled over them they stabled their horses. She had agreed that it would be safer for them to travel at dusk where there was still light to traverse the roads, but not enough for people to get a good look at her.

Once inside, she removed the cloak that hid the lithe, but toned form of the general and the riding outfit. Removing the ring on her pinky removed the glamour that she had placed on herself so that her ears were once again pointed. Was she everything he’d expected? She hoped so… for she had no idea what to expect from this stolen night.

Dominic had been rather surprised that Jackalyn had taken him up on his offer to come to his house in Aster. The night after their last meeting, Dominic had collected bounty on the thief whose soul he had consumed. After that, he had collected more wanted signs and had tracked down four other thieves and had taken them all down, and gone for his bounty on that as well. It was well past midnight when he had finally reached Aster and he had enough time to straighten up his rarely occupied home to make it presentable for Jacklayn’s presence the following night.

His house was ostentatious perhaps on the outside, for it was chosen and loved by his former wife. She had fallen in love with the house and had insisted on them living there. The furnishings were not at all the same as when they had been married, for Dominic had destroyed many of the possessions she had left behind when she left. However, the furnishings weren’t tasteless although he had been the one to choose them. They were not ostentatious, preferring simplicity over clutter. It was obvious, though, that Dominic had money, even if he didn’t flaunt it as much as his wife had when they were married.

He had met Jacklayn at the cabin, just as they had arranged, and was shocked at the change of her appearance. He wondered how she had gotten the Pixies to help her, but didn’t question it much. They greeted each other briefly and it seemed they were almost nervous in each other’s presence since they had proclaimed their love for one another. Perhaps it was because they both had ideas of what was going to most likely happen that night. The thought alone created excitement within Dominic, as it very well should, and he wondered if she had ever been with a man before. Obviously since Dominic had a child, he had been with a woman. But Jacklayn had never specified if she had ever had relationships in the past. Surely she had not been alive multiple centuries without being with a man…

As the two horses clip-clopped down the cobble-stoned street, Dominic gazed sideways at Jackalyn, a smile on his face as she watched her take in Aster. It was her very first visit to the city and he wondered what she thought of it. Was it worth the wait? Would he be worth the wait? He chuckled lightly as she complimented his house once they arrived and said, “Thank you. I am sure it could suffer a paint job…” He gazed at the house for a moment, for he hadn’t even thought of sprucing up the outside. He figured in the end it didn’t matter, for they wouldn’t be spending time outside looking in, anyway.

Dominic opened the door to allow her to pass before him into the house and as she removed her cloak, he went around to light lamps so that when the sun had passed on, he wouldn’t have to go around doing it in the middle of something. He returned to the foyer and took her cloak to hang it in the cloak room, while also taking his riding cape off and hanging it as well. Beneath he wore a white buttoned shirt beneath a dark gray vest, and black trousers. It was nothing special, and while he could have chosen something more impressive to reflect his bank account, he preferred not to.

He went directly to her once he had finished and placed his hands on the curves of her hips, pulling her toward him and smiling down at her. “I am glad you decided to come…” He bent his head and placed a kiss upon her petal-soft lips, a gentle welcome to his home. “And how to you like Aster so far?” He asked with sincere curiosity, “I know you said it was much different from Viridis. Is that bad?”

OOC - Sorry if it's crappy. Still battling everything from yesterday, I'm sure you know what I mean <3

There was a nervousness that thrummed between them that neither seemed able to address. She had a feeling that there was more than one reason for him to invite her to see his house. There was more than simple pride in his reasoning for inviting her, and there was more than simply wanting to make him happy that she'd agreed. This was a dangerous endeavor for both of them, and instead of recognizing the foolishness of their actions, they found more comfort in each other's arms. Dominic made her feel as though there were more than just the War in her future. He gave her a glimmer of something more than simply fight after endless fight.

It felt odd to not know exactly what purpose they were heading toward. Jackalyn was always so used to having her movements planned and strategic. This went against any logic that she might have had. She felt herself blushing when he took her cloak and it was unlike her to do so. She hated the heated way her cheeks felt or that he could so easily bring it about in her. This was a battlefield she was unfamiliar with and she wanted to walk cautiously onto it until she knew how this would play out.

She stood awkwardly, her finger tracing the wood grain of a table in front of her, while he took their cloaks and hung them in a room made for them. It was a novel idea. She'd always hung her cloak wherever she could keep it off the ground in the tents and caravans she'd spent her childhood and formative years in. Here, he had a room for it… a room for everything and everything had a place. It felt so organized and normal. He admitted that he didn't spend much time here, but there was the familiarity of everything being where you left it when you came home. Unlike Jackalyn's life which was always on the move. Always changing and never afforded the comfort of normalcy and the knowledge of timelessness.

She couldn't keep herself from glancing around before he returned for a photo or some sort of artistic rendition of his wife, Amelie. A jealousy that was unfamiliar to the General clenched her gut in an icy grip. Why should she care about a woman whom Dominic said he didn't love… couldn't love any more. But, she just wanted to know what she looked like… wanted to be able to compare herself to this phantom from Dominic's past.

He returned, settling his hands on her hips where the heat of them melted through the fabric of her clothing and branded her as his, and pulled her closer to him. She didn't fight him, as she might have earlier, but let him pull her close until their hips brushed. The contact brought a pretty pink blush to her cheeks and she glanced away to avoid his eyes and allowing him the knowledge that she liked his commanding contact, but wasn't quite sure how to show him.

“I am glad you decided to come…”

She smiled as she focused on his shoulder and admiring the expensive white shirt and handsome gray vest. It might not have been as ostentatious as some other choices he could have picked to wear, but it fitted him and the understated nature of their relationship. They were secret lovers… and he needn't parade around like some peacock displaying his great wealth and extravagance to win her affections. Simply being himself had already done that. She was glad that he didn't try to impress her with material items that mattered little to her, but instead welcomed to that inner sanctum that held his most precious memories instead. Maybe he understood what it meant to her when he had said that his heart was hers. Now, he was sharing with her that which was his heart and home. "It's only for one night, Dominic…" she started, but he silenced her with a stolen kiss.

Not quite as needy as some of their other kisses, it was a gentle and tender greeting that lovers often shared with one another. A re-acquaintance with one another and Jackalyn hadn't realized how desperately she missed the feel of his lips against hers. With his hands still on her hips, she found her own hesitantly on his forearms needing the solidity and firmness of his body to keep her from being swept away, and then traveling up to his upper arms. She'd never been a fan of men with so much muscle that they were nothing else. It always seemed an overcompensation to her… a way to make up for any sort of lack of weapon skill. The hard muscle she felt in Dominic wasn't overpowering, but left her with a light headed feeling and a silly smile on her lips when he pulled away.

“And how to you like Aster so far? I know you said it was much different from Viridis. Is that bad?”

She glanced at him for the first time since they'd come into his house. With as soft gesture, she brushed his hair lightly, and then glanced down at his lips once more before they fell to the hollow of his throat. "It's different, but different isn't always bad. Viridis will always be my home, but I can't say that I'm not enchanted by Aster's rough beauty or interesting architecture. Things are so different here, but I don't see the glaring effects of the War like I see every day in the forests of Viridis. It remains relatively peaceful… It must be nice."

She frowned at herself then and shook her head glancing away from him and his curious green gaze. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. If we've only one night then while it might be blasphemous… I want to forget about this goddamn War. It is always on my mind - when I wake, when I train, when I eat, when I dream - I can never escape it. The only time it is not what is forefront in my mind is when I am with you. Please, Dominic, take my mind off the present. Give me something else to think about… to dream about."

Only for one night…

Dominic was well aware of the short amount of time he would likely have with Jackalyn there in his very home. He wasn’t about to waste any moment. He knew that it took a lot for Jackalyn to get there, that she was risking probably her entire livelihood and reputation to be there with him. He had secured the premises, locking doors and windows to keep anybody and everybody out, for if someone came looking for Dominic for whatever reason and found Jackalyn there with him, there would be trouble. Right now, it was all too delicate a situation for Dominic to be willing to cut corners for the safety of their relationship. She was worth the risk, but he wasn’t going to risk things now – not while they were finally together.

Together.

It was a simple word that meant more to Dominic than he could express. Jackalyn had finally given in to her heart’s desire, had admitted that she, too, loved him, and here she was defying her own conscience to be with him. It meant more to Dominic than he could say to Jackalyn, so he merely stole another kiss, gentle and meaningful. He lifted a hand and slid it into her blonde hair. It felt like silk against his hand and forearm, and her skin was so soft…

She had answered his question immediately, speaking of how Aster seemed to be so unaffected by the war. It was true. The magicians seemed to have it all together – a confidence that the Minervan army had truly adopted – as opposed to the urgency and desperation that the Quartrant army acted in. But in their defense, they had more at stake. It was their dignity, their way of life that they were defending. Dominic had trouble justifying the way he was involved in the war – the Minervan side.

Jackalyn was right. They needn’t even think of the war that night.

Dominic smiled but did not answer her right away, taking her by the hand and leading her up the narrow staircase there in the entryway. The steps creaked as they ascended, betraying the age of the house and the quality of the architecture. There were no portraits along the walls, merely striped wallpaper of dark blue and lighter blue. He led her up and into the hallway there, and through a door on the right. It was his bedroom, which was very large indeed.

One side of the room was filled with a very ornate four-poster bed, topped with navy blue bedding and sitting atop a rather comfortable looking white rug. Across the room, a fire crackled pleasantly in the grate, and before that sat a claw-footed leather couch. There was a bucket of ice and a bottle of champagne – the finest his money could afford, which was very fine indeed – and two glasses. There was a table next to the couch which held a tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries. A very large rug took up the space between the couch and the fire.

He led her over to the couch and invited her to take a seat as he went to pour two glasses of the champagne, handing one to her as he sat down next to her. “To distractions.” Dominic said with a smile, extending his glass for her to tap lightly with her own. He took a sip and enjoyed the taste, turning soft and warm eyes toward his beloved and running an arm along the back side of the couch, his hand resting against her shoulder. “I wanted you to have a nice night away from the battlefields to remind you that you are more than a general.”

Dominic leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheekbone, and then her ear as he whispered hotly into it, “You are a woman who deserves to be treated as such…” He kissed the curve of her ear once more before settling back once more and smiling warmly at her. “Please, help yourself to … whatever you wish.”

She felt heavy. Languid. Warm.

She couldn’t keep the flush from her cheeks as he took her hand wordlessly and led her to a narrow staircase. She had no idea what laid in wait at the top of the stairs, but she couldn’t help that her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. Did he realize what she was giving to him? Did she expect what she thought this night was about to actually happen? It made her chest constrict painfully as she followed him up the stairs her hand gripping his a bit tighter than was actually necessary. She gave him a hesitant smile to accompany it, but knew the nervousness and anxiety of the next steps were apparent on her features.

She took her time climbing the steps behind him. She counted each step. Counted each breath. Anything to keep the anxiety from overwhelming her. She had no idea what to expect when they reached the top of the steps, and the room that appeared took her breath away; the plush rugs, the warm inviting fireplace, the long sofa, and most importantly the bed. She glanced to it and swallowed thickly not sure if she was quite ready to address that elephant in the room. Still, he didn’t push her. If he had she knew she would have bucked and kicked. You could lead a horse to water, but you couldn’t make it drink. In this case, you could lead Jackalyn Whimera to a bed, but you couldn’t make her lay in it… not unless she decided she was going to do so.

He led her first to the sofa, which was thankfully long enough that if she felt the need to get away she could, but there was a sort of animal magnetism between the two… drawing them ever closer despite whatever Jackalyn might have thought otherwise. She settled on the sofa and accepted the flute of champagne with an expression of curiosity. Champagne? She couldn’t help the flutter her heart made at his heart felt and certainly romantic gesture. She was used to the harshness and necessity of whiskey. It was the only type of alcohol that was readily available on the frontlines of battle, and truly the only thing worth drinking. It made little sense to spend your afternoons drinking drink after drink working toward some senseless oblivion. A bottle of whiskey made you get there so much faster. It was strong enough to take the edge off with a few drinks as well instead of a dozen. When Jackalyn wanted to numb the pain or the disappointment it was so much easier to reach for whiskey than for anything else.

This was frivolous. There was no need to drink champagne, and the fact was it felt too…. refined for the woman holding the crystal flute delicately in her fingers. She had a very real fear of accidently snapping the long stem in her nervousness. “To distractions.” In truth, he was much more than that. They might have fooled themselves into believing that this was all it was. A distraction to make the harshness of their separate realities easier to bare, but they were only fooling themselves. She brought it to her lips after they clinked their glasses together and sipped the golden liquid with relish. It was delicious… dry, but sparkling in her mouth. The bubbles tickled and tantalized in a manner she’d never experienced. Champagne was a luxury she’d never tasted or known before. One she was very sure she’d never have again. It was a sweet taste, and surprisingly potent given it’s delicacy.

The more she sipped the more warm her cheeks felt and the more fluid her body became… less tense in the face of the unknown. She even let him settle his arm around her shoulders and leaned ever so gently against him. She enjoyed this feeling of being held… it was novel and new to her. Though she’d never need a man’s attention or protection to validate her existence, she enjoyed the simple expression of affection and felt herself slide ever so gently closer to his warmth and strength. She’d let him hold her. Let him wrap his arms around her if he wanted. Let him finally touch her heart without limitation or boundary.

Her heartbeat stuttered to a stop as he whispered his comment into her ear his breath fanning down the length of her neck and teasing the loose tendrils of blonde hair at the nape of her neck. When it started again as his lips caressed ever so gently the smooth expanse of her cheekbones, her dark lashes fluttered closed, and the desire that unfurled within her like a rose waiting to blossom scared her. How could she ever feel something this fierce for another? Finally, she could breath… but the hot, searing kiss he’d placed against the curve of her ear radiated down her body through her spine and made her feel like liquid. Pliable to his touch and made to be molded in whatever fashion he saw fit. “I’m not a woman born to luxury, Dominic,” she said breathlessly to his offer of having whatever she wanted. “All of this is beautiful and perfect…”

She took a moment to collect herself and needed to put distance between them before they both went up in flames. She reached for one of the strawberries. The fruit was something she didn’t get a lot of despite the Ethereals having such extensive plants and growing seasons… it was yet another one of those things that wasn’t a necessity and so she often missed out on the sweet, simple things in life. She bit into it, the redness of the fruit staining her lips a deep ruby she would never have purposely done herself. The sweet, savory flavor of the chocolate and strawberry creating a highpoint in the champagne and making it even drier and more flavorful. For the first time in her life… it felt like there was more to it than battles and death. She glanced to Dominic with eyes luminous with tears she fought against. This wasn’t a moment to cry like some foolish young girl. “Thank you…” she murmured. No one had ever treated her… with such care.