Black Pawn to White Knight [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

[Bella]

Sunlight streamed in through the bedroom window, but when Mia opened her eye to look at it, it felt like she was looking through a spiderweb. It took her a moment to realize that her hair was half-splayed over her face and it was her own auburn strands impeding her sight of dawn telling to bloody get up already.

She had some choice words in return for the sun, but kept them silently in her own mind. The Green closed her eyes again, but did lift a hand to brush the hair back and then burrow closer into Ravak's chest.

In her mind, the bond whispered that he woke almost the moment she had but she was as reluctant to let him get up as she was to let herself get up. In the time since she and the Gaidin Captain had bonded in the room at the Band of Brothers and merged their living spaces, she had...been sleeping. Not to excess, but more than before. Better, too.

Interesting thing, that. It did bring the inconvenient side effect of not wanting to leave bed a moment sooner than she had to.

With a soft sound of complaint over the state of the light, she turned around to face away from the window but kept her back pressed to him, pulling his arm around her chest like she needed to be wardered from the sun. She had no issues with using just that excuse as well, being that she was fairly shameless about herself and her life.

"You don't have to remind me that we have daily tasks to see to and can't laze about in bed all day," she murmured, but affectionately, as she sensed that one of those statements was en route. "I have every intention of being a responsible Green today, just...not for a few more minutes."

[Craig]

Ravak Darrow

Rav grunted in amusement before laying a light kiss on Mia's bare shoulder. "Am I that obvious?" he whispered. He didn't really need an answer, and that wasn't solely due to the tenderness transmitted through their bond.

With his free arm being held in place, there wasn't much the Gaidin could do at any rate. He allowed himself to settle back into the pillows, pressing lips twice more onto her shoulder blade on his way.

The scars along Mia's back drew his eye, as they often did when they were together like this. Rav knew that she didn't like them. Her attire, as he had learned, were all clearly tailored to conceal as many of her former injuries as possible. For his own part, Ravak didn't care about the markings on her body. He had scars and the Saldaean didn't seem to mind those, so why should be care in return?

He could feel his lover's hand relaxing. He quickly extricated himself from her clutches before she 'convinced' him to lie in bed for yet another five minutes. She could convince him to stay in bed all day if she had the drive to, no matter what duties they had to attend to. Ravak did have to wonder why she so frequently teased him about his attitude towards work. I am Shienaran, despite appearances.

He slid free from the sheets without lifting them up too much, allowing Mia to remain both warm and in bed if that was her true desire. He padded around the bed until he was standing in front of her, and gave her a knowing smile. "So what do I need to do to extract you from bed this morning, my love?" Rav knew he was playing with fire. After all, he understood what Saldaeans were like. The only difference was that Miahala was his Saldaean, and he didn't mind being burned for the right reasons.

[Bella]

She made a quiet noise of discontent the moment he evaded her, but it didn't lure her out. Her eyes were open, though, and followed him as he left the bed and stood before her. Her lips twisted in a smirk as she rolled onto her back and lifted her body onto her elbows, her tangled hair and the blanket just barely covering any evidence of the night before.

"You would have to make a remarkably convincing argument," she returned, eyes glinting with her humor in the morning sun. "And that is quite the mountain to climb, since I hardly see what could be considered better than this."

Truth was, she was ultimately no less driven than he when it came to duties. Nothing had ever swayed her from her course and the personal oaths she'd made to the battles of her Ajah; her oaths to fight the Shadow. Not even death, because here she was. However, she also knew that those duties and battles meant nothing without good reasons for them.

Life had to be lived to be fought for. And Mia had, when all was said and done, always found her reason to live in love and family.

Besides, she enjoyed teasing him. That was making life worth living of late, too.

"I am, however, not an unreasonable woman," she went on in a deceptively light tone. "If my Gaidin would like to make a compelling case for why somewhere else is better or more important than this bed, I am willing to hear him out." She lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug.

[Craig]

Ravak

Well damn. Let it never be said Mia isn't smart. 'Ravak' and 'compelling arguments' seldom found themselves in a sentence together.

He looked down at his bondmate, pondering how best to liberate her from the bed. A grin slowly grew on his face as he thought back to his threat at the Band of Brothers. Pick a shoulder. Moving Mia from the bed using his strength was easy enough, but it wasn't likely to earn him any favours. And by the Light, he loved being in Mia's good graces.

"Well..." he drew out, stalling for time. He cast his glance around the bedroom, looking for something to use as a bargaining chip or a bribe. His swords sat in one corner of the room, but the Green was hardly going to go featherbrained at the thought of using his weapons. Something else? The trouble was that Mia wasn't big on the decorations front. Before he and his stuff moved in, Rav would have called it austere.

His scan around the room revealed nothing of aid towards his current predicament. Amusement filtered through the bond, twisting Rav's grin into a pained smile. He was at a loss and Mia knew it.

"How about I make you breakfast?" That would be a first, if Mia accepted. Their trip into the Blight always saw the Saldaean doing the cooking, but Rav was a virtuoso in the kitchen. There was just seldom need, what with all of the servants. "Breakfast, whatever you want. I'll make it myself, no fobbing it off to the kitchen staff. How does that suit you, my love?"

[Bella]

Her amusement, albeit a little at his expense, was like a pleasant, low-burning fire that filled her with warmth. She watched him as he looked around the room, and she could almost feel his brain working. Her playfulness was easily counter-balanced with her curiosity to see just what he did, in fact, come up with.

The offer surprised her, but she smiled. "An interesting proposal, indeed," she said. Of course, it was still true that food wasn't that important to her, although...lately she had found her appetite had grown a little. (Maybe it was the new expense of energy.)

She didn't say anything else for a moment, staring at him unblinking for several long moments like she was evaluating. Finally, she sat up and let the sheet fall off. She turned her legs to slide to the edge of the bed and glance over her shoulder in a, 'See, I am out of bed, therefore I accept' expression.

Briefly, she turned back to the nightstand and saw the letters scattered on the floor. That distracted her for a moment and made her laugh, since she had been planning to read them last night but their messy new existence on the floor was evidence of...well... Yes. She leaned down and picked them up, then stood and walked around the foot of the bed to where he stood.

"Breakfast sounds lovely," she said with a smile, leaning up to kiss him with one hand against his chest.

[Craig]

Ravak

Rav kissed Mia back with a loving passion. A little voice in the back of his head jokingly cried "Victory", and he broke the kiss by grinning foolishly. He could both see and feel the question rising within Mia, but Rav was already looking for his clothes. After all, he couldn't leave his good lady going hungry.

After a couple of minutes, the Gaidin Captain stepped into the hallways of the Green Ajah. His hair was especially wild, but then it was never particularly neat to begin with. A fresh white shirt covered his torso, with brown trousers from the night before concealing his modesty. He forewent boots, crossing the cold tiles in bare feet. That gave him some added encouragement to move quickly, and also prevented him from giving a pair of Soldiers into trouble when he spotted them talking instead of doing their chores. He just hoped the glare he fired their way had enough of an effect.

Down in the kitchens, Rav had to slow his pace. He stood on the periphery of the room, waiting until he could naturally catch the eye of one of the senior cooks. Novices, Soldiers and Drin came in and out in a flurry, tasked with delivering meals all across the Tower. Rav was distracted by looking at them when something hit against his left shoulder. The Mistress of the Kitchens drew back her wooden spoon and gave him a questioning look. Fortunately his way with women seemed to have improved since the last time he'd tried to use the kitchens personally.

The Gaidin was afforded a very small amount of space due to the busyness whirling around him, but he made good use of it. He was very selective about what to take from the stores, both in terms of quality and quantity. Mia was never one to have a large appetite, and he didn't need to get in trouble over being wasteful.

The raw smells of cooking meats drew Ravak into a slight reverie. He could remember peering over his sister's shoulder as a young boy as she demonstrated how to make meals. In Shienar, this was very much a woman's domain, but the twins did everything together. Whatever lessons their mother would teach Elia would be passed along in turn to Ravak. The Gaidin smiled contently, not letting the current gap between himself and his sister get in the way of a fond memory.

Eventually the Gaidin's time in the kitchens drew to an end. He served up his cooked goods onto a finely decorated plate, placed said plate onto a silver tray, and then covered said tray with a round lid to keep the smells and heat in. With less haste than earlier, Ravak climbed back up the stairs towards the Captain-General's quarters, and felt a little touch of excitement as the anticipation built through the bond.

Rav emerged back into their quarters with a partial bow and a pleased smile. "Breakfast as promised." Mia was no longer in bed (fortunately) and was now dressed for the day (unfortunately). He set the tray in front of her, then revealed his labours with a flourish. "For you, my love."

Spoiler: show

OOC: Rav totally forgot the cutlery.

[Bella]

While he had been gone, Mia had gone about some of her usual morning but she felt a smile curving the corners of her mouth and no matter how hard she tried (she didn't try very hard), she could not make it go away. Apparently, she was just going to have to live with it, and somehow...well, she found she could live with it.

Seeing as how she could not spend her entire day naked, especially with not spending it all in bed, she did get herself dressed. An average day, she chose an average dress--though one that covered far more of her than she woke up in. To Ravak, she revealed herself. To the world, she was no so keen. All her wardrobe hid all her scars.

She wanted it that way.

The major change that had come over her was that the necklace she had always wore now lived in a small, but especially beautiful and well-crafted, box on her nightstand. She would never forget those she had loved, but she knew that she need no longer cling to the past. They would always be with her, but she had a future to look to now.

Picking back up the stack of letters, she sat at the table and began to open them. Most were fairly banal, but she read each in turn.

She had only two or three to go when she felt the bond growing. The smile grew and she still could not stop it. When did her body decide it no longer had to live by her directives, she wondered. (She couldn't find it in her to complain too much.) Soon the bond was nearly upon her and the door opened, her Gaidin--she loved even just thinking it--entered bearing a tray.

"It smells wonderful," she said, feeling her appetite rise in a way she hadn't for a long time. "As you can see, I have kept my part of the bargain as well." Her eyes flickered with teasing as she gestured to herself, out of bed and all that.

Stacking the unopened letters on top of the opened ones, she set it aside and turned to the tray.

She pulled off the top and was greeted by a greater waft of the delectable aroma. She quickly noticed only one plate--being a bright girl, she was good at counting. She lifted her eyes back to him, that look of openness in the blue-green of them--the one he'd unlocked that night at the Band of Brothers--remained whenever she looked at him.

"Will you not be eating?" she asked with quiet surprise and almost concern.

[Craig]

Ravak

Rav waved a hand in the air as he took a seat at the table beside her. "I nibbled at a couple of things." Which was his indirect way of saying he hadn't really planned on eating. A sliver of guilt pressed at his chest, because what he had been nibbling at was what he'd just cooked for Mia. Well I can't be to blame for getting hungry in a kitchen, he countered defensively. Plus, it's portion control.

The Shienaran continued to be a portion control specialist as he helped his bondmate consume her breakfast. He'd forgotten cutlery (well, something had to go wrong on this perfect morning) so they both use fingers to work their way through the bacon, ham, sausages, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and buttered bread. Oh yes, when Ravak did cook, he did it right.

Ravak pointed a grease-coated finger at the letters on the table. "What's this?" It was an idle question. He wasn't one to go through her correspondence, and there were still dividing lines between her private and public roles. Not very thick lines, he was proud to admit. Maybe that was a touch easier on him due to the familial link between Mia and Riahana. When Mia turned to regard the letters, the Gaidin deftly snatched a mushroom. The Saldaean received a wink and a burst of pride when she turned back to find him with a finger stuck between his lips.

[Bella]

With how often his hands found their way to her plate, she began to suspect he left off the cutlery so she couldn't stab him with it. Not that she really minded, of course. In fact, she adored it.

It was a good thing too, since he had certainly made more food than she thought she needed or could even eat. Of course, she was able to eat more than she suspected but even that still wasn't enough to handle all of it. It was more a meal for two, so his quick fingers were simply keeping the balance.

When he motioned to the letters, she glanced at them and smiled slightly. "Nothing much, really," she said, dusting her hands off before she picked up the parchments. When she turned back and caught him yet again with a bit of her breakfast in his mouth, his wink and the bond made her grin outright and laugh.

Mia shook her head and tried to bring her attention back to the mail when all she wanted to do was grab him by the hair and drag him back to bed...

"A few notes from various contacts in various places with little to report," she said, flipping through some. "A couple letters from family members. "Apparently, Juda and Nia are going to have a baby." She paused and realized that the names were only relevant to her and she smiled. "That would be descendants of mine from Tarvin's line."

She always felt a little bad reminding him about her age and her many descendants, but if he wanted to be a part of her life that was a big part that came with it.

"Juda and Nia just got married. I'm wondering if that little surprise came before the vows," she said with amusement and no judgement. She was too old to judge now. She flicked through the rest of the open letters, stealing a grilled tomato and eating it before breaking the seal on another letter.

This one made her brows rise and lips purse. "Well, now, this is interesting," she said. "I've been looking for the family of Seira, the Ji'val that was killed at the ball." Not a happy memory. "It seems they've found her family's caravan. The father is dead, but the mother and one sister remain."

[Craig]

Ravak

Ravak licked his fingers clean as Mia rattled off the details of her messages. It was still strange to accept that Mia's living relatives extends beyond those he knew in the Tower. It was outright mind-boggling to appreciate that she had great-great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren. Six greats? Or is it just five? Light, that he had to consider the number of greats made the generational gap into a yawning chasm. Fortuitously he was 'just' her Warder, not husband number... four? Five? He wasn't about to be made into the stepfather for hundreds of her descendants.

The comment about surprises and vows did not pass his notice. His own sordid history with the two mothers of his children had yet to be raised between them, so the lack of judgement was a welcomed blessing. Of course, everyone and their cats knew that Kaira was the child of a mass murdering Darkfriend. Sadly, there had been no escape from that, not even after sixteen years. But Zarayne's lineage was still mostly under wraps.

Rav stopped his train of thought to think about food. He'd already stolen one sausage. Could he get away with another? It seemed like his lover and bondmate was entertained by his thievery. That decided it. He was halfway through devouring it when she mentioned Seira's name. His chewing stopped as he cautiously looked into Mia's stunning eyes. "You want to see them?" It was only in a part a question. The bond spoke volumes as to his Aes Sedai's intent without the need for words. "I'm coming with you." Not a request, although the warmth that filtered through said that she would have accepted even if she had a say.

That only left one question. "When do you wish to head off?"