Daughters of Necros: The Awakening

Chapter 9: Deep breathes don't really help

Lord Lumos grasps Arissa's hand firmly in his own (partly because he loves her, but mostly because he doesn't trust her and wants to keep her within arm's reach) despite his daughter's baleful gaze at her crush. "But I want to hold Jack's hand!" She complains woefully. "I don't want to hold yours! You're getting all sweaty from stress already!"

Lord Lumos seems taken aback. "What are you playing at? I am most definitely not perspiring, that only happens when you are exposed to company."

Arissa juts out her bottom lip and turns teary eyes (I'll bet that she's faking that, too) upon her father, looking utterly miserable. "I n-need Jack." She sniffles, throwing in a dainty little hiccup that's almost certainly added for good measure.

Her father is beginning to become somewhat overwhelmed by her desperate actions. "You don't have to behave quite so needily, pumpkin. You're overdoing it."

Arissa pauses and smirks at him, midway through mopping at her eyes with an emerald kerchief as she responds. "I really don't think that I'm overdoing it. After all, what once worked for mama ought to work for me too, don't you think?" She then yanks her hand out of her father's slackened grip. "Ha-ha! Free at last!"

Lord Lumos' jaw looks like it has broken its hinge, so stunned is he. "Wh- What? Do you mean to tell me that she tricked me into marrying her?!!" He hollers, outraged. "Confound it all, she deceived me!!!"

"Oh, calm yourself, papa. You would've married her anyway." Arissa says this with great conviction, waving her hand at him dismissively. "You're making a big fuss over nothing again. Relax, why don't you? Have a spa day or something."

I will now never get that image of Lord Lumos (wrapped in a towel and wearing those cucumber slices on his eyes) out of my head. Thank you, Arissa. That is not something that I ever fancied picturing.

Arissa waltzes over to Jack and links arms with him, giggling.

He looks rather overcome by her forward manner, his cheeks turning to fire up to his ears.

"Do you think that you can protect me from harm, Jack? I place my life in your hands." She whispers, looking deeply into his widened eyes. He gulps and nods dumbly, rapidly, not daring (or wanting) to break his eye contact with her. "Uh-huh."

"Oh, Jacky-!" Arissa leans down a bit to be level with his ear. "You are just the sweetest!" She gives him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you!"

Jack stands stock-still, glued to the spot in surprise. "Never had a girl kiss me before." He admits shyly. He's beaming from ear to ear.

At this rate, his heart won't hold out until we reach the Hall. I think dourly.

Arissa grins back at him. "Oh, goody! In that case, why don't we..." She pulls him suggestively close and puckers up her lips.

Jack emits another sound that might be something like 'Yes!' or 'Help!'

It's hard to be sure.

"NO." Lord Lumos interrupts them hurriedly. "Not now! I don't want to see my little girl's lips attached to such a handsome young man's! Who knows what it will lead to next?!!"

"..About half a dozen grandchildren, I should think." I snigger.

Lord Lumos looks faint. "I cannot witness this." He moans, massaging his temples. "Such youthful innocence to be lost so soon..!"

I swallow back a snort. Arissa? Innocent?

Arissa grins at her father, trying to deliberately invite some further comment from him. "I want to marry Jack!" She declares to him loudly.