Lucenoc Mainlands

"You're very perceptive, Aowen." Gersham said as the woman measured his arms. He complied with simple movements that would make things as easy for her as possible. "But it's not you, perse. It's the situation as a whole."He contemplated telling her about his dreams, but decided against it. There was no point in burdening this woman with his problems. She was only here to do a job, after all. Surely his parents were paying her graciously. It wasn't as if she was there to play shrink. He spread his legs to the distance she asked, and took a deep breath, hoping to control his bloodflow. It wasn't as if she'd had a plethora of women exploring his bare skin lately, after all. He could only hope the natural results wouldn't become visible, considering he was barely covered as it was.

"Then tell me about the situation. You're parents have paid me for more time than I actually need for the measurements." She makes quick work measuring his legs and inner and outer seams while trying her hardest to avoid touching sensitive areas. "I do wish to know how they plan on picking someone for you to marry without allowing time for the courtship or even seeing if you are emotionally and spiritually compatible....." Looking down to write her final set of numbers, the woman looks up with a soft blush then back down. "Excuse my boldness for the subject. I am use to conversations during these sessions. If you wish, I will take my leave and pick up the cloth from the servants and begin a sketch along with a quick cut out of the fabrics to start with."

With a sigh, Gersham nodded his head. "I've been having nightmares for the past couple months now..." Gersham told the young beauty. "But not violent, or dark nightmares. They're beautiful. I have them every night. I meet an amazing woman, and I fall in love with her. Then I come home to find that my wife has been assigned to me." He scoffed at the thought. His disgust may have been his saving grace though, taking away from the erection that threatened to form at the woman's touch. "Compatibility doesn't matter. They come up with assigned spouses based on bloodline and ability to effectively lead the clan." He shook his head and released another sigh. "That's why no one has seen me out in the villages lately." His head fell to the ground. "I'm sorry to bother you with this. I know it's nothing you shouls have to concern yourself with."

When she offered to gather materials to get to work, Gersham hesitated to answer her. "Is that a part of your assignment for today?" He asked. For some reason, he didn't want her to accomplish too much at once. It meant she would have no reason to come back...but at the same time, if she was already done for the day, she would be leaving now. "I guess it would be best to at least start on the sketches..."

"Will your parents understand if you fall in love before your wife is assigned? Or is it truly that down to the science when it comes to marriage in the royals?" Standing, she gathers his clothes and offers them to him with a soft smile. "And just in case you are uncomfortable talking to me while half naked." His dreams, they are the reason for his actions, his current personality. But something within Gersham, he wanted to be out among the people, to have time to socialize with others.

"Cutting the fabric can be done another day but the sketches would need to be completed soon. But if you would like me to stay, I do have my sketch pad in my bag, I kind of don't leave without it. Never know when inspiration is going to strike." Shrugging softly to herself, she looks around before sitting on the floor by the side of his bed with her knees slightly curling toward her chest as a table for her to work on.

"Are you a bearer of light, Aowen?" It was necessary to ask. Not everyone in Daratan had elemental abilities, after all. "Among the Royal family, especially since the clan has only been established in recent years, there have to be strict policies to ensure it's survival amongst the older, more well established clans." When she offered him his clothes, he shook his head, opting instead to gather a pair of black shorts and put them on in the place of the heavy sweatpants. "Alright have a seat. You can sketch here, if you'd like." He sat in silence and watched the woman work before speaking up. "What about you? Are you married, engaged? Anything like that?"

"I am a bearer of light but I do not know how to control it. Why?" She looks up at him for a second before returning to her sketch. For some reason she had the urge to add his face to the clothing sketches instead of just having the faceless mannequin as usual. "Well thank you for allowing me to stay and sketch." Her hand skips in its stroke as she looks up at him before answering her question. "I...I am technically a single orphan. There's nothing special about me except I know how to draw and sew." Shrugging gently, she returns to her sketch of Gersham's face.

Gersham reached into his nightstand as Aowen explained that she was indeed a bearer of light, but had no knowledge of how to use her ability. What he retrieved, was a notepad, filled with drawings, and a pencil. He seated himself on his bed, with his back against the headboard, and began to draw. "I could have someone teach you, if you'd like. One of the cooks here is an expert and Light manipulation. I could set up some lessons for you, if you'd like." Why? It was a good question. Honestly he didn't know why he had asked. He figured it was to explain the reason for the strict rules, but honestly he didn't need to know for that. He caught the hesitation when she answered his question. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked, but it was too late now. "Well you're wrong about one thing. It isn't your dexterity that makes you special." He never looked up from his pad as he spoke. Whatever he was doing, he was focusing on it intently.

"I would love lessons but I cannot have the distraction from your suit. If we are still allowed to speak freely when my job is done then I will." Her eyes shift to watch his movements; so fluent in the way each muscle danced with the next to allow his movements. In a way, Gersham held a feline aspect but his masculinity caused one to think otherwise. But his words, how he knew what to say to have her heart slip the smallest best and bring just the tiniest bit of color to get cheeks showed his suave nature. "What makes me so special?" Her eyes lift to find his, only to her disappointment to find them down on a pad as he began working on something.

This was his moms favorite dress , dad made this dress for her using only the purist fabric and gems from the Siren clan . She always talk about wearing it again one day when she could get her hands on the fabric to fix the tears . It took a lot of searching and trade but Max finally acquirer the fabric he needed to fix her dress , but this is where the problem started . He couldn't sow , his farther taught him a lot but sowing wasn't his strongest cup of tea .

Word around town was there was a shop that specialize on fixing fabric ,a seamstress, perfect. Just the look on his mom face when she could finally wear her dress once more. The thought alone gave him new life . Now he wanted to find this shop even more now. The search wasn't easy , but after walking for an hour straight he found the shop . His energy of excitement was killed with a close sigh in front of it . All hope was lost but the desire still fuel him

Aowen's reasoning was reasonable. She couldn't be distracted from her work, not on an assignment as important as this... But that could be advantageous in it's own way. Once her job was completed, he could arrange the lessons for her, giving her a reason to keep returning. "You're right." He told her. "I'll gladly arrange it after you finish. We'll call it a thank you gift..." His smile faded slightly upon the escape of his words. They reminded him that her work was directly related to his impending engagement. It was nothing to be thankful for... He continued drawing in silence.

Gersham finally looked up when Aowen asked what made her special. A gentle smile played on his face before his eyes returned to his work. "They say some of the most intuitive members of Lucenoc can sense the energy in others." He paused for a moment, apparently focusing intently on a particular area of his sketch. After a few seconds he continued. "My insight isn't as strong as some, but I can tell that you emit a very bright energy." He looked up once more, offering one more smile. "That's what makes you special." Back to his drawing. "Bet I finish before you do!" He challenged with a smile.

"I really don't need a thank you gift. Especially for something that is being forced upon you..." Her words, barely above a whisper, caused her hand to stop moving for the smallest moment. "But I guess it gives me a secret reason to come back and see you, just because I have the feeling you will want updates on how my training is going." She looks up over her right shoulder only to see his sullen face. He had a right to sulk, such a thing to place on the shoulders of one so young and promising. She understood that the bloodline had to be protected. The purest of the pure powers came from the royal family and the masters that trained them....but why this prince? Couldn't the rules be over looked for just one generation? How could the king and queen put their only son in such a predicament? Yes, it would be a bit more understandable if they had more than one son but in the end, it would still be forcing a marriage upon one when they do not know if they love or even have a single connection to the person they are destined to marry.

A deep red blush settled on her cheeks as he spoke. Yes, her light had been greater than some of her generation. There was even talk that she had been born into the wrong bloodline because of it but never before had it been put in such a sweet way. "Well, um, thank you." Something of a nervous giggle escaped her lips. "I can see your energy as well. Such a dark and gloomy one the first time I saw it, when you conversed or confronted with the great dragon and his rider. It was so uncaring, like doing so had been a burden. Even when you first opened the door, you had a darkness around you but now...." the woman turned to look at him once more before returning to her drawing of his now finished face, "it's almost light. Which is impossible and silly to say but it is. I know that you control the darkness, harness it to do your bidding which is why it surrounds you but it seemed to be consuming you at first. I will admit that it made you seem dark and mysterious but it was such a saddening sight. You're life has so many joys and yet nothing seemed to show....." His challenge to a race almost went on deaf ears but a laugh from her filled his bed chamber. "No fair! You've had time to start before me! You know I can't rush the sketch I need for my job!" With a turn of her book, she starts a new one, her hand fluent in its movements as a smile steals her face. "Do you mind if I join you on the bed, on the other end of course..." Her question somewhat out of the blue but it only made her smile grow into something of a grin before she felt the need to reign it back in.

Thought bubble: I wonder if I remembered to place the closed sign on the shop door. I think I did but I hope nobody goes there today.

It seemed that Aowen caught on to Gersham's feelings about the words he had spoken. She was a perceptive one..."Then call it a thank you for sitting and listening to my dumb problems." He said, his smile returning once more upon hearing that she would accept his offer under a different cause. It was indeed, the main reason he made the offer in the first place. He could use the company, for he had no intention of returning to the outside world, and being cooped up alone would surely drive him to insanity one day. But was this a good idea? He couldn't help but wonder...

His smile softened, and he returned to focusing on his drawing when the young seamstress thanked him. He seemed to be focusing intently once more, his hands moving faster as the sound of his pencil grazing the paper became more apparent. He listened to her explanation of what she saw in his aura. "So you saw me speaking with Ignis, did you? Interesting guy..." He chuckles as she tried to decipher it all. "Funny thing about auras..." He told her. The aura one emits actually has nothing to do with the element they control." He created a small ball of shadow in his hand, and fondled it around in his hand. "If you were to travel to Siram, it's members wouldn't have auras made of water surrounding them. And those who command no powers aren't without their own energy." He tossed the small ball at Aowen, and it bounced off her head before dissipating into the air. "Yes, I'm a creature of shadows, but that's not why my aura is dark. You're a creature of light, but that isn't why yours is bright. Your aura is the energy you emit from who you are, and what you feel. Maybe you see light coming from me now because it's my first time enjoying myself in months..."

Gersham wasn't naturally attuned to people's auras like some people were. He was teaching himself to read them. But unlike so many in the clan, he had met many people from many lands. People from the land of fire, who had bright pink, almost flowery energies emmitting from their bodies, even women of Lucenoc, with energies dark as night...

"Fine fine. Take your time. I'm actually almost done anyway." He told her. He chuckled a bit when he heard her request. He couldn't help but wonder if she was trying to respect his boundaries as a Royal, or was simply shy to sit on a bed with a man... "You can sit wherever you want." he told her. He had no such reservations, perhaps BECAUSE he was a man... Unfortunately, he missed the smile on her face, focusing on whatever it was that was forming in his notepad.

"You're problem isn't dumb, Gersham. Each person has a problem that is the most important to them and that no one will truly understand. It's almost like an undying fear constantly shoved in your face, the person that it is told to can never truly understand but they can show empathy and sympathy depending on the situation." Aowen takes a deep breath before continuing, "I have no reason to judge your problem anyways. I have a deep fear of remaining an orphaned seamstress. I have not had the joy of knowing that there is one for me and I have come to accept the fact that I may be barren for the rest of my life but it is the life that was chosen for me so I have no reason to complain. The most I can do is continue my work and hope to change it in the future but it doesn't look like it will be happening any time soon." A soft shrug causes her shoulders to move up and down for a moment before she looks over the half completed drawing of him. His facial features seemed so beautiful and so masculine at the same time. Never before had a combination crossed her eyes, and yet it seemed magical in its mixture.

"Thank you for the lesson in auras. It does make sense now that you explained it and it also makes sense as to why you're room has brightened instead of just having a mixture of light and dark." Shaking her head just a bit when the ball of darkness hits and bounces off, the woman turned to look at him with a soft glare before laughing. How could she be mad at him? All he truly needed right now was a friend, just some one to be calm with and have great laughs, if even for the moment. "But that does not mean that those who should display light will always display the light....."

Slowly the woman stands, looking at him for only a second before climbing onto his bed and sitting towards the foot. Yes, this was truly the first time she sat on the same bed with a man but she didn't know if she had the freedom to sit directly next to him or if it would be better for her to just leave the space between the two of them. "Thank you. The floor didn't turn out to be as comfortable as I liked." Chuckling softly, she turns her note pad towards him, displaying the image of his bust holding a cocky smile of warmth and determination for something, though she didn't know what.

Gersham listened as Aowen talkied about her thoughts on fears. Though she wasn't facing him directly, he looked up from his drawing to watch her lips move. Her facial features were very distinctive. It was clear that this was a topic she felt very strongly about. He prepared to ask her about her personal fears, but she offered up the information before he had the opportunity. And her fears were very practical. She feared remaining alone. She feared remaining stagnant. He felt for her In fact, as she spoke of her fears, he felt the first bit of darkness radiate from her body, but he then shook his head.

"You're not like me." He told her, looking at her with a smile. "You're free to decide the path that your own life takes. People like me have their life paths chosen for them, but the only person controlling you is you. If this isn't what you want for your life, all you have to do is go out and take what you do want for it." He caught wind of something else in her explanation too. Toward the end, when she spoke of hope. There was contradiction in her statement that suggested that she may have found hope recently, only to have it broken. He couldn't help but wonder what was meant by this. There was a posibility she was subconsciously speaking of him, and his arranged marriage, but he wasn't so bold as to make such an assumption.

Gersham chuckled when Aowen took a seat on the far corner of his bed. She was so innocent, it was adorable! Naturally she could have seated herself next to him, he specifically told her to sit wherever she wanted. But it wasn't a problem at all. "So you're saying my Royal carpet isn't to your liking! To the dungeon with you!" He was clearly joking as he couldn't manage to straighten his face as the words escaped his lips. When she turned to show him, he smiled once more. "So you ended up beating me after all!" He said with a competitive laugh. "It's awesome! I didn't know you did faces with your work." He teased. He had a few more details to take care of before he could show his. The Atra Markings on his arm and chest moved as his muscles flexed in a very soft, careful way.

Once he was done, she scooted his way down the bed until he was next to the young beauty. He presnted the notepad in his lap to show that the image was a pencil drawn portrait of Aowen. The image was so vivid it could almost be confused for a photograph, everything was clear, the loose strands of hair that covered bits of her face, the coloring that filled her cheeks when he complimented her. It was all there. "I can't make clothes like you, but I like to believe I'm a pretty good artist too. At least when I'm motivated."

"If I had changed my life when I initially wanted to, I would not be sitting in your room. I think fate has it's hooks in my life path but my blinders are on too tight or maybe I'm just too innocent. But hey, sometimes it's an amazing thing to be innocent. It enables a carefree lifestyle when its needed." Truly, this job as horrid as she thought the reasoning to be, caused her the most happiness for the moment. How could she pass up working with someone that she has truly wanted to meet since her girl hood days? Even though the original assignment did not say she would be working hand in hand with the prince, just being in the presence of the royal family caused a small joyous jump of her heart that mixed ever so perfectly with nervousness from the initial call.

"I require a plush sitting area! Not something so.....painfully stiff." Her hand lightly waves in his direction as her body moves from silent laughter. Even with Gersham being one so much higher than herself, he had no qualms about it. A stereotype that seems to be engraved in the brains of the villagers, broken in this very moment in time. "I do have to know how to draw all aspects of the human body! Face and all! Let's just be glad I didn't go into trying to draw the rest of your upper body. I feel like I would have messed up the lines on the Atra Markings!" Crossing her arms under her bust, the woman allows a pout to cross her lips and her book to fall on the ground, his drawing lost in the commotion.

Her eyes turn to his page and the pout drops from her face. "You are more than pretty good, Gersham. You're artistic skills are amazing! I would love to see something from you hanging within the castle walls or somewhere among the village shops. I do believe if you were born to be a commoner like myself, you would be able to be a well known artist." Aowen's fingers lightly trace along the edge of the page until she bumps her hand into his and pulls it away, her eyes still lingering on the drawn set. How did he catch the light that hid from the world? Even the tainted light in the very back of her soul seemed to show in his drawing....

Aowen spoke words of regret, and though Gersham knew not what event it was in her life that she regretted, he knew that was no way for anyone to live. Furthermore, she spoke of fate having it's hooks in her. Gersham didn't believe in fate; only circumstance. Some circumstances could be overcome, some couldn't. It was all a part of the balance that every living creature searched for. "Never believe there is anything wrong with you." He told her. "If you're innocent, be proud of your innocence. Embrace it. And never believe there's anything you can't do. Don't limit yourself. You're stronger than you think."

"Hmm..." It was all that escaped Gersham's lips when Aowen complained about the floor. He had never thought to seat himself on it, so he honestly had no idea what it felt like. He was half tempted to seat himself on the ground to test the woman's claim. But he refrained. "Maybe I'll have the floor and carpet replaced then. I'd hate for you to be uncomfortable." He chuckled at the thought, replacing the floor to make it into a better seat. He supposed he had seen more bizzare things within these walls.

He shook his head when Aowen brought up his markings. Of course he knew that they were beyond impressive. His own father couldn't even undergo a surgery as severe as his own. "These things?" He said, looking at them for the first time in quite some time. "They're easy. Just make something up. See watch!" The markings, began to radiate with a black light, and his pupils began to fade. as this happened, a random array of markings appeared on Aowen's arms. However, the Atra actually floated above her skin instead of actually touching it. Women of Lucenoc tended to try to avoid coming into contact with the Darkness as much as possible.

Aowen's reaction to his picture pleased him. He was glad she liked it, but more than that, he was glad he was able to capture her. "No, you won't see anything like that." He told her. "In fact, no one even knows I can draw. You're the first person to ever see this notepad." He was distracted from his thought by something that Aowen said. "You shouldn't refer to yourself as a commoner. You're a person. You ARE like me. Just born to different parents." Gersham knew well that Economics had to fall into balance just like everything else. In order for the rich to exist, so did the poor. But he didn't like the separation of people. Even the segregated clans bothered him in it's own way.

He noticed when Aowen's hand grazed his own, and how quickly she pulled away. His instinct urged him to take her hand in his own, but he refrained. Once more he reminded himself of the danger he had put himself in by inviting her in. And yet, he couldn't help but to be drawn to her. As she studied his portrait of her, he studied her real face. There was no denying that it was a work of art. All he had managed to do was make a black and white duplicate; far from the real thing in his eyes.

"It's because of my Shadow wielding." He told her. "At least partially." He began flipping pages all the way back to the first page, which depicted a wolf on the prowl. It appeared to be moving toward the front of the page, teeth bared, ready to pounce off the paper and attack. "I use it to see in extreme detail. With it i can measure the most minute amount of light in between objects. The first time I noticed, I was fifteen. I was wandering around in the mountains and I was attacked by a wolf. "I didn't have my Atra markings yet, so all I had were basic shadow techniques. When I looked at the wolf, I could see everything in such vivid detail. Every strand of fur, the lust for blood in it's eyes..." He seemed to be lost in the memory for a moment. "When I got home, I couldn't get the image out of my head, so I put it here... This was more than he had shared with anyone. Even his parents didn't know about the wolf...

“Sometimes one cannot help but complain about being innocent. But that is something that those who have held onto their innocence for too long to understand. Fate is a fickle thing my Prince, but sometimes fate favors a few.” Though Gersham's words held true, Aowen felt that something within him did not understand how she felt. Though she felt the need to share her complaints with him, it was not for him to take her problems on as his, but to hear a problem that could make his seem a little less daunting at the moment.

“No need to have the carpet and floors replaced for my comfort. I do not plan to sit on them again. This I promise to you but thank you very much for the offer.” A soft chuckle passes her lips. Never before had she heard such a thought, or a request of any type. Yes, the floor was not a place to sit but it was something that made her feel like Gersham truly wanted to keep her around for companionship. Though she did not mind the thought, she knew that soon she would not be able to entertain the idea. This man, no, this prince, was to be married off soon and she would not be able to be so bold with her loose tongue around him.

“They are not that simple! Such a delicate array of markings that holds beauty to each one.” Her arm flinches away in the slightest as she watches the markings appear and swirl above her skin. Though she has always been taught that she shouldn't tough the Darkness, it has always fascinated her and taunted her in such a way that made her want to have it as her own, though she knew she could not. That could be the reason why she wanted it so badly, the allure of something that she could not have.

“And the difference of our birth is what causes us to be different. But why do you not show this to your parents? I believe that they would appreciate the beauty that their child can create with his ability to capture what he sees on paper.” Her eyes turn up to meet his, a small flame coming to light before disappearing, making it seem as if it had just been a trick of the light. “I would love to display your artwork along the walls of my shop, that is if you would allow me to.....” Her voice dies down as his hands begin moving the pages of the notebook.

Her hand moves to touch his hand once again. “You have so many secrets locked away Gersham. So many things that people would love to know about you and I thank you for allowing me to know them. I truly feel....special, as if you trust me more than anybody that you have met before and I do not know how to truly show my gratefulness other than saying thank you.” Her fingers graze from his hand to his wrist and back down before moving back to her thigh. For some reason, she felt that she could be so bold without having to worry about him recoiling from her. Maybe it was the conversation between the two of them or the fact that he let her in to help him. Either way it goes, he seemed to allow her to touch him without a word otherwise.

Gersham couldn't help but find humor in their conversation. People didn't often speak openly of their own innocence, much less speak of it as a burden. "Be mindful of this..." Gersham said solemnly, as his laughter subsided. "Innocence, once lost, is something that can't be recovered." He continued to think on his statement, even as Aowen went onto the next subject. Some things in life can't be retrieved once lost. Unseen once witnessed, healed once scarred. When you hurt someone, no amount of apologies can undo the hurt you've done... These were things Gersham knew well, things he didn't want Aowen to be burdened with, not if it wasn't necessary. It was a life that she needn't rush into.

He quickly caught back up to the conversation, however, as Aowen went on about not intending to return to his floor. "Comfortable already, eh?" He teased. But he could see the gears moving in her mind. He couldn't tell where they were leading her, but he could tell that she was far away in her mind. He couldn't blame her, however, as he had just made a distant trip of his own.

Gersham smiled and laid back, his hands folded under his head as Aowen went on about his markings. "Well there's one I've never heard before." He said, looking up at the ceiling. "Guess I never thought of it that way." He never saw his markings like Tattoos. It had been a ritual that he knew he would have to go through one day, and the most painful experience of his life. It was hard for him to see them for their aesthetic value. He looked at his chest and arm for a moment, considering what the woman had told him. They were indeed intricate. "I guess they're kinda cool..." He said, offering her a partial agreement.

He watched the woman as she flinched under the dark markings. The power of Lucenoc is found in balance." He told the woman. "That's what the elders have taught me ever since I could talk. "Balance of Light and Darkness." He wiped the shadows away to offer the woman better comfort. "And yet our bodies are inherently built to accept one and reject the other. Don't you think that's strange?"

He dropped the subject and thought on what Aowen asked him. Why hadn't he shared his talent with his parents? It wasn't that he was afraid of what they would say, or that they would push him until he no longer had the desire to continue his art... No... "Maybe it's because I resent them..." He said calmly. He found himself closer to Aowen than he had intended, as her arm brushed against his, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away from her. The image in her eyes... It was gone before he could describe it. Gersham bit his lower lip in response, as he tried to visualize it once more. Shaking it off, he looked to the paper once more. "If you were to put my art on your walls, it would be submitted Anonymously.

Aowen's confession made Gersham want to smile, but he didn't. His eyes met with his lap instead. She felt special... She was special. He didn't know what made her special. But she was. He was unsure what made him want to open up to her. He decided it best to chalk it up to lack of human interaction lately, than to try to deconstruct the woman's personality to find the reason. " You don't have to thank me." He told her. "Thanks for listening." His breath grew shallow as her fingers traced his skin. He didn't retreat. In fact, he felt almost paralyzed. Her touch was gentle. It made him feel.... Actually, he couldn't describe the feeling.

Then came the knock at the door. "Master Gersham, it's time for your lesson. With a sigh,Gersham stood to his feet. Why did he still have Atra lessons? He was more advanced with Shadow techniques than most of his instructors! He looked at the clock. It had only been two hours since Aowen's arrival. There was still so much time left in the day... His lessons would take up to two hours. "Excuse me." He said to the lady. "How about I stop by your shop later.... You know, to check on your progress." The second part was clearly added in a rush, as not to seem too informal, and yet, he couldn't take it back... Then, with one final sigh, Gersham faded out his door, and off to his lessons.

The knock from the servant to summon Gersham for his atra lesson seemed to snap the woman out of her thoughts. How long had the two of them sat and talked about things no other ever knew? And now, she was left to herself in his room. “Weird...” The woman slowly slid off his bed, making sure to keep his notebook in order as she replaced it in his nightstand. Such a foolish man to leave something he holds so private and precious, out for anybody to see; though she knew that the servants would never invade the prince's privacy, something made her feel the need to put it away without taking the chance.

After gathering her things, Aowen silently exited his chambers and began making her way through the halls that she had been led down a little over 2 hours ago. But this time, she had no rush, she had the time to think about the design, pattern and his face. Oh....his face..... Her thoughts consumed her, almost transporting the woman back to her shop with the fabric in arm.

Unlocking and re-locking her front door, it was then that the woman finally noticed the smile that consumed her face. How long had it been there? The last she knew, her face was stoned since Gersham was called away. Or was it because Gersham promised to stop by and check on her progress? She did not know and she honestly did not mind. It was nice to be happy once again, if even for the moment.

Gersham had never minded his Atra lessons. If nothing else, they gave him a reason to practice, even if it was rare that he ever learned anything new. But this day was different. He abhorred his instructors for making him come. Every moment that passed took hours, and his effort was lackluster at best. It took just over an hour for Instructor Santana to accept that Gersham's head wasn't in the game and release him. You would think the boy had some sort of light power, with the speed in which he disappeared. But he didn't rush out of the castle. Instead, he returned to his room. A quick shower, and a search for clothes. A nice shirt? Nah... No need to get over excited. He tossed on some jeans and a black, sleeveless shirt. He spent abotu thirty minutes straightening his room And then he went into one of the storage chambers to get something before finally flying out of the castles on a carpet made of shadows. That technique was less effective at night, so depending on how things went he may have been forced to walk home. When he landed outside Aowen's shop, he was hesitant to enter. In fact, he seated himself on his carpet outside the door for several minutes. Was it wise to ask her about her progress so soon after he had seen her? Perhaps he hadn't thought all of this out...

She spent most of her day working on the undershirt and vest. Though the colours she had been instructed to use annoyed her beyond reason, but this was only because she seemed to love everything bright and happy; and yet, she has used only one colour so far, but the one colour is the truest of them all. Even though she wanted to throw a blue or red or yellow or even pink! Just so that the Prince would not look monotone in his dual tones. "I wish Gersham would show up already so that I can ask him if he would like to add ant colour to show off his amazing personality, that would only be stifled by the two cliché tones...."

A small chill passed the woman's body as a shadow passed over the shop window. 'He couldn't be done already, but then again, he held sucha presence that his lessons didn't need to be took long.' Hey body slowly turned around on the stool, only to see the nervous looking Gersham through her glasses looking back at her. A case ofa spoken thought becoming reality. Worth a small wave of her hand, the woman offers entrance into her shop. How long had he sat there? Had he heard her thoughts or was it just a case of luck that she turned around and looked?

Gersham hadn't heard Aowen's statement about him showing up. Or if he had, he had drowned it out with his own thoughts. when she waved him in, he floated in on the shadow carpet, looking around the shop with amazement. The colors, and all the different fabrics! This was something completely new to the Prince. In fact, he had never even considered that he would find anything like this. Gersham's only talent lie in his powers. They were even the reason for his ability to draw so well. But Aowen... She was different. Her abiliity to work with her hand extended beyond anything Gersham could have pictured. "I brought you something." he said as he hopped off his carpet.

The black, rectangular vehicle then stood vertically, and the young prince took hold of it, dispelling it to reveal the object trapped inside. What Aowen would find, wad a large drawing of the Lucenoc Skyline, seen from above. It depicted the buildings, as seen before a gorgeous sunset. Every light and shadow was represented beautifully, and though it was in black and white, it was as if the colors radiated off the page with the magnificence of the real thing! "You said you wanted something to hang in your shop, but I don't know. Everything is so colorful! I'm not sure this old dusty black and white picture would match!" He leaned it against the counter and offered her a weak smile, unsure what to say next. He definitely hadn't thought this through...

A small smile crossed her lips as the Prince entered her shop, but his reaction to how brightly decorated her shop was brought a small chuckle to the surface. "Anything that you bring into my shop that has been made by your hand, can never be dwarfed by the colours that surround us. The fact that this beautiful anon drawing shall be displayed in the front of my shop, though behind the counter, it would bring a needed contrast to light." The woman stood from her seat and slowly gathered the soft satin cloth in arms before she made her way over to the counter to sit them gently in front of him. "Try this on please. I want to make sure that you like the fit and I have a question about the colour pattern." Her hand slowly waves toward the changing room off to her left, his right, with a sly smile.

Gersham had truly considered that his drawing would have no place in her colorful shop. It was quite the surprise when she said that she would display it directly behind the counter. He couldn't help but think she must have just been being her kind self, despite the fact that it didn't seem to fit. It gave birth to an idea that he had been fearful to try, however. It was definitely something that he would look into once he got home though.

When she handed him the shirt and vest, he started to change right there. It wasn't until Aowen pointed him toward the dressing rooms that he realized he was in the middle of a public shop. Someone could walk in at any time, and his lack of modesty would not be becoming. He took the clothes into the dressing room and emerged only a moment later, wearing the perfectly fitting shirt and vest. Man, she worked fast! At this rate she would be done in a day or two... "What did you want to ask about it?" Maybe whatever her question was, was something that would extend the process a bit...

The woman chuckles lightly as the prince understands that he shouldn't change in public, much less in public in a woman's shop but when he emerged, oh my how he looked dashing in the simple colour black. "I wanted to know if you would like to add some different colours to the palate your parents gave me. And don't get me wrong, I love the colours black and white but I feel like your personality is so different from those two. Darkness or the black is a part of you but I want something that screams your name, some type of colour that you love above all the rest. But that's only if you want to....."

Her words trail off as she walks over to him to have a closer look at the fit. It seems that her measurements were perfect. Every seam matched the natural curve of his sculpted body as if he had stood there for the second or third fitting and not the first. "And I kind of don't want to go too fast with your suit, so, think long and hard on what colour you would like to add, or maybe, even a completely different colour scheme. It is for your special day after all...."