He entered the tavern nonchalantly, the cloak draped about his shoulders more for looks than to ward against the night's crisp fall air. He didn't get cold often. His reddish-gold hair was pulled back into a short, neat ponytail. He seated himself at a small table, towards the side of the room, for once not near the fire crackling in the fireplace which most of the tavern's other occupants were seated around. How he loved fire. A young man came out of the kitchens to take his order. He asked for water. The boy looked at him a bit strangely, thinking, no doubt, who asked for water in a tavern? but went to get it anyway. Another person entered the tavern then, bundled up in a heavy coat. Waves of shining raven-black hair tumbled down past her shoulders as the woman removed her hood. Without looking around, she, too walked toward the small table at the side of the room. She seated herself across from the man without making a sound. She was still for a brief moment, then lifted her startingly blue eyes to rest her icy gaze on him.
"Vrien," she said in a soft, musical voice. It was not a question, but a statement. He smiled, acknowledging her.
"Shiva. I'm glad you came," he added, again with a smile.
"I didn't see more than one guard. Are the rest hiding?" she asked, raising one ebony eyebrow. He chuckled, amused.
"They aren't here to harm you, as you well know. Quite the contrary." She scoffed at this, but he did not rise to the bait.
"I assume that your guards are here as well," he mused, then shrugged. "I suppose our families would have it no other way."
"You suppose right," Shiva said. "How many times have they told me, never trust a solekado."
"But still you came."
"I am independent and fool-hardy. I came because they-and you-expected me not to," she shot back. Her sudden anger faded, and she looked at Vrien with her crystal eyes. "Let's get on with things, shall we?" she continued, calm, cool and collected once more. "Let's discuss the reason I am here."
"Yes, let's," Vrien replied.
"I sent you an invitation, in secret, to meet me here if you wanted to learn about my people, and the true threat to both of our races. I take it that since you came, you are interested." Shiva's sapphire eyes sparkled as she leaned forward.
"Yes, I'm very curious about your kind, enemies or no. I'm also very curious to hear what you think the 'true' threat is."
"Not 'what,'" Vrien corrected. "'Who.'" Shiva raised an eyebrow again, clearly wanting him to explain, but he went on.
"I'd like to take you on a tour of the palace, if you'd come." Shiva studied his face, her eyes taking in every detail.
"You're serious. You want me, a princess of your people's sworn enemy, to take a tour of the solekado palace?! I don't exactly think that your parents would be okay with that, you know what I mean?" Her melodic voice was incredulous and tinged with sarcasm, her favorite weapon. Vrien's trademark smile, mischievious and charming all at once, spread across his face.
"You forget that illusions are a specialty of my people. And I was the best in my class at the Academy." Shiva made a "tsk"-ing noise.
"Is that a boast?" Vrien's smile widened. "It would be, if it wasn't first a fact. Making you look like a solekado would be a simple matter. Making you and your entourage look like solekados would be a bit tougher. Creating enough trust between us so that you'll let me do all this, now that's the hard part." Shiva leaned back in her chair and studied his face once more, with eyes that practically glowed blue.
"And yet, for me even to come here implies that I have some faith in you." She considered her words a moment before adding: "How foolish of me." Vrien could only barely contain the grin that formed at her words. Becoming (at least somewhat) serious again, Vrien offered a compromise.
"Well then, let us try to expand upon that faith. What do you say you meet me here again, same time, in a week. We can discuss your hopeful trip to the palace more then, and maybe the idea will grow on you if you have more time to consider it." Shiva gave a wry smile.
"You mean you hope it'll grow on me, and if not, when we meet again in a week you'll use that honeyed tongue to convince me. Nonetheless, I agree to meet you here again. Who knows? Maybe we could just pull off this palace visit. And if we do...perhaps you could see my home too."
"I'd like that," Vrien said, standing up and adjusting his cloak. Shiva stood as well, her long black tresses hiding her face from the rest of the occupants of the tavern.
"Well then, Lady Shiva," he began, offering his hand, "I shall see you in one week." She eyed his hand warily, wondering what a solekado, the ancient enemy of her kind, would feel like. Not to mention what the punishment would be for touching, let alone talking to, a solekado. She almost laughed. She had always been the daring, defiant one. Bring it on, she thought as she shook his hand firmly. She was shocked to feel the natural warmth that emanated from his skin. Vrien was likewise astonished by how cool her hand was, but only said in all seriousness,
"I think we could learn a lot from each other." With that, they parted: her out the door first, then, ten minutes later, him.