2017, October 9th Aaron was lying in the middle of a field of flowers on a hill that offered a view of ruins of a castle. They had been headed that way, were still he thought, only he didn't want to ruin the moment. He liked having her so close, liked watching his fingers go up and down her body without her protesting. She'd even let him drag his fingers through her silky, long flames like he'd always wanted to. This was not what he should be doing, not at all, but when Adele showed up this morning declaring that there was peace at the castle after all and asked him out on a date, he was so flabbergasted that he ended up just watching her, letting her drag him along wherever she wanted. "It turns out Duke Dormer was meeting with Diane to relay messages from her brother Dean to her. The royal palace is hosting a ball to welcome the so called Prince of Wars, Prince Dean, tonight. Also, now that that's settled, want to go out with me?" she'd said all in one breath. Aaron grinned, zeroi
2019, December 8th & 9th Things didn’t go well for Aria after she and Troy started their little poker tournament. He was absolutely merciless. His teaching style was more throwing you in the deep end than letting you have floaties. He didn’t stop her from taking her clothes off either. Never one to back down from a fight, she could hardly say no. She had been the one to start it after all. It didn’t take very long before she didn’t have a stitch on. As he watched her underwear drop, Troy felt that he had definitely better leave now. He had to give it to her, she had guts. Too much for his liking just then. He walked over to her, taking her in, appreciating the toned body he wasn't going to let himself have just yet. Troy was a gentleman in the truest sense or at least he wanted to be, was trying to be. No matter how sure he was he was walking into a trap, he couldn't make himself stop going to her. Her tricks weren't wrapped up in deceit. She'd let him kn
2017, October 10th Returning home a disappointed man that morning after Adele was a no show, Aaron Condor was about to be a shocked man too. Henry and King Edward, the king of Warlanda, were in a video conference call with Troy and CC. “I’m afraid that with the appearance of Prince Dean in Sartis Est, a union between our countries at this time will not be feasible. I fear for Caroline’s safety,” said Troy. CC gave Troy a confused look. “What are you doing?” “Unfortunately, your fears may be justified,” said King Edward. “Your brother’s amassed quite the following. There are talks of a rogue army. I’m afraid of what he’ll do if he can’t bring Diane home.” “If it pleases Your Majesties, I would like to send Caroline back to Caines, at least until the matter has been resolved,” said Troy, refusing to look at CC. “Absolutely not!” CC exclaimed. “What she means is put us on a
2017, October 10th Ethan tugged on Aria’s arm as she was on her way out that morning. “Where to?” he asked. “Just heading out to join the morning sparring session,” she shrugged, making her way down the stairs. “It’s not for another hour. Dawn’s just breaking.” “I like to get an early start.” “Oh? Are you sure it has nothing to do with the crown prince waiting for you in the courtyard, Adele?” Ethan's question stopped Aria dead in her tracks. Busted. He descended the stairs, grabbed her arms and turned her towards him. “I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t be seeing him anymore,” Ethan sighed. “He’s leaving in three days Ethan. He doesn’t even know who I am. It’s harmless.” “The hell it is! I’ve been watching you with him. You guys are all over each other and don’t think I haven’t seen the way you’ve been looking at him either.
2019, December 20th “You’re just going to stand up here and watch them while your mind implodes?” Troy asked, leaning forward with his clasped hands over the railing as he came to stand next to CC. “What do you want me to say, Troy? It’s not that you spend four hours a day working out and training, it’s that you do it with her? Don’t spend time with your dead best friend’s sister?” CC snapped. Troy chuckled. “Wow, four hours. That’s something. Looks like I missed a few things. When did this start?” he asked, smiling as he watched Aria laugh as she sparred with Bart. CC turned her head to Troy, watching his beautiful brown eyes darken ever so slightly. CC had made herself fluent in even the subtlest changes in Troy’s facial expressions. How long had she spent studying this man to try and outwit him? Back then, he always kept her close and she would go hours at a time just watching him. You wouldn’t know it from the easy smile on his face, but while Troy wasn’t nuclear angry, he was d
2017, October 11th He’d been watching her for ages, but she just wasn't stirring. All the early mornings had probably caught up with her. After kissing her forehead, Aaron took a shower and headed downstairs to kill some time until Adele woke up. He was about to take a stroll through the garden when he saw her. Hearing Adele chastise him in his head, Aaron grinned to himself and followed anyway. The woman led him to Troy’s shooting range. “Put up a gun, Condor,” she said, taking aim. Aaron was always wary of women with guns. They seemed somehow more terrifying than men. Super hot, but terrifying. “I didn’t sleep with you, did I?” he asked, taking up the space next to hers. “Because if I did, I’m really sorry I didn’t call,” he said, turning on the charm and taking her in. Everything she had on was pure black. Black dress, heels, leather jacket and shades. She was so well dressed, even CC would be impressed. She looked
2017, October 11th Aaron got back to Troy's around 8 PM. He wanted to stay, but Adele had insisted she didn't want to upset Ethan again. Seriously that guy was really starting to get on his nerves. It was just as well though. There was only so long he could stay, only so long he could brush her hair and listen to her play without his hands roaming elsewhere. Aaron was walking through the house, looking for signs of life when his eyes fell on the table and his mouth fell open. "I don't think I've ever seen so much cake in my life. What is this?" Aaron asked. "You're telling me," Troy shrugged. "I'm not running the show Aaron, I'm just going along for the ride." "This is what you call getting her to agree to go home?" "Hey manchild, if you have any brilliant ideas-" "You could be a dick like you've been from the start." "Boys, boys, there's plenty to go around," said a voice. She took centre stage like she seemed to whenever she entered a room, eliciting a "Keira" from both men as she c
2019, December 25th When they got to the Arden residence, Aria and Troy spent a considerable amount of time hovering over Ethan, forgetting everything and everyone else. Maybe it was the terror, the danger and adrenaline, but neither of them wanted to leave him or each other. Despite their display of passion at the base however, they were still very much fighting. He could block Aaron and Bart out while he was with Aria and Ethan, but Troy refused to stay the night at either the castle or the Arden mansion. "You're being petty," she said as she watched the road pass them by through the car window. "We should have stayed—" "Where Aria? With which of the men that you've recently spent the night with did you want to stay?" This shut her right up. Aria was angry too, but his thing clearly trumped hers. Troy hadn't acted out of character. She had. It didn't make her any less mad about what he'd done, but her guilt was letting him have more rope than he was giving her. Still, he was
2019, December 21st Aria hadn't been back to see baby Ethan. She just wasn't ready yet. What she was decidedly ready to do was rip into Troy. How long had he known? "Good morning Aria," said Troy. She was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall of Ethan's room, where she had likely been all night. Troy drew his fingers through his hair. She was a wreck. It was always going to be this way, he knew, but his keeping it from her probably didn't help. He couldn't change that now though. He had to focus on what he could do. For her, for them. Troy went over to her and sat down next to her. "When you're ready, he'll be right where you left him and so will I. I'm here to answer any and all of your questions." Troy looked at her. This quiet, silent version of her that he'd never seen before scared him. Even straight off of the battlefield, when he put her on a plane to Terres Somnia, she handled everything like a pro. Honestly he was surprised that she stayed the night. He knew she w