The streets of gold (Nef and Faylinn)

Faylinn was coming for another visit, this time in a more official setting as she was coming back after consulting with her father. And, thankfully, she would be greeted by him and only him. The Godking was 'unfortunately' away, dealing with some minor rebellion or other in the northern most edge of their lands. It meant that Garoth was over two weeks ride away by horse.

And the city was left in his charge.

Smirking a little bit, he stood at the entrance to the rich district at the end of the only fully repaired bridge. It was a straight line from down here to the gate she would be entering through, on the chariot that he had waiting for her no less.

After she had been given a small collect of flowers, all of which had had replacement flowers planted after they had been picked.

He had ordered construction and rebuilding projects to be entirely focused on this one street and now it looked even better than it had done before the invasion, even the poorer end near the gate. The street had also been widened and pavements at the side added in instead of just trampled dirt.

And, to make sure that she felt like the beautiful princess he knew she was, he had both sides of the streets literally lined with people. All of them were waving banners welcoming her back and would be throwing cherry blossoms (which had already fallen so as to be responsibly gathered) at her feet. Already the road glistened with golden coins that his soldiers had placed on the road to make it shine.

Of course most of the crowd had only arrived because they had been promised the right to collect all of those coins.

He waited for her at the end of the bridge alone, no one else stood around him at all. When she arrived at the end of the road he wanted to be the only one she was looking at. Of course he was dressed in his finest leathers, his hair slicked back neatly.

He couldn't have the most beautiful princess ever to come to this city looking bad because she was stood next to someone scruffy now could he?

Faylinn was amazed by the effort that had gone into the welcoming of her back to the city, it made her feel like she was someone special instead of someone who didn't have a right to be there like last time. There already was a marked improvement. As she stepped towards the gates she noted that there was a chariot for her waiting so that she wouldn't have to dirty her feet as she still wore no shoes - although she supposed it was her choice.

As she stepped onto the chariot she looked around the city, it already looked so much better than the last time and she was glad that he had spent some time making everyone's areas look a little better. The poor areas near the front were in fact much improved in her mind.

Unable to stop her wide smile when she was handed the flowers, Faylinn smelt them happily and allowed herself to be swept along the street, looking at all of the people who had gathered there to welcome her and she felt for the first time like the royalty she was in visiting another place. It was like they were taking her seriously which very few people did.

The gold coins on the floor made everything glitter and she couldn't wipe the smile from her face, even as she hopped off the carriage at the end of the path and spotted Nef, the man that she had dealings with last time standing there waiting for her.

He looked so, handsome, in his leathers.

"Did you organise all of this?" she asked with a bright smile "It is truly amazing thank you so much! It is lovely to see you again Nef."

Faylinn was approaching and some of his men in the crowd that she had already passed were giving him and his advisor hand signals. Apparently she was enjoying this reception as much, if not more, than he had hoped. Grinning a little bit, he waited patiently for her to reach him, now a little bit nervous and cursing himself for not standing closer to her entrance.

But it wouldn't have been nearly so impressive.

Straightening his leathers, he smiled widely as the chariot driver turned the chariot at the end so that she was able to dismount out the back and be right in front of him. Thankfully he had taken her bare feet into consideration and the road was cleaner than it had been for decades. When she approached him he bowed low,

"Your highness." he greeted her with a bright smile as he took her hand, kissing the back of it with a grin, "It was my pleasure to organise this for you, you deserve it after how poorly you were received the last time."

Taking her arm in his own, he grinned slightly,

"Hopefully you think it gets better." he commented airily before glancing at her and smirking softly, "How do you feel about dancing Faylinn?"

Faylinn smiled so brightly that she was sure that she was glowing with happiness. She had never been treated that way when she was in someone elses kingdom, and quite rarely in her own kingdom if she was honest with herself. It had been an experience that she would never forget in her long years and she was very thankful for Nef for making this a possibility for her.

The low bow made her bite her lip in shyness before allowing Nef to take her hand with a soft blush on her cheeks. The kiss was respectful and gentlemanly and it set her heart a flutter to have it done to her.

"It is so lovely to be received in this manner." she smiled brightly "It more than makes up for what happened last time, despite it already being all forgotten."

Slipping her arm through his own as they walked into the castle, Faylinn was cheered even more by the mention of dancing. If there was one thing that Sprites liked to do, it was dancing, and she thought that she was going to perhaps be indulged in a dance from Nef's question to her.

"I love to dance, as a rule, sprites are very lively creatures, and we often have large dances where we socialise...they go on for days at a time in some cases." she laughed softly, a tinkling melodic sound.

Looking up at Nef with her glittering lilac eyes, Faylinn smiled gently;

"The city looks wonderful, there have been changes from when I was last here?"

Nef had to say that it seemed his plan to have her view him in a favourable light (for both political and personal reasons) was working better than he could ever have hoped. She was enjoying herself immensely it seemed and he was glad of it. He bowed his head to her,

"Never the less, we owed you an apology for your treatment." He assured her before pausing, "I owed you an apology. I should have gotten their sooner in order to receive someone as important as you."

Ah so she liked to dance eh? Well that was very good for the second and third instalments of his little plan to be sure.

He grinned a little bit,

"I am very glad to hear you say that Faylinn my dear." He told her honestly, "I have taken the liberty of organising a ball for your visit to this fair city... and while it may not last days, I'm sure that it will provide suitable entertainment for you."

Looking down at her, he wanted to say that she was the beautiful one but that might be moving too fast for her. Instead he smiled a little bit,

"Repairs are ongoing... we focused on the main street for the most part. Gives the visitors a good impression." He told her with a wink, "It also helps the city seeing as the biggest markets are just off the main road and have been repaired as well."

As soon as they entered the palace, he began to lead her off to the side. Opening a side door, he led her into what looked like a parlour area, with one half of the room hidden with ornate paper screens. He smirked slightly as a very smart-looking tailor stepped out from behind the screens, several assistants holding materials. He smirked slightly and whispered to her,

"I didn't think you would have a dress for the ball... so I have commissioned the best tailor in the southern states to come and fit you a dress especially for the ball." he told her before moving over to the tailor and grinning as he patted the man on the back, "He is a master of his craft and will turn your beautiful self into a vision of perfection, all while being a complete professional."

Of course the man was known to be a complete letch, molesting female customers as he worked. So Nef leant in close and whispered, still smiling,

"Touch her inappropriately and I will pull your spine out through your stomach, wrap it around your neck and decapitate you with it."

Needless to say, the master tailor saw reason.

Faylinn was completely surprised when she heard that Nef had organised a whole ball just for her, it didn't seem like it was real. It wasn't even her birthday or anything like that! Needless to say she was looking forwards to it immensely and she wanted to be able to see the decorations right this second, would it be full of ornate golden objects? Would it be full of flowers and nature? There were so many possibilities.

"Oh Nef, thank you so much!" she grinned, restraining her need to hug him in her happiness "I never dreamed that I would have a ball here just because of me, and it is so amazing that you have put so much effort into my visit. I feel sadly lacking now, like I should give something to you in return."

Nodding her head Faylinn smiled brightly; "Such a thing surely will improve trade and morale around here, which seems to be dangerously low...I'm happy to see people will be getting more opportunities to work around here."

The room she was led into was lovely.

Everything about this visit so far had been lovely!

Now she was getting a dress as well...things could not be better, and she gave Nef a small embrace, Faylinn wanted it to be bigger but for proprieties sake she would not go further than the few seconds she had just given him.

"This is simply too much Nef, I never meant for you to go through all this trouble for me..." she pouted softly "I'll be sure to make the best use of your present however, and get a truly beautiful dress."

***

An hour or so later, Faylinn's dress was ready, and she was excited to show Nef that she had gotten such a beautiful creation without any hassle and in an amazingly short time period. He wasn't lying when he said that this man was a master at his craft and he seemed to be moving at such speed, like he had the devil on his tracks.

"Are you ready to see Nef?" she asked shyly, poking her head out from behind the curtain before allowing herself to step out so he could see the dress "What do you think?"

Nef grinned a little bit when she thanked him. Mostly because he could see that she had wanted to do more than just verbally thank him but had restrained herself a little bit. He smirked a little bit and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze with his hand as he smiled softer at her,

"As long as you're enjoying your stay and enjoy the gifts I have for you... I am happy to receive nothing else in return." He assured her with a grin, "Just your enjoyment is enough for me, I can assure you."

When Faylinn came back out with her dress he whistled a little bit in appreciation before he could stop himself. She looked perfect, as he had boasted the tailor would make her look. Honestly, he almost regretted threatening the man. He had made a perfectly beautiful dress that was for sure. And he had made it fit every inch of Faylinn perfectly.

He grinned widely,

"I cannot believe it... you're even more beautiful than before." He told her before grinning, "Can I get a little twirl or will I have to wait for the first dance at the ball?"

Giving her time to get changed back into her travel clothes, two servant girls carried the dress and the accessories to go with it. Leading her onwards, he opened the doors to a room that was obviously a pool room... but it was actually just a bathroom. The bath was just the size of a pool. He smiled at her,

"These two servant girls will be your handmaidens for your visit." He told her, kissing the back of her hand lightly, "The ball begins in two hours... I shall return with ten minutes to spare. Enjoy your relaxing time after your travels."

*****

Arriving at the entrance to the room Faylinn had been given, dressed in the formal leathers of the Vurdmeister, Nef knocked on the door as he adjusted his sleeves,

"Faylinn... the time has drawn near my dear."

Faylinn had been bathed, and dressed ready for the ball and had been talking amiably with the two girls that she had as her servants for this trip. She had never had servants before it was quite a novel experience, it was strange however because when she would go to do something they would always stop her and insist that they did it for her.

It made her pout for a few times before she got used to it and she wanted to be able to enjoy it a little bit, although she didn't think that she was very good at bossing them around, asking them to do things instead of telling them to do it.

The pool bath had been amazing to bathe in and she had done so, with her servants, allowing them to enjoy the oils that she had used in the bath to make herself smell nice. Cherry blossom, was her natural scent but now she smelt of rose petals alongside this, a soft floral scent that she couldn't get enough of.

Now she was dressed in her green dress, her long white hair pinned up in several plaits around her head to create a lovely decorative style, and her eyelids painted with a green make up to match her dress. Oddly, she was wearing shoes, they took a little while to get used to again but now that she was wearing them Faylinn liked the novelty.

Opening the door to Nef, her smile grew wide and she found that she loved the sight of him in his leather clothes. In fact she could not see him in any other type of clothing. The smell drew her to him as well, it made her want to curl up into him and go to sleep.

"Nef you look so handsome!" she grinned brightly "Are you going to be my escort for this evening to the ball? I was hoping that you would be I don't know anyone else."

Holding out her hand for him to take an guide her, Faylinn smiled softly; "I confess myself a little nervous I don't want to say something that I shouldn't do and offend everyone who is there...I'm even wearing shoes for a change."

Nef had to admit that he had honestly thought that she had looked perfect when she had tried on the dress the first time. But now that she had bathed, relaxed, done her hair, had some make-up applied and was wearing shoes? It was like she was even more perfect than he could ever imagine anyone ever being.

He shook his head with a bemused smile,

"You never cease to make me believe that angels are real... and that they live in trees." He told her with a wink as he complimented her, "But honestly Faylinn, you look stunning my dear."

He grinned a little bit and straightened his uniform a little bit,

"Even sprites love a man in uniform I see." he teased her before smiling wider and bowing to her before extending a hand for her to take, "I would be most honoured if you were to allow me to escort you my dear Faylinn."

As he began to guide her towards the ballroom, he chuckled a little bit and leant in to whisper into her ear,

"If you hadn't worn shoes I'd have asked everyone else to take theirs off." he told her with a sly wink before they arrived at the ballroom. He took her arm in his, "You look beautiful... everyone is going to be so jealous of me..."

Leading her into the bustling ballroom, there was a splattering of applause from all who attended as Nef led her to the centre of the ballroom. The floor cleared quickly so it was just them and the band began to play a new song, a softer song, as he held her close and began to dance with her. He leant in to whisper,

"Did I neglect to mention the spotlight dance?"

Faylinn couldn't help but blush softly when she saw his eyes looking over her body, biting her lip softly she thought that he was enjoying what he was seeing. Biting her lip she resisted the urge to run her hands through her hair to stop the nerves from getting too carried away, she didn't want to ruin her hair after all.

"Thank you so much Nef, I feel a little strange wearing such clothes, I'm not used to wearing such heavy clothes but it does look beautiful." she smiled softly, gently allowing her hands to trace along the smooth material, enjoying the feel of it underneath her fingers.

Nodding her head she poked her tongue out; "I didn't know it was your uniform, but it does suit you really very well Nef. I enjoy the smell of leather, it makes me want to embrace you so I get to smell it all the time."

The fact that he would have made everyone else remove their shoes, made Faylinn blink, and her cheeks flush in a large blush because it was such a sweet gesture that would have caused far more bad than it would have good amongst the people in the party. The ballroom was amazing, the decor was wonderful and it made her feel like she'd stepped into the pages of a story book.

"I think many people will be jealous of me as well. Not everyone gets to be treated like a princess, and dance with the most handsome Vurdmeister in the castle all night." she smiled gently "It feels magical."

As they walked onto the floor, and a new song began to play Faylinn's eyes widened and she scowled playfully at Nef;

"No you neglected to mention that."

Nef was very glad that the appreciation of her body seemed to be something that she was ready and willing to embrace. Either that or she didn't know he was doing it and was just expressing her own appreciation for his attire and himself. He smirked a little bit at that and stroked the outside of his leather uniform,

"Yes well this is my formal military attire... it doesn't get much use to be fair. We are only ever expected to be this presentable when we welcome a new Godking and that doesn't happen often." he admitted before smirking slightly, "Now Lady Faylinn... I do believe people would talk if they saw you cuddled up to be, inhaling my scent in deeply, to fall asleep."

He grinned a little bit. Oh no, he was sure that the people would be jealous of him and not her. She was the beautiful one after all. That and the fact that no one in this room, other than Faylinn, actually liked him.

Why?

Because when he was dealing with people other than Faylinn, violence and cruelty were much better weapons he had found.

Smirking a little bit at her glare, he nodded,

"I guess I did..." he admitted before smirking, "What about this? Did I forget to mention this?"

From the ceiling, thousands of tiny cherry blossom petals fell all around them. But thanks to some magic they didn't touch the floor, they were just reappeared near the ceiling and fell again, keeping a steady trickle. He smirked as two soldiers opened the glass doors of one wall to show the city-scape in the night.

"Or this?"

Fireworks began to light up the night sky and he smiled softly at her and whispered to her,

"All for you."