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 Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:44 pm
Faisal's face was flushed with the excitement of dancing, his body thrumming with energy and warmth as he pulled Sariza closer to him for their final dance. "You present a good argument." He replied with a small smile as he swept her across the floor alongside the other couples. It was a more personal dance that matched the beat of the song as the bard sung about lovers separated by the seas but Faisal didn't mind as it allowed him to be closer to Sariza. It was also nice to be able to catch his breath after all of the earlier excitement and as the final notes faded through the air, the hybrid found himself finally coming to a halt. Even if he wasn't one to sing eloquent words of love there was plenty of affection in his gaze as he studied Sariza in that moment.
The rest of the tavern seemed content with the festivities while some continued to listen to the bard's music, the jaunties calming down for the night while most of the patrons returned to their drinks and food after applauding the performer. Faisal let out a breath and smiled at Sariza. "Well that was fun." He finally managed before glancing about again, moving so that he could place coin on the table to pay for their drinks. "Do we linger or move along?" Though at this point it seemed that only the late night patrons were going to stay, some of the locals opting to return to their homes or for others wherever they needed to be alone with their partners.
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:53 pm
"A stroll sounds nice right about now. I think the night air would help to cool us down." If he felt anything like she did then he must have been suffocating being indoors. As fun as it had been to drink and dance Sariza was in sore need of some fresh air! Before leaving their table, though, she flagged down a server and asked for two glasses of water. When the young lad came back with them she made sure to tip him for his services and handed one over to Faisal.
"I think if more of the parties back home were like this I might actually enjoy them." Sariza drank her fill of water and left the glass on the table in favor of moving outside. Now that the worn, briney walls weren't holding in the music only a faint murmur could be heard. The loudest sounds now were their feet in the sand and the waves licking her calves.
"So...it might be a little late to say this, but...I love you Faisal." Two sons, a wedding, and a handful of assassins' after their initial meeting...and she was just now getting to the point she could say it. "At first I never really thought I would. I hoped we would get along, but I never expected this."
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 1:47 pm
Faisal nodded in agreement. If the parties were like this back home then perhaps his grandmother would have a heart attack but the rest of his family would have had a lot more fun than the stuffy gatherings they endured. "Maybe we can be rebels and host something a bit more fun in the future." He offered with a small grin at the very thought of shocking other noble families by having an actual party...something that would probably be rarely seen but definitely remembered.
At least now they were outside and enjoying the crisp night air, the ocean breeze cooling his flushed skin. The sky was still a myriad of fading colors as the sun lingered along the horizon with the first stars appearing above them as glimmering diamonds. It was a perfect moment, one made even more perfect by the sudden declaration from Sariza. The flush from earlier immediately came back as Faisal stumbled to a halt, his usual composure failing in the swirl of emotion that such words brought. "It's...never too late." He finally managed after clearing his throat, his gaze softening as he studied Sariza and reached out to tuck a stray dread back into place. His hand lingered against her cheek as the words truly sank in. "I was a bit of a brat our first meeting, but I am glad it was you. I'm so thankful that the fates brought us together because I've most definitely fallen in love with you, Sariza." He had thrown such a fit thinking about true love when she had been right in front of him this whole time. The very thought made him feel foolish, but at least now he recognized it before it was too late. It had taken a couple of assassination attempts before he had realized his feelings, but now that they were married with the boys the feeling was stronger than ever before. Danger had only brought them closer together and made Faisal more determined to do his best for Sariza.
"We will get through this and I'll make up for all of my earlier foolishness. I was too busy trying to break the engagement instead of taking you on all the dates and adventures you deserved." Faisal promised as he rubbed his thumb along her cheek affectionately. "Thank you for loving me." The laughter at the tavern and the drinks and dancing had been nice, but the confession from Sariza truly touched his spirit. Faisal was so happy that it was hard not to kiss Sariza right away, but he wanted to take the moment to study her and to remember every detail about this precious moment so that he could take it with him through the rest of his life.
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 3:18 pm
Sariza snorted. "I suppose that would be the fastest way to figure out who your real friends were." Those that stuck around would be the ones that would have their backs in the future, while so many others would just snub their noses at the thought. In all honesty, though, Sariza wasn't so sure she would want a party like that in their home. Things would get rowdy very quickly and with enough alcohol there might be more damage than Faisal's grandmother would be comfortable with.
She couldn't help blushing like a young maid. It was just such a vulnerable moment that Sariza couldn't help herself. After everything they'd already been through, everything they were going to get wrapped up in, it just felt so...small, but somehow all the more precious.
"I'm glad you got your wish." He'd been such a romantic that she was always so worried about letting him down. Sariza had even hoped he would take a mistress just so he wasn't entirely disappointed, but now she would be heartsick if he did.
"To be fair, I was too busy trying to impress your family to actually get to know you." She reached for the hand that wasn't touching her cheek and stepped closer toward him. "But I'm glad I changed."
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Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 7:44 am
"I'm glad as well." Faisal smiled gently as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against Sariza's own. "I think we've both changed quite a bit in the last couple of years." He admitted as he reflected upon their first meeting and all of the things that they had experienced together since then. They still had quite the journey to go and Faisal was thankful that he could continue with Sariza as his companion. They had a family now and maybe even one day it would expand, who knew? The fates worked in mysterious ways.
"At least now we can spend plenty of time getting to know each other." Faisal added quietly, his gaze smoldering as he studied his wife and placed a kiss against her lips. "Let's continue our romantic walk, shall we?" He wanted to enjoy the stars with Sariza and show her how much he truly treasured her before they went back to Oba to fight for their lives.
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