Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ah, this lady was a lovely one, was she not? Richard was grateful for his robe, it hid his sudden conflicted expression. He needed to remember himself better. If he was not careful... "Any change of pace is my doing Crystal. I assure you...your presence is a grace, nothing less." His words were smooth and comforting sounding, even while he peered at the crowd from beneath his hood. As if sensing her curiousity, he began speaking softly so that only she would hear him. "Orcs. Normally, you find them above ground. Here, they are servants, slaves even. Any race not drow is considered inferior. Among the drow themselves, women rule over men, sometimes cruelly. The drow seem to hate us, orcs, elves, and anything not drow. Funny thing is, they seem to hate each other as well. Their form of government strikes me as tribal, several families of drow split up amongst the population, houses. The head house, which is the house of the matron mother, sort of like their queen, sits at the top of the caste system. This house is followed by the other houses. Some drow, like the lads I spoke with above ground, do not belong in any house. They usually join one of the three schools to gain recognition. If not, they are on the next to last rung on the ladder." He turned into a less crowded street, an old drow at the end selling chickens. Richard seemed curious about this, but paused at the door to a bulding labeled 'inn' in common instead. He glanced at Crystal, then pushed the door open, immersing himself into stale, dry air, several goblin looking things smoking in the corner. Other than the loud, rowdy group at the bar itself, the place was pretty empty. He looked over each individual, studying the magic radiating from a goblin sitting alone. That, would be Richard's contact. He pulled out a chair for Crystal, leaning down to whisper. "Sit here for a moment mi'lady? I will be right over there-" He gestured to the goblin, a small gesture, "So do not worry any. Three minutes at the most, I swear it." He gave a nod, then strode over to the goblin purposefully. He pulled down his hood, speaking in a different language entirely. Actually, it sounded like elvish mixed with french. His gestures seemed part of the language, and it might have struck anyone as odd that none of the other patrons even glanced at Richard. In the underdark, one did not mess with a man with so much magic coming off him. After a few moments, Richard's frost eyes studied a hall next to the bar. He gave the goblin a nod of thanks, and then walked back to Crystal. "Shall we?" He asked, though he seemed slightly tense.

Richard frowned ever so slightly when he saw her discomfort, wishing for a second he had taken her somewhere nicer. But...this was what his research was. His tenseness faded away, replaced with mild concern. "Here..." He said softly, taking her arm gently and guiding her towards the hall. He walked at an easy pace while counting doors, stopping at the twelfth one and saying a word in that strange french/elven sounding language. Where there should have been a doorknob, there was a strange symbol, and it glowed ever so slightly as he spoke, opening tiself a crack. He pushed it all the way open, stepping inside and releasing her arm. He pulled his robe off, folding it with expertly and setting it on the tall table. The room was spacious enough, the table surrounded by three chairs, a large armour against the wall near it. In the far corner was a canopy bed, a small nightstand next to it. Richard ignored all of it though, now going through his bag, which he had sat on the table as well. He produced a bottle of water, and held it out to her. "My Lady." He said, offering it to her with a slight nod of his head. For another moment he again wished they had gone somewhere nice, just because. It was a rare thing that could distract Richard from his work, and he was wary of it. Nay, he might even be afraid of it. He seemed slightly tense again, and turned around to promptly distract himself with his bag.

Richard did nothing when she hugged him, simply continuing to go through his bag. He couldn't remember what he had wanted from it when she hugged him. She walked away though, and his hand closed on his leather bound book, and he drew it out to set on the table beside the bag. "I suppose I must apolo-" He started, stopping when he turned around and found her resting. Richard frowned slightly. That was a long trek...I should have gone slower... He had worn the poor woman out. Richard took a few quiet steps toward Crystal, gently taking the water from her and setting it on the table with his left hand. Then he carefully moved her so that she would be more comfortable, pulling the light blanket over her gently. Satisfied, he went back to the table, pulling out a chair and sagging into it. He was tired too, but not from the journey here. No, that dang door had got to him. Absently rubbing his chest again, right where his heart was, he stopped to retrieve his glasses from his pocket, putting them on easily. Richard opened the leather book and recorded the brief fight with the Drow, then sketched the young half drow on a different page. He also turned back to the pages on the strange race he had been researching a while ago, which he had put on hold. He looked over the information he had. So far, only the young lad and his grandfather had deigned to say anything to him, and they planned to meet him soon. He suspected the young Trina was also a member of this race, but she had been upset when he had spoken to her, and he had no desire to make her uncomfortable. But the young Maara had rattled off more information than he felt safe. What if he had been a man looking for Trina's race for the wrong reasons? But he had warned the young cat girl against secret telling, and kept what she had said to himself. Richard shook himself out of his musings, writing down the effects of the strange blue marble quickly before closing the book. He reached into his bag and drew out a larger one, opening it to the section where he had written his usual defensive spells. Richard's 'spellbook', if one could call it that, was really just a giant journal of magics he had discovered. It was written in several languages, some not even used anymore. Richard did not want his discoveries used for the wrong reasons. After a bit of this, he closed that book too, and set it beneath his leather one. He then breifly sketched the route they had taken, marking the place where the battle had been and putting that piece of paper away. He would add it to his large map, still hidden safely in his room at the muffin, later. Richard stood, carried his chair to the door silently, and set it down in front of it. He then sat again, back to the door, crossing his arms and looking at the sleeping Crystal once more before he too fell asleep, chin resting on his chest.

If Richard dreamed, he never mentioned it. The large man stirred when he sensed magic though, becoming slowly aware of Crystal’s movements in the bed, of the lowering temperature. He woke with a start when the magic reached it’s peak, already on his feet, a defensive spell on his lips. His frost eyes scanned the room in alarm, but no enemy could be spotted. Richard’s muscles relaxed slightly, adrenaline fading as he looked at Crystal, concerned. “Mi’lady?” He asked softly, gently, while starting forward. He glanced at the bottle in mild surprise, blinked, then turned his attention back to her. Her well being was more important to him than his curiousity, which was nonexistant in the midst of his concern. “Are you alright?” He asked, looking down at her, brows furrowed in worry. He wasn’t sure what had happened. He could still sense the magic, but didn’t know what had caused her to use any. A nightmare perhaps? His nieces had nightmares…when he visited his sister they both fled to his room so that he could go scare away the ‘monsters’ hiding under beds and in closets. Richard somehow doubted Crystal’s fear could be so easily absolved. He knelt down so he wasn’t looking down at her, as he knew that his size sometimes intimidated people without his meaning to. What she feared he did not know, but Richard would gladly defend this woman from anything. “You have nothing to fear Crystal…I will protect you…” He whispered softly, absolutely sincere.

"Shh...I'm not leaving you...I wouldn't consider it..." Richard soothed, sitting on the very edge of the bed and drawing her closer to him. "It's quite alright." He patted her back softly, hugging her. Richard still wasn't sure what was wrong. What couldn't she do? He drew a silk cloth from his pocket, watching her face as if he could read the problem there, and gently wiped away tears. "Don't be upset...did you wish to speak about it Crystal?" He asked softly, in a non-prying way. It tore at his heart to see her upset, and he wanted to make whatever it was okay. Though somewhere, in the very back of his mind, he worried it was his fault.

Richard wasn't sure about that one. “…My Lady…I have not been very honest with you…” He said slowly. “Not at all. You are a very, very lovely young woman Crystal. Lady Crystal. And… you are a wonderful diplomat, intelligent, witty…you carry yourself very well. Any man should feel honored to be given the grace of your company, let alone the privilege to befriend you. But I…I am not what you should be looking for.” Richard seemed to deflate at this last statement, the giant of a man not seeming so tough now, so invincible and strong, charming and confident as usual. No, he seemed a bit at a loss. “Crystal…I do not have wealth, I do not have titles. Power and armies are not in my possession.” His voice was calm still, but somewhat sad. “…I am the disgraced brother of a Queen. In my land, I am a coward and a knave. I went against the people’s will Crystal, there is no political recovery from that. Having much to do with me could ruin you. I have tried to be careful…I swear I did not mean to conduct myself in such an improper manner. But I have grown to like you Crystal…love you. But it is wrong of me to do so, and even worse to admit it! What possesses me to say such things to you? To act so irresponsibly?” When he spoke again, it was soft, almost imploring. “And even if I did…did ask to court you…what could I offer such a wonderful woman? What can I possibly provide? I am not a man of dramatic actions…I live in words. My studies…they’re all that have mattered for a long time…And now…you have come along, and I am torn.” He rubbed her back gently. “Because I know I cannot live in your world. I cannot again become Richard the diplomat, Richard the knight, Richard the Lord anymore than I can become a fish. And I cannot ask you to give up your world either. To do so would be a great crime against you, one I could never forgive myself for. And I am afraid…afraid I will watch you leave for your homeland someday, knowing that I cannot accompany you, and will no longer be able to be even Richard the scholar.” He stopped speaking, this last statement seeming to weigh heavy on him. “…I’m sorry for saying such things to you…but it is the truth as well as I know it. You are welcome to make your own choices always...and if anyone attempts to prevent that in my prescence, I will defend you. I am not your equal Crystal...you are entitled to more than me." He exhaled tiredly, stroking her hair. "I am sorry I can offer you so little."

Richard's eyes widened as he was kissed, surprised. He held her close then, his usual methodical mind fogged. "...I just want you to be happy Crystal..." He whispered, kissing the top of her head. "And I do love you. Forgive it, I am sorry." He added, a lot of things going through his head. Things he had never bothered to consider before. But how exactly to sort those out? "What will happen if...?" He started, not sure how to ask. It sounded as if her country wouldn't be open to her doing as she liked.

He let Crystal move. Then Richard seemed to just now realize they were sitting on a bed, and leapt up like it was on fire, coloring slightly. "Not at all! Not at all..." He said, going over to his bag to distract himself again. "Sometimes I find nothing. Usually I end up on wild goose chases when I set out." He said, trying to get things okay, half wondering if he was doing a bad job of it.