forum A Deal With the Devil (o/o closed)

Started May 21, 2019 by @ElderGod-yellowqueen

tune

Malachi snorted. "I take it you're not a fan of dresses then?" He pulled himself up into the branch with ease. He climbed through the tangle of branches until he came to the branch besides her.

"I like dresses enough, they just aren't practical. You can't do anything in a dress besides look pretty." She shifted her weight to balance better on the branch, holding onto the tree with one arm.

Malachi looked up at her. "Well isn't that the point? To look pretty, impress others, and make all the men in the room wish they had you on their arm."

She laughed, a wry sound that held no amusement. "Hardly. The point is to feel comfortable and practical. I guess looking nice is alright, but not like a dress." She hauled herself up one more branch and sat back.

"Sounds like you don't dress up much. Well, whatever you wish to wear will be made for you. Though don't be surprised when Celeste tries to get you into more dresses. I would like to see you in more as well." Malachi looked at her thoughtfully.

Zoey froze at that and risked a glance down, pulling her eyes away when she saw him watching her. She felt red start to creep into her cheeks, but kept her face up away from him until it faded. She rubbed the bark, letting the roughness scratch away her confusion until her palm was red and sore.

Malachi pulled hinself up to her level. He grabbed her hand, to make her stop scratching herself. "Hey, quite that. You'll hurt yourself otherwise." He raised her hand to his lips amd kissed her palm gently. He watched as the redness faded quickly. "Better?"

She froze, watching him with wide eyes like a scared rabbit. Her other hand flashed up to her hair to pull it off her face. "Thank you." Her voice didn't shake, and she glanced down at her hand and pulled it away from him to look at it. "How did you…?"

Malachi didn't fight as she pulled her hand back. He dropped his hands to the branch he was sitting on. "It's just one of the many things I can do. I would show you more but i fear it might frighten you. Perhaps in time."

"No, show me!" She momentarily forgot her fear to stare at him with curiosity. One hand absently held the other, still marveling at the way it felt. She bounced slightly and shifted herself down a branch, standing on the other side of the tree but leaning around to still see him.

Malachi jumped off the branch, landing perfectly on the ground below. He looked up at her and waved her down. "Come on. I'll show you a couple things." He spoke loud enough for his voice to reach her.

She started swinging down, careful to keep her dress from getting caught. The branches seemed thicker on the way down, and it took her longer to get to the last branch to jump down.

Malachi helped down once she had reached the last branch. He offered her his arm. "Come. If I'm to show you best not be in a place as beautiful as this. I do not want to destroy anything here."

She raised an eyebrow but accepted both his arm and his explanation. "So what kinds of other things can you do?" Her curiosity was still significantly stronger than her apprehension.

"There's a reason your people picture me with horns and wings, though the pitchfork is off. I don't carry one of those. I can shapeshift. I can sport wing from my back luke the devil you think I am or I could into a mouse."

"I think I'd prefer the mouse." She turned to him, still curious once they were further away from the garden.

Malachi looked down at her with a smirk. "Perhaps not. I can sneak where no one would think to find me. I can creep in bedrooms and listen to conversations intended for no one to hear." He led her back inside, taking her to their training room

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm going to hope you aren't implying you would spy on people. That's an invasion of their privacy." She informed him, lifting her chin and speaking primly.

Malachi chuckled. "So? It is my kingdom. These are my subjects. I am king. I can do as I please. Besides, I only spy when I hear rumors of a rebellion, perhaps an assassination attempt. How would I be so hard to kill?"

"That doesn't change it. I'd very much appreciate not being spied on." She folded her arms and turned away from slightly.

"I would never. Not to you." Malachi meant those words, more than he ever had meant anything before. And he was rarely ever true to his word. He was amaster manipulator.

Zoey arched an eyebrow and turned away, telling herself the sincerity in his tone was a figment of her imagination. "Good." She said crisply, and changed the subject. "What else can you do?"