Lanni had scarcely a moment for herself in the frenzied whirl of her duties. Be-tween her regular responsibilities, the additional responsibilities caused by the party, and things she needed to do to be ready to attend the party, she barely had time to even sit. The build-up to the event consumed her, body and soul. Lanni was the kind of person who threw herself wholeheartedly into her responsibilities, and this time was no different. Her dedication had a cost, though—on two separate occasions, she was so en-grossed in her work that she forgot to sleep. In both instances, Loka chastised her for ne-glecting her health. Despite her punishing schedule, Lanni still found pockets of time to maintain the fledgling connection she had with Jahree. Their moments together were brief and fleeting, snatched amid the relentless march of her commitments and his duties. Their encounters, no more than a few minutes each night, quickly became the fragments of tranquility she craved in the chaos that surrounded her. As the party’s eve arrived, a subdued sense of triumph filled Lanni. She had tackled the mountain of tasks that had once seemed insurmountable. The remaining tasks for the event were the kind that demanded last-minute attention, ones that would be handled by someone else tomorrow. Now, with a rare opportunity to catch her breath, her thoughts naturally drifted to Jahree. She was eager for his company, not just for the reprieve he offered from the re-lentless busyness but also to explore the undefined terrain of their relationship. After ex-changing a single kiss—a kiss that he hadn’t mentioned since—it lingered unanswered whether Jahree was seeking mere friendship or something that treaded deeper waters of affection. Resolved to see him, Lanni shed her uniform, the fabric of her responsibilities, and slipped into an outfit that struck a delicate balance between casual and attractive. It was carefully chosen attire that hinted at her interest without appearing overly intentional or as if she were trying to impress him. With a heart fluttering with mixed anticipation and nervousness, she approached the barracks where he was quartered. Standing before Jahree’s door, she raised her hand and knocked, hoping she wasn’t waking him. After a brief, taut pause, the door swung open to reveal Jahree, alert and fully dressed, his presence instantly soothing Lanni’s anx-ious spirit. Lanni stepped into the cozy room with a sense of ease, greeted by Jahree’s warm smile. “Come in,” Jahree said, his voice inviting as he moved aside to allow her entrance. He and Tellic were hunched over a scattered assortment of cards, their game in full swing amid the room’s comfortable clutter. “Hey, Lanni, want to join us?” Tellic chimed in, his eyes brightening at the pro-spect of a new challenger. Lanni responded with a nod, her eyes reflecting a spark of an-ticipation. Card games had always been one of her favorite pastimes. “What’s the game?” she inquired, her curiosity piqued as she eyed the cards on the table. “It’s called Dragon Flight. It’s an old one that Mama Sai taught me,” Jahree ex-plained, pausing to shuffle the deck before him. His fingers moved with practiced ease, clearly familiar with the intricate dance of the cards. Lanni’s face lit up with recognition. “I know it. It’s been a while, but I used to be rather good at it,” she admitted, a hint of competitiveness lacing her tone. “That sounds like a challenge,” Tellic said with a laugh, the light from the lantern dancing in his eyes. His tone was playful, yet it carried an undercurrent of excitement at the prospect of a worthy opponent. “Deal her in,” Jahree agreed, and the trio quickly became engrossed in the nuanc-es of the game. Rounds passed with friendly banter and strategic plays, the flicker of the nearby lantern casting warm, shifting shadows across their faces. Eventually, Tellic laid down his last card with a theatrical shrug, signaling his de-feat. “Well, looks like I’m out. We’re all supposed to bathe before tomorrow night, I might as well get it done now,” he announced rather casually, gathering his belongings with a carefree grin. With Tellic’s departure, the room seemed to hold its breath for a brief moment. It had been orchestrated so smoothly, so naturally, that Lanni almost didn’t register the sig-nificance of his exit. In his own way, Tellic had given Jahree and her a chance to be alone together, an opportunity for a more personal conversation away from the congenial com-petition of the card game. Now, with just the subtle crackle of the candles breaking the silence, it was clear that a different kind of interaction was about to unfold. Lanni sat perched on the edge of Jahree’s bed, the worn sheets beneath her crin-kling with each small movement. The room was sparse, lacking even a chair for guests to sit on. But she didn’t mind, not when she was with him. As they played their next round of cards, Jahree suddenly put the deck aside and leaned in to kiss her. It wasn’t a playful peck like before, but a deep, passionate kiss filled with longing and desire. She couldn’t help but respond, her lips meeting his eagerly. His hands roamed over her body as their kisses grew more feverish, and soon he trailed his lips down to her neck, evoking a low purr from her throat. His arms slipped under her to pull her into a laying position. He pulled off his shirt before lying with her. She was distracted by the number of scars he had. Instead of wondering what had happened, she should have been wondering what he was planning. As he kissed her again his hands caressed her, and another purr slipped from her. He tugged at her shirt trying to remove it. In that moment, Lanni was lost in the pleasure and excitement of being with Jahree. But then something inside her snapped into focus - perhaps it was the exhaustion from training all day or the long stretch of time since she had been with a man - but she realized what was happening and pulled away in panic. “No, Jahree, stop,” she gasped, pushing him off her with surprising strength unin-tentionally knocking him to the floor. “I can’t do this right now. I’m sorry.” She quickly retreated to her own room, staying there until it was time to feed the soldiers. As she left Jahree’s food for him on a table in the hallway, she knew she would have to face him eventually and explain why she had rejected him. But for now, she needed time to process everything that had just happened between them. #fantasy, #magic, #dragons, #hiddenlands