DRABBLE. eleanor’s antics (1/?)
VERSE: Medieval.
CHARACTERS: Eleanor E. Fiore, Caleb Nanagear.
“ How am I to refer to you? Are you a Nanagear or a Fedele? ”
She really should be returning to the palace, but the girl’s mischievous nature had led her instead to the corn fields of this odd little village. More specifically to the dirty, shirtless young man who currently tended to them.
His green eyes seemed to look upon her with some degree of caution, clearly uncertain as to what her intentions were and why someone like her would be interested in him. But, regardless, he would still abandon his work as she addressed him, and allowed the farming scythe in his clutches to drop to his feet. Shortly thereafter, he dropped his head in some vague, apathetic display of falsified respect - the minimum that his mother would expect of him without exerting himself.
“ Caleb Nanagear, y'Highness. ”
“ Caleb Nanagear. ” The young woman rolled his name off of her tongue in a tone laced with amusement, watching carefully as he moved, listening intently as he spoke. In spite of his societal standing and his dishevelled appearance, just one look upon him had drawn her interest.
It could be said, she supposed, that the future ruler of their lands was just a little shallow. But she didn’t care if people thought such a thing of her - his good looks were worth all of the judgement, and then some.
“ You really should consider putting more clothes on, Mister Nanagear, or the young ladies of this strange little village may have their minds corrupted by many a perverse thought. ”
And oh, how women were shamed for these thoughts - the same thoughts, and often words, that men got away with so easily. She loathed the double standard, but it wasn’t about to hold her back from masking her flirtation behind carefully-arranged sentences.
Nor would she deny herself the pleasure of watching the faintest of blushes emerge upon his muddied face. This subtle indication of his embarrassment was enough to draw a chuckle from the young heiress, and encouraged her to shift just a little closer into his personal space.
A gloved hand came to rest against his dirty, freckled cheek, eyelashes fluttering over intense green orbs in such a way that he should become further influenced by her less-than-appropriate behaviour. The heat in his cheeks was even more prominent now that she held it in her palms.
“ Has the cat stolen your tongue, Mister Nanagear~? Have you nothing to say in your defence~? ”
The girl smiled almost gently as her thumb grazed over his flushed cheek, before returning the offending hand back to her person. As soon as she had moved towards him, she had distanced herself once more, and now observed him from a distance that he was perhaps a little more comfortable with.
“ You’ll be spending an awful lot of time behind castle walls for the foreseeable future - so I’d like to think we would be able to converse, no? ”
And with that confirmation, Eleanor was content in leaving the bewildered boy in her wake as she made her way back to the guard watching from afar. It put a spring in her step to know that this ordeal would not be strictly business-only. Something a little sweeter to add to the mix made even the most complicated of her plans just that little bit easier.
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