Different Points of View

Writers: Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 22nd March 2008

Characters: Benaran, Karemyn
Description: Benaran and Karemyn have another conflict of attitudes.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 9, day 4 of Turn 4

It had been a sevenday now since she had lost the baby she wasn't aware she had been carrying. A sevenday since she had fallen into the care of Benaran - literally.

Her mother had been to see the Lord Holder's son and asked that she be moved to her parents small holding, but that request had been turned down, as had her own on subsequent occasions. It wasn't that he made life here difficult for her, quite the opposite. But she hated being beholden to him - and she sensed he knew it and seemed to enjoy it in some twisted way.

Armee entered the room, walking across with a tray filled with fresh fruit and some steaming klah, but Karemyn turned away, she really wasn't hungry. Today - hopefully today the healer would allow her to return to the Weyr - hopefully. She heard the serving girl place the tray on the table and quickly leave the room, the servants weren't really pleased about having to serve a dragonrider - from what she could sense.

Benaran had slipped into the room as the serving girl was delivering the tray and had remained as she left - possibly speeding her retreat from the room by the lewd appraisal he gave her. He studied the dragonrider for a moment and then stepped forward, his voice saccharine in tone. "Not eating? How do you expect to get well?"

"OH!" she jumped at his words, standing quickly she spun around to face him. "I feel fine. I'm just not one to eat immediately I rise." she said, realising as she spoke, that her night attire was on full view. She bent to the bed, ignoring the wave of nausea that rose, and collected a shift to pull around her nightwear. "I was...just waiting for the healer, I think he'll allow me to leave today." she smiled, but her voice sounded brittle, even to herself.

"You really think so?" He strode closer, selecting a ripe redfruit from the tray and inspecting it carefully before taking a bite. He chewed slowly, speaking with his mouth still half full. "I doubt that."

"Doubt it?" her brow creased in a small frown, "Why?" she asked, sensing his nearness was deliberate, like everything else he did. She pulled the shift even more tightly around her, though the fluttering heart in her chest wasn't entirely due to a fear or revulsion of him.

"You don't seem to be extremely steady yet." He picked up one of the finely-woven napkins from the tray and wiped his hands on it.

"I'm fine." she said, determinedly. "I'll be even better once I'm home, in my own surroundings." she felt she was acting like a petulant child but was powerless to change in the face of his amusement. "Once I'm home..." she could feel her heart pounding in her chest, with worry or something more, she wasn't sure. "I'll be fine..." she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course you will be." He looked at her as he would look at a child, humoring her. "A positive attitude always helps with healing."

"Do you always have to be so..." she searched for the right word, "... so agreeable? I know you don't want me here, I'm a reminder of the _wicked ways of the Weyr_. You seem to forget, I've seen the other side of you, and to be truthful I think I prefer that side. At least I know where I stand with _that_ Benaran." Her frustration had come to a head, his ingratiating manner was more than an irritant now and though she knew her parents would be ashamed of her outburst on more than one level, she found herself powerless to stop the tirade.

"Agreeable." He chuckled over the word. "I can't say that I've ever been accused of that before now." His eyes narrowed and his expression became more stern. "But I should probably thank you. Your time here has reminded me that dragonriders are simply persons such as myself, though having over-sized beasts to make them seem more important."

"What?" she shook her head, not sure she had heard right. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly. You're saying that _I_ think I'm more important than _you_?" she laughed aloud. "You _are_ joking, right? I don't think I have _ever_ given that impression, especially not to you." she hoped the words sounded as contemptuous of him as she intended. How arrogant of the man!

"No? I disagree." He moved closer to her, pulling himself to his full height and looking down at her. "From the first moment we met, you've treated me as an undesirable, as not good enough for you. In this Hold I'm known as a flirt, and the women flirt with me, from the drudges to the fanciest of them. But you, you come here and think that you're too good, that you're above me. You rely on your dragon to keep your distance and to let me know that you're not available - at least, not to me."

She could feel her whole body heating madly at his nearness, but his words, they puzzled her. "I..." she shook her head, "I've never thought I was too good for you..." her voice came out low and almost breathless. "I, -" her eyes met his and quickly looked away again, the close proximity confusing her mind even more, "you always looked down on me, from the first, I was an easy green rider. More subservient than most because of my parents - they're only here thanks to your fathers goodwill..." a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she grasped out to steady herself, her hands clasping his arms tightly.

"Really?" The word was uttered derisively, though he pulled her closer, pressing her against him as he looked down into her face. "That's not as I saw it." He was aware of her body against his, of his power over her at this moment - and of some of the truth that she spoke, as well as the validity of his own words. He found himself bending, wanting to test her, to find out. . . His lips crushed down upon hers, injecting into the kiss the passion that had been stifled in each of his meetings with her.

She wanted to drag herself away, wanted to deny any attraction she felt to him, but her body betrayed her as she responded to him in the way she had only ever responded when linked with Charyoth during a flight. Her hands clasped onto his sleeves as though she were drowning, and in truth she was - drowning in the sensations he was evoking in her. She moaned softly as his mouth crushed against hers.

The kiss was shorter than he wanted, but long enough. He separated his lips from hers, though he continued to hold her close, his voice husky. "Are you sure you're ready to go back to the Weyr? Recuperating here could be so much more enjoyable."

His words slowly penetrated the fog of mixed emotions that swirled through her head. He was right, recuperating here would mean staying close to him - her body was demanding that she agree, but her head was slowly clearing and she realised how wrong this was, for both of them. She slowly pushed herself back from him, her head shaking in denial, "We can't ... it won't ... it won't work. We both know that."

He shrugged, turning to choose another piece of fruit. "We'll see what the healer says."

"And if he says I am to stay, then what?" she asked, her heartbeat quickening at the thought of being able to stay here - with him. But she knew where he duty lay, and it wasn't in bed with Benaran, it was to the Weyr and to Pern. This wouldn't be any more than a quick affair - and one that if it ended badly - her parents could suffer. "A quick roll in the bed furs and then what? I can't stay Benaran - and I'm sure you wouldn't want me to. I'd just be a conquest."

"Would you? Or perhaps you'd consider me to be the conquest."

She smiled, for once amused by his words, "You always have to be contrary, don't you?" she asked. "How would sleeping with you be a conquest? Because you're possibly an heir apparent to the Hold, and I'm a mere greenrider?"

His smile, though still a touch cruel, showed amusement. "Possibly because I'm a holder and not so easily lured as those at the Weyr."

"I lured you? And here was I doing my best to discourage you. You even said yourself, that I rely on my dragon to keep my distance. You can't have it both ways Ben-, Sir." She didn't take offence at his words, though the coolness masking his eyes worried her just a little. Had she fallen into a trap by allowing his advance - she was beginning to wish, once more, that the damned healer would appear.

"No - you're the one who's deluded. You lure me in and then set your dragon between us." He shrugged and stepped away from her. "You're nothing but a tease."

"Well, I've obviously confirmed your opinion of female riders then haven't I?" she muttered, turning from him. "With any luck you'll be rid of me by the end of the day, so you won't feel so abused for much longer."

There was a rap on the door, but before either could answer it opened and the healer bustled in. "Sorry I'm late, got caught up by one of the drudges below stairs." he explained, for just a moment oblivious to the atmosphere in the room.

"Indeed," Benaran answered coldly. "I'll wait in the hall while you examine the rider." He turned abruptly and stalked to the door.

Last updated on the March 29th 2008

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