Caervon's Belle Ch. 02

The main market buzzed happily with villagers. Haggling and friendly banter resounded around the square; a square that was filled with booths and stands of all sorts of different things. A booth near the center seemed to catch everyone's attention. It was blindingly colorful, with all sorts of different flowers and plants.

Belle stood at the booth, oblivious to the attention her stand was receiving. She was on break at the moment and the owner, Mrs. Lovesworth, was taking care of the steady flow of customers.

It had been a week since the dinner party and Belle still hadn't talked to Arielle. This was due to the fact that the entire Caervon family had gone to their summer home for a week. Arielle had, according to the servants, begged and cajoled her parents to let Belle go, but this time her usually adoring parent's put their feet down.

It was match-making season. And the eldest Caervon son was the target. Apparently Beric's little sister Rose was the potential match, so her family was staying at the summer home as well. Personally, Belle felt bad for Arielle if she had to be stuck with Beric as extended family.

Belle hadn't been able to talk to the second son of the Caervon family either. Granted she did want to talk to Arielle first, but Luka was the second best choice. She had seen him before he had left, but he had given her his trademark angry look and had turned away.

Belle gave a gloomy sigh, bringing Mrs. Lovesworth's attention to her.

"Lovesickness isn't a fatal illness. Break time is over, dear." Mrs. Lovesworth snapped affectionally. Belle stood up before the full weight of the older woman's words hit her.

"L-Lovesickness?" Belle stammered. "I don't know what you're talking about, Goodwife." Mrs. Lovesworth gave her a knowing look and then turned her attention to new customers.

Belle thought of Luka and his ferocious temper. Lovesickness? Definitely not.

*

"Luka."

Luka looked up from the book he was reading to meet his older brother's eyes. He sighed inwardly. From the look on Ayden's face, he was about to get a lecture.

They had been at the summer home for a week. Arielle had spent the first three days in a mood because they hadn't brought Belle. Of course, since the princess hadn't gotten her way she had made it living hell for the rest of the family.

The servants were on tenterhooks around her, ever since she had sent vases and books across her room in a fit of temper. After enduring it for three days, Luka had finally snapped and had an all-out shouting match with Arielle. Somehow Belle's name had popped up and since then Arielle and Luka hadn't spoken to each other.

"You two are acting like children again." Ayden said, bringing Luka out of his thoughts.

"It's not my fault she's a spoiled brat." Luka snapped angrily. He didn't want to have this conversation with Ayden, who knew far too well how Luka felt about Belle. Luka stood and walked to the far end of the room.

Ayden regarded him with his cold grey eyes. From the frozen poker face that Ayden was showing, he was irritated. That had always been one of the huge differences between the two sons. Their tempers. People always seemed to wonder if they were even related.

"You are way too transparent, Luka." Ayden said softly with no emotion in his voice. "If you're not careful, Belle herself is going to find out. Father is trying to keep her as far away as he possibly can without causing an all-out rebellion with Arielle."

"I know." Luka muttered, running his hand through his hair. Belle was a peasant. Truly dirt poor. It was a miracle that she had come as far as she had, even so far as to get a respectable job; not that Luka approved of it, but it was better than other jobs. She was like a flower blooming in a mud pile full of weeds. If Arielle hadn't found her, she'd still be an unlearned, rack of bones; doubtlessly selling off her body to get money.

Luka shook his head to clear the thought. Ayden regarded him for a moment and then arched his eyebrows in surprise as the library's door opened and Arielle came charging in, in her usual forthright style.

Luka's shoulders tensed without turning. He could tell who it was from the foot stride. Arielle herself paused with a glance at Luka's tense frame and then stuck her nose in the air. Ayden sighed. He was the only mature one of the siblings.

Arielle had felt the suffocating tense air almost immediately as she walked in. Considering the way Luka was standing, he had probably been getting a lecture from Ayden.

Heading to the library wasn't Arielle's first choice of entertainment, but it was far better than socializing out with Beric. Arielle shuddered. Being around him gave her goosebumps and not the good kind. Guiltily, she was relieved that Beric saved most of his gaze for Belle.

Thinking of Belle, Arielle's hackles rose. All of the siblings knew that Luka liked her. But Arielle refused to condone it. Luka was a noble. As much as Arielle didn't want to think about it, it was the truth. The most that Belle could be to Luka was a mistress. And Arielle wouldn't settle for that life for her best friend.

With a parting glare at Luka's back, Arielle stomped of, reading material in hand. When they returned, she was going to wage war. Luka wasn't going to get Belle. Not while she was around.

*

A week and a half later, Arielle made due to her inner promise.

Stalking into the village with a ferocious expression, not even the bravest suitor dared approach the fiery beauty.

Belle was at her usual place in the booth and she looked up when a lull in the general buzz of conversation alerted her to what was coming.

"Belle!" Arielle threw her arms around her best friend and then gave Mrs. Lovesworth puppy eyes.

Mrs. Lovesworth chuckled and nodded. This event had happened once before and even Mrs. Lovesworth couldn't resist the effect of the young lady's carefully cultivated charm.

Belle resigned herself to being dragged away from work. After ten years of dealing with Arielle's mannerisms, she knew it was futile to resist.

"I have things to talk to you about." Arielle said abruptly. Belle nodded.

"I'm not really surprised." Belle muttered.

It soon became clear where Arielle was taking them. When they were still children and Arielle had forcibly dragged Belle along for hooky, they had found a pond that was hidden by a wooded area. It had become their haven from Beric and his ilk.

"Well?" Belle asked when they had sat by the pond side for a few minutes.

"Belle...you can't fall in love with Luka." Arielle said abruptly, and frowned at her best friend. A minute seemed to tick away as Belle processed Arielle's words.

"WHAT?!"

Several bird were startled from the trees by Belle's shout. "Why would-Why would you think I'd fall in love with that idiot?"

Arielle stared at Belle's reaction. Things were worse than she had thought. Belle wouldn't have reacted to her words that way usually.

"It's just as I said. Don't fall in love with him. Nothing good will come of it."

Belle opened her mouth to protest when she heard shouting. Arielle alerted as well and frowned deeper.

"The posse is after me. Think on what I said." Arielle said softly and then hurried out to meet her maids.

Belle sat for a moment, half-frozen in shock. She hadn't had time to talk to Arielle about why the family was acting the way it way, Arielle's words had blown all thoughts out of Belle's mind. Fall in love with Luka...? Belle hugged her legs to her body. There had been a time when she had fantasized about the second Caervon son falling for her, but as she grew older she had tried to forcibly shove those feelings away; lock them in her heart. Was she that transparent?

Clutching her head in her hands, it took her a moment to realize that the one person she didn't want to see right now was kneeling down and talking to her.

"GAH!" Belle shouted for the second time. Luka stood up in surprise and stared down at her. Belle closed her eyes for a moment and then stood up. She couldn't tell if her heart was pounding because she had been startled or if it was because he had shown up.

The stared at each other for a moment in silence until the awkwardness was too much to bear.

"Um..." Luka ran a nervous hand through his hair and looked around, "Nice place."

"Isn't it?" Belle smiled brightly, hoping he didn't notice her red cheeks and shaking hands. Banter came easily while surrounded by people. Small talk seemed to be the only thing that either of them could handle while they were alone.

It seemed in joint agreement that they head back to the mansion. Luka adjusted his pace for Belle as they walked.

"Did Arielle speak to you?" Luka asked in an icy tone. Belle nodded and his shoulders seemed to slump.

"Um, she didn't say much though." Belle's said quickly, alarmed at the suddenly gloomy mood. Did he know what Arielle had been planning to say? If so, then why was he acting this way? A thought crossed Belle's mind but she shoved it away. Luca couldn't be in love with her. From the way he usually acted it was more likely that he hated her.

A carriage thundered toward them on the road and Luka grabbed Belle's waist and dragged her to the side of the road. Belle bit her lip and wondered if Luka could feel her rapidly beating pulse. His mind seemed more occupied with the carriage, but she was extremely aware of his hand on her hip, fingers spanning her stomach. His chest was muscular and steady as she took advantage of the moment to lean into it.

Arielle's warnings from before seemed to have melted from Belle's mind. The carriage passed without slowing. Luka's other hand came to rest on her waist as he gently pushed her away. Belle felt a twinge of disappointment. Always the gentleman. Always the older brother figure.

*

"Shit."

Luka leaned up against his door, trying to tame the rampant heat in his groin. He had never been aroused so quickly from touching a woman so briefly. He could still smell the scent of her hair and her softness beneath his fingers.

He shook away the thoughts of touching more of her softness and tried to think of other things. Like Arielle's obvious determination to keep both Luka and Belle away from each other. Not that they were trying to be together. But Arielle obviously was under the impression that the more time Luka and Belle spent together, the more the threat of romantic feelings.

Too late, Luka thought bitterly. He knew the consequences of falling in love with Belle all too well, but it hadn't stopped his heart. He couldn't even give a definite reason to why he liked her. She was always grimy, followed his sister around far too docilely, wasn't even much of a beauty...even the thought of her made him slightly irritated.

So why did he react like that? Why was she always forefront in his mind?

*

Somehow Belle had been invited to the ball that the Caervon's had decided to host. Though it wasn't so much 'somehow' as because of Arielle. Belle sighed. She hadn't really wanted to come, but Arielle seemed so enthusiastic that Belle hadn't had the nerve to put her foot down.

Now she stood slightly behind a vase of flowers, holding her punch and watching the dancers. She had borrowed a dress from Arielle, but it was slightly ill-fitting and far too fancy for Belle's tastes.

What was worse was that Beric was at the party. Belle had spent the first few hours avoiding him and his lecherous gaze. Arielle hadn't helped. She was in her element, surrounded by pretty men and dancing happily.

Luka was also somewhere around, but ever since that day when they had walked to the mansion together, he had been avoiding her. She was of half a mind to give him a lecture, if she could pin him down long enough for him to listen.

"---Caervon's daughter."

Belle's ears perked up. Some old dowagers were grouped together and apparently gossiping. From Belle's vantage point, she could hear every word.

"Indeed. I've heard that girl is quite...free, in her affections."

"Did you hear about the urchin they took in? Not a penny to its name. I wonder at the wisdom of letting Lady Arielle socialize with such filth."

"Mm, charity or not, taking in a dirty child from the streets is a bit much, especially with three well bred children of your own."

Bella's shoulders tensed. Old gossipmongers. If she was higher bred she'd give them a good tongue lashing.

"Eavesdropping is rude you know." A voice whispered in her ear.

Bella's shoulder's tensed even more. Damn. Beric had found her. Without turning her head, she spoke just as softly.

"Your parents didn't teach you the meaning of personal space did they?" She asked regarding the fact that his face was three inches from hers.

He grinned slyly and indicated toward the dancers.

"Care to dance...my lady?" Belle didn't miss the sarcasm.

"No thanks. I'd rather dance with humans not swine." Beric's smile disappeared and his true evil face appeared. Before he could make a rebuttal someone slid up to them.

Luka glared at Beric was barely concealed venom in his eyes. As usual, his fury showed freely on his face. Beric took a step back involuntarily, glancing at Luka's clenched fists.

Luka looked away from the object of his fury and his gaze softened slightly.

"May I have this dance?" He asked. Belle looked at the dance floor in apprehension. She didn't much like the thought of all those assessing and judging gazes. But she nodded all the same. Anything to get away from Beric.

Instead of dragging her out onto the dance floor though, Luka led her outside. She shivered. The music drifted down into the courtyard where they were, but no one else was present because of the chill.

"I guess we'll just have to dance in order to warm up." Luka said when he noticed her shivering.

Hesitatingly, she placed her hand in his. A shiver ran down her spine when he placed his hand on the curve of her hip. Years of dance lessons allowed her to follow his lead smoothly as they slowly glided around the courtyard.

Belle had never realized how erotic dancing was. Her breasts would brush his chest, fleetingly but enough to send nerves to her core. His breath fanned her ear and temple slightly and he moved his hand to the small of her back. Startled, she involuntarily arched her back, fully molding her body into his.

They stopped moving and he rested his forehead against hers. Neither made a move to step away. All thought and reason had fled at physical touch. His hand was moving in circles at the small of her back, relaxing muscles she hadn't realized were tense. Involuntarily, she moaned in relief.

As though the sound was a trigger, Luka's mouth came down hard against Belle's. Startled, she half pulled away, but Luka's hand gripped the back of her head, holding her in place. She gasped and he took advantage of the moment to take full control of her mouth, to plunder it without mercy.

Belle began to melt into his embrace; her legs shook as his free hand cupped her breast, his thumb roughly sliding across her nipple. He broke free from her mouth and began to place light feathery kisses down her neck, sending shivers up her spine.

"Belle?"

Startled, Belle jerked away from Luka's arms. Arielle was looking for her. They were half hidden in the dark, but Arielle was already going to have a fit knowing they had danced. If she knew about the kiss...

Luka was breathing hard and looking away. He had apparently come to the same conclusion. Jerking his head toward the mansion, he stalked off into the garden. Belle straightened her dress and rubbed her lips. They were swollen from kissing.

"Belle?" Arielle called again. Belle took one last shaky look toward the garden and then headed toward the sound of Arielle's voice. She had a lot to think about.

*

Mm, yeah, sorry it took me so long to write the second chapter. v_v I didn't have time to just sit down and do it. Their relationship is kind of progressing slower than I wanted too. *shrugs* I'll try to keep updated quicker, anyways. ^-^;